Breckenridge In The Fall

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, I drove up Boreas Pass Road last Saturday to photograph the aspens, and afterwards stopped in Breckenridge, my favorite Colorado mountain town, to walk around a bit, and enjoy the rest of the afternoon. The city was founded in 1859 to serve the mining community, and the entire downtown is now an historic district, with 249 preserved buildings. Breckenridge is best known as a ski resort, but it is lively all year round, especially in the fall, when it is at it's loveliest.

Oktoberfest (Brecktoberfest up there) was going on last weekend, but unlike previous years, was not on Main Street, and to me was a bit underwhelming. I spent the afternoon wandering that wonderful street, where most of the historic structures have been turned into shops and restaurants, such as the North Face outlet in the photograph on the right. Even the local Starbucks is located in an old historic structure, with a pleasant, tree-shaded patio in the front.

Walking back from the Oktoberfest celebration taking place in the local historic park, I ran across the Barney Ford home and museum, as seen in the photograph on the left. Ford was an escaped slave, who became a successful Colorado entrepreneur. He was originally a barber, and when fire destroyed his shop in Denver in 1863, he rebuilt it in brick, with a barbershop in the basement, and a restaurant and bar on the main floor. That building is still there, although sadly, it has become a sushi restaurant (ick!). After starting a number of businesses, including two hotels, and moving about the country, he and his wife moved to Breckenridge, where they built that house in 1882. 

You know it is getting close to happy hour when you see all the patios begin to fill up on Main Street, such as the one in the photograph on the right. I think the action must move indoors during the ski season, but perhaps there are a few hearty souls who hang out on the patios in subzero temperatures. I don't know for sure, since it has been years since I have visited "Breck," as the weather forecasters in Denver call it, during the winter. Without a four wheel drive vehicle, it can be quite dicey driving up there and back when the snow starts flying. But no matter - the rest of the year in Breckenridge is just fine, too.