Hi guys!
It’s that time of the year again where I take my annual fall trip! This year I decided on Breckenridge, Glenwood Springs, Frisco, Leadville, Aspen and Vail. I have never been to those areas in the Rocky Mountains and I always wanted to see them in the fall!
For this trip, I had airline points and a gift card for Airbnb so I was able to save a lot of money for the trip. I also used Turo again and got a Jeep Compass.
Price Breakdown
Delta Airlines: $19
Airbnb in Frisco: $150
Turo SUV (Jeep Compass): $372
Weather
The weather in the fall is cooler in the morning and evening and hotter during the afternoon – I was so happy I brought tank tops with me!
Social Media
As always, don’t forget to check out my Instagram highlights and TikTok for more content!
Alright, let’s fly! 🙂
Wednesday, September 25
I was up at 5am because my flight out of LAX was at 8:40am. Once I got through TSA, my first stop was at Starbucks for their new Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte ($6) I gave it a 7/10, it’s not too sweet at all!
I got into Denver at 12pm and took a shuttle to pick up my Jeep Compass, it was so easy!
Once I got the SUV, it took 2 hours to drive to Breckenridge along I-70. I took a lot of fall foliage, tunnels (one of them was almost 2 minutes long!) and mountain shots along the way, it was gorgeous!
Once I arrived in Breckenridge, I immediately stopped and got some Aspen tree shots near the Breckenridge Resort Gondola. The gondola wasn’t operational the day I went (I was later told by a local it doesn’t go that high up) but I was still excited to see it!
Just on the other side of town, I hiked the famous Trollstigen Trail with a 15-foot wooden troll sculpture. It was very unique! The trail is a 1 mile loop and took about 25 minutes.
Just around the corner from the trail was the High Line Railroad Park showing the history of Breckenridge‘s first train in 1882.
Afterwards, I was craving a beer, so I headed to Breckenridge Brewery for an Avalanche Amber Ale ($4) with caramel and chocolate flavors. It was delicious and flavorful!
I then walked the Main Street of Breckenridge to take in the town’s architecture, shopping, art and riverwalk area. The historic town dates back to 1859 during the Gold Rush era. Locals told me it’s known for its restaurants and bars. It’s amazing!
For dinner, I had Happy Hour prices at a restaurant called The Carlin, where I ordered a Red Sangria, Beef Sliders and Oysters ($33). I also had a unique Mango Habanero Sauce on the oysters that was spicy with a bit of heat to it!
My last stop of the day was driving a small section of Boreas Pass Road to get some more scenic Aspen tree shots. It was so worth it!
Afterwards, I headed to the town of Frisco, which is 10 miles north of Breckenridge and where I was staying at my Airbnb. I was so incredibly tired that I crashed early!
Thursday, September 26
I woke up early again to head west to Glenwood Springs to do some more sightseeing! It was 1 hour and 20 minute drive from Frisco. The city is known for its hot springs but I wanted to do some other activities instead.
Since I had some time to eat a full breakfast, I stopped at Bread + Salt in Downtown Frisco for a 3+2+1 Challah French Toast with Eggs, Bacon and Coffee ($29). The French Toast was absolutely amazing with real maple syrup and the Bacon had the perfect amount of crunch to it!
On my way to Glenwood Springs, I took some scenic shots of the drive. I also went through the Glenwood Canyon, which is 16 miles long in the White River National Forest. This was my favorite part of the trip and I highly recommend stopping off at a Rest Area!
My first stop in Glenwood Springs was to Gunfighter Doc Holliday’s Headstone, who died in the late 1800s. The trail is less than 1 mile roundtrip and took about 25 minuets to complete.
The Doc Holliday Museum (Free) is also downtown and has artifacts from Holliday himself and a wooden beam from the fire that destroyed the Hotel Glenwood.
While I was downtown, I also got some artwork and scenic building shots, which included the Doc Holliday Saloon.
My final stop of the day was at the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park to tour the King’s Row Cave and ride the gondola ($59). The gondola took me up to the King’s Row Cave for a 40 minute tour. The cave was discovered in the 1960s, is 150 feet below the surface and has 120 stairs!
An activity that I couldn’t do was hiking Hanging Lake due to bridge construction. Damn! 🙁
Photo credit: Visit Glenwood Springs
Also, if you are wondering why I didn’t soak in “the world’s largest hot spring,” it’s because it is just not my thing, LOL! I went in a hot spring when I visited Iceland and learned that I just didn’t like the smell of the sulphur! It did help my skin and hair at the time but I couldn’t stand the smell.
Photo credit: Glenwood Hot Springs
Once back to Frisco, I was craving some wine, so I stopped at a wine bar called Vine Street Social and ordered a glass of Sparkling Rose, Tempranillo and a Charcuterie Board ($48). My favorite wine was the Tempranillo, which had a Grenache and Syrah blend and was very flavorful!
