Watch the Day 9 Video!
After a big hiking day, we were ready for another much-welcomed rest day for Day #9! Our biggest goal for the day was making the short journey from Idaho Springs to Breckenridge—a little less than 50 miles.
We started our day with a brief 5 minute walk from the parking lot we slept in the night before to our 9th Water Feature—Bridal Veil Falls and the Charlie Taylor Waterwheel. This pretty water fall is located right off the side of Interstate 70 and can easily be seen from the highway. Of course, it’s a lot better to take a short break from driving and walk to the base of the falls for some photos.
Next up was finally getting our day started with a few Americanos at The Frothy Cup (Coffeeshop #7). The cozy atmosphere and the Inspiration Station (a wall covered in sticky notes with words of wisdom from customers) made for a perfect place to get some work done on the computers.
After coffee, it was time to satisfy a craving Kendrick had been having for a while—biscuits and gravy. We struck out at a few places in Georgetown before Mandy found the perfect place in Keystone. The only thing standing in the way was our 8th Scenic Drive—Loveland Pass between the Loveland and Arapaho Basin ski areas.
In classic Colorado style, this drive was full of amazing views, tight switchbacks, and plenty of summer road construction. Any time we start to get frustrated with waiting on construction lane closures we just remember how nice it is to not worry about massive pot holes or rough roads while towing Little Bear.
Arriving in a ski town like Keystone during the middle of summer is an interesting experience. The parking lot was empty, the ski village looked like a ghost town, and we didn’t have to worry about some newbie smacking us in the head while carrying skis on their shoulder.
When we arrived at our 8th Coffeeshop, Inxpot (pronounced Ink Spot) and were pleased to discover that it’s a combination coffeeshop, restaurant, and beer/wine bar! Being indecisive we decided to indulge in a little bit of everything. Kendrick’s plate of biscuits and gravy was massive and delicious. Mandy’s turkey sandwich was equally huge and tasty. Inxpot proved to be a place of self discovery as well. We learned that one of our livelong habits actually has a name. Procaffinating—the tendency not to start anything until you’ve had a cup of coffee. We are definitely procaffinators…
Properly procaffinated, we finished the short drive to an undisclosed parking lot in the northern park of Breckenridge that would provide a stealthy place to sleep for the night. A short walk away was our 11th Distillery—Breckenridge Distillery. Though busy, they still appeased us with a short private sampling of a few of their top-notch whiskies that helped us narrow down our choices once moving things into the bar area.
Since we weren’t driving anywhere for the night we decided to end our night with a visit to Broken Compass Brewing (Brewery #9). This place was bustling with everyone enjoying a going-away party for one of the employees. Luckily, they had room for two more and we were allowed to join in for a few beverages. The tasty beers and the free range dogs roaming around meant Kendrick had a great time. Mandy even found some beers she like, too…
Finally, we stumbled to our dimly lit parking lot and crawled into bed. Day #10 would be our biggest day yet as we had plans to summit four different 14ers!
So, here’s to 5 more days exploring Colorful Colorado…
14ers 6/14: NONE Distilleries 11/14: Breckenridge Distillery Breweries 9/14: Broken Compass Brewing Coffeeshops 8/14: The Frothy Cup and Inxpot Water Features 9/14: Bridal Veil Falls and the Charlie Taylor Waterwheel Wildflowers 8/14: NONE Scenic Drives 8/14: Loveland Pass
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