Ideas for Where to Stay & What to Do: Breckenridge/Denver Areas

Just spent five days in the Breckenridge and Denver area (two days driving to/from Kansas City). Wanted to get a quick trip in before school starts and also find relief from the excessive heat warning in our area. 

Where We Stayed

The Irish Rose

After looking at umpteen Breckenridge condos, we decided on a VRBO. We wanted something a little less cram-packed with people, somewhere quiet where we wouldn't hear our neighbors all hours of the night. I can't recommend the Irish Rose in Alma, CO, enough. PERFECT. Mountain views. Plenty of space. About 20 miles south of Breckenridge and not far from Pike's National Forest. 

View from the cabin

What We Did - Alma, Fairplay, Breckenridge

We explored the area around the cabin (several old abandoned mining areas), hiked a small stretch of Mosquito Gulch Road and tooled around Fairplay, CO. We toured the South Park City Museum and Visitors Center (worth it!) and ate a pretty good meal at the South Park Pub & Grill. Mark pick up a "souvenir" from South Park Distilling. Our first night in town, we stopped at the South Park Brewing Company for some dinner. Great food, service and craft beer. 

We had planned on spending a day in Breckenridge, but when we got there the roads and streets were packed. Parking was at a premium, and our tolerance for crowds (and COVID-19) were at a low. So, we drove through town and headed back to our cabin. 

What We Did - Denver

My Brother's Bar

We spent one night in Denver, wanting to cut down on some of the driving we'd need to do on the way home. We walked the 16th Street Mall and went to the Denver Art Museum before heading to our hotel. We stayed in downtown Denver at the Fairfield Inn. It was a great location for us, easy highway access and within walking distance to the Platt Park neighborhood, a trendy spot with shops, an REI store and several restaurants. 

We ate dinner at My Brother's Bar, the oldest bar in Denver (AMAZING food, best onion rings ever) and grabbed some delish homemade ice cream at the Inside Scoop Creamery. That's it. Pretty low key, like we wanted. One of those beautiful moments in life where my Ideal Reality and Real Reality coexisted in peace and harmony. 

The Inside Scoop Creamery

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing ...  Keep It Real.