 |
| Broadmoor Hotel |
Accommodation:
Broadmoor Hotel - We stayed here for two nights. The hotel is beautiful but decor is too formal for us. Our room had a parlor which we never used. The service is great. When we checked in, they wished us a happy birthday and gave us a gift which was a canister with nuts and toffee.
Activities:
We carpooled to work together so that we could quickly get on the road to head down to the Springs. We had planned to try to leave early but there was too much work to do so it was about 4:30 by the time we got on the road. We took the convertible and enjoyed the drive with views of the mountains the whole way.
We checked in and got settled - we were both so tired from a long week of burning the candle on both ends. We had been out every night during the week either having dinner or drinks with friends or going to concerts. We went for a drink and then to dinner at the hotel and then quickly crashed when we returned to our room.
 |
| Keith looking scared as we begin the Incline |
After grabbing a quick breakfast at the hotel cafe (coffee and yogurt), we left to hike the Incline in Manitou Springs. The Incline is where the old cog railway went partially up Pike's Peak and thus the cross tracks are still there. Up until this year, it was illegal to hike it but many people still did it as it is considered quite the challenge and many athletes do it for training purposes. It's only a mile but with a 40 degree slope and 2000 feet elevation gain, it is definitely hard. Parking was a nightmare so we had to park in town and walk up to the hike which took about 15 minutes. The record to the top is slightly under 20 minutes which was done by an extreme athlete. People who are in good shape typically can get to the top in 30-45 minutes. It took us an hour and 40 minutes!! It was hot and we were definitely out of shape but we made it. Keith certainly could have made it up in under an hour but Shawna slowed him down. It was very steep at parts that Shawna had to crawl up. At the top, there are great views of the surrounding mountains and the town below. After taking it in and catching our breath, we hiked down the Barr Trail which took us an hour. The Barr trail starts out with a steep descent for the first few minutes but then it's switch backs the rest of the way to make it easier on the knees.
 |
| Still not close to the top! |
 |
| Happy to finally be at the top! |
We grabbed a quick slice of pizza in town and then went back to the hotel for a nap. We also each got a 90 minute massage at the hotel spa which was much needed after that hike. The spa is very nice and the waiting room has a great view of the mountains. Before dinner, we met up with Jodi and Tim for a few drinks at the hotel bar. We sat outside with the view of the lake and caught up with them. They were supposed to do the Death Ride (a crazy long bike ride aroundTelluride) this weekend but their plans were changed when one of Tim's sons broke his pelvis in a bike accident. Following drinks, we had dinner at the Penrose Room which was very good.
 |
| View of the lake at the hotel while we had drinks |
On Sunday, we were lazy in bed until 10am and then checked out of the hotel and drove home.
Restaurants:
Golden Bee - This is an English style pub on the grounds of the hotel. We stopped for a drink before dinner. Shawna had a Moscow mule and Keith had a watermelon mojito which was yummy. The pub is casual and very cute.
The Summit - We had dinner here on Friday night. The restaurant is located on the grounds across from the main building. We really liked the decor and ambiance but we were not impressed with the food. We started with the mussels which were tasty and the pork belly which was too fatty and salty. We then shared the duck with scalloped potatoes - the sauce was too overpowering and the potatoes were not cooked enough.
Hell's Kitchen Pizza - Located in Manitou Springs. We grabbed a slice here after the hike - pretty good.
Penrose Room - This is the Broadmoor's most formal dining. It is located on the top floor of one of the buildings. The room reminded us of a private dining club with chandeliers, floral carpeting, white tablecloths and a dance floor with a four piece band playing the oldies. While the decor was not our style, the food and the service was fantastic. The wait staff quickly figured out that we liked to joke around and they were not stuffy at all. The woman who served the bread (who was in training but certainly didn't appear that she needed training) requested that the band play a more modern song for us after we joked with her that we would love to hear some Sir Mix-a-Lot. So unbeknown to us, the band said "this one is for the Dodds'" and they played something slightly more modern which we danced to. We ordered the seven course tasting menu with wine pairing - the food was very good but the quantity was too much. We had crab bisque, beet salad, gnocchi, fish, beef two ways, cheese plate and a mousse for dessert. We would definitely recommend this place for a special occasion.
Restaurants:
Golden Bee - This is an English style pub on the grounds of the hotel. We stopped for a drink before dinner. Shawna had a Moscow mule and Keith had a watermelon mojito which was yummy. The pub is casual and very cute.
The Summit - We had dinner here on Friday night. The restaurant is located on the grounds across from the main building. We really liked the decor and ambiance but we were not impressed with the food. We started with the mussels which were tasty and the pork belly which was too fatty and salty. We then shared the duck with scalloped potatoes - the sauce was too overpowering and the potatoes were not cooked enough.
Hell's Kitchen Pizza - Located in Manitou Springs. We grabbed a slice here after the hike - pretty good.
Penrose Room - This is the Broadmoor's most formal dining. It is located on the top floor of one of the buildings. The room reminded us of a private dining club with chandeliers, floral carpeting, white tablecloths and a dance floor with a four piece band playing the oldies. While the decor was not our style, the food and the service was fantastic. The wait staff quickly figured out that we liked to joke around and they were not stuffy at all. The woman who served the bread (who was in training but certainly didn't appear that she needed training) requested that the band play a more modern song for us after we joked with her that we would love to hear some Sir Mix-a-Lot. So unbeknown to us, the band said "this one is for the Dodds'" and they played something slightly more modern which we danced to. We ordered the seven course tasting menu with wine pairing - the food was very good but the quantity was too much. We had crab bisque, beet salad, gnocchi, fish, beef two ways, cheese plate and a mousse for dessert. We would definitely recommend this place for a special occasion.
 |
| View from Barr Trail |
No comments:
Post a Comment