Things to do in Breckenridge & Around
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Edwin Carter Museum
An award-winning museum that sheds light on a pioneer lured west by the Pike's Peak Gold Rush in 1858-9. He reached the blue river valley in 1860. An original environmentalist he noticed the impact of mining on wildlife early on, documenting genetic deformities (such as two-headed animals) he suspected were linked to leaching toxins.
He must have seen the handwriting on the wall because he became a taxidermist to preserve the wildlife he encountered in the area. At its height he had a collection of 3000 pieces, and displayed them in his house, which is now a museum. The 12ft ceilings, an anomaly in his day, were there to display his collection. What you'll see here is the…
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Peak 8 Fun Park
Just because the snow melts, it doesn't mean the mountain closes. In summer the Peak 8 Fun Park opens with a laundry list of made-for-thrills activities, including a big-air trampoline, climbing wall, mountain-bike park and the resort's most celebrated warm weather attraction, the SuperSlide. Here you slide down a luge-like course on a sled at exhilarating speeds.
Experienced riders should try the giant slalom track. It has multiple dips built into it, allowing your sled to catch some serious big air and your stomach to seriously drop. The adrenaline rush is well worth the $12 ticket. There's also a mini-golf course and the Mineshift Maze, which is part split-level labyri…
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Kava Cafe
A hole-in-the-wall and historic log-cabin cafe, the kind of place in which ragged ass miners may have procured dry goods back in the day. These days they make sandwiches and coffee but are notable for their three specialties: fresh-squeezed lemonade, made to order miniature donuts and kava. The first two are self-explanatory.
Kava, on the other hand, is a Polynesian root imported from Vanuatu and used ceremonially for centuries among the Polynesian people. Funky, earthy and served to be sipped at room temperature it offers a euphoric body buzz. Nothing too intense, but absolutely noticeable. Each cup is two servings. Pair it with a riverside hot tub. Niceness!
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Hearthstone
One of Breck's favorites is set in a restored 1886 Victorian. This beautiful kitchen churns out special dishes such as house-smoked trout, Colorado green beans wrapped in lamb bacon (we didn't even know that existed), baked Brie, and prosciutto wrapped scallops, and those are just the starters. Entrees include ginger scallops, blackberry-glazed, granola-crusted elk steak, and cedar plank salmon.
The three-course tasting menu is a reasonable $25. Dine in the oh-so-burgundy dining room or on the three tiered patios out front if the weather cooperates. Reservations recommended.
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Motherloaded Tavern
The choice dive in Breckenridge isn't all that divey. Sure it's a bare bones tavern, but it also attracts the local hipsters and anyone else who dreams of a tastier, well-crafted brand of comfort food best paired with something buzz-inducing: black bean burgers, grilled PB&Js, homemade mac-and-cheese, meatloaf paninis and a menu of martinis, shooters and hot, steaming boozey sips.
Surprisingly, there are no microbrews on tap so it'll have to be a Pabst, Hank. There's live music every Friday and Saturday night, and Trivia Night draws draws a crowd on Tuesday.
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Historic Walking Tours
There are 250 historic structures in Breckenridge, an old mining town founded back in 1860, making it one of the oldest surviving city in the Central Rockies. On the tour, which should be reserved ahead and meets at the Welcome Center at 11am, you'll visit old mines, miner's cabins, a saloon boarding house and a few museums too.
There's also an eerie Haunted Breck tour on which you'll learn about unexplained stories of bad old Breck.
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Arapahoe Basin Ski Area
Near the Continental Divide where US 6 crosses 11,992-foot Loveland Pass, 6 miles east of Keystone Resort and 90 miles west of Denver, Arapahoe Basin, aka A-Basin, is Colorado's second oldest, and North America's highest ski area. Locals dig it because the lack of lodging and dining options (it's a day-use ski area only) keeps the package tourists away.
You come here for powder, and powder alone. It's home to well as Summit County's most extreme skiing.
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Mimi's Fried Pies
These pies are a cross between Aussie meat pies and Southern-style pot pies, but being handheld there's an empanada influence, and they were dreamt up in long-ago Oklahoma by Mimi's grandmother, who most likely had never seen an empanada, so there's that.
Sweet Mimi fills the flakey dough with cherry, apple, chocolate, coconut cream and pecans, but also gets savory with chicken and broccoli, spinach and mushroom, cheese and pepperoni and more.
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Ember
Great jazz on the sound system, strange glowing floral-art around the room and creative fusion on the plate. Apptizers include masa pizza (with chili sauce, curtido, avocado and manchega), pulled Kobe beef, warm walnut Brie, and lobster manicotti. Mains include coconut-glazed char with spaghetti squash, and soft-shell crab in lentil crust served with almond cous cous and curried pineapple hollandaise.
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Breckenridge to Vail Bike Path
Summit County's tremendous system of paved bike paths connects Breckenridge to the system's hub in Frisco 11 miles away via a smooth rolling trail that parallels the Blue River. From Frisco you can hump the gorgeous Ten-Mile Canyon Trail through auto-free road-bike heaven over Vail Pass to Vail Village and Lionshead.
