OUR TAKE ON BEAVER CREEK

It was about that time of year when I started to hear the Mountains calling… So we went. This trip was a little different in the sense that we wanted to keep it on a budget. It was a quick trip that was not planned in advance, therefore we wanted to keep it around $1500 for the 3 heavy hitting price tag travel expenses. The three being flights, a place to stay, and a rental vehicle. How I made that happen will need to be a whole other blog but lets chat about where our last minute budgeted mountain trip landed us this time.

Morning time in Beaver Creek. It’s hard to explain the stillness and peacefulness that comes with a morning by the creek. The sound of the water rushing up against the rocks and pebbles provide natures greatest sound machine, and the crisp chill in the late August air is so good it takes your breath away. In Texas we don’t get the pleasure of having distinct seasons, and to be able to experience Fall in Colorado is such a blessing. In my opinion the Beaver Creek mornings are worth the trip alone. There are a couple of cute quaint coffee shops that open early enough to snag some coffee. Both Rimini and Vail Mountain Coffee are great options. This trip I preferred to make my own in our room and take down to the creek with me while I mosey.

Lodging. Honestly, chose to go through Airbnb this go ‘round because I had a $300 gift card I wanted to use and I found a $154 a night deal on a condo in Beaver Creek Lodge in the Resort. It was a beautiful ski in ski out location with restaurants, shopping, and hiking, all within walking distance. It was a beautiful lodge and I imagine it to be quite the experience during peak season. With Christy Sports located conveniently in the lodge, it made it renting hiking gear easy and would very much be the case for ski gear in the winter months. Full disclosure the one thing I realized this trip was that we very much appreciate some sort of balcony/patio situation when we vacation places. Whether its the mountains or the ocean we both enjoy having the ability to step outside and soak it all in. This specific condo did NOT have that and we noticed immediately that we very much changed the experience for us. The Lodge had a lot of options with this as an option however our Airbnb Condo did not. This is something that is obviously just preference but one I will take note of with vacations in the future.

Hiking. Well I’m going to just say this…when you’re 19 weeks pregnant, hiking with a 1 year old, keep your expectations REALISTIC. My initial intent was to hike Beaver Lake Trail. Folks. this was UN REALISTIC. LoL. We didn’t go 1 mile before turning around and hiking back to the Gondola where we paid $39 a person, Sloane was free, to ride the gondola up, take in all the sites, hike a little around and took the gondola back down. The gondola ride was not cheap but it let you have access to Vail as well, if you were looking to explore Vail for the day its a great option. As far as hiking goes, the rest of the trip we hiked the trails around the Resort. They were plenty challenging and step worthy for our 1 year old and us. Being outdoors was EVERYTHING for us and our family though. We found multiple parks to play and just be together in the fresh air. Unfortunately its something we don’t get to do much in Texas at the end of August

FOOD. We ate a lot of it. There are multiple options to choose from that were all within walking distance of the Lodge. In no particular order our favorites would be C Bar Beaver Creek Chophouse. This mountain base outdoor restaurant was perfect for a mid August lunch, HH, or dinner. It provided multiple options for food and we didn’t have anything we didn’t love. Next we loved the restaurant located in the Lodge called Alpine and Antlers. The breakfast and Brunch were our preferred menus from here. The smashed avocado bagel was amazing and Sloane loved the turkey sausages. We ventured into Blue Moose Pizza and it did NOT disappoint. I feel like every mountain town has/needs 1 damn good pizza joint, and this is it. SLoane approved. Last up I’d recommend Rimini Cafe for your desert and coffee dreams. The orange poppy seed break was delightful and the gelato is a sight to see all on its own.

The FLOWERS. Now I don’t know what Beaver Creek looks like in the winter, I imagine pretty magical. But I have to tell you, late August in Beaver Creek produced the most beautiful floral I’ve seen. With Dahlias the size of your hands and colors that dance off the creek side, they really are something to admire. It was incredible to see such flowers thriving in such an amazing outdoor climate. These are flowers that as a Texas we rarely see anywhere other than your local florist, grocery store, or nursery. If you’re someone who enjoys plants, or if you have eyes, you can’t help but appreciate their beauty.

Traveling to beaver Creek and creating memories with our little family was such a gift and one I don’t take for granted. We can’t wait to come back to this sweet mountain town. Thank you little mountain town.