When we started our stay in Breckenridge, we were afraid that we were going to be a bit early to truly enjoy the fall foliage. The aspens were still pretty green. We checked into the Grand Timber Lodge late Sunday afternoon, and enjoyed a light supper at the restaurant attached to the lodge.
Our room was a nicely furnished one bedroom on the ground floor, equipped with a full kitchen as well as a living/dining area. We were there as guests of a friend who was unable to use her time share due to illness.
There was only one drawback to the ground floor -- mice were busy looking for a place to spend the winter. One ran across my head the first night we were there. The next evening, we were watching TV and a mouse ran across the floor and under the couch where we were sitting. We called the office, and they sent maintenance to set traps - ultra-sticky peanut-butter scented squares. They were supposed to be more "humane." I don't know if that meant that they didn't really work (because they didn't, at least for us), or that they would really catch a "human" (because they did, when Bob tried to reposition them). Still, considering that we saw only a couple of foxes and a few deer, the mice did add to our wildlife sightings on this trip.
We spent our first day taking walks around the resort, napping, and reading on our own little deck. I also enjoyed a water aerobics workout in the larger of the two pools, which I had all to myself. It was an indoor/outdoor pool, and it was fun to do part of my exercises out in the fresh mountain air with a view of the peaks.
Tuesday we first took a longer walk around the area. The weather was great, not too hot or too cold.
After lunch we headed up Vail Pass to Shrine Pass.Shrine Pass was a bit rough in places but doable in our Town & Country minivan. There is a really nice quarter-mile, handicap-accessible trail that leads to a view of the
Mount of the Holy Cross. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough snow yet to make the cross stand out. We came back via
Tennessee Pass, Leadville, and Fremont Pass, stopping in Frisco at the A&W for a late afternoon snack. The aspen were starting to turn around Leadville, pretty but still not at their peak.
The next day we spent just reading and relaxing. It was nice to have such totally uninterrupted times to read, especially since I was getting to the exciting climax of Tolkien's
The Return of the King. That evening we drove over
Hoosier Pass, down to Alma, for dinner with our friends, Eric (a UNC classmate of Deloris') and Beth, as well as their cousin. It was a truly fun evening with good food, lively conversation, and demonstrations of some antique musical instruments and players that Eric has restored. Their house is a living museum.
Thursday found us touring Breckenridge, looking for a non-existent airport, checking out the pool, and restaurants. We had a light lunch at the French bakery. I even used my rusty French to order but got stuck on the word for spinach when ordering my quiche. They had seating outdoors, right by the
Blue River. It was kind of windy, but the view, fresh air, and bright sunshine made it worthwhile.
That afternoon we did the Boreas Pass road, a former railroad right-of-way with a restored water tower and other buildings. Although we encountered a substantial detour at the outset and construction delays on the return over Hoosier, it was well worth the effort. The aspen were at their peak. It was breath-taking. The only draw back was the lack of toilets along the way. There was supposed to be one at the top of the pass, but we found it locked.
Needing to get in some lap swimming, Bob drove me down to Silverthorne for a workout at their recreation center. It has a great lap pool with hot tub and steam room. The visit to the steam room may have been the cause of a total space-out experience, unable to remember where I was or what I'd been doing for more than half an hour. My doctor said later that, what with the altitude and the heat in the steam room, I may have become a little dehydrated. Her interpretation was reassuring, but it sure was freaky at the time.
That noon we had lunch in the park in Frisco, and then visited the
"Junk-tique" shop, where our friend, Eric, works part-time. It is a unique consignment shop, with all sorts of stuff, old and new. Back in Breckenridge that evening, we had supper at Bubba Gump's. It is a fun fish place, but more than a bit loud. This was the only day that we had cooler weather with a little rain.
The next day we had to pack and vacate our mountain abode, sorry to leave such a neat place (minus those mice of course). Viewing the scenery as we headed back down the road to
Aurora, we realized that we had enjoyed almost a whole week in the mountains at a perfect time of year with near perfect weather.