Afterwards, I headed back to my Airbnb for the night. I had a long day in Aspen ahead of me.
Friday, September 27
On this day, I decided to head to Aspen, which is about 2 hours southwest of Frisco and was the longest drive on my trip. I woke up at 6am and got a Starbucks before heading on the road to Independence Pass.
According to the Colorado DOT, Independence Pass is 32 miles through the Rocky Mountains and at times can be narrow and windy. There are also two sections with a one lane road and a stoplight at each. The highest elevation is at 12,095, which is also where the Continental Divide is located, and is usually open May – November.
In years past, I was not used to driving high elevation roadways – the Rockies are obviously way different than the elevations in California! However, after going to many national parks with high elevations, I felt comfortable enough driving Independence Pass – it was so worth it! I highly recommend driving cautiously and taking your time.
The first stop on the pass was a Twin Lakes, which are glacier alpine lakes that have a view of Mount Hope. The lakes also cover 2,700 acres – it was gorgeous!
About 18 miles later, I was at the windy part of Independence Pass. I also saw a group of bighorn sheep on one of the curves!
Next I reached the Continental Divide to take in the views at 12,095 feet. I have never been so high up!
Further down the pass was the Independence Ghost Town with an abandoned general store, stable, houses and Farwell Stamp Mill from the late 1870s. Independence used to have 1,000 residents during the Gold Rush era. I didn’t hike the trail but I was able to see some structures from the side of the road.
Once I arrived in Aspen, my first stop was at the John Denver Sanctuary (Free) along the Roaring Fork River. Denver called Aspen his home for years and even wrote songs about it called “Rocky Mountain High” and “Starwood in Aspen.” It was very peaceful!
Next I had a shuttle reservation ($16) to do a short hike to view the Maroon Bells, which has 14,000-foot peaks that mirror off Maroon Lake. There are also other hiking trails in the area. I definitely recommend doing this to see one of the most iconic mountains in Aspen!
You can also check out my Maroon Bells photo being featured on KOAA Colorado Springs by my meteorologist friend Alan Rose!
Afterwards, I headed to the Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort to ride the Silver Queen Gondola, which reaches 11,000 feet, and the Alpine Coaster ($78), which is a 7 to 9 minute ride at over 1 mile long. I had so much fun and I also paid for a video of my adventure ($20)!
My final stop was Downtown Aspen to eat an early dinner and to do some shopping. The town was founded in 1880 with many brick buildings and the ski lifts were established in 1940.
Of course, I had to stop for an Oktoberfest at Aspen Brewing Company ($8). It was full of malt flavor!
Every local I chatted with told me I had to check out White House Tavern and try their French Dip, so I did just that and also ordered an Aperol Spritz with grapefruit juice ($48). The French Dip was sliced so thinly that it melted in my mouth while the grapefruit juice in the Spritz overpowered the alcohol – but in a good way. I highly recommend stopping here!
Afterwards, I headed back to Frisco through Independence Pass (it was raining a bit) and headed to bed for the night – at 7pm!
Saturday, September 28
On this day I went to Vail, which is a 25 minute drive from Frisco. Prior, I also had plans to take a quick trip to Leadville (30 minutes south) to visit the National Mining Hall of Fame Museum.
But first…coffee! I stopped at Mountain Dweller Coffee Roasters and ordered a Vanilla Latte with a Jalapeño Cheddar Bagel ($13). This was one of the best bagels I have ever had and the latte tasted heavenly!
I also stopped and got a quick shot of the Clinton Gulch Dam Reservoir on the way to Leadville. I loved how the clouds were reflecting off the lake!
I was blown away when I arrived at the National Mining Hall of Fame Museum ($15). It was one of the most amazing museums I have ever seen in my life! Not only does it have a ton of minerals, rocks (some were fluorescent) and history, it also has a Hall of Fame honoring the men and women who were once miners. There’s even a built-in cave and mine to walk through. I highly recommend checking this out!
Afterwards, I headed toward Vail to my first stop: the Betty Ford Gardens in honor of the former First Lady. Ford had retired in Vail and the botanical garden is the highest in the world at 8,250 feet. It was very peaceful and serene!
Next I drove down the road to Vail Village for some shopping and to view the architecture and sculptures. There is also the famous Covered Bridge, which was built in 1965 and was renovated in 1994. The town has been operational since the late 1960s and has hosted many well-known ski competitions.
BTW, I need to mention this: there is no street parking and you can only park in the garages. It cost me $65 for 4 HOURS! You’re reading that correctly…be aware!
In the village, there was the Colorado Snowsports Museum (Free) featuring exhibits and artifacts about the birth, rise of explosion of skiing and snowboarding in Colorado. Viewing the fashion was my favorite part, it was so neat!
