Monday, June 29, 2020

A Quick Trip to Breckenridge



In these days of "safer at home," due to the novel coronavirus still being very active, my husband and I have not been going out too frequently, except for food shopping every week or quick visits with our immediate family using social distancing. It has been a strange beginning of the summer for that reason, as we would have traveled quite a few places already if there had been no restrictions. Honestly, we both worry quite a bit about not having a good outcome if we were to get ill with COVID, so staying home seems a better alternative right now.

But that fact doesn't mean we can't relive some wonderful memories that I never had a chance to blog about! In August 2019, my husband's sister and brother-in-law visited us for a week from their home in Arizona, and we drove them to some of our favorite places while they were visiting.  We were excited to drive to the ski resort town of Breckenridge one day, which is about an hour and a half drive from our home.  Since Breckenridge is so close to where we live we've visited it many times in the seven years we've lived in Colorado.  We've seen it in all seasons,  We saw the winter ice castles, took a sleigh ride, saw the snow sculpture competition, and enjoyed the summer fun park and hiking on the mountains top when my older brother and sister-in-law visited, which included a thrilling ride down a mountain on a snowcat during a thunder and lightning storm!  If you want to see those posts you can scroll through all them all on this search label on my blog: Breckenridge.

The view in the photo above is the iconic first view of the Rocky Mountains from Interstate 70 going west.  It never fails to take my breath away!



Traveling west we cut through the Colorado foothills.


Every now and then we could see tall peaks peeking through on the horizon.


Mountain driving is always an adventure! We drive through the continental divide through the Eisenhower Tunnel.  At an elevation of 11,158 feet, (3,401m), it is the highest vehicular tunnel in the US, and the longest mountain tunnel and the highest point on the US Interstate Highway System.  The downward grade is rather steep on exiting the tunnel, so there are quite a few "runaway truck ramps" on the side of the road in case a truck loses its brakes.


We soon begin to see ski runs on the mountain slopes as we approach Breckenridge.


 As soon as we drove into town we decided to take the gondola ride up to the ski resort village.


The mountains of Breckenridge have 5 peaks, 187 trails, 2,908 acres, and the highest lift-served terrain in North America. The resort village has dining, an alpine slide, and other rides, a ski chair lift, horseback riding, rafting, golf, fishing, etc. We had lunch at the grill and had hoped to take the chair lift to the top of the mountain to see the views and hike a bit, but, unfortunately, our brother-in-law began to experience some altitude sickness.   Since we were over 12,000 feet elevation we knew we had to go back down to the town's lower elevation where he would feel better, and took the gondola ride back down.



We gave our brother-in-law water and he rested at the Breckenridge Welcome Center, where he felt much better. He told us to go on and enjoy the town so we took a quick walk up and down the main street to show my sister-in-law the sights.


The Victorian core of this former mining town is preserved as the Breckenridge National Historic District, running primarily along Main Street, with colorfully painted buildings from the 1880s and '90s housing shops, galleries, and restaurants.



A vintage wagon


The town is very scenic!



A couple of interesting sculptures--click on the photo to enlarge it and read about "Tom's Baby"



Since we did not want to leave our brother-in-law sitting alone at the Welcome Center for too long we soon returned and drove back to our home which is at a lower elevation of around 6,000 feet on the front range. He was fine--except for a slight lingering headache.
.
Back to our house and feeling 100% better!

My sister-in-law found the funny t-shirt for him in a Breckenridge shop and we all had a good laugh about our dizzy high altitude adventure!


Happy 4th of July!
You can also find me on
 I'm linking this post to the following blog events:

 Mosaic Monday, All SeasonsBlue Monday, Through My Lens MondayLittle Cottage Link PartyHearth, and Soul Link PartyYou Are the Star Blog Hop, Inspire Me Monday,  Good Random FunNature NotesGrand SocialTravel Photos, Photo TunesHappiness Is HomemadeOver the Moon, Our World TuesdayRuby TuesdayTuesday Turn AboutTuesdays With A TwistLet's Keep In TouchWordless Wednesday on a Tuesday,  Party in Your PJ'sWordless WednesdayNanahood WWOh My Heartsie Girl's Wonderful Wednesday, Your Whims WednesdayWednesday My Corner of the WorldWonderful Wednesday Little Things ThursdayThankful ThursdayThursday Encouraging Hearts and HomeFull Plate ThursdayThursday Thinking Out Loud, Friendship FridaysFriday Features Linky Party, Skywatch FridayPink SaturdaySaturday Critters


Bookmark and Share

49 comments:

eileeninmd said...

