Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Training ground
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Place to Climb
Park within City Limits
Place for a Picnic
Tourist Destination
Gold
Garden of the Gods Park
gardenofgods.com
It'd be tough to offer a better explanation for the Garden of the Gods' romp through our Best Of voting it also took home two golds in last week's Volume I than its sheer beauty. The amazing vistas this park provides make for the perfect break from the day-to-day grind of the real world. We can only imagine that the views are that much more breathtaking and satisfying after scaling the face of a tall red rock jutting out from the face of the Earth. PF
Place to Climb
Silver
Red Rock Canyon
Bronze
Cheyenne Caon
Park within City Limits
Silver
Monument Valley Park
Bronze
Memorial Park
Place for a Picnic
Silver
Cheyenne Caon
Bronze
Palmer Park
Tourist Destination
Silver
Pikes Peak
Bronze
Manitou Springs
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Best Yoga Studio
Gold
CorePower Yoga
623 N. Nevada Ave., 477-9642
1025 Garden of the Gods Road, Suite C, 265-8611
corepoweryoga.com
CorePower offers an extensive variety of mind and body needs: hot yoga, power yoga, nutrition instruction and retreats. It also welcomes beginners, and even runs an online program called Yoga on Demand. Cynics, laugh if you will you're becoming vastly outnumbered. FG
Silver
Yoga Journeys
709 N. Nevada Ave. #201, 477-9511
Bronze
None
Best Health Club
Gold
24-Hour Fitness
3650 Austin Bluffs Pkwy., Suite 197, 262-0024
1892 Southgate Road, 633-2442
24hourfitness.com
Perhaps you like the way your fellow insomniacs notice your chiseled physique when you're walking to the sauna. Or you've overdone it on the Twinkies, and you don't want people giggling at your jiggling while you're on the Stairmaster. Regardless, if working out at 3 a.m. is your thing, then 24-Hour Fitness is your place. AB
Silver
YMCA
Four locations
Bronze World Gym
Five locations
Best Golf Course/Country Club
Gold
Patty Jewett Golf Course
900 E. Espanola St., 385-6934
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These 27 holes, set northeast of downtown, make up the oldest course in the state. And it's cheap: An 18-hole romp costs $24.50, while a try at nine goes for $12.75. Play Patty Jewett as soon as you can, though; course employees expect the rates will go up next year. PF
Silver
Broadmoor Hotel Golf Club
1 Lake Ave., 577-5790
Bronze
Colorado Springs Country Club
3333 Templeton Gap Road, 634-8854
Best Climbing Gym
Gold
The ROCK Climbing Center
16420 Old Denver Hwy., Monument, 481-9099
therockatsocnroll.com
Although The ROCK regularly hosts competitions, the atmosphere is accommodating, not intimidating. "We're accepting of any climber at any level. We want to help them have fun," explains Joe Groshong, one of the owners. The ROCK is a great place for kids and late bloomers to get a grip on this popular sport. AB
Silver
Sports Climbing Center of Colorado Springs
4650 Northpark Drive, 260-1050
Bronze
None
Best Place to Skateboard
Gold
Manitou Skateboard Park
This city-owned public skate park, located near Garden of the Gods' south end, offers a nice bowl with a small vert wall, some metal coping to grind, and some interesting transitions. The scene is mellow and supportive. Traffic flow is an issue, but creative skaters still find good lines. Don't forget to bring a helmet it's required. GE
SilverGoose Gossage Park
Bronze
Mark Dabling Skate Park
Biking Trail
Make-out Spot
Gold
Palmer Park
Trails for riders of all abilities, dead center in our teeming metropolis, and what's best you can get smoochy afterward with mud in your eye. While a kid could ride some of Palmer Park's mellow pathways on training wheels, Alex Henggeler of Criterium Bike Shop says the Templeton Trail is "some of the gnarliest terrain in the city." And voyeurs, get your binoculars Windexed Palmer Park's also the finest fondle-spot in town. Steamed-up car windows, lumpy picnic blankets, vampire-inspired teenagers ... Palmer Park's got more petting than the dog park. Forgive me for the tongue-in-cheek hyperbole, but there's just no better place to exchange saliva ... especially after a bike ride. MS
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Biking Trail
Silver
Santa Fe Trail
Bronze (tie)
Garden of the Gods Park
Make-out Spot
Silver
Monument Valley Park
Gold
Camp Road
Bronze
Garden of the Gods
Best Hiking Trail
GoldBarr Trail
With most trails, it's all about the up and down. But Barr Trail is about expanding your options. Drag yourself up the Incline and run down, hike to Barr Camp and have a spaghetti dinner, or take the train to the top of Pike's and breeze down past the 5 a.m. crowd. LP
Silver
Red Rock Canyon
Bronze
Waldo Canyon
Best Place to Hook Up
GoldRitz Grill
15 S. Tejon St., 635-8484
ritzgrill.com
Ritz manager Trish Skrdla has a theory about bars and hooking up: "Nobody's ugly at closing time." Fair enough, but what sets the Ritz apart from every other bar? "We provide a good, happy environment that allows people to feel safe and sexy," she says, stifling a laugh. "And the staff is beautiful." PF
SilverEden Nite Club
217 E. Pikes Peak Ave., 635-0999
BronzeSoDo
527 S. Tejon St., 314-0420
