Breckenridge for (almost) FREE!

About 6 weeks ago, I got a phone call from some random lady in Breckenridge who started talking about how we could enjoy a free weekend in Breckenridge.  I almost hung up - I'm no dummy! - until she threw out our friend's names - "So and so thought you would like this!  They are owners here!"  So I kept listening, because they ARE owners of a vacation condo in Breckenridge.

Turns out to be a timeshare type of weekend - you pay $99 to book the stay, come for 2 days and 2 nights, attend a mandatory "tour" (means timeshare pitch), and you get your money refunded and your trip for free.  OK!  Sounds great. :)

Our scheduled weekend came up last weekend and with many, many thanks to Aunt Kendra and Uncle Shad, who watched the kids, we headed up to Breck for the weekend.  It was a GREAT time to be there - off season, no ski bunnies yet, and the summer vacationers were all gone.

We were so excited for our free pool and hot tub and room and shuttles and everything!  The only thing we were slightly nervous about was the timeshare pitch - those guys are professionals and we are just lowly middle classers wanting a free vacay.  We read up on "how to say no to timeshare sales pitches" and "what tactics to expect from timeshare pitches."  We were READY.  :)  Friday night was great, Saturday morning we were up and at 'em early for our 8:30 tour; and it was a breeze.  We were so convincingly NOT going to purchase any vacation ownership, the guy didn't even send in his "closer" and we were out of there 20 minutes early with our refund.  WOOOHOOOOOOO!

That left us free to enjoy the rest of our free stay.  YEEESSSS!  Can you tell I was very pumped about this little trip?!

What can you do for free?  Hike, of course!  We checked out good hikes on trip advisor and ended up here:

 

There you go, two horrible pictures of us trying to take selfies in the too-bright sun with the sign in the background for Peak's trail.  This trail takes you 9-10 miles into over the mountain into Frisco, where you can catch a free bus back to Breck.  It was beautiful!  What a perfect day for a hike over the mountains and through the woods. :)

 We stink at taking selfies.

 

The peaks that give the trail its name.  So pretty!

Then both of our phones died so we have no more pictures of that hike. Whoops!  Good thing there were no emergencies, although there were also some mountain bikers on the trail so I'm sure someone would have stopped to help us.

We also enjoyed the McCullough Gulch trail, next to a 14er that we didn't have time to summit, but the trail was beautiful.  We had time to charge our phones so this is from the second hike - love the waterfalls.

 OOooooo - and an old abandoned mine.  Fun!

At the top of the trail was the Upper Blue Reservoir, called a "glacial lake" for good reason!  It was freezing cold at the top and the wind was blowing like 30 miles an hour (really) so after getting a photo op, we hustled back down the mountain and warmed up. There were mountain goats all over the place walking around on narrow ledges like it was no biggie.  We were wishing we had their fur coats!

Interspersed with the hiking was plenty of hot-tub time and of course, some delightful Festive Dairy Beverage.  (This is where the "almost" free came in, we did have to purchase some food.)  Mmmmmmm.  Vacation complete.