B & B

Our bed and breakfast in Manitou Springs - the Blue Skies Inn - was (like very many such establishments) a curious mixture of the over and the under-stated - seriously over stated rooms, decorated by Sally, one of the owners, with much energy and enthusiasm (ours was full of stars and moons and astronomical bits and pieces, many adorning the deep blue walls, which in their turn were covered with fine shooting stars). This is part of the bed hangings, which looked as though it ought to be a kitsch honeymoon bed - indeed, Weddings now seem to be the mainstay of the whole business (we stayed there five years ago, and there was breakfast in the back yard, rather than a gazebo and soggy yellow rose petals). On the other hand, microwaved cheese souffles and - I suspect - packet-mix muffins each morning wear a little thin - we skulked off to a Starbucks up the road to get some drinkable coffee, too. B&Bs are such a gamble ... but this one did have wonderful quiet (until the earthmover, behind, started up at 7 a.m. on the weekdays) and great views up the Pikes Peak foothills. And a bear, last night, in the garden, eating chokecherries.