Monday, July 4, 2011

Destination Monday #9

Since it's so darn hot...I'd really like to virtually travel to someplace cool...


...Breckenridge, Colorado!


Which has especially nice summers when you compare it to the 110* heat index we're dealing with here in Missouri - excuse me - Missery.

Map of Colorado.

Breckenridge, Colorado Trail Map. 

The great thing about going to Breckenridge is that you can stay at condos and resorts for way less than if you go during ski season, plus there's not tons of snow so it's easy to drive around and less-miserable to walk around the cute downtown area. The Mountain Thunder Lodge is a great lodge-like condo complex with a pool (not that it's warm enough to swim) and a hot tub (perfect for the cool mountain nights). Plus it's a short drive to everything. My family has stayed there twice, and we'd all like to stay there again.


View of the Mountains from Downtown Breckenridge, CO.

My favorite part about going to Colorado is the mountains - they're so beautiful! And so huge! The midwest is a pretty ugly part of the country (or at least Missouri is), so it's really awesome to look out the windows and see the mountains looming over. I'd definitely recommend taking the cable cars up the mountain - it's a relaxing ride with great views - especially from the top where you get off!

Photographed 2006: Cable Car Ride. 


There are hiking and biking trails you can take up and down the mountain side. 

There's a lodge at the top that you stop at to walk around. 

While in Colorado, you can rent bikes to ride around. We rode the Blue River Bikeway to Frisco. It's flat and through wooded areas and over the many streams - it's fun and relaxing. There's a shuttle between the two cities (Breckenridge and Frisco) that has multiple pick-up points and bike racks on the bus if you only want to ride one way (like we did). The bike path has access to multiple off-road hiking and biking trails as well as several parks. The trail also connects tot he Vail-Pass trail to continue on alongside 1-70 to Vail (although that's a bit too adventurous for me, personally).


If you look carefully in the top left you can just see the little brown lodge. 


View down the mountain. 

One of the things you ABSOLUTELY must do while in Breckenridge during the summer is the Alpine Slides - they are concrete slides built into the mountain. During the winter they're covered in snow, but in the summertime you ride glorified scooters down - it is the most fun you will ever have, period. They're like waterless-water slides - there's hills and quick turns as you literally fly down the mountain side. I cannot even express how much you need to do this!

One tiny portion of the Alpine Slides


View from the lodge at the top of the cable car ride. 








Colorado would be a very nice place to be right now. :)

No comments:

Post a Comment