Explore, Ski, and be Merry!

Downtown Breckenridge has to be one of the most character rich, charming downtowns I have seen.  What captured my attention first and foremost was its unique blend of new brick "strip malls",  repurposed houses, and historic buildings.  Almost every house was converted to storefront, ranging from art studios to outdoor retail shops to tourist-centered shops.  Even Starbucks was placed in a beautiful former home with an attractive yellow facade.  As an interesting side note, the Starbucks in Breckenridge is the highest Starbucks in the world.

The downtown area seemed to go on forever, with the main drag giving way to side road and alleyway shops.  The variety offered ranged from coffee shops, restaurants, retail, studios, and museums, each with its own unique spin and curbside appeal.

Nighttime entertainment was also abundant in Breckenridge.  Motherloaded Tavern on Main Street offers Trivia Night every Tuesday night.  Even though we were late to arrive, we were still offered a chance to compete in this mind-challenging event.  There were obviously the regulars, who were a little more cut-throat than folks like us, visitors looking to add to our travel rapport.  Live music was advertised at various bars and restaurants, and many shops accommodated this late night crowd by staying open late into the evening.

The most popular spot by far was Crepes a la Carte.  This homey-looking yellow cart, festively adorned with lights and inviting stairway, remained open late into the night to sell handmade sweet and savory crepes.  Abbie and I drooled each time we walked past this cart.  We even filed into line twice before realizing that our best chance to actually enjoy these succulent treats would be to catch it during the daytime.  I'll come back to this in a bit.

Even the ski hill offered plenty of eateries.  Though most were cafeteria style, The Maggie at the base of Peak 9 offered table service and a full bar.  With weather in the high 50s and abundant sunshine, The Maggie's patio was the place to be apres-ski.  After a long day on the slopes, there is something abnormally satisfying about biting into some fried treats.  Jalapeno poppers or sweet potato rounds, anyone?

The Midwest crew enjoys the sunshine on the patio post-ski.
Goggles were a must with the bluebird skies!

Sweet potato rounds, anyone?!

Breckenridge is the vacation destination for travelers from all over the world.  For this Midwest crew, it also meant a boisterous, yet fun, British invasion on our visit to Ollie's.  Ollie's boasted friendly staff, who were obviously proud of the local distillery, which distilled vodka and whiskey.  The bartenders were more than happy to pour us a sample of the whiskey, which was surprisingly sweet and smooth.  Early into our visit at Ollie's we were approached by a group of British travelers, who came to spend a week skiing and exploring Colorado.  This group was a diverse mix of twenty-something travelers who amounted to a night of ridiculous fun.  Interestingly enough, we ran into them on our last pass through downtown Breckenridge.

Approaching the line to Crepes
a la Carte.

Okay, back to the mouth-watering crepes.  After wearing off some energy at the slopes, we made our last pass through downtown Breckenridge to get a taste of these crepes.  Even at one-thirty in the afternoon, we were five people deep into the line.  While the savory crepes were what drew me to the cart, the sweet crepes beckoned both Abbie and me.  She selected a delectable mix of strawberries, liquor, and chocolate, while I went a bit more traditional and ordered the Nutella crepe.  Upon ordering, the wait was not as long as I had anticipated, even though each crepe was fresh poured onto a circular griddle upon ordering..  The staff working in this tiny cart was very efficient in preparing these treats, paying careful attention to how they were cooked and giving detail to not only their presentation, but also to the portability of them.  First bite to the last bite of these crepes were both impressive.  This was certainly a great way to start a nineteen hour trek to Wisconsin!