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Monday, January 15, 2018

Winter Park, Colorado Vacation Recap

Hi! Welcome! On Cyber Monday we purchased tickets to Denver for a steal! When the tickets were purchased we had no idea where in Colorado we were going, but we had tickets lol Winter Park ended up being our choice since it was fairly inexpensive (compared to places like Vail) and we hadn’t been before.

Today I’m sharing pictures from our trip and a bit of a diary style day by day recap. Later I will write a more formal “travel guide” in case anyone is thinking of going.

Day 1

The travel day started early with a flight at 5:40am! Of course when we landed in Denver we made a stop at Snooze. It’s our favorite place for brunch. Luckily they have expanded their restaurants and have locations in Texas too. Now if they’d just open one in The Woodlands I’d be over the moon. hint hint Snooze 😉

Before leaving brunch we asked the waiter what he recommended seeing before leaving Denver. He said the Red Rocks Amphitheatre was a must since it was such a clear, beautiful day. We swung by Coors Brewery first. The tour and tasting are free! Then headed to Red Rocks Amphitheatre. It was breathtaking! Including physically haha the thin air and hike to the top was hard, but completely worth the views. So many people were exercising on the stadium style seating. I think they’re all nuts. Mostly because I feel like I would pass out trying to run “Rocky style” up those tiers!

After taking in the views we headed for Winter Park. Our hotel was in Fraser, just minutes from the Winter Park Resort.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre Red Rocks Amphitheatre Red Rocks AmphitheatreDay 2

Early morning snowmobiling tour with Grand Adventures. Our guide, Aubrey, was fantastic. The temperatures in Colorado have been higher and snowfall less than usual so the trees weren’t snow covered 🙁 It was still gorgeous though. We spent the afternoon exploring Winter Park Resort.

Grand Adventure Snowmobiling Grand Adventure SnowmobilingDay 3

Headed back to Winter Park Resort to check out the Coca-Cola Tube Park. We loved tubing when we were in Breckenridge and knew we wanted to do it again. It was fun, but Breckenridge (technically Frisco) was better. It ended up snowing that night and everything was beautiful. I shared a lot of videos on Snapchat and IG stories. Hope you caught those!

Coca-Cola Tube Park Winter Park, ColoradoDay 4

Our last full day in Winter Park we opted to tube again, but at a park across the street from our hotel. Ironically there were two tubing hills right next to each other. We asked the hotel staff which was better and Colorado Adventure Park was the winner. We got there when it opened and had the best time! The hubs also got to play with his new drone and was in heaven. Videos coming soon, including my tubing crash haha

After tubing we went back to the Winter Park Resort to have lunch and watch the skiers/snowboarders. On the way back to our hotel we stopped in at Idlewild Distillery. We had seen their products in a local liquor store and asked the staff if the distillery was local and had tours. The store staff said we had to go because it was a great atmosphere and drinks and food. It certainly didn’t disappoint! We met the master distiller, Jeff. He was so nice to take time out of his afternoon to talk to us and show us around their production. Can’t wait to see his business grow because their products are amazing!

Day 5

Travel day back to Houston. Overall it was a fantastic trip. The weather was beautiful the whole time we were there, the food was great, and the people friendly!

Thanks for visiting the blog to see our travel photos. Come back soon to see a formal “guide.” Until next post…xoxo Becca


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.

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