My husband and I are mid seventy seniors from the Boston area and are visiting friends in Boulder and then driving to New Mexico (Taos, Santa Fe, Albuquerque). We will actually be in Albuquerque for the Balloon Fiesta, which should be quite different and attractive. Although we know it is a relatively short trip(5 1/2 hours), we thought we might stop along the way, see some sites, and stay overnight. We don't want to go much out of our way or much into the mountains because we plan to do that that on a future vacation. Our Boulder friends suggested visiting Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs:https://gardenofgods.com/. This looks like an appealing and interesting place to explore for a few hours. If we do stop there, are there any other places to explore? Any suggestions of lodging or restaurants?

Do any of you who are Colorado experts suggest an alternative place for the overnight?

Thanks you.

Garden of the Gods makes a fine stop. Other options for either short detours to break up the drive, or a place to spend the night:

Pueblo, Arkansas Riverwalk, you could stay in Pueblo
Ludlow Massacre Site near Trinidad, kind of interesting historical display, worth a drive by and stop for a few minutes
Fort Union National Monument near Las Vegas, NM good for a couple hours if you like that sort of stuff
Stay overnight in Las Vegas at the Historic Plaza hotel, site of several movie and TV films. Decent bar and restaurant on site.

That is reasonable. However, Colorado Springs is only an hour and half south of Boulder so you are not that far down the road. Pueblo would be an in-between overnight stop.

I think the area around Taos is more interesting than CO on the way there. I'd recommend just getting yourselves to NM. I love the route turning west off I-25 at Walsenburg, then south from Ft. Garland on 159/522. You can detour over to Great Sand Dunes if it appeals, though I never did, was always happy just to get to Taos.