Hello,

Breckenridge is a beautiful place, I love all the colorful buildings/business. The flowers, the wagon and the sculptures are lovely. The mountain views are just stunning. I am sorry your BIL did not feel well. Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week!

R's Rue said...

Beautiful.

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

That looks like a great place to visit! Glad your brother in law recovered!

Little Wandering Wren said...

Always good to have a fun trip down memory lane - Breckenridge looks a fun place to explore, as long as altitude sickness doesn't get you! I'm hoping it is safe for you to get out exploring again this summer. We are fortunate in Thailand although it has been tough being so isolated from our family.

Reidland Family said...

Breckenridge looks like the kind of place my husband and I love to visit. Beautiful photos!

NCSue said...

Magnificent mountain scenes!
Thanks for linking up at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2020/06/sink-drink.html

Karen said...

A lovely series! What a beautiful place.

Taken For Granted said...

Thank you for taking us along on that beautiful Colorado adventure.

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

You do live in a beautiful part of the country and I love your adventures!

podso said...

You live in such a beautiful state with lots of interesting things to see. I've experienced altitude sickness--it's not fun--I'm glad your BIL was Ok and could get to a lower altitude quickly. We too are remembering all the traveling we did a year ago. Life is much quieter now!

Vee said...

So beautiful! Sorry that it takes so much acclimation. My sister didn't enjoy her Colorado vacation at all for that reason. Hopefully, the news about everything upsetting will be resolved,

A Bit of the Blarney said...

What a grand post!! Wonderful photos!! We’ll be “home” for a visit soon!! Loved the shirt...I’ve never been so high. Take care and stay well!!

Maggie said...

Breckenridge looks like a wonderful place to visit in summer as well as in snow season. The old district houses are fabulous! Glad your BIL felt better down on the ground, and has a T shirt to remember the experience by!
Happy MM.

Dawn said...

What a beautiful place to live. I have a friend who moved to Colorado from Cali last year. She absolutely loves it. I'm afraid I'd be like your BIL and be sick. I suffer with vertigo. But love seeing your photos especially of the little town area and houses, cute benches and flowers.
Dawn aka Spatulas On Parade

Powell River Books said...

That's a lot of ski runs in one place. Like you we are taking lots of precautions. We are lucky to live in an area where many people wear masks and social distance in public. I would hate to live somewhere we were bullied for try to take care of ourselves and others with our precautions. - Margy

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I'm glad he at least got a t shirt to remember the trip! heehee! What a beautiful place. I've lived so close to sea level that I would probably have problems with the elevation too. Beautiful photos my friend!

Joanne said...

Other than the altitude sickness it sounds like a great trip!

Lydia C. Lee said...

That openning vista is stunning. I find I'm looking at old travel photos too!!

Lowcarb team member said...

Breckenridge looks a wonderful place to visit.
Thank you for sharing these photographs.

Wishing you a good week ahead.

All the best Jan

My Tata's Cottage said...

I love my state! Thanks for sharing your lovely photos. I loved that t shirt! That was so cute. Have a happy and safe Fourth of July. HUGS

Angie said...

Pat - we have been to Breckenridge more times than I can count, but usually for spring skiing with our kids. I recognize many of the sights - what a walk down memory lane. We know many people who have experienced altitude sickness, one to the point of hospitalization. Thanks for sharing these spectacular photos with everyone at Mosaic Monday!

We continue to wear our masks in public places, but are dismayed by the number of people who do not. Montana is seeing an uptick in cases, and I can attribute that to more testing. It just reinforces the fact that people are walking around with it and we all need to be cautious!

Photo Cache said...

So glad you have many travel stories and photos in your cache to share while we're all homebound and unable to travel.