I was so thirsty at this point, so I hopped over to the Vail Brewing Co. for their Fall Line Marzen ($9). It tasted very light and refreshing!
There was another village nearby called Lionshead Village, which is Bavarian inspired with more shopping and dining. It is less than 1 mile from Vail Village and a shuttle can transport guests. It was so quaint and reminded me of Europe!
For a late lunch, I stopped at Blue Moose Pizza for a slice of Winter Pizza with Roma tomatoes, fresh minced garlic, olive oil and mozzarella; a slice of Campfire Pizza with spicy marinara, Italian sausage, pickled cherry peppers, mozzarella and gouda, and an Aperol Spritz ($30). My favorite was the Campfire Pizza, it was spicy and I loved the sausage and gouda flavors!
At Vail Ski Resort, there are two gondolas: Gondola One in Vail Village and the Eagle Bahn Gondola in Lionshead Village. I chose the Eagle Bahn Gondola because I heard the views were way better, plus I was able to view the highest point at Mount of the Holy Cross at 14,005 feet! I also rode the Forest Flyer Mountain Coaster that was less than 10 minutes long and went 3,400 down the mountain ($101 for both the gondola and the coaster..crazy right?!)
My final stop of the day was East Vail Falls, which is a 200 foot waterfall that flows into the White River. The trail required a bit of climbing in a couple of sketchy spots and is a quarter mile roundtrip.
It’s time for the “Last Meal” of the blog! Because I was eating so much meat and carbs during my vacation, all I wanted was a salad, LOL! I stopped at Ollie’s in Frisco for their Chopped Salad (without chicken) with homemade Vinaigrette and a Marzen Beer from Odyssey Beerwerks ($27). The salad was super fresh and the dressing…divine! The beer tasted light with a nice malt flavor.
Afterwards, I headed back to my Airbnb to shower and do some laundry before heading back to LA the next day.
Sunday, September 29
My flight out of Denver was at 1pm and I left Frisco at 8am. I stopped at Mountain Dweller Coffee again and got another Vanilla Latte and a Blueberry Muffin ($11). I also took in my last Aspen tree views from the Dillon Reservoir.
Before heading to the airport, I really wanted to see the Red Rocks Parks & Ampitheatre in Morrison. The event center has hosted legendary rock ‘n’ roll bands since the 1940s and can sit more than 9,500 attendees (2 1/2 miles long!). The park size is 738 acres and it was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2015. I highly recommend stopping here to take in the views and learn about the history! I wanted to take a hike but I didn’t have enough time.
I then arrived at DIA for my flight back to LAX. I enjoyed a nice glass of Prosecco and got into LAX at 2pm.
Overall Thoughts
And that’s it!
So here is my breakdown of each of the Rocky Mountain towns. They all offer a variety of beauty, friendly locals, trails and other activities.
Breckenridge: I loved the food (there are a ton of restaurants!), shopping and walkability in this town! I would say the highlights are the Trollstigen Trail and Boreas Pass. There is also the gondola up to the resort but I didn’t have time to do it due to it being closed for the season.
Frisco: This town is very up and coming with a lot of new construction being built! I loved the vibes and food in the downtown area and viewing the Dillon Reservoir. I wish I could’ve explored some hiking trails a bit more but I didn’t have time. When I was searching for an Airbnb, I would say this town was the best for the buck!
Glenwood Springs: Going through Glenwood Canyon was the highlight of this trip! The Doc Holliday Grave Trail + Museum and the King’s Row Cave at Glenwood Springs Adventure Park are the highlights. I peeped into the Doc Holliday Saloon but didn’t have time to enjoy it. This area does tend to get a bit hotter and there are not as many Aspen trees.
Leadville: I wanted to explore more here but all I had time to do was the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum. There is also the Silver Dollar Saloon dating back to 1879 that I wish I could’ve seen!
Aspen: Driving Independence Pass to Aspen is absolutely stunning! I also liked that the town was a bit more spread out with various scenic points and had a lot of historic brick buildings. The food is amazing and the shopping is a bit bougie and high end. Maroon Bells, the John Denver Sanctuary and the Snowmass Gondola + Alpine Coaster are definitely the highlights.
Vail: Everything in this town is tight niche and conveniently located off I-70. I felt that shopping for gifts was a lot more affordable and unique compared to Aspen. I also loved the food selections. The parking, however, is very expensive! Like I said, it was $65 for 4 hours, so be prepared! I also enjoyed stopping at Vail Village, the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens for a relaxing walk and Lionshead Village Gondola + Forest Flyer Mountain Coaster for fun activities.
If you have visited any of these the Rocky Mountain towns, what was your favorite thing to do? 🙂
