Although we can never actually live in the past, one can relive, and most importantly learn from, the past.

To fully appreciate the simplicity of this statement, join me in my taking a bird‘s eye and capsulized journey to the great historic state of Colorado. Our trip took us through parts of Colorado where each destination point along the way was in itself a reflection of yesterday.

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Our first leg of the journey took us to Manitou Springs, where Juana Fuentez and her incredibly knowledgeable staff cordially welcomed us to the Cliff House at Pikes Peak, which has been opened longer than Colorado has been a state.

Rosemary and I stayed in the Katherine Lee Bates suite, one of several celebrity suites. Bordering the circular ceiling of the turret bedroom were the words of “America the Beautiful,“ which was written by Mrs. Bates during a visit to Pikes Peak. Rosemary wanted to bust out with her rendition of the song every morning.

As I explored the room, a beautiful framed picture surprisingly opened to reveal a television, which pulled out for better viewing. Below it was a gas fireplace that could be activated by a push of a button right behind the four-poster bed. The outside view was spectacular with a magnificent view of scenic Pikes Peak, a panoramic scene of the quaint downtown area, and last, but not least, directly across the street a former boarding house, that had been cursed by the Indian tribes, with below ground subterranean fingers of mineral springs.

Each room of the Cliff House is choreographed in the motif of past guests having stayed there back during the Wild West era. As people traveled from east to west like the California gold rush and Buffalo Bill‘s Wild West Show, the Cliff House became as the stopover residence for many reasons. To the famous, it offered mineral springs, privacy and protection. To others it was a chance to stay, reflect and experience the same amenities that Buffalo Bill, Katherine Lee Bates, Zalmon Simmons (who not only built the cog railroad up Pikes Peak, but founded Simmons Mattress Company), entrepreneur Harvey Firestone, showman P. T. Barnum, F.W.Woolworth, Teddy Roosevelt, inventor Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, movie star Clark Gable, billionaire J. Paul Getty, and a host of other dignitaries enjoyed.

From golf to skiing, backpacking, hiking or tasting the healthy mineral waters, plan on visiting the great best kept secret to rejuvenate yourselves, and let the great staff at the Cliff House help custom design an outdoor adventure or romantic get away. A complimentary light breakfast buffet, from yogurt to scrambled eggs with all the trimmings, is served every morning in the dining room that has received a 4 Diamond rating from AAA.

So sit back and enjoy your heated toilet seat, burro ride, or perhaps a bit of the bubbly (not mineral water) on the veranda or at one of the local pubs in downtown Manitou Springs.

“The Cliff House is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a member of Historic Hotels of the Rocky Mountains, Historic Hotels of America, and Small Luxury Hotels of the World.“ The 1999 $10 million dollar renovation turned this Queen Anne Victorian styled boarding house into a premier luxury state of the art hotel with spa tubs, heated towel bars and T1 internet lines.

from Ladies Golf Journey - Oct/Nov 2003

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