Weekend trip for first-time Colorado visitors! Denver --> Silverthorne (Evans: rental car, rentals)

[gabalaba]

Hi all!
I'm hoping I will get some great input before my trip. My boyfriend and I have planned a trip to Colorado for my birthday weekend. Neither of us has ever been and we love skiing and snowboarding. We are from the Midwest so we spend plenty of time in the cold, as well as, on the slopes. Our wimpy ski "resorts" just aren't cutting it anymore so we are going to Denver!

This January 19th our flight lands in Denver about 9am. From there we pickup our rental car. Our final destination for that day is Silverthorne, CO where we have rented a condo for the weekend. My question to you is: what is there to do/see/hike/explore specifically en route from Denver airport to Silverthorne area? I do not want to stray too far from main road (i70), perhaps about 30-45 minutes out of the way in one direction at most.

We are both in our mid 20's with plenty of energy and health to spare so really we're up for anything. I realize the 1.5 hour drive from Denver to Silverthorne can quickly change to a 4+ hour drive. But lets say, should the weather be ideal en route to our condo - I would love to venture off and visit a special town, take in some moderately easy mountain hike views, go dog sledding or something similar. Is there anything special to see or do while driving from Denver to Silverthorne?


The plan is to spend just one day skiing that weekend, since Colorado has much much more to offer I think. Plus lift tickets are so expensive!! Yikes, but you get what you pay for. Is there any way to get discount lift tickets to Breck, Vail, Keystone, etc? I do see that if you book online at least a couple days in advance, that the resort offers a small discount than if you were to purchase day-of. How/where can we get discounted ski/board equipment rentals?


What else should we checkout during our weekend stay? Our condo rental in Silverthorne is centrally located, but do you have any favorite bars... restaurants... attractions in the area?

I will say ahead of time that we are not interested in visiting any museums. They are not our cup of tea I would love to visit ski towns, maybe go ice skating, snowmobiling, snow tubing, sleigh riding, dog sledding.. you get the idea.

Looking forward to your replies! Any input or advice is highly appreciated.

Our total stay is January 19th from 9am until Sunday January 21 when we take off from Denver at 9pm.

[StealthRabbit]

Definitely add in Snowmobiling (after you ski)

I have had the best experiences near Winter Park, but you should able to find places closer to Silverthorne.

The More rural / Adventure the better (better realistic experience, rather than a 'guided tour' with various ages and a tad too much 'safety' (too slow))

There are plenty of Brew Pubs (in most of Colorado), once you park the car for the day...

Being that the 19th is a Friday... get as far from Denver (towards your destination) as possible (as soon as possible). You could easily run on up to Aspen and come back to Silverthorne (against traffic). Personally...(if weather is decent) I would do an early check-in (to assure your space) and head to Glenwood Springs (1.5 hrs west of your condo) for a dip in the hot springs! then have a leisurely drive back to Silverthorne in the late evening (as long as weather isn't an issue / leave you stranded on a pass (unlikely, but possible). )

You can always hit Denver highlights on your trip back to airport. There is PLENTY of Colorado to see near your condo.

[mic111]

Two options:
Stop for a hike at Red Rocks Amphitheater. Lots of pretty red rock formations, hiking trails etc.
https://www.denver.org/listing/red-r...itheatre/4574/
Eat in Morrison, maybe the Red Rocks Grill
About - Red Rocks Grill - Morrison Colorado - 303.697.9290

OR
Stop for a soak at historic (read not fancy but rather low rent) 100+ year old Indian Springs Hot Springs. Go to the Geothermal Caves, not the big pool.
Hot Springs – Indian Hot Springs
eat at BeauJos
Best Pizza in Idaho Springs

Both are sort of cute little towns. Idaho Springs is right off I-70. Morrison, you have a small detour south on 470.

Are these really special? Are they the best? Probably not. But they are very Colorado and don't cost very much.

Forgot: You are going right by the Coliseum. Stop and see the pro rodeo at the stock show. You can have lunch there also. There is a 1:30 p.m. show on the 19th.
http://www.nationalwestern.com/event...stance_id=2222

[Bunner]

Arapahoe Cafe in Dillion is fantastic. Especially for breakfast.

[SkyDog77]

Friday traffic to the mountains starts early afternoon. I do think it would be very cool to stop at Red Rocks on the way out. It’s a very short detour off of I-70.

You don’t need to go to c470 as mic111 says. Just get off I-70 at the Morrison exits and drive south for a few minutes to the park entrance. It’s a great stop at a world famous venue and very much on your way.

Once you’re up in Silverthorne, definitely visit the town of Breckenridge. It’s a great resort town with tons going on.

I really like the Dillon Dam Brewery for pub and grub.

If you make it to Vail, Sweet Basil for a fancy dinner or drive a little further west to Minturn and visit the Minturn Saloon for a great meal in a historic ‘dive’.

[woob]

if you can get out of your condo reservation go to the PNW or British Columbia. The snow in colorado is terrible this year. I would not pay $120 to ski what we have now.

[gabalaba]

Knew I turned to the right place! Keep em coming I’m taking notes.

Any awesome scenic drives in the mountains surrounding Breck, Vail, Silverthorne? Like a Mullholand Drive in Malibu, CA if anyone is familiar. The higher the elevation, the more winding roads, the better

Any scenic outlooks or points of interest to pull off to the side of the road for? Cool place to catch a sunset or something?

[Count David]

I never really do anything when I pass through Silverthorne/etc., but when I do; Nick-N-Willy's is a hole in the shopping center, with good pizza that is made right in front of you (this is not a fancy place). The Shell station across the street always has the cheapest gas, but gas is MUCH cheaper in Denver. Do not eat at the Ruby Tuesday in Dillon. Also, as of late, my Google Maps lady has been calling Silverthorne "Silverthurn"; that is not correct.

You can obviously pull off and hope you see the buffaloes west of Evergreen, and you can occasionally see some bighorn sheep off/near the 6/119 Black Hawk exit (Black Hawk/Central City is fun if you like gambling/drinking/casinos). Idaho Springs and Georgetown are cute enough I guess, the charm really ends at their appearances IMO. Go check out Vail if you're interested in it at all. I wouldn't bother going to Winter Park unless you find an activity there that you can't find somewhere else.

Your biggest problem is time. You don't have enough! You'll fill those three days so easily, you won't know what hit ya!

[Bunner]

Originally Posted by gabalaba

Knew I turned to the right place! Keep em coming I’m taking notes.

Any awesome scenic drives in the mountains surrounding Breck, Vail, Silverthorne? Like a Mullholand Drive in Malibu, CA if anyone is familiar. The higher the elevation, the more winding roads, the better

Any scenic outlooks or points of interest to pull off to the side of the road for? Cool place to catch a sunset or something?

If you have time on your way westbound from Denver exit Evergreen Parkway and take Squaw Pass Rd/Hwy 103 over Juniper Pass (11,000’+) and back down to I70 at Idaho Springs.

[gabalaba]

Thanks Bunner, that’s exactly what I had in mind! You hit it right on the dot. I’m checking that out on google maps and sadly we won’t be able to follow Squaw Pass Rd to Mt Evans or the Meyer Womble Observatory. That would’ve been a cool sight to see. Guess we’ll have to come back in the spring too