In Pursuit of Fun

In Pursuit

An active couple enjoy a respite from their everyday lives with a three-day stay at The Broadmoor. BY MEGHAN RABBITTFun of V

V“VIOLATION!” ROARS CHRISTOPHER ELLIS FROM THE OTHER side of the pickleball court. I freeze. I’m about a foot from the net, my paddle still perfectly positioned above my head for the winner I’m about to hit.

The ball drops—there goes my McEnroe moment. And after a millisecond of shock and frustration (did Chris just yell at me?), I realized I was about to violate one of the cardinal rules of pickleball: In the no-volley zone called the "kitchen," you’re not allowed to hit the ball midair. I look back at my boyfriend (and newfound pickleball partner), Brian, and we burst into laughter. Ellis, The Broadmoor’s head tennis professional, chuckles too. “I told you, Meghan, things can get hot in the kitchen,” he says, playing up his native Huntsville, Alabama, drawl. I won’t lie: Before our private pickleball lesson with Ellis began, Brian and I had a whole bunch of preconceived notions about this game being for the retired set. We thought it was something we should save for our golden years in Florida or Arizona—not a game for age 40-ish people like us who fill our downtime hiking, biking, playing tennis, and generally staying very active. Yet just five minutes into our lesson with Ellis, we have a change of heart. Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, and pingpong, which makes it fast and lighthearted. The rules sound a little complicated, but Ellis assures us we’ll pick them up as we keep playing. Our burgeoning skills are impressive enough that when Karen Schott, director of tennis, walks by, Ellis talks her into joining us for a doubles match. Brian and I get creamed. The score: 11 them, 0 us. Still, we walk off the court invigorated—and ready for more fun. We head back to our room for quick showers—it turns out pickleball is a surprisingly great workout that’ll get the heart pumping and sweat flowing—before walking to the Spa at The Broadmoor for his-and-hers pedicures. While pickleball was a tough sell for my sweetie, I had to seriously twist Brian’s arm to

Within the first few hours of staying at The Broadmoor, a veritable camp for grown-ups filled with all kinds of opportunities to be active, we realize how much we’ve been craving a change to our go-to routine.

get him to the spa for his first-ever pedicure. I remind him of how much fun we just had doing something we were skeptical of. I read him the description of the zero-gravity chair he’ll enjoy as someone else clips his toenails and sloughs off his calluses. He remains unconvinced of how relaxing and indulgent a professional pedicure can be until he dips his toes into the warm, bath bomb–infused soak. Once the nail technicians working on our feet recline our chairs, we both fall asleep. And while Brian doesn’t exactly admit it, I’m pretty sure he fell in love with the experience.

We walk to Ristorante del Lago for a meal I am sure we’ll both love: wood-fired pizzas, fresh pasta, and house-made cannoli and gelato. While we eat, we muse about how lucky we are to have amazing family and friends, good health, and jobs we love. Our lives are jam-packed with great stuff. Yet life can also be a little predictable. Boring, even. Not exactly jam-packed with play. Within the first few hours of staying at The Broadmoor, a veritable camp for grown-ups filled with all kinds of opportunities to be active, we

realize how much we’ve been craving a change to our go-to routine. And at that moment, we decide to fill the following day with some serious fun.

Our server either overhears snippets of our conversation or simply picks up on our new, spirited vibe. “It’s still early—you two should go bowling at Play,” she suggests. “And make sure you get an adult milkshake.” Within minutes, Brian and I are sharing a ginspiked vanilla milkshake and laughing our way through a few games in the hotel’s upscale six-lane bowling alley. On our way out, we’re tempted to stop at the shuffleboard table or play pool or foosball, but we head back to our room. We’ve got to save some energy for tomorrow’s action-packed day.

Ready, Set, Play

The Broadmoor has long been celebrated for the number of activities on offer that inspire guests to experience the beauty of the American West, and we quickly see how easy it is to link several of them together to create a customized itinerary.

We decide to start with a hike—a must when you’re surrounded by majestic mountains—and see that our options are endless. At The Broadmoor, you can enjoy everything from a mellow, informative walk with a naturalist through the nearby sandstone formations of the Garden of the Gods to a heart-pounding 850-foot uphill climb (at 6,035 feet above sea level!) on the Section 16 trail in Bear Creek Cañon. The Broadmoor continues to be a steward of nature in Cheyenne Canyon, participating in trail upkeep and maintenance.

Soon after sunrise, Brian and I have coffee and freshly baked croissants at Natural Epicurean and then hit the 1.2-mile Chamberlain Trail in North Cheyenne Canyon, which complements the previously existing South Cheyenne Canyon Trail. We’re the only ones on the rambling, wooded path—a rarity in Colorado’s high season—which tells us we’re on the kind of hidden treasure hike that only the locals know about. A couple of hours later, we’re back at the hotel and hit the hot tub. As we soak, we chat about the fact that Brian’s filled with as much excitement as I am anxiety about what’s next: the courses at The Broadmoor Soaring Adventure. At Base Camp, the outdoor shop located in South Tower, Kurt Segerberg with Broadmoor Outfitters talks us through what we’re in for. We’ll start with the Woods Course, a zip line cruise high above a forested canyon with sweeping views of South Cheyenne Creek and St. Peter’s Dome. We’ll soar along five zip lines total—the last one stretching across a gorge 1,400 feet below us. My adrenalinejunkie boyfriend’s face lights up as he hears this, and mine contorts into a mix of shock and fear. Segerberg notices this and assures me that the aerial installations we’re about to try were designed by industry leader Bonsai Design, which exceeded safety standards when engineering these courses for The Broadmoor. I start taking deeper breaths, which is Segerberg's cue to explain the Fins Course, on which we’ll traverse two 200-foot suspension bridges and rappel 180 feet down to the base of Seven Falls—the best way to see the famous cascading waterfalls of South Cheyenne Creek. “There’s nothing quite like the feeling of soaring a couple of hundred feet above the jagged rock pinnacles below,” Segerberg says.

