Days 7 and 8- Breckenridge, CO

After leaving Aspen we headed over to Breckenridge, CO. It was our last stop before leaving and we had high hopes after Aspen's poor showing.

Simply put...Breckenridge is awesome with three exclamation points!!!





Breckenridge is similar to Harvard Square... lots of shops, restaurants, and bars.


Since we got there before we could check into the lodge we spent the afternoon eating ice cream, wandering around, and looking for the best souvenir t-shirt! We instantly loved the calm, relaxed atmosphere and everyone we met was so friendly. Plus, every few blocks there's a neighborhood fire pit!



We think there's an ordinance about having hanging flower baskets every 3 feet!

One of the neat spots in the town is the River Walk. Breckenridge use to be a mining town so it has a beautiful river running through it.



We scouted out all of the restaurants before settling on the Quandary Grille. We had seen the chef smoking meat in the smoker earlier in the day and it looked delicious. Plus, in my opinion, this restaurant has the best views of the Breckenridge Mountain and the pond that flows into the river.





Even though it had been warm during the day, it was getting pretty cold by the time the sun went down. As a result, we decided to hit up Burke and Riley's Irish Pub because they had two of my favorite things- a roof deck patio and a fire pit! We had a great time here and even spent some time talking to the owners and their families. We spent almost two hours here and by the end of the night we were talking about moving to Breckenridge... or at least retiring there. What's not to love! Great food, great shopping, and great weather! It doesn't get too hot or too horribly cold and the snow is light and powdery.


The next morning we got up early so we could keep enjoying this great town. We rode the gondola, and the ski lift, up to the top of Peak 8 for the Fun Park to ride the alpine sleds. The views from the top of the mountain were stunning.








We grabbed lunch at another pub and wandered around some more. We were looking for one last memory and that's when JO had a great idea- sampling the fried pie dessert at Mimi's Fried Pies.



Unfortunately our time was up and we needed to head to Denver. I know I've said this a lot but I definitely want to go back to Breckenridge.



I was hoping to do something fun in Denver for the last night of our trip but it was 102 degrees and our hotel wasn't exactly "in" Denver although it was right next door to Mile High Stadium.

Our trip was amazing! It was better than we ever thought it would be. We're already planning next year's trip- Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.