Breckenridge Kids' Museum Activities

Breckenridge Kids’ Museum Activities

The Mountain Top Children’s Museum is a quick walk or shuttle ride from Breckenridge vacation rental, and it’s a great place to take kids who are 10 and younger.

The museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating kids through fun, interactive exhibits and programs that foster imagination.

It opened in 2001 and began day camps the following year. It is located by Breckenridge lodging on Peak 9, in the Village at Breckenridge, off S. Park Avenue and Main Street. Breckenridge Ski Resort donates the space to house it.

Within the walls of the museum, kids can examine bones through “X-rays,” strap on a pair of skis and become a virtual ski patroller or step into a bear cave, make animal tracks, identify scat or make up stories about the stars in the museum’s mini planetarium. Once they’re acquainted with the planetarium’s stars, adults can take them into the backyard of their Breckenridge vacation rental — where artificial lights don’t spoil the night sky — and look for constellations.

Kids also can create their own masterpiece in the Creation Station, which offers art, crafts and recycled materials to produce a piece to take home to your Breckenridge vacation rental.

And for kids who prefer theatrics, Studio Imagination allows them to find a costume and become a star on stage.

Families and kids alike can have fun in the Kidstruction Zone, where you can pretend you’re building your own Breckenridge vacation rental by using remote control construction vehicles to erect a structure.

Tots have a great time at the museum in the Tot Spot, designed for kids who are 2 years old and younger to keep their little hands and minds busy through colorful blocks, zany stuffed animals and experimental stations.

Adults get a break on museum admission prices: They’re $5 per adult and $7 per child. Seniors and kids younger than 1 are free. Most days, the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In the summer the museum’s day camp for school-age children keeps kids active through projects, crazy experiments, nature explorations and other educational themes.

Kid’s Night Out parties, scheduled throughout the year, give parents and adult caregivers a chance to enjoy a fancy dinner without the fuss or an intimate evening in front of a cozy fire in a luxurious Breckenridge vacation rental.

The kid’s nights cater to ages 5 through 12 on Tuesday and Friday nights. From 6-9 p.m., kids eat dinner from Mi Casa Mexican Restaurant and Domino’s Pizza and engage in a variety of activities, from being a Mad Scientist to going Color Crazy or playing in the snow. Reservations are required; fees are $50.

A special kid’s night will take place on New Year’s Eve, from 6 p.m. until midnight at a rate of $20 per hour. For more information on any of the kid’s nights, call (970) 453-7878.

The family friendly museum is also a great place to host a birthday party, as opposed to having kids running through a Breckenridge vacation rental. A two-hour party costs $100-150 and includes space for 10 children, balloons and play time. To learn more about Mountain Top Children’s Museum, visit www.mtntopmuseum.org.

The Parks of Summit County

Breckenridge Parks

During your stay in Breckenridge lodging, you’ll be just a hop, skip and a jump away from wonderful Breckenridge parks.

Carter Park is one of Summit County’s largest parks, complete with baseball fields, tennis courts and sand volleyball courts. It also has an indoor community gathering center, as well as outdoor picnic tables. If your Breckenridge vacation happens to involve a family reunion or other special celebration, you can always head to Carter Park to spread out the fun.

It’s likely that you didn’t bring your dog to stay at your Breckenridge vacation rental, but if you happen to miss watching furry creatures romp around, head down to the fenced dog park at Carter Park and watch them play.

Or simply take a Frisbee or kite down to the park, and let it soar through the thin air.

Carter Park is located at the south end of High Street, adjacent to Breckenridge Elementary School. If you’re heading south on Main Street, turn left and go up a few blocks to High Street, which ends at the park.

The Blue River Plaza, near the Riverwalk Center, is also a fun area for kids and families. It’s easy to get to from your Breckenridge vacation rental by walking or taking a free shuttle to just about the middle of Main Street. It’s located along the Blue River, and in the summer kids play on the rocks near the stream, art festivals and musicians enliven the grassy place and people stroll along the path that follows the Blue River.

Kingdom Park sits near the Breckenridge Recreation Center, just north of downtown, at 880 Airport Road. The park is adjacent to the kayak park, which is always thrilling to watch, as paddlers navigate rocks and rapids. Kingdom Park has outdoor tennis courts, soccer and lighted softball fields, a basketball court and a skate park.

Parks Outside Breckenridge

From your Breckenridge vacation rental, you can drive or take the free Summit Stage to other parks in Summit County.

Dillon’s playground and park at the south end of Lake Dillon Drive overlooks the lake and is the best playground in Summit County. It combines modern jungle gyms with artistic bronze sculptures, so there’s something to inspire everyone.

