City: Colorado Springs, CO

Category: Accommodations

Telephone: (719) 634-0808 or (800) 944-45

Address: 3820 N. 30th St.

Description: Colorado Springs’s city founder, Gen. William J. Palmer, built his stone castle in a small valley just north of Garden of the Gods. He named it Glen Eyrie for the eagles that nested there. Over the years, it has changed ownership several times but is now owned by The Navigators, an international Christian organization. For some years, it was used as a Christian retreat and was not open to the public. Over the past 30 years, the group has reopened the castle and its grounds to the public with high tea and tours and overnight stays. If you want to stay in a real castle, this is it! The castle and adjacent buildings have 97 guest rooms with double, queen, and king beds. Prices are commensurate with the lodgings, and there’s a fee of $14 to $16 for an extra person in the room. Most rooms have phones, hair dryers, coffee machines, and bath amenities. There is a large bookstore on the property and breakfast is available daily, but other meals may not be (check when you make your reservation). Set on 800 acres of glen and canyon property, there are 17 hiking trails for guests to explore, including one up to a waterfall. There is a tennis court, a basketball court, sand volleyball court and large lawns for Frisbee or touch football games. Daily tours are scheduled of the castle. The entire property is nonsmoking and pets are not allowed in any of the buildings. Children 16 and younger are not permitted in the historic castle rooms, but they are allowed in the lodges. There are no televisions in the rooms because the property is designed as a retreat, for rest and renewal. Don’t forget to book a high tea for yourself during your stay. It’s a treat.