Excursions!
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Explore Vail (💰)- Registration Required
Mining Tour & Panning for Gold (💰💰💰)- Registration Required
Choose Your Own Adventure - Coming Soon!
Overview
When:
Monday, July 20th is the off day for fun and connection. We’ve pulled all meetings off the schedule for the day to allow you to get out and experience the beauty of the Tenmile Range in the Rockies. Just remember to save a little bit of energy for the dance party that begins at 7pm that evening!
Why:
The hope is that everyone will have either made new friends, reconnected with old friends, or both and enjoy time outside of the walls of conference rooms to do life together. Make new memories! Have some gelato! Sing songs and dance!
What:
We have put together a few planned adventures you can do in a day, both in Breckenridge and just beyond. You will also see a list of “create your own” adventure opportunities. With so much nature around you have endless options, take a look at the list below, talk with your people and make a plan!
Option 1: Explore Breckenridge
(FREE)
Shuttles, Gondolas, Hikes, Trolls
That’s right, we said FREE. Now when someone tells you “Nothing is free in this world.” you can tell them, “Let me introduce you to Novo!”. There’s no limit to how much free you can have, or how many people can have it. Free is, well… FREE! Unless you stop for dessert, but that’s on you.
We have organized a shuttle for the day that will run on a loop between the hotel and a couple optional outings. You can do both of them, just one of them, or just sit on the shuttle and keep the driver company. While the hotel has a free shuttle, and there is free public transportation, we wanted to put something together that’d help you maximize your time.
The shuttle loops between the BreckConnect Gondola, downtown dining/shopping, and the Illinois Trailhead. We will have people stationed at each location to help you know when the next shuttle comes, and where it’s headed. Here’s some info on the two “attractions” along the route.
The BreckConnect Gondola operates daily from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The free, scenic ride connects the town of Breckenridge to the base of Peak 8, making stops at Peak 7 along the way.
Important detail, the final upload from town is typically around 3:30 PM, with the last ride down from the mountain ending around 4:00 PM.
Illinois Trailhead is a 2.0-mile out-and-back trail near Breckenridge, Colorado. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 51 min to complete. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. Enjoy the stunning views, easy navigation, and kid-friendly paths.
Note: There are other trailheads that begin at or near the Illinois Trailhead.Trollstigen Trail: This trail starts at the same spot and leads to Isak Heartstone, the famous Breckenridge wooden troll sculpture.
Southside Trail: A family-friendly, 2-mile loop that weaves through the meadows and woods, often done in conjunction with Illinois Creek.
Illinois Creek High Trail: A slightly higher route that branches off the low trail for varied terrain and forest views.
Boreas Pass Loop Trailhead: Located just across Boreas Pass Road, offering beautiful routes through aspen groves and evergreen forests.
Aspen Alley Trailhead: Located a short distance further up Boreas Pass Road, known for its beautiful out-and-back route.
Breckenridge Downtown is full of shops, food spots, and places to "pop a squat". If you want to tackle one of the above options then stop in town for a bite to eat, and/or just to rest your feet before you head to the gondola or back to the hotel, we have you covered. The shuttle will make in-between stops as it goes along.
Option 2: Explore Vail (💰)
Tours, Gardens, Hiking, Biking - Registration Required
Or as I like to call this one, the “Get out of Dodge!” option. While experiencing trailheads, and purposely getting into a glass bowl on a wire that “whisks” you into the air like a bird on the wind sounds appealing to some, there are those that like to stay grounded. I was grounded “once”, but that’s another story for another time.
We have put together a trip for you, and roughly 49 of your closest, or newest, friends to the beautiful Vail, CO. Once you arrive, this will be a “choose your own adventure” type excursion. We’ve provided links below to town tours and sites, including gardens, art, and history. There are guided tours as well. We’ll leave the scheduling and cost up to you.
The Trip:
Leave Breckenridge: The bus will leave Beaver Run around 9:30am, and will arrive in Vail around 10:30am.
Drop off and Pick up: The bus will choose a central location to drop off and pick up. It will not be able to transport or drop off at multiple locations. We’ll work with the drivers to pick the most advantageous location.
Leave Vail: The bus will leave Vail BY 4pm, arriving at Beaver Run around 5pm. This will allow you to freshen up and get dinner before the dance party.
The Cost:
Adults: $10
Kids (0-17): $5
Some Options in Vail:
Betty Ford Alpine Gardens: Located at an elevation of 8,200 feet, this is the world's highest botanical garden. You can explore the rock gardens, alpine exhibits, and waterfalls completely on your own.
Vail Public Art Tours: The town features 55 unique sculptures, murals, and installations by various Colorado artists. You can pick up a map at the Vail Village or Lionshead Welcome Centers to guide yourself past these works.
Audio Walking Tours: Several smartphone apps offer self-guided audio tours (such as "Hidden Vail Village"), which narrate the history, ski legends, and local quirks behind the Bavarian architecture.
Self-Guided Hiking & Biking: Vail has a highly accessible, interconnected network of trails. You can hike or bike the Gore Creek Trail right through town, or take the Eagle Bahn Gondola up to access extensive self-guided mountain trails.
Option 3: Mining Tour & Panning for Gold (💰💰💰)
Registration Required by July 1st
So if getting in that glass bowl is not for you, or seeing a wooden troll the size of a house seems a little frightening, and you don’t want to venture that far out of town… how does going deep into a mountain sound?
With the Country Boy Mine experience you get to do just that. They are normally closed on Mondays but when they heard we had a group that might want to come they agreed to open up for us.
From their site:Venture over 1,000 ft. into the mountain and get to explore the original workings of the Country Boy Mine as you feel, hear, and smell what it was like to be a Breckenridge, Colorado miner over 100 years ago. Find and keep your riches as you gold pan in Eureka Creek.
Examine old photos and other fun exhibits to revisit the past and marvel at days gone by. This is truly an amazing experience and fun for the whole family year-round. Come and tour the only underground gold mine in Breckenridge.
The Cost:
$45 per person.
There is an optional addition of going to a nearby creek to do gold panning.
There is an additional $45/person charge for this add-on.
The company has water boots for rent for those choosing to do the gold panning.
Important Note: There is a deadline to sign up for this one! Registrations need to be completed by July 1st so they can plan their staffing.
The Plan:
Multiple Waves: The tour will have multiple waves leaving Beaver Run throughout the day. How many and what times will be based on the number of signups. Each wave can hold up to 12 people.
Current scheduled waves:
Wave One: 8:30am - 11:00am
Wave Two: 11:00am - 1:00pm
Waves 3+: TBD, pending need
Duration:
2 - 2.5 hours, door-to-door
1 - 1.5 hour activity with 20-minute check-in
20 minute, Roundtrip Transfer
Attire:
Wear comfortable clothing: jeans, shorts, or even a comfortable skirt/dress on a warm day.
Make sure your shoes have good traction - sneakers or hiking boots are ideal.
Bring a light jacket and sunscreen.Boot rental available (not mandatory) on-site for optional Gold Panning Experience
Option 4: Choose Your Own Adventure
Coming Soon!
We’ll be providing a list of other excursions options; check back here for more details!
Related Links
Travel Info
Check out our Travel Info page for all the details about the where, when, and how of getting to Breckenridge!
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