Manitou Springs - Colorado Springs, CO - 10,645 Miles

We spent the day in Manitou Springs west of Colorado Springs in the foothills of the Rockies. Manitou Springs, like most towns we've encountered in the Colorado Rockies, reached its peak in the 1890's. The difference is the town's growth had nothing to do with mining. Manitou Springs owed its growth to tourists coming to visit the mineral springs and Pike's Peak. Like most of the towns it faded to near oblivion by the mid 20th century but has made at least a partial comeback due to tourism and art colonies.

















One attraction was an arcade dating back to the early 1900's. Some of the games were as recent as 15 years old but a few went back over 50 years. Those were my favorites. They cost more than a penny, but many cost only five or ten cents. To me real arcade games have no solid state electronics and are housed in a box of stained wood. I found several games I used to play as a kid at Idora Park in Youngstown, OH. I was able to get back to my inner child although I think, even now, my inner child pretty much runs the place.