When attempting a family vacation in Breckenridge, Bubba Gump got it right when he said, "Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you are going to get". When the family arrives in beautiful Breckenridge, Colorado and drives down Main Street, they can count on two things. You can't help but notice that the Neon shrimp on Bubba Gump's sign is smugly looking down at families scurrying below as if he knows something. You also can count on the family trip to be like that box of chocolate. There will be some moments of incredible adventure that will be like the best dark chocolates and, potentially, some moments that will resemble the rejected pink creme filled ovals. If you read the my tips for a successful family trip to Breckenridge and pack them along with the crew into the family station wagon, you will greatly increase your odds of a avoiding the creme chocolates!
- Do not drive the family station wagon in the winter down Main Street, unless you want to end up like the Grizwalds and slide off into a snow bank full of humility and embarrassment. Choose your transportation wisely and include an all wheel drive or four wheel drive.
- Do not drive from the front range on a weekend morning anytime after 6:30 am unless you want to sit on I-70 for 2-3 hours with a full bladder and overheated back seat drivers (not a pretty combination).
- If the weather turns out to be 88 below zero, do not force the children and Mother-In-Law to ski unless you are prepared to face the wrath of blue crying offspring and hypothermatic Outlaws, I mean, In-Laws. A better choice would be to take the crew to the Recreation Center across from the Breck Inn. There, all can enjoy the indoor pool, hot tubs, and water slide. Another strategy for the antartica days is the ever popular shopping, eating, shopping strategy. This approach tends to please all ages and stages. Within walking distance from the heart of MainStreet are Wasabi's sushi den, Breckenridge Brewery, Swiss Haven Fondue and Bubba Gumps. A good bet to warm the family spirit is the most charming Starbucks out of all 10,000 locations. It sits right on MainStreet in an inviting yellow house.
- Do not wait to rent the ski gear in the morning unless you enjoy long lines, and stressing out the penny pinching trip leader who knows time is money and the lifts are open and what is taking so @#%^^$#@@ long! Avoid that memory and meltdown by renting skis the night before for the same price and less relationship damage.
- Celebrate the family's test of togetherness, by promenading as a family unit into Mary's Mountain Cookies on Main Street. There, surrounded by huge sandwich cookies, all will be forgiven and family bonds will become as thick as the gooey white filling between the chocolate chips. As the family leaves the beauty of Breckenridge, hopefully they will be smiling with chocolate on their lips, shrimp in their belly, no broken bones, a skier's rosy glow and, most of all, love for one another.
These strategies for surviving a family ski trip in Breckenridge were suggested by Lynn Fisher.
Our final tip: to keep the peace, spread out the troops. Rent a large vacation home or ski condo in Breckenridge, where the in-laws and kids have their own bedrooms, and Mom and Dad have a private master suite to retreat to.