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Friday, November 18, 2016

Breckenridge Vacation Guide

Breckenridge is by far one of the best places we have traveled to and today I am sharing where to stay, where to eat, and what to do. Whether you are traveling at the beginning of the season or towards the end, this town has a lot of history and everyone you meet is friendly.

Although I have only visited Breck in the winter, I have heard the area is beautiful during the summer as well. This vacation guide will focus on winter though since that’s how I have experienced Breckenridge.

How to Get There
From Houston it is a quick flight into Denver. We rent a car in Denver and make the 2 hour drive through the mountains to Breckenridge. There are shuttle services available, but we like to have the rental for easy travel in and around Breck. The local Free Ride shuttle connects the resorts with the main street area and the perimeter of town if you’d rather shuttle in and then use the public transportation.

Where to Stay
Best accommodation experience has been at DoubleTree by Hilton Breckenridge. With so many people using airbnb these days you may have luck finding a great spot in or near town that fits your needs and budget. The DoubleTree had friendly staff and was dog friendly too! Upon arrival, valet staff greeted us, unloaded our luggage, and delivered it upstairs to the lobby. Valet parking only, fees are included in the cost of the hotel. Check-in was a breeze, the front desk staff was friendly and answered our initial questions.

The lobby features fireplaces (where we spent a lot of time relaxing), a restaurant (9600 Kitchen), a gift store, and a market with grab and go snacks, and an oxygen bar. Don’t forget cookies 😉 As I mentioned, this hotel is dog friendly. It was fun to see all the cute dogs come and go through the lobby.

The room was a great size and immaculately clean. I recommend staying on the 7th floor or lower, otherwise you have to take an elevator to the 7th floor, walk across the hotel to take a second elevator up to a higher floor.

Every night there are free s’mores and happy hour is offered twice a day at the restaurant. The hotel features an indoor pool, three hot tubs outside, saunas, and a fitness center. They also offer a shuttle to four stops along Main Street which is really convenient.

Equipment rentals are available and skiing…well it’s right across the street! Use the ski valet and they’ll deliver your equipment slope-side.

Where to Eat
Fan of breakfast food? If you have a morning or early afternoon flight into Denver I recommend Snooze AM Eatery. They have several locations, the location we visited was cute, trendy, with exceptionally friendly staff. AND they offer a pancake flight if you just can’t decide 🙂
In Breckenridge, for breakfast Blue Moose is a great option. Every morning the parking lot was full. We go early to avoid waiting for a table. The food is good and fresh. The service was fast. Keep in mind this is a cash only place.
Other favorites of ours are:
Michael’s Italian Restaurant – Highly recommend this place. Everyone I talked to recommends the white lasagna, but I’m not a seafood person.
Briar Rose Chophouse – Atmosphere, staff, food, and drinks are all great. I recommend the mac and cheese.
One place we haven’t made it to, but heard is awesome is Crepes a la Cart on Main Street. If you try it please let me know what you thought in the comment section.
What to Do
Hitting the slopes is always popular, like I mentioned, DoubleTree has equipment rentals. A whole day (or two) can be spent skiing or snowboarding. If you’re not into skiing it is always fun to sit at the bottom of the run and watch people come down. Other activities to check out are:
Snowmobiling & Dog Sledding – Last time I was there, a group of us made reservations at Good Times Adventures on the recommendation from others and we all had a blast on the snowmobile. The guide was funny, knew the history of the area, and got us to the peak first so we could enjoy the area and get great pictures before other groups arrived. While we didn’t dog sled, the staff let us take pictures with the dogs waiting to go out.

Shopping – There is always shopping on Main Street!

Tubing – Short drive to Frisco Adventure Park. You can easily spend an afternoon tubing! When we went we were by far the oldest people without children, but it made you feel like a kid again!

Breckenridge Distillery – The distillery opened in 2007 and has expanded their product line and recently opened a cocktail bar and event space on location. Take a tour…it includes a tasting 🙂

Speakeasy Movie Theatre – Want to get out of the cold for awhile? See a movie at The Speakeasy.
Ice Skating – If a spin around the rink interests you, Stephen C. West Ice Arena has public ice skating.

