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Welcome to Springs and Things, the podcast where two close friends spill the tea on all things Colorado Springs! From culture and community to hidden gems and neighborhood lore, we’ve got it covered. Join us as we sip our coffee (or maybe something stronger) and dive into the stories and secrets that make this city so unique. Whether you're a local or just passing through, our fun, light-hearted, and always entertaining take on the quirks, hot topics, and insider tips will keep you coming back for more. Discover what’s really happening in the Springs—beyond the mountains and parks!
We've been doing this show for a year and a half now, and you've had questions, a lot of them. So this week, we are answering a few. Favorite local spots, most memorable episodes, what we do when we're not podcasting, and the Colorado Springs misconceptions that honestly need to go away, it is all fair game. Think of it as behind the scenes hang with Lauren and I. We can't wait to get into it, but before we do, this episode is brought to you by Vanguard Aesthetics.
Carly Ries:While you're out this summer, don't forget that sunscreen. And this episode is also brought to you by Pikes Peak Library District's summer adventure program. More details are in their interview. Let's get started. Hey, everyone.
Carly Ries:I'm Carly.
Lauren Ferrara:And I'm Lauren.
Carly Ries:We're two Colorado Springs locals who love uncovering everything that makes the city special.
Lauren Ferrara:If you're the kind of person who wants to know where to go, what's happening, and
Carly Ries:the stories behind it all, then you're in
Lauren Ferrara:the right place. Welcome to Springs and Things, your insider's path to hidden gems, local flavor, and unexpected moments that make The Springs one of its kind. From secret spots and campus events To arts, eats, and those you've gotta hear about
Carly Ries:at Local Stories. We've got you covered.
Lauren Ferrara:So grab your coffee, settle in, and get ready to fall a little more in love
Carly Ries:with Colorado Springs. Let's dive in to Springs and Things. Lauren, can you say what you just said to me? What's off? Lila?
Carly Ries:Lyle. Could you tell our listeners who Lyle is?
Lauren Ferrara:Lyle is off. So Lyle is our lawnmower robot. That is the greatest purchase we've other than our other robots, like the we have a Dreamy, the mop robot. Like, pretty much everything in my house is now a robot.
Carly Ries:So is Minority Report the right reference? When I come to your house, you have this beautiful open space to look at. It's stunning. It's quintessential Colorado Springs and like It
Lauren Ferrara:looks like a golf course now, thanks to Lyle.
Carly Ries:It does, but Lyle and Huckleberry, your dog, they were playing in the field behind your house. It was very together. It was very minority report.
Lauren Ferrara:I just saw some other robot that, does your laundry. I mean, it looks like a person. I don't know if it's not actually, like, in the market yet, but it looks like a person. I'm kind of afraid it might try to kill me. But it does laundry and, like, does chores and stuff.
Lauren Ferrara:It is like a human robot.
Carly Ries:Are you gonna get one of those?
Lauren Ferrara:I mean, no. A, it's 20,000. And b, yeah, I don't wanna be murdered by a robot if things go wrong.
Carly Ries:Fair point. Fair point. Well, I have so many questions, which I I'm do you like this segue? I have so many questions. And today, we're doing like our version of ask me anything that they do.
Carly Ries:Isn't that on the gram? Don't people do like AMA, ask me anything?
Lauren Ferrara:Oh, look at you. AMA. Okay. Let's AMA, Carly. Ask me anything.
Lauren Ferrara:I've never seen that. But now I bet it's one of those things that like, once you hear about it, now I'll see it everywhere.
Carly Ries:I I think it is. Well, and as our phones are next to
Lauren Ferrara:us. Still like getting rubbing my head around POV all the time. I'm like, isn't everything a POV? Point of view? You see that.
Carly Ries:Oh. On the gram, no. That's POV ish. Oh, oh. In that context.
Carly Ries:POV.
Lauren Ferrara:Look at my backyard, you know, like like or just I don't know why that needs to be there.
Carly Ries:I was like, Lauren, I don't think Instagram invented POV. But we're talking questions and everything because we've been doing the show now for a year and a half, which is crazy. And people ask us similar questions all the time. So we were like, why don't we answer some of these questions? And I've been keeping a tally.
