Decidng on a Christmas Destination
 

Help! We are an Aussie family and I want to spend Christmas somewhere in Colorado. So far I am tossing up between Durango and Breckenridge but I am having so much trouble making a decision. Breckenridge is easier and cheaper to get to, but the prices for Christmas are very expensive (although we are looking at some the week before Christmas and leaving on the 26th of December so will hopefully get a reduced rate for a few of the nights). Not that price is really going to sway my decision...

Basically I want to rent a condo or house where there is lots of dining and shopping options and we can park the car and walk. We don't snow ski but want to do all the other winter activities with our children who will be 6 and 3. Possibly even have a skiing lesson or 2.

Which town do you think would be the best Christmas destination for us? I have seen some Youtube videos of Breckenridge at Christmas and it looks magical with all the decorations etc). I know everyone has different opinions and likes but I am happy to hear them all so I can get some help deciding!

I have also considering going to Breck for a few days and then driving onto Durango for the next few days including Christmas day but I wonder if we would be happier to just stay put for a bit (as we will be visiting Disneyland, Fort Worth and friends in Kansas in December before Christmas and might be sick of moving around).

I have visited Boulder, Estes Park and RMNP before without children and loved Colorado, so have picked it to come back with our children and have our first white Christmas. Any help appreciated.

Having lived near Durango for several years, I love the small, family friendly attitude there. It is laid back, down to earth, without fancy-schmancy and I think less expensive than Beckenridge for things including rentals, food etc.

Not sure where you are considering flying into, but Albuquerque [code ABQ] is the closest, large airport and you can find some good fares, especially on Southwest. [They don't charge for bags or any other extra fees. ]

Thanks DebitNM. I have priced flying directly into Durango and it's not too expensive at all so would probably do that even though it means changing planes.

That is the kind of vibe I get from Durango and I do love the sound of it. What is it like at Christmas time, is it a very touristy kind of place??

Hmmm, is it touristy? Well, there will be lots of folks skiing, for sure. Visitors, yes, but lots and lots of locals. The locals are very outdoor oriented and tend to be on the younger side, young families. I think the majority of visitors will be on the slopes during the day.

There are lots of fun things to do in and around town. A trip to Mesa Verde National Parks is a must do as well. It is beautiful during the winter: https://picasaweb.google.com/DebitNM/MesaVerdeInWinter

The town is very walkable, and has all ranges of restaurants as to prices and types of food. You will need to rent a car if you want to go to MVNP. You may be able to get around on the bus and trolley: http://www.getarounddurango.com/inde...d-durango/ride

http://www.durango.org/

Polar Express for the kids http://www.durangotrain.com [not showing on site yet]

http://www.durango.com/Durango_Winte...ning_Guide.asp

Breck will be packed with day skiers from the Denver area. It is also not as pedestrian friendly as you seem to think it is. It is not really a park and walk everywhere place.

Durango is a better choice for you.

I disagree about Breck not being a ark and walk, pedestrian friendly place. That's exactly what we do when we go there.

The town of Crested Butte is one of the prettiest little places at Christmas time. Horse drawn sleighs, Victorian architecture, etc. Also lots of wide open spaces to explore near there, if you aren't a skier.

I don't know how difficult it would be for you to get there, though. It's a longish drive from Denver, but you could probably fly into Gunnison and rent a car. It's a short drive to Crested Butte from Gunnison.

I see PeaceOut has beaten me to the suggestion of Crested Butte for the Christmas holidays. I totally agree that it is absolutely magical at Christmas. The whole town just sparkles. And your kids are the perfect age to learn how to ski even if you feel too old to learn how to ski.
Check out skicb.com for deals for Christmas time. Don't know when they will start up but it's the mountain resort and they usually offer great packages including ski free for the kids.

Thanks for your help so far. We will have a rental car no matter where we go. I will check out those links etc...

And I will also look into Crested Butte..

Breckenridge is quite walkable as most of the shops and restaurants are right on Main St. If you don't' want to use your car, many condos have free shuttle vans that will take you to restaurants, and the town runs free buses. The town is indeed magical at Christmas. It is also crowded and the busiest time of the year which is true of all ski areas.