Gondola – Gondolas aren’t just for Venice! The BreckConnect takes you from town to the bases of Peak 7 and 8. It’s a great way to see above the trees and it’s free (but it does cost to park).

Loveland Pass – Scenic views going up and coming down as you travel to the Continental Divide.

I hope you make the trip and have a fantastic time! Until next post…xoxo Becca
Disclaimer:
This post is not sponsored by DoubleTree by Hilton Breckenridge or any of the companies/organizations, shops or restaurants I featured. These are my own opinions.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Over the Mountain – Breckenridge, Colorado Trip

The hubs and I wrapped up another weekend trip and had a great time! Destination…Breckenridge, Colorado. As an anniversary trip we went 4 years ago and loved it. This time we went with our regular traveling companions. Sharing some pictures from the trip and a review of the hotel.

DAY 1
Flew into Denver Thursday morning (shout out to United First Class on the Dreamliner!), picked up our rental car, had brunch at Snooze (delicious and coming to Austin and Houston soon), and headed to Breckenridge (about an hour and 40 minute drive). The views heading into the mountains are fantastic. So majestic.

Our first Breckenridge stop was the hotel, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Breckenridge. Valet staff greeted us, unloaded our luggage, and delivered it upstairs to the lobby. Valet parking only, fees are included in the cost of the hotel. Check-in was a breeze, the front desk staff was friendly and answered our initial questions.

The lobby features fireplaces (where we spent a lot of time relaxing), a restaurant (9600 Kitchen), a gift store, and a market with grab and go snacks, a small menu, and an oxygen bar. Don’t forget cookies 😉 This hotel is dog friendly. It was fun to see all the cute dogs come and go through the lobby.

We stayed on the 7th floor which was pretty quiet despite the number of people (and families) staying. The room was a great size and immaculately clean. I recommend staying on the 7th floor or lower, otherwise you have to take an elevator to the 7th floor, walk across the hotel to take a second elevator up to a higher floor.

Every night from 4:00-5:00 there are free s’mores. Happy hour at the restaurant is 3:00-5:00 AND 9:00-close. The hotel features an indoor pool, three hot tubs outside, saunas, and a fitness center. They also offer a shuttle to four stops along Main Street which is really convienent.

Equipment rentals are available and skiing…well it’s right across the street! Use the ski valet and they’ll deliver your equipment slope-side.

Overall, we enjoyed our time at this hotel. It’s location, friendly staff, and amenities were perfect.

When the hubs and I visited 4 years ago we toured the Breckenridge Distillery when it was much small. We bought the vodka, loved it, and knew we had to go back to see what new products they had introduced. Their space has grown, their products have increased, and they’re opening a restaurant this summer (good excuse to go back). One of the things I’m most excited about is the bourbon barrel aged maple syrup. I see homemade waffles in my future 😉

DAY 2
Friday morning we made our way to Good Times Adventure (recommended to me by Alyson at Sequins & Things, thanks Alyson!) for a snowmobile tour. More details, a review, and video coming soon!

Minutes before he unsuccessfully tried to push me down in the snow.

After the snowmobile tour we needed food and didn’t go wrong with Log Cabin Cafe in Frisco. Next up, Frisco Adventure Park to tube! OMG it has been a long time since I felt like a kid! We had a great time.

On our last trip we stumbled upon the Continental Divide. The gorgeous views brought us back. It didn’t disappoint.

I’m a sucker for forehead kisses 🙂

DAY 3
The guys hit the slopes while we had a girls day which included shopping and mimosas. We met up for lunch at Coppertop Bar & Cafe. Then ate too many s’mores at the hotel and enjoyed happy hour until dinner time at Modis. An early meal called for fireside relaxation with fresh, warm cookies. It was our last night so we soaked up as much relaxation as we could.

That’s our trip in a nutshell. We had a great time and I can’t wait to go back! I’ll be writing a review on Good Times Adventure soon.
Until next post…xoxo Becca
Disclaimer:
This post is not sponsored by DoubleTree by Hilton Breckenridge or any of the shops or restaurants I featured. These are my own opinions. 

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