It turns out he’s right. A rush of excitement makes my initial uneasiness seem almost laughable as I glide along that first zip line on the Woods Course, high above aspen trees and ponderosa pines. Thoughts of bowing out of the Fins Course have been replaced by pure excitement—and Brian flashes me a smile before I push off the platform to ride our last zip line of the day.

I’m still buzzing with adrenaline and pride as we walk to the Golden Bee, an authentic gastropub that makes us feel like we’re in the Cotswolds—not Colorado. (The pub’s beautiful wooden bar is originally from London. It was transferred to The Broadmoor, panel by panel, from New York City, where it had been in storage.) One order of beer-steamed mussels and two plates of fish and chips later and we’re happily stuffed and ready for a well-earned nap.

There’s something inherently relaxing about knowing you don’t have to get in your car after you’ve checked in to The Broadmoor, which makes our afternoon siesta even more enjoyable. When we’re up, we stroll around the lake to an outdoor table at Bar del Lago for cocktails before dinner. Brian dutifully plays Instagram husband as I pose against the picture-perfect backdrop, martini in hand. After watching the sun dip behind the Rockies, we walk to La Taverne for a hand-cut steak dinner.

The Broadmoor has long been celebrated for the number of activities on offer that inspire guests to experience the beauty of the American West.

In The Flow

Looking to balance an active, fun-filled stay at The Broadmoor with just the right amount of indulgence? Here’s a sample itinerary:

Day 1

• Pickleball lesson with a

Broadmoor pro • A relaxing treatment at the

Forbes Five-Star Spa at

The Broadmoor • Dinner at Ristorante del Lago • Nightcap and a spirited game of bowling at Play

Day 2

• Coffee, tea, or juice and a pastry from Café Julie’s • A morning hike or stroll around the lake • The Broadmoor Soaring

Adventure • Sunset cocktails at the

Bar del Lago • Dinner at La Taverne

Day 3

• Morning exercise class or workout at The Broadmoor

Fitness Center • Lunch at The Hotel Bar,

Golden Bee, or La Taverne • Half-day fly fishing excursion with Broadmoor

Outfitters

GOLDEN BEE MUSSELS

All Fun and Games

I’m up with the sun again, and this morning I head to the indoor pool for a 7 a.m. Early Bird Aquafit class. It’s a surprising choice for me. I usually start my days lifting weights at my gym or riding my Peloton spin bike at home. And while I’m tempted by the fully stocked fitness center—complete with the kind of equipment you don’t usually find in a hotel—I put on my bathing suit and meet JudyAnn, the instructor, in the pool. The no-impact moves are gentle—but that doesn’t mean they’re not every bit as effective as my go-to exercises on dry land, JudyAnn tells me. “There’s a good chance you’re using muscles you don’t usually work, which means you may be a little sore tomorrow,” she says. Ten minutes into class, I have to dunk my head under the water to cool off. I have the distinct feeling JudyAnn is right about tomorrow’s soreness.

The workout is challenging but leaves me wanting more, so I head back to the fitness center a couple of hours later for Broadmoor Bootcamp, a fast-paced workout that includes some four-pound dumbbells, weighted medicine balls, a resistance band, and a ballet barre. The combination of exercises using a variety of equipment gives me a muscle-toning, cardio workout that burns 539 calories, according to my Apple Watch. I’ve officially earned lunch at The Hotel Bar.

I let my mind wander to everything Brian and I have done in the past couple of days—and how it’s connected us in a new way.

INDOOR POOL

There’s so much more Brian and I want to do. We talk about playing a game of tennis, considering that The Broadmoor has been rated one of the top twenty tennis resorts in the country by Tennis magazine for the past twenty years. We’re tempted to take a private lesson with one of the golf pros, thinking the instruction and world-class course could change our minds about the sport the same way Ellis transformed how we think about pickleball. We consider mountain biking, rock climbing, and even falconry, which would give us an up-close encounter with beautiful birds of prey. We make a mental note to do all of it during our next visit, deciding that a half-day guided fly fishing trip is the perfect end to our Broadmoor adventure. The setting is like something out of A River Runs Through It. Pine and aspen trees surround us; the pristine South Platte River is chock-full of trout. Brian, an avid angler, is in his element—and I’m revisiting the basics with our endlessly patient guide, practicing the casting techniques I learned a couple of years ago on a trip to Montana. Soon, we’ve all slipped into that meditative rhythm that draws so many people to this sport, and I let my mind wander to everything Brian and I have done in the past couple of days—and how it’s connected us in a new way. As we drive back home to Boulder, I’m still buzzing. In the world we live in, pure, adult fun is a rare commodity—and The Broadmoor offers the kind of custom-ordered activities and entertainment that stick to your bones long after you leave the place. When we get home, I head straight for my computer to buy pickleball paddles on Amazon, so we’ll be ready to avenge the 11–0 drubbing on our next visit.