Breckenridge Vacation Guide

Breckenridge is by far one of the best places we have traveled to and today I am sharing where to stay, where to eat, and what to do. Whether you are traveling at the beginning of the season or towards the end, this town has a lot of history and everyone you meet is friendly.

Although I have only visited Breck in the winter, I have heard the area is beautiful during the summer as well. This vacation guide will focus on winter though since that's how I have experienced Breckenridge.

How to Get There
From Houston it is a quick flight into Denver. We rent a car in Denver and make the 2 hour drive through the mountains to Breckenridge. There are shuttle services available, but we like to have the rental for easy travel in and around Breck. The local Free Ride shuttle connects the resorts with the main street area and the perimeter of town if you'd rather shuttle in and then use the public transportation.

Where to Stay
Best accommodation experience has been at DoubleTree by Hilton Breckenridge. With so many people using airbnb these days you may have luck finding a great spot in or near town that fits your needs and budget. The DoubleTree had friendly staff and was dog friendly too! Upon arrival, valet staff greeted us, unloaded our luggage, and delivered it upstairs to the lobby. Valet parking only, fees are included in the cost of the hotel. Check-in was a breeze, the front desk staff was friendly and answered our initial questions.

The lobby features fireplaces (where we spent a lot of time relaxing), a restaurant (9600 Kitchen), a gift store, and a market with grab and go snacks, and an oxygen bar. Don't forget cookies ;) As I mentioned, this hotel is dog friendly. It was fun to see all the cute dogs come and go through the lobby.

The room was a great size and immaculately clean. I recommend staying on the 7th floor or lower, otherwise you have to take an elevator to the 7th floor, walk across the hotel to take a second elevator up to a higher floor.

Every night there are free s'mores and happy hour is offered twice a day at the restaurant. The hotel features an indoor pool, three hot tubs outside, saunas, and a fitness center. They also offer a shuttle to four stops along Main Street which is really convenient.

Equipment rentals are available and skiing...well it's right across the street! Use the ski valet and they'll deliver your equipment slope-side.

Where to Eat

Fan of breakfast food? If you have a morning or early afternoon flight into Denver I recommend Snooze AM Eatery. They have several locations, the location we visited was cute, trendy, with exceptionally friendly staff. AND they offer a pancake flight if you just can't decide :)

In Breckenridge, for breakfast Blue Moose is a great option. Every morning the parking lot was full. We go early to avoid waiting for a table. The food is good and fresh. The service was fast. Keep in mind this is a cash only place.

Other favorites of ours are:

Michael's Italian Restaurant - Highly recommend this place. Everyone I talked to recommends the white lasagna, but I'm not a seafood person.

Briar Rose Chophouse - Atmosphere, staff, food, and drinks are all great. I recommend the mac and cheese.

One place we haven't made it to, but heard is awesome is Crepes a la Cart on Main Street. If you try it please let me know what you thought in the comment section.

What to Do

Hitting the slopes is always popular, like I mentioned, DoubleTree has equipment rentals. A whole day (or two) can be spent skiing or snowboarding. If you're not into skiing it is always fun to sit at the bottom of the run and watch people come down. Other activities to check out are:

Snowmobiling & Dog Sledding - Last time I was there, a group of us made reservations at Good Times Adventures on the recommendation from others and we all had a blast on the snowmobile. The guide was funny, knew the history of the area, and got us to the peak first so we could enjoy the area and get great pictures before other groups arrived. While we didn't dog sled, the staff let us take pictures with the dogs waiting to go out.

Shopping - There is always shopping on Main Street!

Tubing - Short drive to Frisco Adventure Park. You can easily spend an afternoon tubing! When we went we were by far the oldest people without children, but it made you feel like a kid again!

Breckenridge Distillery - The distillery opened in 2007 and has expanded their product line and recently opened a cocktail bar and event space on location. Take a tour...it includes a tasting :)

Speakeasy Movie Theatre - Want to get out of the cold for awhile? See a movie at The Speakeasy.

Ice Skating - If a spin around the rink interests you, Stephen C. West Ice Arena has public ice skating.

Gondola - Gondolas aren't just for Venice! The BreckConnect takes you from town to the bases of Peak 7 and 8. It's a great way to see above the trees and it's free (but it does cost to park).

Loveland Pass - Scenic views going up and coming down as you travel to the Continental Divide.

I hope you make the trip and have a fantastic time! Until next post...xoxo Becca

Disclaimer:
This post is not sponsored by DoubleTree by Hilton Breckenridge or any of the companies/organizations, shops or restaurants I featured. These are my own opinions.

California Recap | Part 2

Have you read part 1? If not, read it first ;) Continuing with our adventure...

