Five Things I Miss About Colorado Springs

Another reminiscence.

I lived in Colorado Springs for (I can hardly believe this) fourteen years. Here's what I miss:

1. The Chinook Bookshop. Actually, I'm kind of glad to have moved away before the closing of this late, great shrine to good books and good service. I love browsing in a bigger store (say, the Tattered Cover in Denver), but I've never felt so at home anywhere outside of the house where I've lived as I did while shopping for books at the Chinook. Great poetry section. Always a good recommendation for some fiction. Interesting, reliable travel and religion shelves. A strong local books section. And the staff was second to none.

2. Hummus sandwiches on walnut wheat bread at Wooglin's Deli. So thick, so delicious. Enough said.

3. India Garden. Colorado Springs has (or had) a surprisingly good selection of Indian restaurants (four that I can recall), and this was the best of them. The saag paneer at India Garden may be the best food I've ever put in my mouth.

4. Shooting Pool on a Tuesday night at Phantom Canyon Brewery. Good beer. Great brewery chips. Decent music. Tables by the hour. And, before the sun sets, a decent view out those tall, tall windows.

5. Jogging in Monument Valley Park. A four-mile run along the center of the universe, the spine of the Earth. In spots, there's a great view of Pikes Peak. In other spots, it's the tall trees, the Colorado College campus, the simple curve of the trail.

There's more, of course. My friend Gary. The mountains. Cheyenne Canyon. Garden of the Gods Park. Half a dozen other great restaurants--the variety and quality of which are unmatched in the places I've lived since.