Favorite businesses or things to do? (Penrose, Green Mountain Falls: home, buy, high school)

[Sonic_Spork]

I want to start a thread for people to share their favorite local whatever. Something you find super cool or fun, whether it's your favorite trail or park or your favorite place to shop or your favorite ice cream shop...but try to keep it to "local business" or unusual things, like not national chains that everybody knows about like Walmart or Baskin Robbins. Promote/recommend something that others should check out!

I want to mention, since I am a total weirdo and I like weird things, that there is an Oddities Shop called "The Last Rites Art & Oddities" at 1915 East Platte Ave now. I'm not sure if they're getting as much promotion as they could and their hours can be a little unpredictable, I think it's one woman running it and sometimes she will go on "picking" trips to find stuff to sell. And it's kind of a hole in the wall attached to (I think?) a self storage place. I hope one day she can get a better location, honestly. But it seems obvious to me that she's doing what she can afford right now, which is a cheap (I assume) storefront and herself doing all the work.

Which makes me want to support and promote her even more, because she's a plucky entrepreneur, like man this is the stuff the American Dream is made of, I figure. Just the sort of enterprise I like to give money to!

She has some COOL weird things in there. Really cool! Medical equipment, a full autopsy set, preserved critters in jars and animal skeletons, creepy toys, bizarre movie posters, and unusual local art. I got Christmas tree ornaments of Cthulhu, Baphomet, Krampus and a shrunken head there. Who doesn't need a set of those???

Also, I've really been enjoying the Java Punk coffee shop out off of Powers. The food and drinks are outta this world, they're named after a bunch of cool literary references, and they have loads of awesome puzzles and games. It is steampunk themed! I tried a thing called the "Lewis Carroll" which was a hot apple cider with a shot of root beer flavored syrup and whipped cream and butterscotch sauce. It was um...weird. Now I just stick to hot cider, which, by the way, isn't easy to find in coffee shops around here!

Before I went I had the mistaken impression that they might serve alcohol, but they don't. This is good (IMO) because you can take teenagers there, mine really loved it and I got my sons to play a game of Scrabble with me. Mind you, my boys are of the age where doing fun things with Mom is not high on their list, so this was pretty special.

So anybody else got any favorite Springs spots we all ought to go check out sometime?

[TCHP]

Few of my faves;

Tap Traders. You can't get Coke, Pepsi, Miller, Bud, or Coors here. All soft drinks and beers are local, regional, or state offerings. Much of their liquor cabinet is as well. Being in the old Alexander Film building means they have neat stuff on the walls and the play loops of some of the commercials they produce back in the 50-60s, most of which were all shot locally.

Lau'au's Taco Shop and Wooglin's Deli. Hole in the wall places at the north Tejon dead end against CC. You can miss them if you don't know where to look, Lau'aus is actually accessed through the alley. Get to them now before the arena goes in and they get swallowed up.

Palmer Park. Being on the east side it seems to scare a lot of people away. Typically take my dogs to the upper, open range park on top of the north mesa, Yucca Flats for you old timers. I spent a lot of high school weekend nights in various places in the park when times were much different. Now its an occasional trail walk, but mostly its taking the dogs out where they can run around and act like dogs with only a short drive from my home.

Heart of Jerusalem Cafe in Manitou. Authentic middle eastern food. Haven't had a bad item from the menu. Always willing to modify meu items and vary orders. Even my kids love it here, but they tend to usually get gyros. When they do defer to a hamburger, they still like their fries which are crispy outside, tender inside with a dash of middle eastern spice on them. Sage tea is awesome.

ABC Used Parts. Local version of U Pull and Pay, self service junk yard without the hard line corporate price schedule. I spend less time there now days with my later model cars, but frequented the place often in my younger days. With my kids reaching driving age and looking at the age of cars they will be driving, anticipate renewing visits here in coming years. Everytime I see someone with a bag taped over a window or rope holding their trunk down, I want to tell them to go here and get replacement parts for about what they paid for those 5 rolls of duct tape.

[Mike from back east]

One of my faves was always Marigold Cafe on Centennial near Garden of the Gods Rd. I used to stop in there and get a box of eclairs every so often. They've a small 4-seat bar area right there when you walk in which is a good place to get a cup of coffee and a dessert.

[otowi]

I haven't been to Tap Traders or ABC but I'd second all the rest of your list - except of Heart of Jerusalem I've only been to the one on Centennial and think it's super good.

I also enjoy going to Shuga's every now and then - south of downtown.

I still think Fargo's is a great place to take kids.

I would put the word in for the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo - outstanding zoo that does not get any tax dollars -unlike pretty much all the rest of them.

I'd recommend the Paint Mines for a unique walking/hiking experience out on the plains.

Originally Posted by TCHP

Few of my faves;

Tap Traders. You can't get Coke, Pepsi, Miller, Bud, or Coors here. All soft drinks and beers are local, regional, or state offerings. Much of their liquor cabinet is as well. Being in the old Alexander Film building means they have neat stuff on the walls and the play loops of some of the commercials they produce back in the 50-60s, most of which were all shot locally.

Lau'au's Taco Shop and Wooglin's Deli. Hole in the wall places at the north Tejon dead end against CC. You can miss them if you don't know where to look, Lau'aus is actually accessed through the alley. Get to them now before the arena goes in and they get swallowed up.