Carly Ries:And so today we were like, we're thinking, let's answer. People ask about like kind of behind the scenes stuff with the show. They ask our favorite do I have a zit under my nose?
Lauren Ferrara:No. I had an itch under my nose. Do I make you self conscious because I saw a white head and I just I want it so bad.
Carly Ries:So you guys, my skin has genuinely never looked better after Vanguard, or like with everything with Vanguard. But I did a little I was supposed to go on a hut trip this weekend. It was devastating. We couldn't go. My daughter got sick.
Carly Ries:So we did a day trip up to the mountains where I was just like covered in dirt all day. Now that she's feeling better, we're like, okay, let's just escape for like a day camping trip. And I swear I came back with this white head, and you keep looking at it. So when you pointed onto your nose, I thought I had another one under my nose.
Lauren Ferrara:Oh, I just scratched my nose. Sorry if I made you self conscious, but I still I'm coming after you. I'm gonna get it.
Carly Ries:I have a complex. Okay. Getting to the q and a. We have questions about the show, questions about our thoughts on things in the spring. So these are our most frequently asked questions that we get from listeners.
Carly Ries:So the first one, what is something people would be surprised to learn about you outside of the podcast? Lauren, you go first.
Lauren Ferrara:I don't know if people would be actually surprised by this because I do talk about it all the time and I'm obsessed with it, but our world schooling adventures. So, yeah, a couple years ago, we decided one month every year, different country, and, and we usually do it kind of in the middle of the school year, because I love Colorado summer so much. Like, going somewhere during summer break feels I don't know. I would just miss this. Like this, I I survived the winters to enjoy this moment that we're sitting out enjoying right now.
Carly Ries:How could you leave the robot and the puppy frolicking in the meadow? I think another thing that's really funny is that might surprise people. We have jobs. This is not this is such a passion project of ours. We love the spring so much.
Carly Ries:But Lauren and I both work. I'm a fractional CMO, chief marketing officer. I said CMO to a friend of mine that's a dermatologist, and she thought I meant chief medical officer, of which I'd be outrageously underqualified for. Another thing for me, I used do stand up comedy.
Lauren Ferrara:I love that about you, and it's my favorite fun fact about you.
Carly Ries:It is one of my favorite fun facts about me. The other That's kinda how
Lauren Ferrara:I introduce you sometimes. I'm like, this is Carly. She was a stand up comic.
Carly Ries:I so appreciate that. It's actually how I mean, I started interning in the marketing world when I was 16 here in town. But then when I came back to apply after living in LA, where I did stand up and everything, I was interviewing for a job here, and they said they hired me because they knew I could present in front of people Yeah. Because of my
Lauren Ferrara:stand up. Yeah. That makes sense.
Carly Ries:That does make sense. So, anyway, that And
Lauren Ferrara:then you would just be more like, make the birthday a little more delightful.
Carly Ries:Well, thanks. Unless you thought it wasn't funny and then it would just be miserable. And then I was a digital nomad. My husband and I and family, my husband and I for, like, two and a half years, and then our daughter for a year and a half were digital nomads. We both worked remotely.
Carly Ries:So we got an RV and we did the RV life around the country.
Lauren Ferrara:I call you a van lifer. Is that different than a digital nomad? Because I say, Carly was a stand up comic comic and a van lifer.
Carly Ries:So we never actually lived we never actually had a van. We had RVs. So we had a fifth wheel that you like pull behind. Oh.
Lauren Ferrara:But it
Carly Ries:was like a house on wheels, fireplace, bedroom, everything. Fireplace.
Lauren Ferrara:Yes. Do you still have this
Carly Ries:for A kitchen. No. We sold that one. That was our first iteration. It was a lot to tow around.
Carly Ries:Like it was big. It was I think, 31 feet.
Lauren Ferrara:No. I know. That was a dumb question because I know you don't have it. Because I don't know where you yeah. I think
Carly Ries:I would notice that at your house. Surprise. I'm gonna park it in your meadow. And then we had an Airstream when we hit the road with our daughter, which
Lauren Ferrara:was a
Carly Ries:baby. We we left when she was four months old.
