Saturday Sojourn...

Breckenridge, Colorado

Today I grabbed a book called 1,000 to Visit Before You Die: In the USA and Canada by Patricia Schultz.  I opened it towards the middle and was right on the page for Breckenridge, Colorado.

"The town of Breckenridge was formally created in November 1859 by General George E. Spencer. Spencer chose the name "Breckinridge" after John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky, Vice President of the United States, in the hopes of flattering the government and gaining a post office. Spencer succeeded in his plan and a post office was built in Breckinridge; it was the first post office between the Continental Divide and Salt Lake City, Utah.   Breckenridge was founded to serve the miners working rich placer gold deposits discovered along the Blue River." ~ from Wikipedia
 
The first thing I looked into for today's article was lodging and I was able to find one heck of a deal at the Breck Inn.  They have a special running now that offers a room for between $13 and $100 dollars per night, so when I put in sample dates (which include a weekend) in July and August the price for a room for 2 adults came us as $87 per night, in September and October the price dropped to $78 per night.  The room includes a limited Continental breakfast. The Breck Inn also features an on-site outdoor hot tub. The hotel is located within walking distance to town and just minutes from the slopes. But there is a down side to the great deal, there is a 120 Minute presentation and tour of The Grand Lodge on Peak 7 to get your to buy into the time share for the area. 

The number one place to stay in Breckenridge per Trip Advisor is BlueSky Breckenridge, and if you book between now and May 31st you can get a third night free or up to 20% off. The average price per night is $185 on Hotels.com but when you factor in the free third night that brings it down to $124 per night.  The hotel amenities include an outdoor pool, three hot tubs, fitness center, a spa on site, weekend meals can be catered to your condo, a library with a business center and a selection of DVDs, a game room, heated parking garage, a charter sports shop which offers a 30% discount on rental equipment to guests and a shuttle service that goes into town.  In the winter months the Lodge is a ski in ski out facility, making it easy to hit the slops. 

Everyone knows Breckenridge is a mecca for skiers but what about the summer?  Well if you like sports there is no shortage, The Town of Breckenridge can boast that it is the only municipality in the world to own a Jack Nicklaus designed, 27-hole golf course.  The Breckenridge Golf Club offers quite a few different stay an play package options as well as being able to book a one time tee time.  The rates are good for a day out, between $62 and $109 for 18 holes walking depending on when you want to go, they even offer twilight golfing after 2:30 and happy hour after 4:30 for reduced rates. Cart rental is $16 for 18 holes and $9.00 for 9 holes.

Not a golfer? Not a problem.  The Town of Breckenridge has been designated a silver level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists, and was named one of the top 10 great places to take the kids on a bike ride by USA Today.  You can bring your own bikes or you can rent them from either Alpine Sport (they have a coupon for 20% off your rental) or Avalanche Sports, both will have the right equipment for the type of trail you choose.  Before you head out be sure to down load and print your free Summer trail bike map.  Riding a horse more your style?  Check out Breckenridge Stables for their trail rides as well as some fun breakfast and dinner rides.  Would you rather hit the water to paddle or fish for the day?  You can rent canoes, kayaks and powerboats or pontoons at the Frisco Bay Marina.  Frisco Bay Marina is located on the shores of scenic Dillon Reservoir in the heart of Summit County, Colorado.  The lake spans 3,300 acres and boasts 25 miles of shoreline.  The Reservoir offers a nice selection of fish, mostly a variety of trout for anglers, you can get great information on the lake from Fish Explorer.

Looking more for some fun things to do with the whole family? Then why not step back in time to 1887 and try some gold panning at Country Boy Mine?  Voted as one of the best things to do in Breckenridge you can tour the mine, its $20.95 for adults and $14.95 for kids ages 4-12 and your price includes gold panning.  Who knows, you may end up actually making some money, if you would rather try your hand at just the gold panning and skip the tour the cost is $9.95. If you don't like the underground part of the tour why not off set that with a hot air balloon ride? Check out Colorado Balloon Rides and experience the highest altitude hot air ballooning in the country. Your balloon adventure will provide you with spectacular 100 mile panoramic mountain views.  Mountain flight prices are $250.00 per person but for this once in a life time experience it may be worth the splurge.  If you book now using coupon code MOS15 you will get $15.00 off per person.

Nestled in the heart of this historic mining town, the Riverwalk Center, a multifaceted, award-winning performing arts facility seating 770 people, is the focal point for summer activities.  The Riverwalk Center is the western most anchor of the Breckenridge Arts District and part of the Blue River Restoration Project embarked on by the Town of Breckenridge in 1992.  There is also abundant shopping and dining in Breckenridge so be sure to download the free vacation planner and check out all the fun for yourself.  You can also visit the Breckenridge web site for even more great information and planning ideas.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

C.Q.