It is not an equal comparison between Breck and Durango. They are really two different towns - each very attractive but for different reasons. Breck is a true ski resort sitting at the foot of the mountain. Very walkable and when you cannot walk there is the town's free bus system. Plus bus connects for Frisco, Copper Mountain and Keystone. Every a bus to Vail but less frequent. Unfortunately the Christmas/New Years period is the busiest time period which means lots of crowds but the crowds are on the slope and not in town during the day. And, of course, no deals. You can also do dog sleds, horse drawn sleigh, snow cat tours, etc., all from right in town. You could also spend a day in Vail.

For your stated purposes, I would strong recommend Breck.

Need to add a couple of comments. Crested Brutte can be a fun place. Have not been there over Christmas. However, it can be tough to get to and very weather dependent. Too many high mountains to drive and a five to six hours from Denver. Breck has the advantage of a straight 90 mile drive on I-70 and no mountain passes. However, do not schedule your return on that you are going back into Denver on a Sunday PM. Almost bumper to bumper the whole distance.

The Breck ski school for kids at the base of Peak 9 and could easily speak a peak at the school or met them for lunch. Very convenient if they are going to try skiing. The three year will be more snow play. The six year old would do fine.

Thanks for those last 3 comments above. That is the kind of info I need to make my decision. I know Christmas and New years week is the craziest time there. We plan to depart on the 26th so we'll be there mostly the week before Christmas.

Is the drive from Breckenridge to Durango in December very weather dependant? Or would you be simply put out a day or so if there was a storm?

Thanks..

I suggest you stay put for one week. Assuming you fly in and out of Denver, driving to Breckenridge to Durango and back to Denver wouldn't make sense. There will be plenty to do in any mountain town you choose.

You could also consider Winter Park (approx 1.5- 2 hr drive from DEN) or Steamboat Springs (approx 3- 3.5 drive from DEN). But these two might be less "park and walk" destinations. They are in more open country and you would want to drive and see the surroundings, IMHO.

There's always Aspen, too. . . Too many choices! But it's like Hawaii-- you will be happy wherever you choose, IMHO!

Thanks, I think we will be happy no matter where we go also..!

Breck to Durango would be very weather dependent because you are dealing with high mountain roads and passes. One of the issues is the passes. Weather could be find at 8 or 9000 when you start you climb but it can change rapidly as you gain altitude so by 11,000 you could be plowing a lot of snow. Makes for tedious and slow driving. Actually the week prior to Christmas can be very nice and no people. With Christmas on Tues, the crowds will start building on the weekend and especially Sunday will be the larges influx of people. We have spent two Christmas at Breck. Christmas day is very light and a good day to go skiing. The whole area is very low key that day. But the day after is another story. Our pattern is to come up the week prior and go home the day after. Works very well. Lots of people like but it has become very glitzfied and over price. Ajax (Aspen Mountain) is really an advance intermediate to expert skiing. The more family friendly place is Snowmass Village. But stick to Breck for your purposes.

Thanks fmpden...

I agree with Fmpden. We have spent the last 2 Christmases in Breck. The first the week before, the second the week after. You can walk many places or get public transportation. Never seemed too crowded to me but we get restaurant reservations for a few nights & wing it the rest. You can drive to Vail, even Glenwood for a day. Keystone has activities also.

You do not mention your experience in driving in snow. But if it is not extensive, I think Breck is your wiser choice for that reason alone.

We drive some in snow on the West Coast but not nearly so often as my brother who lives in Colorado now. We drove to Breck in the summertime and we agreed that if we come back in winter, that route would be about right for our comfort zone.

For renting the car, you will want an SUV with 4-wheel drive. I am not sure if the rental car companies provide tire chains. I think there have been past threads on this point.

You do NOT need chains and rental companies will not provide them. Second, unless you have experience driving 4 wheel drive under adverse conditions, skip the 4 wheel drive. You are safer without it. If the roads are so bad that you would need chains or even the 4 wheel, you should not be on the road.

Breck is an easy drive. Get there and start having fun. It will be a cute town for Christmas week.
Agree totally about chains--and with front wheel drive cars they are not recommended I think. If it's that bad, stay put.
An SUV could be fine--the thing to remember about them is that while they can be great for enabling you to go forward, they do nothing to help you stop (any more than any other). The mindset of some SUVers on the road totally ignore that, in my experience, and I drive one.
It can be your decision,but watch the size (a Jeep may or may not be big enough for you all and luggage, for example).

Thanks fmpden--I knew you all had addressed the chains before.