If you don't want to ride all the way back, hop on the Summit Stage.
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Breckenridge Brewery
With seven malty aromatic brews being cooked up in the kettles directly behind the bar, you know what this is all about. When we visited the flavors included an agave wheat, a vanilla porter and an IPA. Pub grub is served all day and late into the night, but you're here for beer, no?
They have four other Colorado locations, including three in Denver, but this is where their heart is.
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Briar Rose
Set in a magnificent saloonlike frame and on the site of Breck's original saloon, it's named after the famed Briar Rose gold mine on Peak 10. And while it's first and foremost a chophouse, small plates (think shishito peppers, chorizo and mussels and escargot) are served in the dining room and saloon. Fine dining doesn't get any more atmospheric in Breckenridge.
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Avalanche Sports
One of several sporting-goods shops in town, they rent comfort bikes (ie cruisers) and full suspension mountain bikes during the summer, and skis and snowboards during the winter ski season from two Main St locations (the other is at 540 South Main St). Winter rental packages are discounted further if you commit to multiple days in advance and book on-line.
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South Ridge Seafood
A Breckenridge version of a classic New England fish house. The goods are flown in daily from Boston. They do New Englad (of course) clam chowder, peel-and-eat shrimp, a nice house-smoked and grilled red trout, miso-marinated salmon, and steaks and chops. There's a groovy local après-ski scene here on powder days. One of the best choices in town.
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Tibetan Mind & Bodywork
Not your average mountain massage-joint, this healing center was started by Wangkho, a Buddhist monk, born in the Tibetan hamlet of Amdo. In 2000 he walked for 26 days over Himalayan passes out of China, and into exile. He opened his first center in Dharmasala and now offers astrology readings, yoga classes and deep bodywork at his Main Street studio.
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Rotary Snowplow Park
Not much of a park but notable for its display of a vintage narrow-gauge rotary plow and the locomotives that powered it up the famed, rugged, gut-wrenching Boreas Pass railroad (that track is one of the last remaining swatches) to keep gold-mining production open. This rail was a lifeline to miners, indie and corporate alike. Kids will dig it here.
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Lomax Placer Gulch
Here's a chance to pan for gold, learn how old mining-town chemists assayed the valuable claims and check out the actual sluices and flumes they used, as well as sniff around a miner's cabin, complete with wood-burning stove, musical instruments, snowshoes, pack saddles and anything else they might need to temper boredom and support their survival.
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Modis
A groovy modern mostly-fusion spot on the main drag. They do imaginative dishes (potato chip-crusted halibut) and international ones (pho with shaved rare-beef). They sear Ahi and veal chops too, and cook up soulful starters such as heirloom tomato salad, and pei mussels with bacon jalapeño, tomato and white wine. Not cheap but loved widely.
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Clint's Bakery & Coffee House
The coolest coffeeshop in town, where brainy baristas will steam or ice up a chalkboard full of latte and mocha flavors, dozens of loose leaf teas, and the downstairs bagelry stacks burly sandwiches and tasty breakfast bagels with egg and ham, lox, sausage and cheese. And those muffins look damn good too. The bagelry closes up shop at 3pm.
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Wasabi
If you're salivating for something raw on your tongue, this tiny hole in the wall sushi spot will definitely satisfy. The chef keeps it simple and affordable, especially at lunch when he offers teriyaki tofu and chicken bowls for a song($7.95), and the volcano bowl, piled with spicy tuna or albacore ($10.95) is the best deal in the house.
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Giampetro
Dig into some consistently good, honest and soulful New York-style pizza. They sell it by the slice and pie, along with dishes such as baked ziti with meatballs (among a dozen pasta dishes), submarine sandwiches (good trail grub) and calzones. It's all served in a bright corner room, decorated with those kitschy red-checkered tablecloths
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Three20South
Breckenridge's only 'true' nightclub brings live music to the people most nights. Their taste is wide and deep, ranging from blue grass to jazz to funk to rock 'n' roll. It's mostly indie acts here, but some bigger names, like Citizen Cope and Particle, do drift in from time to time. Check the website for upcoming showtimes and prices.
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Blue River Plaza
A beautifully landscaped riverside plaza with ample seating looking out onto the numbered peaks. There is sculpture, an old 19th century wagon, a small toddler sandbox and a murmuring stretch of the Blue River; the Breckinridge Welcome Center and bike path are just off the plaza. It's a fine place to sip coffee in the sun.
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Ski Hill Rd
A scenic drive or rewarding ride up a beautiful winding road toward the ski resort. It's lined with condos and cabins for rent through the town's several rental agencies. There's a turnout about halfway up the mountain with outstanding views of Breckenridge and the eastern range. The mountains look pink at dusk.
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Breckenridge Ski & Ride School
The resort's ski and snowboard school operates out of three locations. One on Peak 8 and two different locations on Peak 9 (the Village and Beaver Run). Most people learn on Peak 9 because the green runs there are so flat and easy. Group classes are practical and affordable, but you can book private lessons too.
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