Living Colorado Springs » Summer in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs Summer Starts Warm

Rick Van Wieren — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:08:48 +0000

The summer season has started off a bit warm and dry this year in Colorado Springs. Usually by this time we are seeing clear sunny mornings and thunderstorms in the mid – afternoons, but there really has been very little rain, and we’ve hit a couple of record highs already (I think 92 is pretty warm!) Today it will likely not hit 75, and actually 70′s are much more typical of June than 90′s. It is one of the reasons summer is one of my favorite seasons in Colorado Springs!

Summer Fun in Breckenridge

Rick Van Wieren — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:22:26 +0000

We took a mid-week day off yesterday, and my wife and I headed up to Breckenridge for a little R&R. Living in Colorado Springs has some great advantages, and one of them is the ability to go to some really nice places in a pretty short amount of time.

Breckenridge is about a 2 hour drive, a little more with traffic or weather issues. This time of year it is very pleasant, it was not yet 70 degrees when arrived. We had a nice lunch next to the river (we have a little patio cafe we like at the south end of Main St), and did a lot of strolling along the Blue River, a little shopping, and too much eating. We rode the free gondola up from town to Peak 8 (where the summer activity stuff is), and also took a short drive up Boreas Pass Road for a nice overlook. Although it did rain as we were finishing our desert, the drive home over Hoosier Pass was uneventful, and the storm had quit by the time we got to South Park.

This slide show is not all from our trip yesterday, but gives you some idea of why we like the mountains in the summer so much!

No Place Like Home in Colorado Springs

Rick Van Wieren — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:57:13 +0000

We just returned home to Colorado Springs from a trip to Michigan for my mother’s memorial service and a little vacation. While it was great to see all of my family, and I enjoyed some things we can’t do here (like body surfing in Lake Michigan), it was so good to get home. The lower humidity, cooler mornings (and evenings), ability to sit outside at night without getting eaten by mosquitoes, the mountain vistas from almost anywhere you go, were things we missed even on a short trip.

Not that everything is perfect here in Colorado Springs. We hit some heavy traffic and thunderstorms coming through Denver. It had been pretty hot while we were gone, although we managed to miss that. Unemployment went up during our trip (ok, actually the report just came out) showing Colorado Springs unemployment at 8.9%, not good. There has even been a rash of violent crime in the southeast end of town, not typical or welcome here.

But when all is said and done, living in Colorado Springs is pretty darn good. I managed to sell a home on my first day back, and have a pretty busy work schedule ahead of me for the next several days, so whatever doom and gloom may appear in the news, at least I’m too busy to get caught up in it. And I’m looking forward to getting some more evening outdoor time. Nothing like a little vacation trip to remind you, there is no place like home, especially if home is Colorado Springs

Happy Independence Day!

Rick Van Wieren — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:51:14 +0000

Yes, I know the 4th of July was yesterday. But if I was a day late wishing you a Happy Birthday, you’d still take it it, wouldn’t you?
The 4th has always been special to me here in Colorado Springs. When we first moved here 19 years ago, we were so impressed with how the city went ‘all out’ to make it a real event. The symphony concert at Memorial Park was so good, the fireworks amazing, and the howitzers they brought in from Ft Carson for the 1812 Overture just were over the top.
I say were, because once again this year, budget problems caused the city to cancel one of our best traditions. Don’t get me wrong, there were fireworks at 6 different venues. And 4th of July fireworks at the US Air Force Academy is pretty cool too. But I’m looking forward to the time when we can plan on the City of Colorado Springs to continue with one of the best 4th of July celebrations I’ve ever seen.
As it turned out, there was enough rain, hail thunder and lightening going on at dusk last night, that we stayed home anyway. Appropriately, we watched the Ken Burns documentary on the life of Thomas Jefferson, so our patriotic spirit was still fed
I hope your 4th was a good holiday. It kind of marks the 1/2 way point of the summer (even though it is really only about 1/3). Here in Colorado Springs the weather has been superb (other than one of our first rains in a while hitting at fireworks time ) We are looking at 70′s and 80′s and lots of morning sunshine this week, how can you beat that?

Summer in Colorado Springs – The Best!

Rick Van Wieren — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:20:12 +0000

There are many great places to go in the summer. After all, with school out, and the weather warm, this is the travelling season. But of all the places I’ve been in the summer, Colorado is still my favorite. The warm days, cool nights, and limitless menu of activities make this a great place live – and vacation. The low humidity and relative absence of bugs like mosquitoes and biting flies that inhabit my original home state of Michigan make it so much more fun to be outside!

While sightseeing is always high on the list of vacation activities (there are a lot of sights to see!), there are many activities that are always fun, and could be considered more ‘any day’ activities. To name a few:

