Breckenridge - Need help from locals and ones who have been there!!
Hello to all.....I know some of you have been to Breckenridge skiing before, so let me here from you!!
I am planning a ski trip to Breckenridge for the family after my return from the desert in JAN 2008. We have never been there but have skied all over New Mexico and Colorado but the crew wants to go there....sooooo we go there, ha ha!!
I am coming to you folks to be my experts to help me with recommendations of great places to stay in and around Breckenridge, great places to eat, fun things to do and bad places to look out for.
We would like to stay very close to the slopes, walking distance to town and restaurants and shops. Give me your thoughts, ideas and suggestions!!
Thanks in advance.....and yes I have surfed it all on the web just looking for some first hand experience now!!
There's a lot to talk about here. Okay, so if you want to stay within walking distance of Breckenridge Ski Area, the only places also within walking distance of town are the condos on 4 O'clock Rd. with access via the Snowflake Lift. These are pretty pricey so book way in advance to get a decent price (and if you are there in the first half of January, pretty much everything will be expensive as a result of the price-jacking they do for the holiday season). You also may want to consider something more reasonably priced that is not within walking distance of the ski area. There a lot of places in downtown Breck that you can get a decent deal on and the town and ski area have an excellent shuttle system. The best way to get a deal is to book way ahead and get a package deal (lodging, skiing, gear combos).
Fun stuff to do?
Obviously skiing. Breck is great. You may also want to check out Keystone, Copper, A-Basin, Loveland, Vail, etc. Night skiing at Keystone is cool to change it up (and if you skied at Breck during the day, your same lift ticket will work for Keystone). A-Basin and Loveland will give you a more small cozy ski area feel. Vail will give you the millionaire megaresort experience. My personal favorites for terrain are A-Basin and Breck.
You can go tubing (day or night) at Keystone. It's a little pricey but one of the most fun experiences is to go to Fondue for dinner at the top of the North Peak at Keystone.
Shopping is good in Breck. Definately make sure you pick up soup at MiZuppa in Breckenridge (right by City Market). Tons of good restaurants in the county. Hopefully lots of snow.
Can't think of any bad things to avoid at the moment. Questions? There's a lot more to talk about for a trip like this so let me know if you have more specific questions.
COUNT
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"The world would be a better place if everyone kayaked."-Brad Ludden (Valhalla)
"You only get one chance to run a drop blind."-DD
Ditto everything Count said. Also, if you stay in the downtown area you may be within walking distance of the new gondola (which picks up at the parking lot downtown). It will drop you off at the base area of Peak 8.
some ideas on eating while here...for the family place,try Erics...for a romantic adult evening Cafe alpine, and Relish..cheap good meal, Giampetro's...hot soup on a cold night, MiZuppa...coffee/breakfast to go, Cool River coffee...fast good asian, My Thai...There are some tourist traps(think theme restaurants; i.e.movie titles) that I would avoid. I am uniqely qualified as I do restaurant equipment repair here. Another place that is a bus ride from Breckenridge, but one of the coolest buildings you will ever eat a good meal in(and not too expensive) is Red Rock Grill in Dillon. Long story behind the place. Ask them if they are not busy. Also in the same neighborhood is Dillon Dam Brewery. I have left quite a bit out, but these are consistant, easy to get to, and all good local owned places
Thanks to everyone for the helpful hints and suggestions. It has been great.....couple of questions. Someone here told me to look for tubing at Copper Mountain at night, do they have it there too or did they mean Keystone......also someone locally here suggested an eating place called Rasta Pasta (sp??)......any thoughts on this place good or bad??
Thanks for all the help thus far....always better going somewhere where you have some idea of what to do and where to eat rather than wasting the first day or two trying to find the good places.....ha ha!!
Rasta Pasta is a great little pasta joint. Not the norm, thats for sure. Lots of curries and the such. I'm not sure its still in Breck, but if so, its a good bet! I would also second My Thai for thai food, its great!!
Copper does tubing during the day, but I don't think at night. I'm pretty sure Keystone has lights on the tubing hill for nitetime.
As far as staying near the slopes in Breck, anywhere downtown, and especially west of main street, is within walking distance. Peak 9 has a chair that comes within 2 or 3 blocks of main street on the north end of town and the new gondola is a block from main street on the south end and serves peaks 7 & 8. Ski-in, ski-out is not nearly as easy, 4 o'clock road/run and beaver run resort are the only options for that.
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What does education often do? It makes a straight-cut ditch of a free, meandering brook. HENRY DAVID THOREAU, Journal
Copper does have tubing but not at night last time I checked. Keystone has tubing all day and til 9 at night (I think). The tubing hill at Keystone is much better than Copper's. For other activities, try cross-country skiing and iceskating. MiZuppa opens at 10 is more of a lunch/post skiing warm up (or pick up soup for dinner). Also, the Arapahoe Cafe in Dillon is an awesome place for dinner with a great menu upstairs or more affordable food in the Pub Downstairs. Don't skip the Moose Jaw in Frisco. Awesome dive bar with the best burger in the county and world (the only place that competes is Ray's Tavern in Green River, UT). Have Fun.
COUNT
__________________
"The world would be a better place if everyone kayaked."-Brad Ludden (Valhalla)
"You only get one chance to run a drop blind."-DD
All good suggestions so far. I'll second Rasta Pasta as a great place to eat, and second all of the other suggestions. I'll also recommend South Ridge Seafood Grill. Good bar, great happy hour, and my favorite restaurant in town.
Lots of good nightlife too. Other than that skiing and shopping are the primary things to do, but there is some other stuff going on. We have two nordic ski areas in Town, snowmobile tours, rentals and dog sledding.
Feel free to drop me a pm if you have any specific questions, or post up again when the trip gets closer for some more specific beta.
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