Greetings from Pedestrian and Cycle Manitou (PaC-MAN)! Ever wonder where to meet new friends? Try Manitou’s Day of Friendship where this past July, we were honored to meet Marc Willson whose exuberance for bicycling was palpable as he visited our table. Marc had lots to say about the benefits, miles traveled and joy of bicycling. We hope that you find his active transportation perspective inspiring to give it a try as well.
Remember active transportation can be as simple as replacing a short errand by walking, rolling, taking a shuttle or carpooling.
How long have you been living in Manitou Springs and why did you choose to live here?
I moved to Manitou Springs in 1999, after my high school sweetheart said, “Come back to Colorado.” I love the mountains. My dad, brother and I drove through Manitou in the late 1950s. I remember having lunch at the Dutch Kitchen. I would never believe that I would be living up the street 50 years later.
I chose to live here because I like small towns and wanted to get away from the big city. Also, Manitou was in close proximity to my employment.
What are the pros/cons of cycling/walking/rolling/taking shuttles/bus in Manitou?
My main mode of transportation in Manitou is cycling. Pros are exercise and freedom from tourist traffic. Cons are potholes, tourist traffic and loose gravel on roadways.
What infrastructure and/or esthetic improvement would have the most positive impact on your cycling experiences in Manitou?
Improved road conditions. More bike trails. Better city planning and zoning for trails of small towns similar to Telluride and Aspen. More green open spaces and less concrete.
What advice would you give someone who would like to give active transportation in Manitou a try but does not have much time?
I would say that cycling, walking or taking a trolley are easier modes of transportation to navigate in Manitou in order to avoid tourist traffic and get some exercise. You will save time waiting in congested traffic, less stress and feel better.
What do you think would increase more active transportation use in Manitou?
Local awareness, better city planning and improved bikes lanes. I am very pleased that Manitou Springs City Government has increased safety for pedestrian crosswalks and walkways.
I was impressed to see PaC-MAN at the Manitou Springs City Government #DayOfFriendship last month and to learn about your community outreach on Facebook. I really appreciate PaC-MAN for raising pedal transportation awareness here in Manitou. Also, the bicycle friendly motel, Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, is a great lodge that brings bicycle enthusiasts to Manitou from all over the world—and their live music is great too!
What other form(s) of transportation do you use and what has that experience been like?
I’m retired, so I ride my bicycle to Silver Key Senior Lunch at St. Andrew’s Church. I really enjoy riding though Manitou. After lunch, I read my book by Fountain Creek in Soda Springs Park. I also walk my bike along the sidewalks just to see all the tourists. Manitou Springs is such a friendly community!
On the weekends, if I need just a couple of grocery items, I will ride my bike to Safeway along the back roads and trails. Field’s Park is another peaceful place to ride through on my way to Safeway. The Adams Crossing Bridge is convenient to cross the road, and it has quite the history. Google it sometime!
I love the Creek Walk Trail, even though they concreted it. I used to call it the “Pool Trail” because it goes by the Manitou Springs Pool and Fitness Center. Another great place to ride your bike too and take a cool swim on a hot summer day! From the Manitou Pool, I sometimes ride to the Garden of the Gods Balanced Rock and meditate on finding balance in my life! From Balance Rock, I do the loop to the Trading Post to have lunch. I feel like a kid riding down the hill to the Trading Post! Great place to have a hot dog in their garden and feel like a tourist!
I also love riding up to the Miramont Castle Museum. They have a beautiful garden. I like to read in their garden. I always say a prayer to Whitney Hendrickson, who died in a tragic accident [in 2009]. She has a beautiful memorial in the Miramont garden.
A wonderful experience I had in the Miramont garden: I was reading my book, and a group of students sat on the lawn in a circle and shared their pizza with each other. They noticed Whitney’s memorial in the park, and they said she died when she was only 18.
They told me they were having a memorial for Shui Wei, a pet goldfish. They said he was a Chinese fish. One student said her parents called him Segway. I smiled and laughed a little. The students invited me to Shui Wei’s funeral, which was very nice of them. I gave my blessings to Shui Wei. All I can say, is what a nice generation of kids we have today who were all honoring a pet goldfish. I was also honored, and I believe Whitney was smiling from heaven. Thank you, Manitou students, for sharing Shui Wei with me.
I feel that riding a bike, I experience more of life. I use my car very little. I do drive to the grocery store once a month. Sometimes, I take the Manitou Free Shuttle and #3 MMT bus to the movies or downtown. I have 70k miles on my car after 14 years. Most of my car miles are driving to state and national parks, where I bring my bike and trail ride. I also walk trails and cross country ski.
My favorite places in Colorado to mountain bike, walk or ski are Telluride, Lyons, Rocky Mountain National Park, Steamboat Springs, Cuchara, St. Elmo, Mueller State Park, Gold Camp Road and Cottonwood Lake. Spring Creek, near Cottonwood, is my favorite place to go to see the aspens and have a drink of clear spring water from the source where Spring Creek flows from. It’s my secret sacred place to ride to and meditate.
In my younger years, a group of us, called Mountain Madness, would ride from the Springs on Gold Camp Road to Cripple Creek and stay overnight at the old Hospitality House in Cripple Creek, and then ride back to the Springs the next morning. The Mountain Madness ride to Cripple Creek was started by Tom Keeley, a resident of Manitou. Tom passed away a couple of years ago. A great guy and mountain bike enthusiast!
When I travel to foreign countries, I rent a bike and tour. I’ve done bicycle tours throughout Thailand; Quito and Galapagos, Ecuador. My recent Mexico bike tours include Manzanillo, Puerto Vallarta and biker-friendly Guadalajara.
Enjoy the journey! Keep pedaling down the Road of Happy Destiny!