December 7, 2009
The cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park are in Colorado but, as most people don't realize, the place isn't exactly close for a day trip from Denver. It takes about seven hours one way to pull in to Cortez, Colorado, the nearest major  town, so it's hardly easy for a weekend getaway either. So, when such an opportunity isn't available, it's possible just to head down to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings instead. The cliff dwellings were built and opened in 1906 for the benefit of tourists. They were never actually used as homes like those of the Anasazi in the southwest part of the state. Yet, with its present age, the Manitou Cliff Dwellings have become more than just a tourist trap in the Pikes Peak area.  Heading west on Highway 24 from Colorado Springs, Claudia, a visiting German journalist, spotted the sign and asked if we could stop. I was more than happy to as this is a place that I was curious about visiting for quite some time. And it turned out to be a worthwhile tour in my mind as the real deal cousins in the southwest are a bit more difficult to reach. We enjoyed the hands on opportunities the place offers, which makes it a great stop for kids, as it's possible to climb over, through, in and around the "ruins." There are sign postings all around too so it's possible to learn a bit about how these replicated homes would've actually been used. It's all quite educational and fun; plus there's no worry about damaging anything incredibly historic in the stop.
A  gift shop hugs the side of a hill just off the parking lot. And as Claudia commented, it's incredibly big. Built in the adobe style as was popular hundreds of years ago as the south of Colorado was being settled, it must be the largest gift shop in a building of its kind anywhere. A small museum is also in two different parts of the shop explaining some of the history of the peoples that would've lived in similar cliff dwellings. This is a great stop that can easily be combined with a hike at the Garden of the Gods or a day up on Pikes Peak, which towers over the dwellings. But, for me, I was just happy to get out and stretch my legs in the middle of a long day of driving and learn about something new. And with the hands on opportunities here, it couldn't have been a more perfect place for just that.
Posted by Jason Hussong
November 28, 2009
When I was getting close to graduating from high school my father took me to a bunch of these college fairs. At most of them there were military recruiters from all of the different branches. I had no desire to enlist, but I knew he really wanted it for me. He claims it was to get me in better shape, but I think it was probably more of a case to have the family military tradition carry on. It never happened and instead I went my own way. But as I stood on the groun  ds of the Air Force Acade...
Posted by Jason Hussong
November 17, 2009
I had no idea the general public was ever allowed on the Air Force Academy grounds. I guess I just always assumed it was a closed and secured facility for the cadets and instructors alone. Of  course, naturally, I always wondered how folks were allowed on the grounds for the different hockey and football games, but actually didn't give it a whole ton of thought. Then the place opened up to me with an end-of-the-season hike with Kory Kilmer. The AFA is nestled into the hills just north of ... Continue reading...
Posted by Jason Hussong
November 1, 2009
There are a handful of places that I seem to visit each year in Colorado, whether it be by choice or chance. It's almost as if I'm drawn to them as their beauty eclipses any other lovely spot in this great state. One of the places that I drop in on annually, if not more, is the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. 
The family of Charles Elliot Perkins, head of the Burlington Railroad, donated the land to the city of Colorado Springs upon his death in the early 1900s. Initially Perkin... Continue reading...
Posted by Jason Hussong
October 19, 2009
I have never really been one for natural history museums. I think it's the dioramas that annoy me and the stuffed animals, especially the big ones, that freak me out. It just doesn't seem natural for some reason to me. But, the side of them that I do like are the traveling exhibits, like the latest Genghis Khan display at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.  The Genghis Khan exhibit just opened at the museum and will run through February of 2010. I was fortunate enough to get a snea...
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Posted by Jason Hussong
October 16, 2009
When I finished talking on the travel panel in downtown Denver with the Public Relations Society of America I felt motivated to go out and do something. Here I had just exchanged a lot of good travel ideas with some top notch people and I wanted to get out and do and see something. I left Maggiano's on the 16th Street Mall though with every intention of just heading back to my car though, until I remembered the Byers-Evans House that is. 
I've been wanting to get a tour of the house wher...
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Posted by Jason Hussong
October 12, 2009
 I moved to Denver nine years ago from the Twin Cities area and have heard nothing but the  best about the Red Rocks Amphitheatre since. Everyone that I ever spoke with that's seen a show there told me that there's nothing like it; no concert experience can match what it offers. I decided from this advice that I wanted my first experience to be the absolute best it could. I wanted it to be special.
I was adamant about waiting for the right band to come through town. Lots of great musicians ... Continue reading...
Posted by Jason Hussong
October 2, 2009
Since my 25th birthday visit with my friend Brian, I have been to the largest brewery in Colorado, Coors Brewery in Golden, Colorado, more times than I can count. I guess that's why Pete Coors was waiting for me at the Blue Moon stand at the recent Great American Beer Festival. A few years have passed since my last visit so I thought I'd drop in once again and say, "hello." 
The tour section of the brewery has gotten a bit of a facelift since last I was there. In the past tour guides w...
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Posted by Jason Hussong
September 22, 2009
Railroad museums and exhibits are generally only for those that have a deep interest in the mode of transportation. It didn't take me long in my visit at the Colorado Railroad Museum, east of Golden, to realize that I was not included in  that group. It's a nice enough place, but just not one that I found terribly appealing. The museum itself is in a replica depot from the late 1800s. A large portion of the building is the gift shop. The rest contains a small display, railroad artwork, and ...
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Posted by Jason Hussong
September 11, 2009
As the summer wanes I'm making every attempt to get out and see the beauty of Colorado. I want to take up snowshoeing this winter, but since that scenery is different, I want to take in as much as I can now. As such, Golden Gate Canyon State Park seemed like an ideal place to venture  for a day since it's close to Denver, yet far enough up in the hills to feel as though I've gotten away. I trekked several miles and ultimately found myself disappointed though; while there are a lot of beau...
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Posted by Jason Hussong
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town, so it's hardly easy for a weekend getaway either. So, when such an opportunity isn't available, it's possible just to head down to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings instead.
gift shop hugs the side of a hill just off the parking lot. And as Claudia commented, it's incredibly big. Built in the adobe style as was popular hundreds of years ago as the south of Colorado was being settled, it must be the largest gift shop in a building of its kind anywhere. A small museum is also in two different parts of the shop explaining some of the history of the peoples that would've lived in similar cliff dwellings.