Hiking – almost anywhere in Colorado there are fantastic hikes to take, from 15 minute ‘perspective’ walks to 3 day back country excursions. The hardest part is picking one, but the Trails and Open Space Coalition has a nice online reference as a beginning point
Fishing – whether it be streams or reservoirs, from a boat or from shore, there are plenty of places to fish, some just minutes from home. The Pikes Peak Highway takes you to North Catamount Resevoir, owned by the city of Colorado Springs and not far at all, as an example.
Boating – while we don’t have as many lakes as some states, there are some nice ones, and you can’t beat the scenery! Pueblo State Park is a popular spot about an hour from the Springs
White Water Rafting – the spring surge is just subsiding, and there are some GREAT rafting trips to be had. The Arkansas River is the closest to Colorado Springs, about a 2 hour drive to some great summer fun, near Buena Vista. Echo Canyon River Expeditions is one of the many rafting companies on the Arkansas. The Colorado River through Glenwood Canyon is one we’ve done as a family, what a blast!
Biking – Colorado Springs has lots of biking trails, both suburban as well as technical mountain biking trails, and the nearby Pike National Forest has even more. Many mountain towns have great bike paths to enjoy the scenery from as well. Like hiking, the hard part is picking one, there are so many! Here is a link to the City of Colorado Springs Bike Trails map
Baseball – The Colorado Rockies are always entertaining (in Denver), but Colorado Springs AAA Sky Sox, the Rockies farm club, provide a great afternoon or evening at the ball park as well.
Golf – There are lots of courses in the area, varying in difficulty, character, access and green fees. Regardless of which course you play, the mountain backdrop makes it fun, and most golfers enjoy the 10-15% altitude advantage on their drives as well. Not that it ever helps me, but I just play for fun
Amusement and Water Parks – while Colorado Springs is a little short on this kind of fun, downtown Denver offers Elitch’s with both rides and a water park, and Water World north of Denver is pretty fun on a hot day as well.

Colorado vacation fun is best ordered around the weather. Mornings usually start cool and sunny, but afternoons can be pretty warm if a thunderstorm doesn’t come along to cool it off, and if it does, you don’t necessarily want to be out in an exposed place. Mountain hiking above the tree line is particularly treacherous if a thunderstorm comes up.

So come to come to Colorado Springs for a summer vacation! While there are plenty of tourist things to do, the rest of the stuff is so good, it will make you want to live here!

Cool Gray Break in the Summer Heat

Rick Van Wieren — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:05:16 +0000

It was over 90 a couple of days ago. It did not hit 60 yesterday. This is part of the excitement of Colorado Springs weather, it’s always changing. It also makes our weather very bearable, because it is very seldom all bad. After a rainy gray day yesterday, the sun is out (at least for the moment), and while it isn’t exactly hot out, we should see a very comfortable mid 60′s today. The rain and sun will likely arm wrestle a bit, and by tomorrow, the sun will likely have won the match. It was cool enough where I might even get a photo of fresh snow on Pikes Peak, not a very common occurrence in June.

The grass and flowers really like these wet weekends. Things will be nice a green for bit, and maybe the cooler weather will bring back some daily thunderstorms. We really count on some rain in the afternoon here, and there are times when it just doesn’t show up. We planted some flowers just before my wife’s surgery (she was actually putting the last ones in the morning of her surgery), and other than some hail damage the other night when the front came through, they seem to be doing pretty well. Even the annuals I put in before the last frost survived and are blooming! While I have a bit of a black thumb, we are finding gardening to be somewhat fun while we are movement restricted from her surgery (a new hip will do that).

While she was in the hospital I took a walk around the Old North End, near Penrose Main Hospital, and discovered where the REAL gardeners hang out. There are a lot of beautiful mature gardens surrounding the Old Victorians, and it made for a very pleasant walk trying to figure out what kinds of flowers I was looking at. I may do a photo piece soon on this unique area north of downtown Colorado Springs, as the architecture and landscaping really come together nicely here. Prices in this distinct neighborhood range from the high 200′s to close to a million, depending on size, condition and the specific streets.

Summer Weather Pattern Finally Starting

Rick Van Wieren — Thu, 27 May 2010 14:39:26 +0000

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and the summer weather pattern decided to start up almost at the same time. Yesterday’s Air Force Academy Graduation didn’t get clear skies, but the broken clouds were still adequate for a nice air show. I only caught the tail end of the Thunderbirds show from the parking lot at our office, which happens to be a nice spot to watch from. Thunderstorms rolled in late in the day, and we got some nice rain (and some hail, though not too big and bad). This week’s Colorado Springs weather forecast has sunny mornings and afternoon thunderstorms as a regular feature. That is the way it is supposed to be. After a very dry and cool spring, one of my favorite things about summer is finally starting.
There is something very special about the crystal clear, cool morning air (although yesterday and today have both started somewhat humid and slightly overcast). By mid-afternoon, you can usually see the clouds building over Pikes Peak, and then start hearing distant thunder. When you are in a thunderstorm, it can rain buckets, and the thunder and lightening is quite an experience. Every day is a little different, but usually by 5 or so, the rain has passed, there are some beautiful rainbows to see in the east, and sky clears up in time for the next gorgeous day. That is why many of our golf courses have afternoon specials!

Wet Weekend Marked Memorial Day 2009 in Colorado Springs

Rick Van Wieren — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:37:00 +0000

I’d say we are finally drying out from all the rain this weekend, but it just wouldn’t be true. May has been a funny month this year, with wet cool weather on the weekends, and drier, sunnier weather during the week. It rained a lot yesterday, but they say today will be wetter still. Fortunately, drier weather is forecast for graduation day on Wednesday at the Academy, so all is not lost.

The wet has everything very green, and wildflowers are starting to bloom as well. I’ll get some fresh photos when the sun comes back out and time allows. Summer is such a great time of year in Colorado, and a little rain notwithstanding, it is such a great time to be out of doors taking in the fresh air, enjoying the majestic mountains and the natural beauty around us.

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784!