This wintery wonderland more widely known as Breckenridge, Colorado, was the perfect January escape….to more snow and cold. BUT, it’s Breckenridge… an adorable Colorado town with great food, coffee shops, skiing (of course), ice sculptures, and snowmobiling! We also squeezed in a sleigh ride under the stars and a dinner with live music at the end. Do you love winter and snow activities?? Then grab your long underwear, over-priced winter gloves and ski goggles…it’s time to plan a very long weekend to Breckenridge, Colorado!!
1. Skiing
The skiing in Breckenridge draws big crowds. The mountain is overwhelmingly beautiful. They have every type of run, from beginner to super crazy ‘death wish’… and everything in between. I spent the entire day in ski class, which was really great. The instructors were very patient with my giraffe legs trying to find balance and direction. In the end, I learned very little and my tiny body has yet to forgive me for the torture I inflicted. But, I was glad I did it. Skiing isn’t easy….it LOOKS effortless. But truly, it is a new way of learning how to balance and move your body, almost like learning another language. It takes patience and commitment, and a desire to ski. I do hope to be a decent skier one day 🙂 So, the torture continues!
Breckenridge is just beautiful. This was my first experience at a ski resort and it did not disappoint. We had a studio VRBO just across the street from the ski hill which was very convenient. I planned for one full day of skiing. At the end of the day, we both hurt. Nate is a MUCH better skier than me. He was also hurting and funny enough, came to find ME to say it was probably time to go. He found me on the ground after sloppily falling down a medium-sized hill…I looked up and said “sounds good.”
If you are already a good skiier, you will love this place. It looks so fun, and so EASY! An effortless glide down a snowy hill with a graceful stop at the end is my goal.
This January, I am venturing out again on my skis…I hope to come away from the experience feeling triumphant! We’ll see??
Buy your lift tickets here for the Breckenridge Ski Resort
2. Snowmobiling
Snowmobiling is my jam. If I could do this every winter guaranteed, I’d block out an entire month where all we did was snowmobile. I actually grew up with neighbors who had 3 snowmobiles. They would bring them out every winter when the snow was nice and thick. We would all take turns taking them back behind our house where there was a large farm field just PERFECT for snowmobiles. I loved those winters. They have a special place in my heart. I also remember when I was finally old enough to take one out all by myself!! I.love.it. I’m not a cold weather person, but put me on a snowmobile and I’m out there all day long.
This was my most favorite part of the trip. I booked a snowmobile tour that actually took us up a mountain. The view is burned into my brain forever. And then, the tour guide takes us to a bowl (literally a snow covered bowl shape in the mountain) and it was crazy awesome/terrifying! You almost feel like you are driving sideways on the walls of this bowl… worth every penny. We got some great action shots….
If interested, here are some snowmobile tours to consider… looks like the pandemic has strangled a few of them regarding reservations and such. But I know that eventually these places will be going full throttle soon enough…
Good Times Adventures (love the name!)
Breckenridge Snowmobiling (this one has snowmobiling and zip lining together!)
3. Sleigh Ride
I don’t know why, but my heart skips a beat when I hear ‘sleigh ride’….it seems so storybook and wonderful, all cuddled up with a big blanket while a horse with jingling bells around its neck is taking you through white sparkly snow drifts and you’re surrounded by thick pine trees…the air smells amazing and the night sky is full of stars. This was also a tour I couldn’t pass up.
I recommend the sleigh ride excursion….this one came with dinner and live music. We sat at a large table and got to know everyone around us. People come from all over to ski at Breckenridge and it was a real treat to have conversations with everyone. A must do!
Here’s a link on sleigh rides in Breckenridge…. https://gobreck.com/seasons/winter-spring/breckenridge-sleigh-rides. We did the Sleigh Ride with Dinner, complete with hot cocoa and lots of snuggling under a blanket (with Nate)…amazing.
In conclusion, I’ll warn the interested traveler that this is not a cheap getaway. I think it’s important to be honest about how much it costs to go certain places. Skiing is pricey, the snowmobile rentals were mucho dollars, and then lodging there in the winter is, well, a lot, but we also stayed in Breckenridge….we could have stayed outside of it. You can find deals (we did VRBO), but be prepared to spend more than you’d like. Eating out three meals a day also adds up. Our tiny rental had a kitchen, we just didn’t have time to hit up the grocery store for a few items. But, what you financially throw down balances out nicely with the ambiance and the beautiful snow. We even got to walk through an ice sculpture contest that had one more day left on display before they dismantled it.
Looks like the International Ice Sculpture championship is Jan and Feb of 2022! I only wish we could have seen them being built…the final sculptures were incredible. If interested in learning more, click here and read all about how people come from all over the world to participate ICE SCULPTURE AMAZINGNESS
It was a lovely getaway and I’m sure we’ll do it again, but maybe a different Colorado destination next time! I picked Breckenridge for the beer…. yep. Breckenridge Brewery sells an oatmeal stout that I love love love. I have Aspen and Telluride on my list for future winter adventures…
Travel far and wide, and be sure to try something you’ve never done before while you’re there! For me, it was skiing…and here I am planning to do it all over again in Dubuque 🙂
#GoAdventure
Heather and Nate
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