The Cave of the Winds is a major local attraction in Manitou, just outside my home town, but like last week's recommendation – The Manitou Cliff Dwellings, I hadn't been since I was a very young kid.
Discovered by two young brothers named John and George Pickett, who still get credit for the finding, the caves are massive and their position within the scenic mountains make this an impressive destination – especially for anyone that didn't grow up surrounded by mountains.
There are two tours available, we opted for the less freaky Discovery Tour – which is lit and takes about half the time of the pitch dark Lantern Tour. It costs about $18 and despite what the website says, in the winter the wait between tours can be more than thirty minutes. It's fine though, if you don't mind wandering a souvenir shop filled with rocks, gems, and fossils – perfect gifts for certain friends that take care of your cats.
Inside the caves, along with a few screaming kids and pregnant ladies unfairly dragged their by their husbands, you'll be greeted with other worldly geological beauty at every turn, a little cave full of bits of metal left by superstitious visitors in a bid to earn love luck, and a single spot that you can touch.
Your host is likely to be like ours, kind of young, highly goateed, but decent at memorizing the key points.
But what do you think?