Colorado Springs sits at the base of beautiful Pikes Peak.   The mountain is is 14,110 feet tall, with a road winding to the top, and provides a truly majestic backdrop for this city of roughly 360,000 people (not including surrounding areas).  Colorado Springs is home to the Army's Fort Carson, the Air Force Academy, NORAD and some very conservative political organizations, making it one of the most conservative locations in Colorado, if not the entire United States.  The city began as a resort for wealthy Easterners and became a boom town in 1900 when gold was discovered in nearby Cripple Creek.  Today, Colorado Springs attracts people seeking a medium sized city with beautiful scenery and reasonably-priced real estate.