Brews & Views: Breck

Just as I was beginning to get a feel for Denver, my parents arrived for their long-anticipated vacation. Originally, they had planned the trip to visit Anna and Alex, but after I decided to stay in Denver, it turned into a family reunion.

After a brief tour of the city, we packed our bags and headed to the mountains. The scenic 1.5 hour drive gradually led us to even higher elevations. We arrived in Breckenridge around lunchtime on Saturday. Main Street seemed familiar to me, as I tried to remember our ski vacation here when I was younger.

Our timeshare exchange was beautiful, and conveniently nestled at the base of the ski resort.

We stopped for lunch along Main Street, at Blue Stag Saloon--a place that will be forever remembered as the place where we accepted another family's offer to buy our house in Pittsburgh. My parents have been ready to downsize for quite some time, and decided to list our house for sale before leaving on their trip to Colorado. However, nobody had guessed it would sell in less than 24 hours! It was a rollercoaster of emotion, but ultimately a positive feeling.

Sunday was spent skiing at Keystone--a good-sized resort with spectacular views. We were unlucky with the predicted weather forecast, but the cloud coverage cleared up by early afternoon. Considering it was already April, the snow conditions were better than expected, with an added bonus--Spring skiing means few crowds, with little to no wait for ski lifts.

On Monday, my parents and I drove to Vail. The neighboring ski town had a different feel than that of Breckenridge. The German-style buildings and cobblestone streets give the resort a European flair.

Despite the light rain, I enjoyed walking around town, wondering what it is like there during high season. At the moment, it was empty and quiet, with a handful of shops and restaurants still open and advertising end-of-season sales.

We stopped for lunch at a quaint Italian cafe. It was my first visit to Vail, but a seemingly special place for my parents.

We returned to Breckenridge afterwards for a low-key afternoon.

Tuesday was another ski day; this time, Breckenridge.

I found the size of the resort to be rather overwhelming, but my dad (a much stronger skier than myself) enjoyed it. I will say that the scenery was fantastic, and I felt as if I had the whole mountain to myself.

The weather was on our side, with sunscreen highly-recommended!

Traversing the various peaks, I eventually made my way to Peak 6, where I took in the slightly terrifying yet stellar views above the tree line--more than 12,000 feet in altitude!

Wednesday was another beautiful day.

In the afternoon, I participated in a snow-shoeing adventure that was organized by the hotel. The two-hour, three-mile trip led us on the Illinois Creek Trail. As much of the snow had already begun to melt, the trek turned into more of a hike, but I still appreciated the opportunity to try snow shoes. I also enjoyed meeting Sue from Chicago, who's husband is participating in the nation-wide ski instructor meeting.