Norris Penrose Event Center
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While staying at the Norris Penrose Event Center Campground in Colorado Springs, a great location at a great price, we woke up Saturday morning to something unexpected: a Touch a Truck event right on site. Cars were lined up to get in, and the turnout was impressive. Clearly, Coloradans love their trucks. Kids in bright yellow plastic hats and safety vests were crawling all over fire trucks, moving trucks, dump trucks, tow trucks. You name it. If this is any indication, Colorado Springs won’t have a shortage of future truck drivers. These kids were fully committed.
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I couldn’t recall seeing anything like this back home in Atlanta. Then again, I probably would have overlooked it since it’s geared toward kids. Out of curiosity, I Googled it and was surprised to see a Touch a Truck event happening that same day just a few miles from my house back in Georgia.
That afternoon, we headed to The Broadmoor Seven Falls, one of Colorado Springs’ must-see spots. One of the perks of staying at Norris Penrose is that the parking lot for the Seven Falls shuttle is right there at the event center. No extra driving. No searching for parking. Just a short walk to catch the shuttle.
Seven Falls is beautifully maintained, right down to the creek, where even the rocks seem intentionally placed. From the shuttle drop-off, we walked about 0.8 miles along a paved road to the base of the waterfall. True to its name, Seven Falls features seven separate drops. Six cascade together in sequence, while the seventh requires a short hike at the top.
When we arrived at the base, a search and rescue truck and ambulance were parked there. We climbed the first staircase, 182 steps to the Eagle’s Nest overlook. From that perch, we saw a rescue team bringing someone down from the opposite staircase by the falls. Most likely, the person had reached the top and then experienced a medical emergency.
Colorado Springs sits over 6,000 feet above sea level, and altitude sickness can sneak up on visitors, especially those flying in from lower elevations. Add a serious stair climb and that can be a problem if your body isn’t ready. These stairs are no joke. I am used to stair climbs with a landing every 20 or 30 steps. This was closer to 100 straight steps between pauses. By the time you reach the platform, you are absolutely huffing.
By the time we made it back down, the rescue was complete and the team appeared to be debriefing. We then tackled the second staircase, 224 steps that hug the side of the falls for a closer view. At the very top, the creek appears calm and unassuming. You would never guess it was responsible for that roaring cascade unless you had seen it from below.
From there, we hiked out to the seventh waterfall and continued on to Inspiration Point, about another mile. The sweeping views of the Rocky Mountains were incredible, and from the top we could see downtown Colorado Springs in the distance. Inspiration Point is also home to a small memorial for Helen Hunt Jackson, who found inspiration there for her book Ramona. I have not read it. After seeing that view, it is now on my list.
That afternoon, we headed to The Broadmoor Seven Falls, one of Colorado Springs’ must-see spots. One of the perks of staying at Norris Penrose is that the parking lot for the Seven Falls shuttle is right there at the event center. No extra driving. No searching for parking. Just a short walk to catch the shuttle.
Seven Falls is beautifully maintained, right down to the creek, where even the rocks seem intentionally placed. From the shuttle drop-off, we walked about 0.8 miles along a paved road to the base of the waterfall. True to its name, Seven Falls features seven separate drops. Six cascade together in sequence, while the seventh requires a short hike at the top.
When we arrived at the base, a search and rescue truck and ambulance were parked there. We climbed the first staircase, 182 steps to the Eagle’s Nest overlook. From that perch, we saw a rescue team bringing someone down from the opposite staircase by the falls. Most likely, the person had reached the top and then experienced a medical emergency.
Colorado Springs sits over 6,000 feet above sea level, and altitude sickness can sneak up on visitors, especially those flying in from lower elevations. Add a serious stair climb and that can be a problem if your body isn’t ready. These stairs are no joke. I am used to stair climbs with a landing every 20 or 30 steps. This was closer to 100 straight steps between pauses. By the time you reach the platform, you are absolutely huffing.
By the time we made it back down, the rescue was complete and the team appeared to be debriefing. We then tackled the second staircase, 224 steps that hug the side of the falls for a closer view. At the very top, the creek appears calm and unassuming. You would never guess it was responsible for that roaring cascade unless you had seen it from below.
From there, we hiked out to the seventh waterfall and continued on to Inspiration Point, about another mile. The sweeping views of the Rocky Mountains were incredible, and from the top we could see downtown Colorado Springs in the distance. Inspiration Point is also home to a small memorial for Helen Hunt Jackson, who found inspiration there for her book Ramona. I have not read it. After seeing that view, it is now on my list.