Maybe Colorado has drier snow or you all just do a better job clearing your roads. Just going up to the Cascades for a day, we have gotten stuck more easily with a mini-van in the parking lot from new snow, and even when we had dug it out, it was he** getting it out every time. Just could not get enough traction with only two wheels doing the work. We like our van, but if we were avid skiers going regularly we would trade it in a heartbeat.

Thanks, we did plan to rent an SUV anyway. No experience with snow driving, we are from Queensland. We only drive 4 wheel drives here (we are farmers). Thanks for the advice. I have chosen Breck and am now searching through accommodations. Any recommendations? I want a 2 bedroom condo, preferrably with twin beds in second room for kids and close to main street. Does not have to be ski in/ski out. I am a bit overwhelmed by the choices on vrbo but the more I look the better idea I am getting!

Actually I lie, we did drive through the rocky mountain NP a few years back but the roads were cleared. We rented an SUV then and had no problems.

Sorry just to add another question. How does Frisco compare to Breckenridge??

Ok forget that last comment, I am sold on Breckenridge, now to find the perfect condo...

I made an acct just to ask you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not drive from Denver to Durango in the winter with your family. I cannot believe no one else told you the severity of driving over these narrow, shoulder free, dangerous mountain passes in the winter! I live in Durango, and can tell you to fly here and stay here. There is plenty to do and everything is walkable and gorgeous and perfect for Christmas. The ski resort has a lift to take you if you decide to check it out. But for God's sake, please don't make a drive to Breck, Grand Junction, Denver, Vail, anywhere in the winter. The Rocky Mountains are no joke and once you're in them there's no turning back. You must push forward, pray for less snow and ice and more sight, and you must hope your snow tires and four wheel drive do the job because there is no railing...anywhere. Choose a destination, and stay there. You will have a blast! Be safe! <3 another caring adventurous mom.

Hi, Dorothy,
The Original Poster, Kelsta has not been active on a thread on Fodor's for some time. She has made her plans. I believe she is driving from Denver to Breckenridge (not from Durango to Breck).

Wow !!! What caused that hysteria??? The reason that "no one else told you the severity of driving over these narrow, shoulder free, dangerous mountain passes in the winter!" is because it is very minimal risk. The roads in Colorado including the passes are very well maintained. And it doesn't snow everyday or even every other day. The road connecting Denver, Breck,Vail, Grand Junction is a modern, major interstate highway - four lanes with wide shoulders with railing everywhere and aggressive maintained in winter. Obviously you don't want to be driving in a blizzard but thousands of people drive our mountains everyday in winter with no problems especially the I-70 corridor. We have lived in the mountains for 32 years with no problems.

Suggesting that you cannot drive safely in our mountains in the winter is ludicrous. And a disservice to potential visitors.

You're right, of course, but we probably both are wasting our time typing anything at all. I almost didn't post back because I'd be surprised if Dorothy came back here to read it. We'll see.

Well, I am going to have to say that while driving I70 may be ok, the roads around Durango heading north to Grand Junction and the Denver area are not the same as I 70. They are as Dorothy mentioned, narrow, twisting, turning, with drop offs and no guardrails in most places. They close them if they get really bad, but still it isn't fun driving for someone not used to driving in those conditions on those kinds of roads. It was even featured on " IRT: Deadliest Roads" [IRT= Ice Road Travelers]

A few years ago we stayed at the Mountain Thunder Lodge and loved it. The location was great being right across the street from a gondola and bus center, and was an easy 2 block walk to Main St.. The property had nice amenities including underground parking. I would suggest looking at VRBO.com, make note of some properties that interest you, and report back on this forum to get feedback.

Sorry. Posted without stating that Mt. Thunder Lodge is in Breckenridge.

Check out the link below to get a visual of lodging locations in Breckenridge.
http://www.snowpak.com/snowpak/resor...ckenridge.html

Sorry, only just returned and saw the later comments here. We have no intention of driving too much anyway, if we chose Durango it would be flying in! Thank you for that link on lodging locations, I will check it out.

We stayed at Riverbend condo's last weekend in Breck and the second bedroom had twin beds (which DH and I got stuck with) but it was a really nice condo. I also liked Mountain Thunder Lodge or even Grand Tiber lodge.

The variety of options must be daunting. Have a great time planning your trip!