Lauren Ferrara:We just
Carly Ries:missed being on the road.
Lauren Ferrara:Do you you miss it now?
Carly Ries:You know, I love it's funny because we love the community here. Love it. But there are days like today where we were out frolicking Mhmm. In a forest and like, playing kickball and Uno, and it was just there there it was so dreamy. I think what will probably happen moving forward if we were to do it, it'd be like little, like, stints here and there.
Carly Ries:We we now have a truck camper.
Lauren Ferrara:Mhmm.
Carly Ries:And so we can just get out and go in our truck camper, that works for now. But there are definitely parts of it we miss so much, but we also just love the community here. Totally. Okay. Next question.
Carly Ries:Oh, I so this one, what is an event or festival in Colorado Springs that you think every resident should experience at least once? I was jotting down my notes of what I wanted to say and I wrote yours.
Lauren Ferrara:I know. You know what? And that you wrote exactly what I would have written because it is my one of my favorite events ever. The Green Box Art Festival, which is coming up very, very soon. Did you get the program in the mail?
Carly Ries:Did I rip out the sheets and put them on my walls so I remember to put them on my calendar?
Lauren Ferrara:Sure did. I'm excited. I just I go to the the kickoff art tour where you go to the new installations. Green Mountain Falls is just this itty bitty town, and it gives you such a great reason to just spend the entire day there, and really the entire two weeks, because it is there's just back to back fun, and it's amazing.
Carly Ries:So one of mine so have you ever been to the downtown fan fest when the Olympics are on?
Lauren Ferrara:Yes. When I first so I used to live downtown, above the rabbit hole. And, yeah, I've been for that and it was super fun.
Carly Ries:They do that right. I I love it. Anytime I know that it's coming that, like, the Olympics are coming up, it's something I have to go to. But also, since I have been teased so much for just making it to the Labor Day lift off last year for the first time in my life. I I understand the hype.
Carly Ries:It was wonderful.
Lauren Ferrara:I agree. And it's funny because now my kids are like, and we we have gone almost every year. And now my kids are like, you don't wanna wake up that early. So they're yeah. I think it might be just you and me, Carly, this year.
Carly Ries:I'll do it. I loved it.
Lauren Ferrara:But but what another thing I love about it is even if you don't physically go to, you know, where they're launching, you you can enjoy it all over the springs. So
Carly Ries:yeah. Thank you. That's what I've been saying. That's what I've been doing for the first thirty eight years of my life. Okay, Lauren.
Carly Ries:You answer this question. Why does Carly do solo episodes? Actually, I will take the mic on that. So we both work, our schedules do not always align because she has her meetings, she has to get to, she has work, I have my meetings I have to get to, I have work, but I and I love you and I in theory, I could teach you. I'm the only one that knows how to run our equipment.
Lauren Ferrara:So I don't know if I want
Carly Ries:to be taught. So if there is a default, we can't figure out scheduling, one of us has to do the interview, I, Carly, have to do the interview because I know how to run our equipment.
Lauren Ferrara:I, Carly, like the show. Are your kids into that?
Carly Ries:They're not, but they should be. So that's why we do I do solo episodes. It's not because I lost arm wrestled to Lauren. It's not because we disagreed on anything. It's purely because I know how to work the software.
Carly Ries:Yeah. That's fun. And the end and so I just am the default. So what is your go to local restaurant that you take any out of town guests to?
Lauren Ferrara:So that tasting menu at Ristorante Del Lago at the Broadmoor is I mean, it's enough to feed an army for one. And it's like, I feel like when friends come to town, that's when I'm eager to take people to the Broadmoor. So that's always high on my list. And Garden of the Gods Gourmet, Sunday brunch there, hard to beat.
Carly Ries:It is the best. Okay. I would say Ivy Wild just because it's so unique and so cool. Like, even if there's, like, the summer concert series, movie under the stars, it's just like a unique place to stay or to take somebody. And then I get so sick of it when people are like, there's no good food in Colorado Springs.
Carly Ries:Then you haven't been to Sushi Row.
Lauren Ferrara:Oh, I love Sushi Row.