Day 4: Made our way down the coastline into Laguna Beach to enjoy the scenery and shops before visiting Wilson Creek Winery. One word...beautiful! During the wine tasting I started with the White Cabernet Sauvignon. We were told this is one of their most popular and people often buy it by the case. I would describe this wine as sweet, fruity, and delicious. Next I chose another white called Golden Jubilee; little drier, more of an earthy flavor, but good. Skipped over the reds, they’re just not my thing, and moved onto the sparkling wines…oh my! I tasted some of my mother-in-law’s almond champagne, but it wasn’t as good as I hoped. The next three I would purchase for any event I was hosting; the first two for a brunch and the third to serve at a girls’ get-together. First up was the Orange Mimosa and let me tell you it was beyond any traditional mimosa I’ve had (and I’ve had several lol). Next up, Peach Bellini; again, light, refreshing. Finally, the bottle I purchased, although I’m regretting not getting the White Cabernet Sauvignon too, the Sparkling Sangria. What a lovely, light taste. At the winery, the family dogs roam the property and the tasting room so we were greeted by a few of them. Overall it was a great experience and if you plan to do some wine tasting in southern California I recommend visiting Wilson Creek Winery. There are many wineries along the same road so you could easily make a whole day of it!

Beautiful scenery in Laguna Beach

One of the friendly Golden Retrievers having a drink.

Sangria Sparkling Wine

He is the love of my life.

Day 5: The day I was most looking forward to! San Diego Zoo! Rather than bore you with details, pictures below. We were there from opening (9:00am) to closing (6:00pm). After all that walking, drinks and appetizers were in order at el agave, restaurant and tequileria in San Diego, which features over 2,000 tequilas. Yep, you read that right, over 2,000! It was quite a showcase of tequilas! Dinner took place at Eddie V’s. I know some people who rave about this restaurant, but sadly I wasn’t impressed.

The gorillas had a staring contest, the koala bears were my favorite, the baby giraffe was 3 weeks old!

We took the Skyfari to see the zoo from above. (Love my hubby's gorgeous eyes!)

This is a sand sculpture! How fabulous!

Day 6: Started with a trip to Coronado Island to see the historic Hotel Del Coronado. The hotel has been running since the 1880s with room rates of $2.50 (included 3 meals a day) when they first opened their doors. On the way back north we stopped at the Birch Aquarium on University of California San Diego’s campus. Although a small aquarium, they had some great exhibits and it kept us entertained for several hours. After taking a stroll in the sand and listening to the waves for a little while we opted for Pizza Port in Carlsbad, CA. Delicious and an exceptionally busy spot! I can see why! Winding down the trip we checked into our hotel near the airport and went for ice cream at Hans’ Homemade Ice Cream and Deli. It was after 9pm and the place was packed with a line out the door. I know I’d selected a good place (with the help of Yelp) when I saw the crowd. Each of us tried something different and were impressed, minus the crowdedness inside.

Beach in Carlsbad

Left: Pizza Port       Right: Hans' Ice Cream

Day 7: Time to head home and it was bittersweet. As I packed my bag I wished I would have gotten a few more workouts in, but that can happen this week, along with many more salads instead of burgers, pizza, and ice cream :). After arriving home, my very hunky hubby had to do some manual labor and change a flat tire on our car. Not the best greeting, but oh well. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed our California recap and the pictures. Hopefully some of you followed my journey on Snapchat. Until next post…xoxo Becca

California Recap | Part 1

Did you miss me? Hopefully last Monday's and Friday's post helped hold you over while I was gone. Besides...who doesn't love to smell good with some fresh fragrances. Need a gift idea for your father or your significant other? Well there ya go...the bonus in last Monday's post should help solve that dilemma. Go to a craft store over the weekend? No? Why not?! Lots of cute decorations are waiting to be made for the 4th :)

But I know why you're here today, to see how the trip to California went. I'm going to write this in 2 parts so it's not super long. 

Day 1: Monday morning started off early as we made our way to the airport. Security took longer than usual (Dad, we miss your priority access!). I don't know if any of you have had the opportunity to fly with priority access, but it really does make things much smoother. I'm sure many business men and women are privileged to have this access and love it. The flight was an easy one...thank goodness because I hate flying.

Upon arrival we met up with mom and dad whose flight landed earlier than ours and headed to lunch at Mama D's Italian Kitchen. Our neighbor recommended Mama D's and I am soooooo glad she did. Everything was amazing, including the complementary warm chocolate chip cookies. Since check-in at the resort wasn't until 4:00 we went across the street to Newport Beach Brewing Company...happy hour prices ALL day. That's what I'm talking about! After a round of drinks we headed off to the resort. Beautiful place...lots of children though. Maybe I will dedicate a post to a resort review soon. 

Since our villa had a full kitchen we went to Trader Joe's and picked up a few groceries to make dinner for Monday and Tuesday night. We have a Trader Joe's in The Woodlands, but it took me going all the way to California to step foot in one lol Then it was wine, cheese, fruit, and leftover Mama D's for dinner.