Palmer Park. Being on the east side it seems to scare a lot of people away. Typically take my dogs to the upper, open range park on top of the north mesa, Yucca Flats for you old timers. I spent a lot of high school weekend nights in various places in the park when times were much different. Now its an occasional trail walk, but mostly its taking the dogs out where they can run around and act like dogs with only a short drive from my home.

Heart of Jerusalem Cafe in Manitou. Authentic middle eastern food. Haven't had a bad item from the menu. Always willing to modify meu items and vary orders. Even my kids love it here, but they tend to usually get gyros. When they do defer to a hamburger, they still like their fries which are crispy outside, tender inside with a dash of middle eastern spice on them. Sage tea is awesome.

ABC Used Parts. Local version of U Pull and Pay, self service junk yard without the hard line corporate price schedule. I spend less time there now days with my later model cars, but frequented the place often in my younger days. With my kids reaching driving age and looking at the age of cars they will be driving, anticipate renewing visits here in coming years. Everytime I see someone with a bag taped over a window or rope holding their trunk down, I want to tell them to go here and get replacement parts for about what they paid for those 5 rolls of duct tape.

[COcheesehead]

The sometimes hard to follow/hard to find hiking trails on the south side of Green Mountain Falls. Some lead to water falls, some lead you deeper into the woods (play scary organ music here).
The Keg in Manitou. Great old time burger joint.
Red Rock Canyon. A maze of trails through an old quarry.
The Incline. Hardest mile in America.
The Garden of the Gods Trading Post. Not the one in the visitor's center. The one on the south side of the park. Classic tourist store.
The natural springs in downtown Manitou. Some are effervescent, some taste like Seven Up. Some are loaded with iron. All are free for the taking.
Stage Coach Road.
Gold Camp Road

[captain_hug99]

I second Shugas!

I went to Vinum Populi (Tutt and Barnes) and it was good! I liked that I could try a variety of wines. Their food was good, but small.

[beezle1]

If you are into local history at all, the Pioneers Museum is excellent and free!

[Miss Hepburn]

So far the only thing I didn't know about was the op's Oddities Shop...can't wait...south side of Platte,
just east of Union...Yay!
(I'm a garage saler so you give me an address I know where it is, ha!)
Just want to say...at The Keg, Manitou, get the chicken sandwich, great sides, too.

Ha, even ABC Used Auto parts! ...for the last 30 years!
Down that same way...I ❤️ Pho...restaurant in that strip mall at the
north east corner of Southgate and Nevada...where the old Natural Grocer's was and Tuesday Morning.
Clean, fast...EXCELLENT...and I have been to many Pho places in diff states. Oh my, I could go on about
what to try! But everything is perfect.
Ok, the bowls of salad, wow...their dressings on the side, wow, with marinated meats...ok I'm going today.


Added: Wanna feel like you're in Mexico? La Unica W.Colo Ave past the Safeway closed Mondays...
go to their bathroom in the back through the outside...oh yeah...Mexico!
The food is perfection...go on some off hour, gets crowded by locals.
Jorge (pro Hor-hay) is the best chef, his wife is a doll, like a mother.
Went to their place when it was wedged between pawn shop dives with bars on the windows on
scary north side of E. Platte before Circle...the run down area...oh my...
I rem a Mexican got this certain Tequila...I thought...I want to try it...one shot added $12 to my bill!
Yup, he knew his Tequila!!!

More: Smorbord...Scandanavian food by award winning Jay from The Ritz...I think everything is under $10 a plate...Tues half off wine bottles all day, rem we can take em home now.
Delicious!!! Bathroom is still down 2 hallways in the Lincoln Elementary School, tho.
N. Cascade south of Fillmore, N of Penrose Hosp. \
The Bakery there is the best European bread in town now,
don't buy the Sourdough or you'll get hooked.

[Sonic_Spork]

Miss Hepburn, mention of a bakery grabbed my attention! I love bread. I'm a carb junkie. I went to a bakery in OCC and have to admit I was not as impressed as I'd hoped to be. I will check out your suggestion! Looking around on the Google, I think that the bakery portion of that business is called "Nightingale Bread." I'm excited!

And since you mention bathrooms, I forgot to say about that coffee shop, Java Punk, if you go, make SURE that you check out both of the bathrooms (they are one-person gender neutral so you won't be intruding into the "wrong" restroom.) The way they are decorated is awesome! Make sure to look at the ceilings.

I like to also collect up unusual local things like this for when my out of town relatives visit. They always think they want to ride the cog train or do the drive up Pikes Peak and I have to talk them out of it. We did that once with sea-level dwellers. Once. Now I'm like, "No...you are high enough, even if you don't know it." lol

[hollyt00]

Be prepared for high prices for the bread, though- I bought a loaf there for $8.

I love Salus for gifts for me and for others, in Manitou. I like Peaks n' Pines on the east side of town by another favorite restaurant, Schnitzel Fritz. Used to go to those places a bunch more when I worked out on that side of town. Trails End taproom is a neat concept in OCC by the Safeway over there.

I went to Dos Santos and thought their tacos were very yummy though not spicy- was expecting a bit of a bite.