Breckenridge
Padoca Brazilian Bakery & Market was the first stop of the day. This new restaurant in Denver opened earlier this year and I fear they may struggle due to poor signage on the outside of the building. The staff were friendly and the food was decent - not something I would drive over an hour for.
Ordered:
Mini Hearts Of Palm Pie
Mini Chicken Pie w/ Olive
Ham + Cheese Loaf
Fried Hot Dog (my favorite)
Breckenridge Troll
In Colorado, there are two trolls by Thomas Dambo who is an artist based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Thomas makes beautiful and fun sculptures and installations out of recycled materials. Isak Heartstone is located in Breckenridge on the outskirts of town. It is a short hike of 15 minutes from the center of town or you can take free public transportation to the trailhead. Illinois Creek Trail is where Isak lives on his own short 0.1-mile walk. On my way back Main st was closed to traffic due to an active Oktoberfest celebration. There was lots of beer, food, music, and people.
Stopping for a short picnic at the Dillion Reservoir enjoying a BLT, chips, and grapes along with the beautiful views. Watching people on the lake kayaking and paddle boarding along with a family playing fetch with their dogs on the water.
Instead of taking the direct route back home, I decided to go another way back. This is the best part of exploring is not taking the same path twice. Crossing over Loveland Pass I finally captured some glimpses of fall. The Aspen are starting to change showing impending cooler weather. The mountains are a solid 20 degrees cooler than where I live in Colorado and it was refreshing to get away from the heat. Already shifting to brown and olive greens you can tell that the mountains are preparing for winter.