colorado springs

[perth]

i just moved to colorado springs. i gotta say, i really like it. i came from fort collins co, and fort collins was sort of east of the foothills on a real flat area. you could see the mountains to the west, but the view was generally less than spectacular. not so here. co springs is in the foothills, and the foothills are much... hillier... than there. i can see pikes peak from my bedroom (my view is unique and interesting, and if i ever get internet access at home here, ill post a thread with a picture) but the area is generally real nice. theres a lot to do here, with a lot of neat restaurants and small touristy-type towns once you get closer to the mountains. cripple creek is less than an hour away, so i can finally get to one of those little mountain gambling towns.losing a bunch of money while getting free drinks is always fun. theres a state park here called garden of the gods, and i cant think of a better name for it. huge rock formations, desert/mountain type foliage, beautiful wildflowers. pikes peak is a pretty spectacular view, close enough to clearly see the tree-line. and a great hike, im told, if i can ever get in good enough shape to make it. so let me ask this: has anyone here ever lived in/visited colorado springs? and if so, what would you suggest as fun things to do?

~james