Our tour guide told us we had just missed gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps' club team. You never know who you might see there, and chances of a star-sighting increase as the Games get closer.

THE AIR UP THERE

Coming from flat Florida, where the view is obstructed only by high-rise condos and palm trees, we were continually struck by the scenery of snow-covered mountains, red canyons and towering trees.

One afternoon we got swept up in the hype of an advertising hyperbole from Seven Falls: ``The Grandest Mile of Scenery in Colorado.''

The winding two-lane road into the canyon where the 181-foot cascading waterfall is located may not be the grandest. But it proved to be pretty cool nonetheless, with pines shooting from cliffs 700 feet into the sky.

We went inside a 14-story elevator cut through the granite, which gave a nice, but faraway view of the falls from a landing next to a gift shop (how convenient) at 6,500 feet. You could get a closer look through large viewfinders for a quarter.

Down from our elevator trip, and at the insistent urging of my 5-year-old son, three of us decided to get even closer to the falls and climb a 224-step stairway to the top. I would not recommend this for some young children or people with breathing or health problems. Or, for people like me, who prefer life at very low elevations.

On the heart-pumping way up, with calf muscles ablaze, I told my son: I am only doing this for you.

We all felt a bit like the climbers who reach the summit of Mount Everest when we made it to the top. We snapped pictures and even captured a ram perched on a cliff on the way down, which was much less frightening.

ROCK GARDEN

The breathtaking scenery kept returning for encore after encore. A stop at the Garden of the Gods Park proved one of the best.

The 1,400-acre city park displays dozens of towering red rock formations, believed to be millions of years in the making.

It's a must-see, especially at sunrise or sunset when nature's best lighting shows off the sandstone creations, some with funny names like the kissing camels and Siamese twins.

The paved roadways through the park have bike lanes and there are miles of trails for hiking, guided nature walks and horseback riding.

We chose one of the shorter trails to explore on our own. The kids loved climbing some of the smaller formations. Wear proper footwear. Sandals won't do here.

We made it through with only one skinned knee, a few tears and dozens of remarkable photos.

VIEW FROM THE TOP

We saved Pikes Peak, the city's most famous attraction, for our last day.

The 14,110-foot mountain claims to be the most visited in North America, with more than half a million people reaching its summit each year.

We drove the 38-mile round-trip journey in our rented minivan, but you can also hike up or take the Pikes Peak Cog Railway.

Make sure your car is in good working order with capable brakes and a half-tank of gas. (I also wouldn't suggest the trip on your first day in Colorado, when your body may not have adjusted to the higher elevation and thinner air. Aspirin, water and lip balm ease the transition.)

Don't forget a sweater or sweatshirt even in the summer, when it has been known to snow at the summit.

The temperature was 74 degrees when we began, and the road was just like others we'd driven at first, creeping up and up, surrounded by aspen and pine trees. But by 9,000 feet, our ears started popping and the temperature had dropped to 66 degrees.

At the halfway point when the pavement turned to dirt, my husband gripped the wheel. ``Now it's going to get interesting.''

Soon thereafter, we saw what we had been talking about since leaving Florida. Big snowy mountains, in the summer no less.

I was awestruck by the view of purple mountains, blue skies and snow masses that made me understand how Katharine Lee Bates was inspired to write America the Beautiful from this mountain.

At the summit, where the temperature was 43 degrees, we threw snowballs and savored the famously greasy doughnuts at the cafe.

It was time to go down, brakes willing, and say goodbye to Colorado Springs. But we all felt a little better knowing we were going home with some gold in our pockets.

• INFORMATION: www.experiencecoloradosprings.com or www.colorado.com.

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