Worth a Thousand Words

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

I really enjoyed seeing beautiful Breckenridge, Pat! So sorry the altitude bothered your brother-in-law. Your photos are so lovely and make me want to plan a visit there. I think we too are remembering all the things we used to do before the pandemic. Stay safe and well.

Jeanie said...

My friend who lives in Boulder says that when I come to Colorado, we must go to Breck because it is quite beautiful. (From your blog I have quite a list of places I'd like to go!). I wonder if that trip will ever happen. So glad you have shares one with us.

Ruth Hiebert said...

Those majestic mountains are always a thrill to see.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Thanks for the great memories..... we loved our stay in Breck and I have some of those same pictures in my files. And I think maybe even on an old blog post. It really is quite the place . We saw an Oxygen Bar there ... I had never heard of such a thing, and I guess it is to help with Altitude sickness. I got headaches the first couple of times we visited G&L , but then learned to drink extra water and haven’t been bothered since. I sure hope one of these years we get to come back and see if I’m still acclimated. We both cried this Spring when we didn’t take the turnoff toward Denver like we usually do on our cross-country trip. .... but we had the same concerns as you ... and still do. Same kind of visiting with our kids here and other precautions as you’re doing.

rupam sarma said...

Amazing pics

Shiju Sugunan said...

Beautiful! Looks like a great place to visit.

diane b said...

It sure is the most beautiful place, but you are all driving on the wrong side of the road (hee hee). Have you ever met Barb the blogger from Breckenridge

stevebethere said...

What lovely photos and some so quaint :-)

Have a saftetriptastic week 😷😷😷

Sharon Wagner said...

We passed through Breck before a white water rafting trip. What an adventure! Great views and photos.

Sandra Nachlinger said...

I've only been to Breckenridge once -- skiing during Christmas break -- and I fell in love with the slopes and the town. Your photos make me want to go back!

ellen b. said...

I like saying that name...Breckenridge. Those layers of mountains are a very spectacular view for sure!

handmade by amalia said...

Thanks for taking us along on this beautiful trip - I miss travelling.
Amalia
xo

S. Rose said...

I loved all your pictures. They made me feel like I just virtually traveled across the country. I especially loved the used ski benches, statues, and your husband's shirt. I need one for my husband lol

Ciao Chow Linda said...

Altitude sickness is no joke, Pat. I remember being in Macchu Picchu with my daughter, and she got it really bad, despite medication. The t-shirt was hilarious and the town looks so lovely. You're so lucky to live so close to so many beautiful places to visit on day trips.

betty-NZ said...

Thanks for sharing your memories of this quaint place with us! The scenery is just stunning.

'My Corner of the World' is happy to see you this week! Thanks for linking.

Valerie said...

Thank you for this charming tour of a part of the world I am unlikely to see in person. What a delightful town - full of character!

LA Paylor said...

we like Breck and Frisco too. Your photos are like a chamber of commerce book! Your home is very pretty. We're at around 6000 ft too, here in Aurora but your home looks very pretty.
LeeAnna

Spare Parts and Pics said...

I love the chairs and benches made out of old skis and snowboards. Breckenridge looks like a fun place to visit summer or winter. Thanks for sharing your experience!

photowannabe said...

Absolutely gorgeous country. Makes me antsy to get out there and enjoy nature too.
Sue

Unique creations by Anita said...

Wow, it looks like a great place to visit.

Tamar SB said...

Such a fun and beautiful place!

Jim said...

Great shots.

s.c said...

Wow, really beautiful views. I like that.

Anonymous said...

I definitely need to add this destination to my bucket list. Looks beautiful!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I have been up in that area several times. This post brought back some fond memories. Beautiful scenery.

Rambling Woods said...

Yes, safer at home.If only more people would do that or at least wear a mask...Lovely post. I too am living on memories...

Barb said...

You do my town justice, Pat! Actually, there are so many tourists visiting during this pandemic that I haven't been downtown. I still remember meeting you and your niece at the Fun Park many years ago. (And seeing you in town, too.) I know several people who have experienced severe altitude sickness and had to return to lower altitude immediately. The symptoms are scary.Stay well, Pat and Vinnie!