Breck!!!

 Before we left Rocky Mountain National Park, we took a drive up, up, up into the tundra. Beyond the grass here and there, there was not a single living thing to see besides one lone butterfly and fellow tourists. It felt like we were on the top of the world. 

On the drive up

Mountain Tops

On our way to Breckenridge, we stopped at a brand new tourist spot which promised us a cable car ride and a mining museum.  We nixed the museum, took the ride up, had lunch at the top and came back down.  The views were great, but other than that, blah.  I can't even remember the name of the place.

We did get high enough that you could hardly see the semis down on the road

When we arrived in Breckenridge, we finally joined up with Nate and his wife Maleena.  Nate had arranged for us to stay in a fancy condo.  The condo had everything - kitchen, fireplace, pool and all the hot chocolate you could drink.  It is so nice to be in a town where everybody knows the guy you are hanging with.    

Shameless plug:  Maleena has a soap shop on Main Street called the Fresh Soap Company.  She hand makes wonderful soap that is an amazing treat for your skin and also for your nose and eyes.

Check it out at Fresh Soap Company

Besides hanging with family, I think the highlight for me was a fourteen mile (give or take) downhill bike ride.  Perfect way to ride a bike and as a flatlander, I found the scenery to be amazing.  I haven't been on a bike in years.  I was a little worried but once I had gone several times around a parking lot and got out the tipsy-turvies, it was great.  

We also went troll hunting.  Breckenridge has it's very own troll who just happened to be named Isak Heartstone.  Isaac was thrilled to find a fellow Isak/Isaac.  The troll was named after Isak, a local participant in the build, and "Heartstone" representing a stone heart given by neighborhood children.