Heaven is a little closer in the mountains! Golden Horseshoe Sleigh Rides so magical.
Our first journey of 2019 took us on an adventure to Colorado. We haven’t been to Breckenridge before so we decided it was time to check it out. It did not disappoint. Talk about a cute little mountain town….lots of character, good food, great skiing, and all the winter wonderland outings you can pack in. Being from North Carolina, we get an inch of snow and the whole city shuts down. But it’s usually just a lot of ice and not a lot of Snow or fun. This was REAL snow with all kinds of fun adventures to enjoy in it. Sleigh Rides, Snowshoeing, shopping, eating and of course, Skiing.
Our first stop was Denver. Talk about a Rocky Mountain High! Denver has that Big City feel with a lot of ART and Culture mixed in. First stop…..UNION STATION. If you are coming in from the airport you can hop on light rail that will take you into town and drop you at the real train stop in Union Station. You should make a stop here even if you aren’t taking the train in from the airport. It was recently renovated in 2017 to resemble the train stations of old. Very elegant with an Art Deco feel. We dropped by the Mercantile and watched as some of the days pasta special was being made. If only we could have stayed long enough to sample it. Its a neat little hub of action for Breakfast and Happy Hour. Be sure to check it out if you are there.
Next we ventured out for some of the Best Sushi ever–at Uchi. Uchi Link If you are a sushi lover you need to add this to your list. Talk about melt in your mouth. My husband and son shared the Chef’s 10 course tasting. The oooed and aaahhhhed over every course. Each piece was a piece of art. My other son tried the Wagyu beef hot rock. It was such a fun experience of cooking these tender slices of melt in your mouth steak on these sizzling hot rocks. As repeated many times….the sauce which accompanied it was to Die For! Our taste buds will never be the same.
As we made our way from Denver to Breckenridge. There was quite a bit of traffic. Everyone trying to get to the same areas with limited roads to carry everyone to their resort destination. So put on your package of patience. Though we got a great deal on a rental car we didn’t know until we got the the rental car dealership that if you are going to be driving to this area you have to have an SUV or chains on your car or there is like a $1000 fine. So we had to upgrade our rental. No choice. No longer a Great deal. It added another $200 to our total rental price. So be aware of this when booking your rental car. I will remind you later, in my tips and tricks.
Now to the Winter Wonderland part…….skiing is not one of my favorite things. I don’t enjoy it but the rest of my crowd does. Since they were going to be skiing the next few days, I scheduled something for us to do as a family when we arrived. Golden Horseshoe Sleigh rides set us up for a beautiful afternoon adventure. When we arrived we were able to meet our strong, stoic, almost royal looking black horse, Ashley. She took us on a ride through the forest as the snow glistened on the trees, the sleigh bells rang and the crisp air chilled our cheeks. It was like something from a dream. They furnished us with blankets and hot cocoa. It was all very cozy and romantic. As we rode we just took in the stillness of the forest and the breathtaking moment. It was for sure the highlight of our trip. After riding a bit, we were able to stop for the kids to take pictures and to make snow angels –something we don’t get to do in the snow back in NC. We also got to meet some of Ashley’s friends, Smith and Wesson, Salt and pepper and Mary Kate, Ashley’s sister. They were all handsome horses and they looked very happy and well cared for. Thanks for Golden Horseshoe Sleighrides for providing us with such a sweet memory. Check below in our tips and tricks for Golden Horseshoe Sleighrides location and info so you can check it out when you go. http://coloradosleighrides.com
While the boys took on their skiing challenge I wandered around Main street in Breckenridge. They have cute little shops for souvenirs. I stopped off at the Crepe Al La Cart for one of their famous crepes. It was good but not sure it was worth the hour wait. I heard there is also a restaurant location so I would suggest checking that out if you go. It just so happened that there was an International Snow Sculpting Championship going on the week we were there. It was amazing to see the masterpieces they created out of a single huge block of snow. It was totally worth seeing.
A SUGAR High to take us back home to North Carolina……
Tips and Tricks you don’t want to Miss…..
Check the Colorado Chain Law before picking up your rental car. The representative at our rental car place made it sound like were had no choice but to upgrade an extra $200 or be fined. After returning home and reading some forums on Trip Advisor it seems that this might just be a money making ploy. Now I can tell you once we got to the resort area with all of the snow, I am happy that we had the SUV. But I don’t like being taken advantage of and will research this in more detail. I will update this post if I find out something different.
Golden Horseshoe Tours 6061 Tiger Road Breckenridge CO 80424 (970)453-2005
They have private Sleigh rides and Group Dinner rides. Call to set up a reservation.
International Snow Sculpture Championships Breckenridge snow sculpting championship Mid January Check for Dates for 2020.
The Cereal Box – 5709 Olde Wadsworth Blvd Arvada, CO 80002 (720)746-9762
UCHI-2500 Lawrence Street, Denver, CO (303) 444-1922
Be Sure to ask a Local where Sapphire Point is. It’s worth the drive.
Let us know if you visit any of our stops. We would love to hear your feedback! Until the next Journey…..
Joys On A Journey