Carly Ries:All day happy hour on Mondays. It's so good. So, yeah, Ivy Wild for the experience and just the coolness of what they do with the building, and Sushi Row for the food. Who is your dream Colorado Springs guest?
Lauren Ferrara:So you know what? I think we have already interviewed one of my dream guests, and that was Melissa Stockwell. I had met her in passing, but I she's a good friend of yours. She is the Paralympian. The story she told about connecting with an Iraqi Paralympian, was just so like, I welled up a little bit.
Lauren Ferrara:So I think she's a badass, and I was so excited to talk to her.
Carly Ries:So on the note, she she retired from USA paratriathlon, but now she's doing rock climbing, pair rock climbing competitions.
Lauren Ferrara:Of course she is.
Carly Ries:And she signed up for the Ascent. Stadium. See? Badass. Yeah.
Carly Ries:She's hardcore badass. So I actually took it in a different direction, and I thought of a guest that we haven't had on. So if you're listening, Kat Tutor, we want you on the show.
Lauren Ferrara:I think you took the direction you meant to. I mean I took a different direction. You're like, Lauren, that was not the question.
Carly Ries:That's how I interpreted the question at least. I just snorted. Sorry about that, everybody. I was actually friends with her kids growing up, and I haven't seen her in like twenty five years, but there is very little in the city that I feel like she hasn't touched. She started the Smoke Bar Brush Foundation.
Carly Ries:She owns Sunwater Spa in Manitou. You've interviewed her. Right?
Lauren Ferrara:Oh, yeah. I interviewed her, and it's still one of my more memorable interviews. She had just opened Sunwater Spa in Manitou. And I show up with my videographer, and I was like, okay. Where would you like to do the interview?
Lauren Ferrara:And she goes, you wanna do it in the tub? So, yeah, I had shorts and a sports bra in my car, and I just changed and hopped in a hot tub with her, and that's where we did the interview. And she was a hoot.
Carly Ries:She her house was always my favorite place to have sleepovers as a kid because there was just always something cool going on.
Lauren Ferrara:Oh my gosh. And then she also, with Smokebrush Foundation, she put on this super cool show, when I was at Mountain Song, working there. She put on this show for indigenous people's day with these monster puppets, and it was so cool. She's always, like, doing creative stuff, and I love it.
Carly Ries:That's just it. She's so creative. So anyway, I would love, love, love to, see her again. I really think it's been twenty five years since I've seen her. Okay.
Carly Ries:Is there a local food or drink spot that closed that you're still not over? Can I take this one? Okay. So I understand that Ombley is now an Italian restaurant and I get that. And it's great.
Carly Ries:And it is great. And I will give them major kudos. However, the lobster shooters they had at Ombley were quite and I'm not a huge lobster person. Like, I genuinely, I'm not I'm not a big lobster person. These things we did a tasting menu when it was Ambly, my husband and I and two of our friends.
Carly Ries:And we went through all these courses. We had dessert, had coffee after dessert, the whole thing. And then the waiter was like, can I get you anything else? And we're like, we'd like more lobster shooters. They were so good.
Carly Ries:So their new restaurant's great, but I do miss
Lauren Ferrara:I love ster shooters too. You know which one just popped to my mind? The Wild Goose studio. Oh, yeah. The Wild Goose Period.
Lauren Ferrara:Yeah. There is a Wild Goose studio. It's like a little place in Ireland that makes You're talking about Boulder and Tejon Coffee Shop. Right? Yes.
Lauren Ferrara:And it was wild oh, and what was the other place? The speakeasy next door.
Carly Ries:It was Brooklyn's on Boulder.
Lauren Ferrara:I loved Brooklyn's. I love the wild goose. Sad about those two still.
Carly Ries:Yeah. Brooklyn's was I had so many fond memories when I was pregnant with my first. I had New Year's Eve there, and I wasn't telling anybody and I obviously wasn't drinking. So it was like a fun little, like, secret. And then we told our some of our friends about our second there as well.