Day 2: Hit the gym for a sweat session and it felt so good. Next we took the resort shuttle to Crystal Cove Beach where we planned on having brunch, but Beachcombers had already stopped serving breakfast. Ruby's Diner's website said serving breakfast all day...LIES, only until 11 :( So we settled for a burgers and shakes. Then back to the resort for some much needed pool time and a wine and cheese reception. Then for a change of scenery we cruised along the beach and visited a few neighborhoods near there....the homes were adorable. Beautifully landscaped and decorated and I wanted to buy them all :)

Crystal Cove Beach

Pool time!

Remember to stop and smell the roses!

Day 3: Rather than hitting the gym, the hubs and I went for a long walk around the resort and to Crystal Cove Beach. We saw a lot of cool ocean critters in the tide pools, surfers, and others exploring the beach. The weather was so strange, cold and gray, not what I pictured of California. The locals called it "June Gloom" and that's the perfect description. The family had lunch at Javier's, great environment and the food was good. Took a trip to Balboa Island for shopping and frozen bananas. Apparently they're famous to the island and we were told to visit Dad's Donut & Bakery Shop. I had a frozen banana covered in chocolate and peanuts. Certainly a touristy thing to do...it was good but ehhh wouldn't do it again. We drove north to Huntington Beach, famous for great waves for surfing. Walked the pier and saw a lot of talented surfers. Watched the beautiful sunset. Headed back to the resort to relax and pack for Thursday. Headed to La Jolla. 

View from resort

Left: Frozen Banana     Right: Balboa Bar covered in Oreos

Dad's Donut & Bakery Shop

Huntington Beach

Second half of the trip coming soon (probably tomorrow or Wednesday)! Until next post...xoxo Becca

Favorite Pin Friday | Volume 9

Leaving for California Monday morning and I still need to pack. Sigh. Talk about procrastination! Today is all about travel tips and packing. In my first "grown up" job, I traveled for a week at a time and sometimes several weeks back to back. I remember my first week out I over packed and by being alone on the road was therefore responsible to load and unload my luggage. Let me take a minute to tell everyone how thankful I am for a husband who does this for me when we travel together. He's amazing every day, but especially when it comes to heavy lifting. I never have to do it. Now back to my story...I quickly learned to pack in a carry-on size bag plus an overnight bag. I could manage the two. I'm hoping to pack this way for the trip to make things easier for myself and the hubs. Queue the "Babe, do you really need all those shoes?" The answer is YES, always! :P Here are a few things I've learned along the way and a few I've learned from Pinterest and other bloggers.
1.
Before ANYTHING...know the airline's and TSA's rules for carry-on and checked baggage (i.e. weight limits, liquids in carry-on, etc.).

2.
Pick a color scheme in your clothing so shoes and accessories can be reused and outfits can be mixed and matched for multiple days. Here's a great example!

Source

3.
Roll your clothes, they take up less room. Anything that won't wrinkle easily gets packed this way.

4.
Use plastic wrap to keep your bottles of shampoo and other liquids from leaking. It really does work! I've had everything from contact solution to sunscreen bust in my bag.

Source

5.
Stuff small items like socks in your shoes. Don't let the shoes hog all the space ;)

Source

 6.
Make use of the compartments/dividers in your luggage. They'll keep things organized!

7.
For the return trip home...well, just stuff and stuff until it all fits lol

Until next post...xoxo Becca
p.s. I'll be doing a lot of updating on Snapchat (@r8d6g)
p.p.s. There will be posts next week. They've already been written...look at me being proactive...now about that packing thing...gotta get to it

Going to Cali

Wow what a busy weekend! My sister-in-law graduated from Texas A&M University two weeks ago and Saturday was her graduation party. It turned out great and the BBQ was delicious. Before going to the party I went shopping because there were a lot of sales going on. The hubs and I are going with his parents to Newport Beach, California in 1 week! I'm so excited! They travel frequently and I am looking forward to spending some time with the in-laws and relaxing.

I've never been to California so I'm not sure what to pack or what to expect with the weather. I've been keeping an eye on the forecast and it seems like highs of 71-74 each day. MUCH cooler than the weather we have in Texas. My goal is to pack jeans, light long sleeve or 3/4 length sleeve tops, light sweaters, and several sandal type shoes. I think layers are going to be the way to go. If anyone has advice...please leave me a comment. 

Here are a few of my recent purchases:

DSW | Comfy and several colors to choose from

Lucky Brand | On sale at Macy's $27.99

Old Navy | On sale $22

Topshop | On sale at Nordstrom $39.99

Hope you have a great week! I'll be back on Friday with Favorite Pin Friday.

Until next post...xoxo Becca