Colorado Mountains, Skiing, Ghost Towns, 4×4, and Vacations

You could vacation in Colorado any month of the year and never get bored.  Between winter festivals, summer concerts, spring cook-offs, and the fall scenery, there is always something to do in the Colorado Mountains.  Below, you will find some hints and tips to help you make the most of your Colorado vacation.

Summit County Weather

Needless to say, it’s cold here most of the year. Most of our restaurants have beautiful outdoor dining areas.  As you sit outside, you are surrounded by spectacular mountain views and it is an experience you would not want to miss, so always keep a sweater or jacket handy, even during the summer months.

Bugs

Our Colorado mountain peaks are topped with snow almost all year. As the snow melts, the amount of ground moisture increases and so do the mosquitoes.  So to avoid memories of being eaten alive by bugs on your perfect Colorado Vacation, make sure you have some insect repellant handy.

Wildlife

We live above the town of Silverthorne, in a heavily populated area. I have seen deer, moose, foxes, mountain goats, and bears in our front yard. Please use caution when you see a wild animal.  And remember, these wild animals have lived in our Colorado Rocky Mountains all their life, they don’t need any Oreos.

Altitude Sickness

The Colorado Mountains range in altitude from almost nothing to 14,000 feet. Sometimes people get sick at high altitudes.  Lack of oxygen causes this problem because at these high altitudes, the air is much thinner. With each breath you take, you are getting less oxygen, which also means that the oxygen in your blood declines. Both heart rate and breathing rate increase as the body tries to send more oxygen to its tissues Symptoms can include:

• Headaches, breathlessness, fatigue
• Nausea or vomiting
• Inability to sleep
• Swelling of the face, hands and feet

Here are some tips for avoiding Altitude Sickness:

• The best way to avoid or lessen the effects of mountain sickness is to increase altitude slowly.
• Avoid strenuous activity for the first day or two.
• Drink extra fluid.
• Be careful of drinking alcohol. Its effect is magnified at high altitude.
• Spend your entire vacation in one of our many Oxygen Bars.

Grocery Shopping

Colorado Ski Resorts are major tourist destinations during the winter months, so needless to say, our stores and restaurants get heavily crowded.  If you find the need to visit one of our grocery stores, the earlier you go the better. There are City Markets (King Soopers) in Breckenridge, Dillon, Avon, and Vail and a Safeway in Frisco and Vail. Although they do their best to get you checked out quickly, going later in the day can easily triple the amount of vacation time you waste in the store.

Dining in Summit County

Many of our restaurants serve wonderful breakfasts.  Unfortunately, you must arrive at your restaurant before 8:30 am to get seated quickly.  If you cannot arrive by 8:30 am, wait until around 10:00 am or so.  Arrive early, or later, for lunch and dinners too.  If you are willing to wait, our experience has been about a 20 minute wait. You can sit in the bar area in many of the restaurants while you are waiting, however, some restaurants want you to pay your bar tab in full before moving into the dining room.