Carly Ries:So I have like emotional ties to that place. You know what's funny? The first thing that popped into my mind, you know, I've had like weird flashbacks to my childhood. Like I've been asking about those water slides that used to be just south of Garden Of The Gods Road on I-twenty 5. Half the people remember these, half the people don't.
Carly Ries:A friend of mine and I were trying to think of a restaurant that was in Southgate. In the nineties, it was Japanese, no longer exists. I couldn't think of the name. The first thing that popped in my mind about a restaurant or a food spot that closed, I swear, and listeners, if you know what I'm talking about, there's a place called Froggy Meisters because it was here in the nineties. Oh.
Carly Ries:And they had like a root beer float bar for kids, like a genuine bar, And they'd serve you root beer floats.
Lauren Ferrara:That's fun.
Carly Ries:But that was the first thing that came to my mind and I'm like, wow, I need to work through some things if I still miss Froggy Meisters. But I do think we're doing an episode with my dad in the next few weeks about something like the blast from the past up
Lauren Ferrara:in the spring. Fun. I love your dad. I'm super excited for that conversation. So that will not be a solo episode.
Carly Ries:No, it will not be because we need to like intimidate him. Oh, okay. So this is one we get all the time. I don't know how to it genuinely is like picking your favorite child. I don't think I had there is an episode I have disliked.
Carly Ries:I have loved meeting so many wonderful people, but somebody asked or many people have asked, what is your favorite episode? And again, just first thing that comes to my mind, having loved nearly all, we'll say 85 of our episodes, are the ones that are about Colorado history. So the Pioneers Museum? Pioneers Museum, Broadmoor lore.
Lauren Ferrara:Oh, yeah. Oh my gosh. I don't know how many times I like, literally, once a week, I tell somebody about the bloodshot eye glass eye of Spencer Penrose at the Broadmoor and, like, where to find it, and I'm gonna tell you just in case you didn't listen to that episode. But if you so you go into the Broadmoor, hang a left, and the trophy case is right across from Cafe Julie. There is the bloodshot glass eye of Spencer Penrose.
Lauren Ferrara:So I always tell people about that. And it's it was bloodshot because he was often drunk or hungover, so he needed his eyes to match. So I always that's my fun fact about the Broadmoor.
Carly Ries:Well, and the other one that I was so bummed out that you missed was last week. It was at the, the Penrose Heritage Museum. And we interviewed Sarah Woods from El Palmar about it. And it was just about all the lore of Spencer and Julie Penrose and how the zoo got started. And it was their monkey bite on the Broadmark Golf Course that led to the zoo.
Carly Ries:It was just a cool episode. And the whole time, I mean, it was fascinating. I missed you because I thought-
Lauren Ferrara:I'd be so into it.
Carly Ries:I know. I was one of those, I just think you would have loved it. But again, it's the history ones. The the the lore, the legends.
Lauren Ferrara:Well and because of you know what? I told you, I'm studying Colorado history this summer. So I've got little field trips and books. And if anybody has a DVD player I can borrow because I I got this, like, 12 pack of Centennial is the name of the DVD, but it's all about Colorado history. I don't have a DVD player that works, and I don't know anybody that does.
Lauren Ferrara:So, yeah, that's my my homework, and I tried to fire it up today. But, yes, I do love learning about Colorado history. And so my, maybe it's because it's fresh in my mind, and maybe it's because you have a little white head on your chin that I am just, like, itching to get. But I loved chatting with Lisa from Vanguard. And not because they're sponsored.
Lauren Ferrara:Like, I just geek out about all this stuff. And then before we even started this podcast, like, in the weeks leading up to it when we were still planning, I was like, skincare in this town where you're you know, especially, like, right when you move here, you're like, what is happening to my face? I'm peeling all the time. So it was just yeah. I think they're delightful, and that was a fun episode.
Lauren Ferrara:And my mouth really does water when I see a white head.
Carly Ries:I think that's a great segue into our sponsors for this week. So Vanguard Aesthetics, we just adore them. Not only do we adore like, not only my white head on my face is side right now, like my skincare my skin looks so different than it ever has. And I love the people there. Like you were saying, Lisa's a gem.
