Denver International Airport (DEN)
Denver International Airport is 1 hour and 30 minutes north of Colorado Springs / The Broadmoor and it is a straight shot down (no windy mountain roads). There are plenty of car rental options at DIA and there are also shuttles that will go from DIA to certain places in Colorado Springs. You can also arrange transportation from DIA through The Broadmoor (though will note that this is not the most economical option).
Colorado Springs Airport (COS)
Colorado Springs Airport is 20 minutes from the Broadmoor and the Broadmoor offers shuttles for $35 per person. Taking an Uber or Lyft is also a reasonable option from COS. Downside, there are very few direct flight options to COS and you may even find yourself connecting at Denver International before COS. United, Delta and American all have one stop options from RSW --> COS.
Elevation: Colorado Springs: 6,035 feet * Denver: 5,280 feet * Toronto: 251 feet * NYC: 33 feet * Naples: 3 feet
Altitude sickness is no joke, so we wanted to provide a little reminder that Colorado is just a tad higher in the sky than Florida -- Colorado Springs actually has a higher elevation than any city in the eastern US, a fact I just learned googling altitude sickness. With that said, most of you will not be adjusted to the altitude (if we are being honest, not sure we have adjusted in 2.5 years...), which you will feel as soon as you try to walk up a flight of stairs or walk the 5 miles to the train in the Denver airport. Hoping that we can avoid any altitude sickness during the wedding weekend, below are a few tips for preventing altitude sickness and signs to look out for.
Tips for Preventing Altitude Sickness
1. Drink lots of water. Before your trip, and while you are in CO, drinking plenty of water is the best way to help your body adjust easily to the higher altitude. The low humidity in CO keeps the air dry, so you need about twice as much water as you would drink closer to sea level.
2. Don't drink alcohol. Just kidding. But you will likely notice you are more impacted by alcohol at this altitude so don't try to keep up with your sea level-self. Especially at the welcome party, it is probably best to not take full advantage of the open bar - there will be more to take better advantage of.
3. Watch physical activity. The effects of exercise are more intense at higher altitude. Here is your excuse not to workout during your trip!
4.. Eat carbs. In addition to not working out, eating carbs will help you adjust to the altitude. You're welcome :)
Signs of Acute Altitude Sickness
Headache, tiredness, light-headedness, fatigue, rapid heartbeat, lack of appetite, nausea/vomiting and swollen hands and feet.
Unfortunately the signs of altitude sickness seem to conveniently align with those of a hangover, so we wouldn't be surprised if most of you end up feeling one or more of these symptoms from enjoying the weekend festivities... If you are concerned you may have altitude sickness and not just your run-of-the-mill hangover, please don't hesitate to reach out to us or our parents!