The playground includes slides, poles, climbing walls and swings within the few hundred feet of mulch-covered ground. Plenty of picnic tables dot the perimeter of a paved path, which overlooks the lake, so it’s a perfect place to eat lunch or dinner. Just down the hill, the Dillon Marina rents boats and has a tiki bar that serves food and drinks. In the other direction the Dillon Amphitheatre hosts nature nights, free live bands every weekend, church services and other family-oriented events.

Frisco has a network of pocket parks, a historic park and a modern-age playground. The pocket parks are tucked within the downtown region, often near a stream.

The Frisco Historic Park is one of the most amazing historic parks, offering a dozen buildings dating from the late 1800s and early 1900s. It includes an old schoolhouse, where you can pick up a free walking tour guide. Visitors can walk into old jailhouses, bedrooms, chapels and more.

The park near the Frisco Marina provides a nontraditional jungle gym, a large swathe of grass, boat rentals and a water taxi tour that goes to the Dillon Marina.

Silverthorne’s Rainbow Park lies next to the Silverthorne Recreation Center at 430 Rainbow Drive and has a grass field for sports, a basketball court, two sand volleyball courts, two tennis courts, picnic tables, a playground and a concrete skate park.

The opportunities for enjoying parks near your Breckenridge vacation rental abound!

Breckenridge Ski Passes

Breckenridge Ski Passes

In the mountain world, it’s never too early to think about the upcoming winter, and where to get your discounted Breckenridge lift tickets or passes.

It’s always best to plan your Breckenridge vacation and lock in your Breckenridge vacation rental sooner rather than later. For one thing, you can get discounted lift tickets or you may decide to buy an entire season pass, if that makes financial sense for the amount of time you’ll be skiing.

For a “limited time only,” (and, of course, they don’t tell you when the offer expires), Breckenridge Ski Area is offering lift tickets at last season’s prices. This only applies to multiple-day lift tickets, which is fine, because, truthfully, if you’re just looking at skiing for one day at a specific resort, you’re better off stopping at a local grocery store or ski rental shop to pick up a discount.

For the high-season Christmas weeks from Dec. 20 through Jan. 2, an adult three-day ticket (allowing you to ski three out of five days) is currently $249. A five-day (out of eight days) is $415. And it’s not much different if you come during what I consider to be the best time of the season – Feb. 13 through March 27. Though March brings some spring break crowds, the weather tends to be warmer and the snow base solid, so you won’t be hitting rocks, like you can early in December. During Feb. 13 through March 27, a three-day is $237, and a five-day is $340 (two-, six- and seven-day packages are also available).

Now here’s where it might make sense to consider buying a full season pass. If you buy now (and these prices usually hold until sometime in the fall), a Summit Pass, which gives you unlimited access to ski Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin, is $399 for adults, $309 for teens and $199 for kids.

Obviously, it would make sense to buy the adult pass if you’re planning on skiing at least five days during the high-priced holiday season, or if you plan to ski seven days during the Feb. 13 through March 27 timeframe I mentioned, because a seven-day combo ticket (assuming you buy now) costs $420 ($238 for kids).

There’s also an interesting pass called the Colorado Pass, which is only $40 more for an adult (and only $10 more for kids). It allows skiers 10 days at Vail or Beaver Creek. However, you will not be able to use those days on Nov. 27-28, Dec. 27-Jan. 2 and Feb. 13-14. And also be aware that it costs around $20-25 to park in Vail. However, for Beaver Creek skiing, you can park in a free lot at the base of the mountain and take a free shuttle to the base.

If you want to buy a pass now or learn more information, visit Breckenridge Ski Area prices at http://www.snow.com/passsales/default.aspx, then make Breckenridge lodging reservations at http://www.tenpeaks.com.

Breckenridge Information Center

Breckenridge Information Center

The Breckenridge Welcome Center, located at 203 S. Main St. at the Blue River Plaza, provides guests staying in Breckenridge lodging with all the information they need for their Breckenridge vacation.

The Welcome Center includes an information desk and center with a few souvenirs, and a historic museum within the 4,000-square-foot facility. Knowledgeable people give guests in Breckenridge vacation rentals tips on dining, shopping and activities in town.

The actual building used to be called the Bailey Building, a historic structure dating back to the 1880s. When the town purchased the property, it didn’t realize it would discover an 1880s log cabin within the building.

The previous owner simply built a wine and cheese shop around the existing 1880s hand-hewn log cabin he had bought in 1971, rather than tearing it down. The original cabin is unusual because it’s a two-story structure. When the town began remodeling, workers found an earring with the date of 1925 printed on the back of it.

Now the cabin is fully exposed and renovated, with preservation of the same floorboards that miners once walked upon. Visitors experience an interpretive museum with displays on Breckenridge life in the 1880s.

The Welcome Center includes multimedia displays portraying the town’s history, from Native American settlers to present day. It also educates guests about Cucumber Gulch, a preserved wetlands area near many of the newer and most prestigious Breckenridge vacation rentals. The wetlands are home to moose, elk, deer, beaver, nearly 50 species of birds and the endangered boreal toad.