Lauren Ferrara:And you know what? So many of my friends that go there, they're like, oh my gosh. So and so is my best friend. Like, they are so kind and warm and welcoming, and we have such great conversations. Also, look at my nose.
Lauren Ferrara:Do you notice anything different? They zapped I had some broken capillaries, like, at the side of my nose and at the top of my nose. They zapped them. Poof. Gone.
Lauren Ferrara:And then I did the diamond peel the other day, the diamond facial. And even my husband who does not notice things like this, he was like, your skin looks great.
Carly Ries:I'm like, well, thank you so much. Well, Lauren, we have another sponsor this month.
Lauren Ferrara:Oh, I'm so excited about this sponsor.
Carly Ries:So the Pikes Peak Library District, is kicking off their summer adventure program. It actually kicked off yesterday on June 1, but it's going June 1 through July 31, and they are amazing. All you have to do is spend thirty days reading, creating, and exploring to win prizes.
Lauren Ferrara:And the prizes are insane.
Carly Ries:Insane. Like for adults, Cloud Camp.
Lauren Ferrara:Have you been to Cloud Camp? No. Yeah. I haven't either, And I've heard it's just magical. So, I mean, that is one heck of a prize.
Carly Ries:But you guys, the anyone of any age can participate. There are obviously prizes for kids that are not Cloud Camp. And they're also ridiculously good prizes. But, yeah, like I said, all you have to do is spend thirty days reading, creating, exploring twin prizes to get started. Just read a book, participate in one of the library's programs, or use one of their activity idea.
Lauren Ferrara:So you can register online or in person right now. Like, it opened yesterday, and you can still get on get in
Carly Ries:on this. Anyways, we're actually gonna have a full episode next week that talks about the entire program and dives into some really fun things, but their program system their events calendar is insane. So just for an example, Wishing Star Farm is going to some of the libraries. You can meet some friendly animals, and it's happening all of these events are happening on multiple dates across the libraries around town. So you can go to their their website, pplpd.org/summer.
Carly Ries:What are some ones for teens?
Lauren Ferrara:So this I thought was kinda cool. I was like, what is DIY chain mail? So it's for teens, 16 and up that are fans of historical fiction and fantasy, and they learn how to make chain mail. And, they'll do that right at the library, and it's happening again at several locations across the city.
Carly Ries:And then, like, one of the examples for adults is they're doing an adult escape room, and it's escape Nikola Tesla's secret lab. And so just things like this Escape rooms are so fun. So fun. But they have all of these activities, and all these are free, you guys.
Lauren Ferrara:Like, so I did the escape room in Breckenridge recently, and it is quite expensive, especially when there's several people. So, yeah, it's insane that you can do something like this for free.
Carly Ries:Well, and you reminded me that they're constantly ranked near the top library districts in the country. Right?
Lauren Ferrara:Yeah. We do. I feel so lucky to be part of it. And I used to live like two blocks from the downtown library, and we were there, I swear, almost every day.
Carly Ries:It's so fun. We're gonna be highlighting some of the other programs throughout the month that they're doing. So stay tuned for some of our other highlights. But it's just really cool program. The library district is amazing, so be sure to check it out.
Carly Ries:Again, ppld.org/summer. And, of course, we wanna take a second to thank Core Collective. They are our favorite Pilates studio here in town. They've been with us since the beginning, and we just love them so, so, so much. If you are already into Pilates or thinking about getting into it, Core Collective is the place to go.
Carly Ries:And if you enter the code Springs and Things, all caps, no spaces, at checkout, you get three classes for just $30. That is $10 a class. That is wild. Go check them out. Their link is in our show notes.
Carly Ries:Okay. So next question. Is there a guest or interview that really stuck with you long after recording?
Lauren Ferrara:I really enjoyed the conversation we had with Metmeister. I'm super excited for his new app, Peak to Plains Weather. And I do actually since we had that conversation, I use it almost every day. I think it's fantastic. But we we had such kind of similar stories and similar paths because I worked in broadcast news for so long.
Lauren Ferrara:So it was kind of funny to just reminisce on stuff.
Carly Ries:Well, and I reminisce about how the last time I met Matt, I drunkenly, interrupted in a live news broadcast.
