22nd November through 25th November, 2018
This was a trip made as a thanksgiving weekend getaway for a winter experience. A visit to Breckenridge in Colorado is a great way to live through a variety of winter sports with possibly fresh powder, relatively lower costs and reasonable crowd density. Hoping that my trip will give you a glimpse of the experiences you can have around this historic and stunning town.
Time to Visit: Breckenridge is located at 9600 feet above sea level in the state of Colorado. Without traffic, travel time is just under 2 hours from Denver International airport and slightly over 2 hours from Colorado Springs. While Breckenridge is popular in the summer and the winter, its particularly known for its ski-resort. The town already had about 8 inches of snow and continued snowing lightly the whole time throughout our visit giving us a beautiful and a serene experience. However, there is always a possibility of an aggressive snow storm that could make your travel or winter sports unpleasant. Therefore, planning according to the weather forecast becomes tricky, yet important.
If you are travelling during the thanksgiving weekend like we did, try to book flight tickets at least 6 months ahead. We paid 450USD for a direct flight (United Airlines) from San Antonio, Texas to Denver Airport on the morning of Thanksgiving Day and returning Sunday evening.
Lodging: We were a big group and rented a house through Airbnb just 10 mins outside of Breckenridge. The house featured 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 2-car garage, 2 living rooms, 3-fireplaces, a deck overlooking a hot tub and a spectacular view, a ping pong table, poker table and other board games as well as a wide variety of winter sports equipment including skis, ski boots, snow boards, snowshoes to name a few. The house also had a huge dining room accommodating 15 people and a fully equipped and functional kitchen that allowed us to cook a wide spread of dishes for a relaxing thanksgiving dinner. Included in the house was Wifi and Smart TVs to be able to stream Netflix, Amazon and Youtube using your subscribed accounts. The place was extremely well kept and comfortable; the host was very friendly and prompt in responding to our requests. I would highly recommend this house for a big group.
Things to do: Our trip was filled with experiencing a number of winter sports in a short period of time. For many of us including myself, it was the first-time experience and at the end, I was thrilled to have these opportunities.
– We started off with driving an hour away from Breckenridge to a little outside of Red Cliff, CO for snowmobiling at Nova Guides. The ticket cost about 125 USD for driving the mobile and 65 USD to be a passenger and included snow suits, helmets, eye glasses and shoes. The 2-hour tour included a guide leading you through the route in a group of 8-10 mobiles. Contrary to popular belief, it is very safe for even beginners to ride on this vehicle, although on rare occasions, it may require a bit of a learning curve for some. The place also features a café with good food to be able to get a quick bite immediately after the adventure. I would definitely recommend this sport for a thrilling (yet not scary) ride into snow covered mountains to take in a fresh smell of snow and some breathtaking views.
– A winter sport that’s cheap (we paid 26 USD per person for 2 hours), relaxing and fun for families is snow-tubing. The Frisco Adventure Park is conveniently located at 15-20 min drive from the town of Breckenridge and offers a variety of winter activities for groups to choose from. The ticket price for tubing did not include any winter suits or gear so make sure you are well protected with suitable outerwear. Keep in mind that Its not optimal to tube on tracks with fresh powder as the tubes will not slide fast enough for a fun ride.
– Another activity that’s fun for all ages is the Tumble Bubble. The Adventures Park offers this activity for 10USD for 10 mins. It a unique one-of-kind experience that’s a must try at least once. Its basically a human-sized hamster balls allowing guests tumble, bounce and smash other tumblers while you careen on the snow at the base of the hill.
– We also were able to snowshoe for a little while since we had the snowshoes available in the garage of our house and plenty of space around the house to hike up. Snowshoeing is a fun physical activity on a thick carpet of snow, through white trees and mountains to witness the surreal tranquility and serene views given by nature.
-The Breckenridge Ski Resort is one of the legendary resorts of the country. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take advantage of the magnificent skiing experience it provides, it’s the main attraction Breckenridge is visited. The resort spans 5 mountain peaks over 2900 acres and have several slopes to choose from including the bunny slopes. Tickets and rentals for skiing are usually pretty expensive, however they were relatively cheaper during the pre-winter season. There are number of rental shops in town that you could probably find all the gear and ski equipment in a package for a reasonable price. I have heard the views features from the top of the slopes are extremely picturesque and the energy from air and snow is refreshing and empowering.
– Strolling on the Main Street of Breckenridge is absolutely relaxing and enjoyable, especially after sunset; when it has snowed and the street and building lights reflect the white powder all around the scenic town that is buzzing with liveliness and excitement. The historic town can be explored for tapping into your culinary inquisitiveness or cultural side of music and art as well as for vibrant nightlife and satisfying shopping urges.
While these are my experiences in Breckenridge, the place has a lot more to offer in almost all seasons of the year. Following links provide more information.
https://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/breckenridge
https://www.snow.com/discoverourresorts/breckenridge-ski-resort.aspx
Shivani's Travel Unraveled 
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