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Ask the revelers who have enjoyed Breckenridge's famously hopping après-ski scene for decades, and they'll agree that this is a town that knows how to have fun.
Boasting an average 300 days of sunshine and 300 inches of snow each year, Breckenridge certainly gives outdoorsy types reason to celebrate, with its 2,358 skiable acres, trout-filled rivers for fly-fishing, and countless mountain trails for hiking and biking. Breck, as the locals call it, brims with more offbeat charm, effortless cool, and laid-back authenticity than you'll find in almost any other ski town in the area. The city, in fact, has always prided itself on its good-naturedly independent streak.
Founded in 1859 as a gold mining town, Breckenridge was reportedly left off early official maps of the region. When news hit town, the locals began calling themselves Colorado's Kingdom, as a winking nod to their "no man's land" status. Each summer, the town celebrates Kingdom Days to honor the mining legacy in their own irreverent way, including an annual Outhouse Race through the streets of the historic district. The playfully rebellious side even extends to the slopes: When other towns were sticking to their traditionalist guns, Breckenridge became the first major Colorado ski resort to welcome snowboarders way back in 1984, hosting the first snowboarding world cup just a year later. Today, these progressive inclinations are focused on brainier pursuits, thanks to a burgeoning arts district that will see a number of historic buildings transformed into galleries and studio spaces. In recent years, Breckenridge has become a city of artisans, where you can find handcrafted skis, locally distilled spirits, microbrewed beers, and crafts like candles, jewelry, and soaps all made right here in town. It seems gold isn't the only precious local thing you can dig up in Breckenridge these days.
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Don't ever accuse Breckenridge of not going out in style! To celebrate the end of ski season, the city puts on a massive, month-long festival called Spring Fever, ending in mid-April on closing day. The festivities include a diverse array of activities including a chili cook-off, a mascot Olympics, a massive mountainside scavenger hunt, and America's only all-girl snowboarding competition, in addition to a series of concerts attracting the likes of Matisyahu and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. The town takes its Spring Fever very seriously: On the festival's website, you can download an "official" doctor's note so you can skip work — signed by Ullr, the Norse god of snow.
Perched at the base of Peak 8 and accessible by the free BreckConnect Gondola, the Breckenridge Summer Fun Park offers a theme park's worth of family-friendly activities right on the slopes. In addition to safari-style 4x4 tours, guided wildflower hikes, off-road Segway tours, and a bungee trampoline that lets you bounce up to 20 feet in the air, you'll also find activities that play on the town's mining heritage, including panning for gemstones and the so-called Mineshaft Maze, the largest human maze in Colorado. And winter hasn't cornered the market on fun ways to zoom down the slopes: The park also boasts three 2,600-foot-long Alpine superslides and the thrilling Gold Runner Coaster, on which riders zip down 2,500 feet of elevated coaster track over twists and turns through the alpine forest.
As autumn temperatures begin to fall, one of the best ways to warm up is with a drink from Breckenridge Distillery. At 9,600 feet, it's the world's highest distillery, and there's a little bit of the Colorado Rockies in every glass. Take, for example, the vodka, which is one of the few in the world to boast a wine-like terroir (a taste closely associated with the specifics of the area's geography), thanks to the unique minerality of the snowmelt water used. Or try the bitters, which are crafted from alpine herbs hand-picked in the surrounding mountains. After a tour of the distillery facilities, stop into the Main Street tasting room for signature cocktails such as the bourbon-based Six Chair, which includes a sprig of rosemary to evoke the smells of lodgepole and fir you'll experience on Breck's slopes.
During the summer months, the friendly squad of Siberian Huskies at Snow Caps Sled Dogs pull guests on bikes, carts, and scooters for an off-season adventure through the area's forests. But these guys really shine when the snow falls. During the winter, they team up with Good Times Adventures for six-mile sledding excursions through the Swan River Valley. Make sure to reserve early: These intimate, six-person rides are often rated the most popular winter activity in Breckenridge.