Lauren Ferrara:That made me really happy. And I loved when he was just like you were like, what did that actually it didn't make hair. Right? And then he was like, oh, no. Yes.
Lauren Ferrara:It did. It was it was live. That was what the live truck was about.
Carly Ries:First impressions. And, again, you guys, for the questions that are alluding to episodes, we're including these episodes in the show notes if you wanna hear more about, like, if you actually wanna listen to these episodes. One of my most memorable ones that stuck with me was our interview with doctor Leon Kelly.
Lauren Ferrara:Oh, yes. He's so fascinating, and I love how he just, like, leans into all the
Carly Ries:He was the former El Paso County coroner, and and he just had some really fascinating stories. We asked him some really unique questions and he gave us his honest answers. He hosts a quarterly horror, film festival here in Colorado Springs So and we kind of got on our radar with that, but we ended up asking him a lot of questions about his career and some things he's experienced and seen, and it was just really fascinating. I really appreciated how candid he was and how honest he was with all of his answers and how normal he was with that kind of job. What
Lauren Ferrara:cuisine do you think Colorado Springs is missing or needs more of? So I and
Carly Ries:I'm telling saying this to Texas gal, and I'm not a huge barbecue person, but we we have a couple of barbecue places, but I still feel like we don't have a go to barbecue place.
Lauren Ferrara:I mean, know it's a chain, but it's close. And when I was doing Whole30, man, Rudy's, where you can just go buy a bunch of meat, It is pretty fantastic.
Carly Ries:I do love Rudy's. But Yeah.
Lauren Ferrara:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You're right. Yeah.
Lauren Ferrara:Barbecue? Yeah. There's nothing like good barbecue. I and and I'm not saying that there's not plenty of great Mexican in town, but I'm always down for more, especially Tex Mex. Like, that's you know, when you're raised on a certain kind of Mexican food, which is not Mexican it's Tex Mex.
Lauren Ferrara:I would always like to see more of that.
Carly Ries:Fair enough. What is
Lauren Ferrara:the most fun episode you ever recorded just in terms of energy in the room?
Carly Ries:So I think it's easy to say ones with our friends. Yeah. Like, anybody that we're we're close to, it's an easy like, with Melissa, we were drinking wine. And for me, the ones so Matt was a great vibe. Nathan Halverson.
Lauren Ferrara:Oh my gosh. Well, he's just I used to call him TV gold, so I used to do some PR for the Fine Arts Center. And anytime I could put Nathan in front of the camera, I was like, oh, do your thing, Nathan, and he's just fantastic.
Carly Ries:And he's the executive director of the Colorado Springs Conservatory.
Lauren Ferrara:Mhmm.
Carly Ries:And he's been in the art scene here forever.
Lauren Ferrara:Yes. And, also, they have some pretty cool camps and classes and experiences over the summer. If you're behind the ball for things like that, like I am, I'm usually so prepared with summer stuff, and I have not been this year. But, yeah, they still have lots of opportunities.
Carly Ries:Yeah. It's funny. As we're talking, I feel like I'm just saying like, I I feel like I go could go through all of our episodes of the ones that we love because, I mean, Bonnie was great with Core Collective because that was just a fun hang again, a friend. But Ellen Casey, I know you were not that one, but she's just such a mom of air.
Lauren Ferrara:Well, I got to I've interviewed her before for for similar stories for the she was the first IVF mom in Colorado. And so I I got to interview her years ago, and that's how she and I became friends.
Carly Ries:Yeah. She's lovely. Sports Corp. Yeah. Those are yeah.
Carly Ries:I I'm just now naming all
Lauren Ferrara:All of our episodes. I mean, we should like them all because we do there's nobody telling us who to interview. So we pick these people.
Carly Ries:Exactly. So maybe that was a silly question, but, we thought we'd answer it anyway. What's your favorite outdoor spot in or around Colorado Springs that you never get tired of?
Lauren Ferrara:We're sitting at, Carly. My back porch. Yeah. I back up to mountains. I saw people paragliding off the top of Section 16 today.
Lauren Ferrara:And, yeah, it just never gets old. This is where I have my coffee in the morning and, yeah, feel very lucky.