The Welcome Center also sells a VHS video series called “The Golden Stories of Breckenridge.” The documentaries feature prominent local historians and descendents of early Breckenridge families talking about various aspects of Breckenridge history.

For example, “The Depression Years” interviews three residents who lived in Breckenridge during the 1930s and ’40s as they talk about the railroad, dredge boats, schools and recreation. “The High Line” showcases the narrow gauge railroad, which was one of the most impressive projects in railroad history because it stretched up over Boreas Pass. It was in use from 1882 to 1937. “Rest in Peace” reviews the Valley Brook Cemetery, opened in 1882 and still in use today.

The latest film, “Peaks on the Past,” highlights the first Breckenridge gold strike in 1859 and pioneer stories.

If you’re staying in Breckenridge lodging and want more information on the Breckenridge Welcome Center, visit www.townofbreckenridge.com.

Breckenridge Real Estate

Breckenridge Real Estate is a Good Deal Now

This may be the best time to consider buying Breckenridge real estate, or any other real estate in Summit County.

I have a good friend who has been a real estate agent in Dillon since the late 1970s. He’s seen Breckenridge real estate ebb and flow (mostly flow, and flow a lot). The last and only time, he watched Breckenridge real estate and Summit County real estate go down was in the 1980s due to an oil crunch, when Front Rangers wondered about the practicality of driving back and forth to their Breckenridge vacation home when gas seemed to be going higher and higher.

The dip in Breckenridge real estate prices that he’s seeing now is not as bad as it was in the 1980s, but it’s down about 20 percent, which means it could be a very good time to buy.

By 1990 the Breckenridge real estate market had recovered from the 1980s crash, allowing a friend of mine to buy a one-bedroom condo overlooking Lake Dillon for $45,000. The buyers she bought it from paid almost $80,000. Now the latest tax assessment, which came out last month, says her condo is worth $216,979! Every year since 1990, it has steadily increased, and she’s glad she purchased when she did; now the mortgage is paid off, and she rakes in $850 a month in rent.

This summer, it’s a strong buyer’s market. Homes are discounted about 20 percent from their top prices at the beginning of 2008 and end of 2007. And buyers have plenty of Breckenridge vacation homes from which to choose.

My Realtor friend just closed on a home listed – and worth -- $1.7 million, but in this buyer’s market, the sellers agreed to the buyer’s offer of $1 million. So, essentially, these buyers got a steal – the sellers had paid more than $1 million to build the Breckenridge vacation home on its premium lot.

It’s true that there’s still uncertainty in the economy and in the market, but buyers who wait until it’s clear that the economy has recovered often jump back into the real estate market too late, wishing they had purchased their long desired Breckenridge vacation rental sooner.

The beauty of purchasing a home in Summit County is that it continues to draw visitors and investors like a magnet. With three world-class ski areas, championship golf courses, proximity to Denver and all of the recreational activities, magnificent environment and amenities Summit County offers, Breckenridge real estate remains a good bet.

(Note that when St. Anthony’s Summit Medical Center opened a few years ago, the “perfect storm” of sorts occurred; many retirees who longed for a second – or primary – home in Summit County finally jumped in and bought, because the county finally offered a hospital capable of dealing with major medical problems. Before that a larger percentage of patients were flown in helicopters down to Denver for care, which caused some older potential buyers to pause.)

One of the perks of owning Breckenridge real estate is that you can place it on a short-term rental program with Ten Peaks Lodging. We’ll ensure your property remains clean and meticulously maintained, while you collect extra income. At any time you can block off a few weeks for your own personal enjoyment of your Breckenridge vacation rental.

Of course the closer your Breckenridge vacation rental is to the ski area, the more desirable it becomes. Million-dollar-plus homes on Peaks 7 and 8 are listed for incredibly low prices right now. Call Mark Gossman at Ten Peaks Lodging if you’d like to see some properties during your visit to Summit County.

Breckenridge Weather

Breckenridge Weather

I’ve been traveling this week, and I have to say, Breckenridge weather is something to be envied.

I spent Fourth of July in St. Louis, and though it was exciting to watch fireworks at the arch, I missed Fourth of July in the mountains. For one thing, Breckenridge and Frisco fireworks are spectacular in our clear mountain air. In St. Louis, it had been rainy, so the heavy air caused a smoke out within a few minutes, where we could no longer see the fireworks through the thick haze.

Then there’s our lack of humidity. After spending several days in southern states, it’s a relief to return to crisp air.

But most of all, guests staying in Breckenridge vacation rentals have one distinct advantage when choosing one week out of the year, and that’s our ever-changing weather patterns. How many times have you gone on a beach vacation, only to be rained out for days? It’s happened to me plenty.

