Cheers to turning 22! This birthday was one for the books as my boyfriend surprised me with a little get-away weekend to our favorite state – Colorado! Rise and shine, and I do mean rise and shine at 2 am, we got in the car and headed to the airport. Before 7 am, we touched-down in Denver!

We rented a car, and to our luck, the car dude gave us a 2019 White Jeep Wrangler, how sweet is that for a morning birthday treat. Also, the sun was just peaking over the mountains giving the morning a cotton-candy kind of look. We departed and headed into the city to grab some coffee and breakfast.

Breakfast spot near Denver, Colorado

After a great breakfast at the Snooze AM Eatery, we took off into the mountains to head to Breckenridge where we would be staying for the weekend. The drive there was absolutely stunning with views of mountains for days. We also loved going through the mountain tunnels!!

Of course, had to stop along the way for some candid photo opportunities.

Breckenridge, Colorado Things to Do

Once we arrived in Breckenridge, about an hour and half drive from Denver, we rented some snowshoes at the Breckenridge Nordic Center, and did a 3 mile hike through the tall pines. The views were incredible!! We also hopped on the gondola, and rode to peak 7 & 8 to watch the crazy skiers. Because of the elevation, we definitely were feeling exhausted and out of air by the end of the trek.

Places to Stay in Breckenridge Colorado

Later that afternoon, we grabbed a burger from Empire Burger, and headed across the street for $5 Margaritas for Happy Hour. Finally that night, we checked into our hotel the Welk Resorts at Breckenridge. It was seriously one of the coolest hotels we have ever stayed in! The room had a full kitchen, a king size bed, fire place, and a view of the mountains! I highly, highly recommend staying here if you are traveling to Breck. They recently opened (January of 2020) so everything is very modern and up to date! We were so happy with the service and the overall feel of the resort! For the remainder of the evening, we hung out in the outdoor hot tubs, ordered pizza, and were out before midnight.

Best Hot Springs in Colorado

The following morning, we drove into town to do a little bit of shopping, where I bought this sweet hat you will see me wearing in a lot of the photos. We then drove an hour and half to the Iron Mountain Hot Springs. The last time we were in Colorado we went here, and we loved it! Essentially it’s 16 hot spring pools with all different temperatures ranging from 98 – 108 degrees. The view is absolutely stunning, the water is mineral water, and the drinks are great! It is so relaxing, and a must when vacationing here.

Ice Castles in Colorado

Once we were all relaxed, we drove back to a town called Frisco to tour the ice castles. This is something Wylie and I have never done so it was pretty neat to see all the art and creations by ice sculptors. One of the best parts was an adult ice slide which we raced down, and for the record, I won. Two men also did a fire show inside the ice castles which was so neat.

For dinner, Wylie found this restaurant, The Mint Steakhouse, where we got to grill our own steak. Might sound weird, but it was one of the coolest places we’ve ever ate at. You got to pick your own slab of steak, and then grill it to your liking on a large kitchen grill, while also adding your own flavors. We both LOVED it!! Highly recommend if you’re okay cooking your own meal.

Ice Skating in Downtown Denver

The next day we drove back to Denver, where the temperature raised a good 40 degrees, and did some sight-seeing on the way.

Once back in the city, we found a cute little park that had an ice-skating rink. Although the skates were god awful on the feet, it was fun to skate in 60 degree weather. We ate at a Cheesecake Factory which was delicious but way too many calories and greasy food. Not my favorite out of all the restaurants, but you can’t go wrong with their 350+ entrée selection.

Lastly, we drove through a National Wildlife Refugee where we saw many buffalo, deer, chipmunks, and other animals. Wylie’s favorite part of the trip lol. The sun was starting to set over the mountains by the time we turned our car back in and checked into our flight. It was honestly the best little get-away birthday weekend I could have asked for! We love Colorado and hope some day to make it a second home!!

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