Carly Ries:Your backyard. No. I do I mean, this is so idyllic right now. For me, I I Stratton. I love Stratton.
Carly Ries:I love the views from Stratton Open Space in Mount Cutler. It's just such a quick little hike. You know what's funny?
Lauren Ferrara:What? I have only done it once.
Carly Ries:Mount Color? Yeah. Yeah. Pausing for creative effects.
Lauren Ferrara:I it's funny. I and I'm this should be a mid year resolution to do hikes that I don't normally do. But, yeah, I feel like we all get in our little ruts, and that one and I know it's like people's other people's incline. Like, they do that's what they do time and time again. It is quick and easy and fun and easy with kids.
Lauren Ferrara:But, yeah, I have kind of forgotten about it.
Carly Ries:You know, a good way to get out and explore other areas you haven't been to, just saying, geocaching.
Lauren Ferrara:Yeah. I do wanna go. We're gonna do a geocaching episode.
Carly Ries:I found two today. Pat me on the back and say congratulations. I
Lauren Ferrara:really don't even know what it means.
Carly Ries:Is there an episode that made you emotional? I'm the crier. I'm the one that has cried in episodes, like, or like gotten teary eyed.
Lauren Ferrara:Not cried,
Carly Ries:but I got teary eyed. And again, I know you weren't with Ellen's, but Ellen Casey, the first woman to have a baby through IVF in Colorado, Her story is just so remarkable. She's such a pioneer. And if you know her in real life, she's the most down to earth. She was a first grade teacher for her career.
Carly Ries:She's just one of those people that's warm, also strong and determined and unwavering. And I just adore her. And so talking to her, even though I've known her most of my life, I I every time I think about that episode, I get I'm getting teary eyed right now.
Lauren Ferrara:I love it. Aw. That's so sweet. Okay. So what's something people from out of state you think get wrong about Colorado Springs?
Lauren Ferrara:When you say you live in Colorado Springs, what do they say?
Carly Ries:Okay. So I didn't realize this until I went to school in Boulder, but the connotations were everybody's super, super conservative, everybody's super, super religious, and every single person is military. Obviously, we have those groups here in Colorado Springs, but it is not all of Colorado Springs. I I didn't realize that people assumed that that was everybody that lives in Colorado Springs, but I feel like we have a good mix of everything here.
Lauren Ferrara:Yeah. I feel like, yeah, that was the when I moved here, people were like, isn't that like really conservative? And I'm like, it doesn't feel that way to me. If that's what you're looking for, you will find it. But if it's not, you will definitely find your people and it doesn't feel overly conservative.
Carly Ries:But, yeah, I to me, having lived in different places besides The Springs, it doesn't feel different than any other city. You're gonna find that in any other city now, I think. But, Lauren, those were all
Lauren Ferrara:our questions. Nailed it.
Carly Ries:Okay, guys. Before we end this episode, I just have to do a really quick pick of the week because I'm so amazed. If you were thinking about starting an instrument or continuing with an instrument, whether it be guitar, piano, ukulele, I just have to sing Sarah Van Hecke's praises. She is a local musician. She does lessons.
Carly Ries:I know quite a few people that take from her including people in my family. And the confidence she builds in people of all ages, the skill level she provides, she also just lets people play what they wanna play. It's not just, okay, you've learned the notes. It's like, no, if you wanna get passionate about something, let's play this. And it's just so inspiring and I have seen so much growth in the people that she teaches.
Carly Ries:So I just wanna give her a shout out. Her name is Sarah Van Hecke, she's also performing around town all summer, heck all year. So go to her website, it's Sarah Van Hecke. I'll link it in the show notes, but it's Sarah Van Hecke as h u c k e. I just I mean, summer is such a great time for music, and so I wanted to give a shout out because she's just great.
Carly Ries:So, yeah, that's all I got. But that's all we have for today. As always, please leave that five star review. It helps us spread the word to other locals who wanna know what's going on here in Colorado Springs. Subscribe on Apple or Spotify, and share this episode with a friend.
Carly Ries:We would so appreciate it, and we'll see you next week on Springs and Things.