The beauty of Summit County weather is that even when it rains during the summer, it rarely ruins an entire day. Weather passes quickly through our mountains.

Of course, that has its pros and cons. To mitigate the cons, you just have to be prepared. I’ve learned to pack clothes, including a raincoat, for the changing weather conditions. If you awake from a good night’s sleep in your Breckenridge vacation rental master suite and the sky is clear, don’t assume it will remain sunny every minute during your afternoon bike ride or hike; plan for a half-hour or hour downpour if we’ve been in a weather pattern of afternoon showers.

On the other hand, if it’s cloudy when you rise, don’t assume your day of outdoor fun is shot; chances are, the clouds will pass and the day will warm up. I’m always amazed at how fast Breckenridge weather can change. It’s like the fickle mood of children; they can go from crying to smiling in an instant.

That’s what I love when my family and friends come out for Breckenridge vacations; I know we can duck in and out of any rain that comes our way. You can usually see the clouds coming and feel the wind picking up, so it gives you warning. And often after a quick downpour, the sky returns to its brilliant clarity.

Winter snow storms tend to last a bit longer than a few hours; they can last a day or two. But then there are those “perfect” storms that bring fresh powder to the mountains at night and usher in blue sky for a powder day in the morning.

The bottom line is: Guests at Breckenridge vacation rentals rarely experience a full day where weather has foiled their plans – unlike most other parts of the nation, where, when a storm comes, it’s there to stay for at least a day. With such rapidly changing weather patterns throughout the day, it’s important to wear layered clothes, from T-shirts to a fleece, so you’re prepared in case a rain pattern blows through.

Breckenridge Dining: Spencer's Restaurant

Breckenridge Dining: Spencer’s Restaurant

There are so many great restaurants to visit in Breckenridge that are a quick walk or free shuttle from Breckenridge vacation rentals, I thought about avoiding the temptation to focus on one in particular, but I figure, what the heck. I’ll eventually hit upon the highlights of many of Breckenridge’s best restaurants as I continue to blog.

So, I’ll start with Spencer’s Restaurant, which is part of Beaver Run Resort, located at the base of Peak 9.

Beaver Run Resort expanded about two years ago, spending $3.5 million to spruce the place up, and management remodeled Spencer’s in 2002.

The restaurant offers a sophisticated mountain dining experience. As guests enter, a four-sided gas fireplace surrounded by massive stone columns welcomes them. The rounded booths are cozy, and the lighting provides an intimate atmosphere that’s perfect for a romantic night out.

But there are really two main things that make Spencer’s stand out. One is the beef. The second is the buffet.

Spencer’s caters to large organizations and groups staying in Breckenridge lodging, and restaurant personnel understand that when guests come to the mountains, they don’t necessarily want to spend over an hour eating breakfast and then lunch too. So they offer a full breakfast buffet including eggs, biscuits, fresh fruit, sausage, pastries, thick-peppered bacon and French toast, as well as a lunch buffet with a full salad bar, soups, sliced meats and cheeses, vegetables and desserts. The buffet allows people to “load up” and head out for their day of skiing, biking, hiking or other mountain adventure.

Guests can also order entrees off of Spencer’s full menu, which changes seasonally but usually includes New York steak and eggs, salmon lox, huevos rancheros and Belgian waffles for breakfast, and soups, salads and sandwiches such as bison Reubens, burgers and grilled chicken quesadillas for lunch.

Many locals flock to Spencer’s for its nightly all-you-can-eat prime rib specials.

And the prime rib is like nothing else in Summit County. Though other restaurants say they serve Angus beef — and they do — chef Kevin Goodwin is the only one in the county with connections to make Spencer’s the only licensed certified Angus beef provider.

What does this mean to you? It means he obtains his top-choice cuts of steak and prime rib from a registered certified Angus beef distributor. Here’s how it works: Certified Angus beef is held to higher standards. When a piece of meat doesn’t make the cut, it’s sold simply as Angus beef. So when you eat at Spencer’s, you know you’re getting the best steaks and prime rib available.

Their prime rib is specially wet aged for six to eight weeks (as opposed to the standard two weeks), and this creates a more tender, rich flavor. No other restaurant in Colorado, besides the historic Brown Palace in Denver, serves this kind of prime rib.

And chef Goodwin knows how to prepare it just right: He lets the natural flavors come out, while complementing them with various spices and sauces.

And, don’t miss his desserts: In Key West, Florida, where Key Lime pie is a dime a dozen, he won recognition with his frozen blend of lime juice, condensed milk and whipped cream sitting in an Oreo-cookie pie shell. And chocolate lovers, never fear: He has something for you to enjoy in the restaurant, or take home to enjoy later in the evening at your Breckenridge vacation rental.

If you’d like to check out Spencer’s menu, visit www.beaverrun.com/resort.php/BEAVER_RUN/CCM_1060.