I Want to Ride my Bicycle, Bicycle, Bicycle
Tuesday – 7/15
Today we are meeting up with John to do a bike ride from Vail Pass, down the mountain into Frisco. For those who have the energy left, they can ride from Frisco up the 800 ft elevation into Breckenridge to the bike shop.
As we get dressed and ready to head out the door, we hear a knock. It is the hotel manager asking when we are checking out. I know we were booked for another night, but can’t find the confirmation on my computer. After frantically searching, I remember that we changed this reservation and it did not allow me to do it online. I have the confirmation for the change on the rental car, but not the hotel. I then remember that I called the hotel and spoke to the night clerk who was on duty and he said that the change was made and confirmed. He also said that the confirmation number was the same, so no worries.
Well, it is 20 minutes before we are to meet John at the bike outfitters, and I am at the front desk finding out our options. Turns out that the owners of the unit we are in are due in this afternoon. Our only option is to move to a new room on the same floor.
I call John and let him know that we are not going to be able to make it and they should go on ahead without us. The manager sends up a bellboy to help us move all of our stuff and we start the big move. 30 minutes later, I get a call from John, and the outfitter only has us on a trip for the afternoon, and they are flexible, so we finish the move and meet up with John at Mountain Outfitters – just one block from our hotel.
http://www.mtnoutfitters.com/
They size us all up for bikes and helmets, we purchase water and all pile into the van for the ride up to Vail Pass. Vail Pass is halfway between Frisco and Vail on I-70. The bike trail will follow the interstate and weave through Copper Mountain Village before heading back into Frisco. At that point, we can either drop off the bikes at a coffee shop and take a van ride back, or ride the remainder back to Breckenridge.
We will not have guides with us, so they spend a lot of time really emphasizing to keep our speed under control, especially around some of the S-turns. It is really a beautiful ride down the pass. Great views of the mountains and we are traveling beside a stream much of the way. We stop in Copper and grab some lunch and walk around a bit. A nice spot for a break. If we had more time, we would have let the kids ride the go-carts and do some of the other activities they have here, but we decide to press on.
The remainder of the ride is beautiful as well and we get into Frisco and the group splits off. John and a couple of the boys decide to make the ride back to Breckenridge. Charlotte decides to join them and the rest of us head into downtown to drop off the bikes.
We get there at just about the same time as the van and hop a ride back with the bikes. On the way back, we keep looking for the rest of the group, but they do not seem to be anywhere in sight. Just as we are getting to the edge of Breckenridge, we spot them along the side of the road. I remembered that Charlotte did not have water, so we ask the driver to stop so that we can check in with them. She decides to ride the rest of the way back in the van. I’m sure she could have made the remainder of the trip as they have already climbed the full elevation, and it is only another mile or so to the bike shop.
We drop off the bikes, and Sue says they are going to have a dinner in rather than eat out again. We pick a Mexican spot called Mi Casa for dinner and decide to have dinner outside to watch the sun set over the mountain. The food is good and the margarita tastes great, especially after a day of coasting down the mountainsides.
After dinner, we head back to the hotel. We have promised the kids a night swim in the pool. It gets cold in the evenings when the sun is down, but the water is warm, and they have a blast at the pool.
Today we are meeting up with John to do a bike ride from Vail Pass, down the mountain into Frisco. For those who have the energy left, they can ride from Frisco up the 800 ft elevation into Breckenridge to the bike shop.
As we get dressed and ready to head out the door, we hear a knock. It is the hotel manager asking when we are checking out. I know we were booked for another night, but can’t find the confirmation on my computer. After frantically searching, I remember that we changed this reservation and it did not allow me to do it online. I have the confirmation for the change on the rental car, but not the hotel. I then remember that I called the hotel and spoke to the night clerk who was on duty and he said that the change was made and confirmed. He also said that the confirmation number was the same, so no worries.
Well, it is 20 minutes before we are to meet John at the bike outfitters, and I am at the front desk finding out our options. Turns out that the owners of the unit we are in are due in this afternoon. Our only option is to move to a new room on the same floor.
I call John and let him know that we are not going to be able to make it and they should go on ahead without us. The manager sends up a bellboy to help us move all of our stuff and we start the big move. 30 minutes later, I get a call from John, and the outfitter only has us on a trip for the afternoon, and they are flexible, so we finish the move and meet up with John at Mountain Outfitters – just one block from our hotel.
http://www.mtnoutfitters.com/
They size us all up for bikes and helmets, we purchase water and all pile into the van for the ride up to Vail Pass. Vail Pass is halfway between Frisco and Vail on I-70. The bike trail will follow the interstate and weave through Copper Mountain Village before heading back into Frisco. At that point, we can either drop off the bikes at a coffee shop and take a van ride back, or ride the remainder back to Breckenridge.
We will not have guides with us, so they spend a lot of time really emphasizing to keep our speed under control, especially around some of the S-turns. It is really a beautiful ride down the pass. Great views of the mountains and we are traveling beside a stream much of the way. We stop in Copper and grab some lunch and walk around a bit. A nice spot for a break. If we had more time, we would have let the kids ride the go-carts and do some of the other activities they have here, but we decide to press on.
The remainder of the ride is beautiful as well and we get into Frisco and the group splits off. John and a couple of the boys decide to make the ride back to Breckenridge. Charlotte decides to join them and the rest of us head into downtown to drop off the bikes.
We get there at just about the same time as the van and hop a ride back with the bikes. On the way back, we keep looking for the rest of the group, but they do not seem to be anywhere in sight. Just as we are getting to the edge of Breckenridge, we spot them along the side of the road. I remembered that Charlotte did not have water, so we ask the driver to stop so that we can check in with them. She decides to ride the rest of the way back in the van. I’m sure she could have made the remainder of the trip as they have already climbed the full elevation, and it is only another mile or so to the bike shop.
We drop off the bikes, and Sue says they are going to have a dinner in rather than eat out again. We pick a Mexican spot called Mi Casa for dinner and decide to have dinner outside to watch the sun set over the mountain. The food is good and the margarita tastes great, especially after a day of coasting down the mountainsides.
After dinner, we head back to the hotel. We have promised the kids a night swim in the pool. It gets cold in the evenings when the sun is down, but the water is warm, and they have a blast at the pool.