Breckenridge, Colorado: A restful night, but it was 60°in the RV when we woke this morning. Space heater deployed after a long respite. While DT went out to explore on his daily bicycle marathon, I turned the frozen leftover steak from our dinner in Longmont Friday, a few Farmers Market potatoes and a scoop of cultured butter with black pepper, salt, and garlic into semi-gourmet pot pie. Mushrooms and onions were sauteed, the steak was cubed and added. A jarred/purchased beef gravy was poured all over in my 4x6-inch casserole. Then the potatoes were mashed with the fancy butter, and spread over all. Dinner would be ready after 40 minutes in the Barbie Easy-Bake Oven.
We Ubered into Breckenridge. (There is a free bus that runs back and forth between Breckenridge and Frisco, but to catch the bus into town we either need to cross the highway, or take a dodgy path under the road.) Breckenridge is a ski town, and believe it or don't - summer is the "off" season.
In July of 1887 Tom Groves and Harry Lyon found a single 11-plus-pound gold nugget in a local mine. Groves walked into town with the nugget swaddled (like a baby) in his arms. Tom's "baby" is still the largest nugget ever found in Colorado. (Google told me it would be worth ~$700,000 today.)
The bus between Breckenridge and Frisco is not the only free transport in town. There is a free bus that cruises around town, another that covers other nearby towns, and a free gondola up the mountain!
Though the gondola stops twice (neighborhoods) on the way to the Breckenridge Ski Resort, we just stayed on until we reached the top. The ski resort is making the best of the off-season. There are so many activities for kids/families at the bottom of the ski slopes - mini golf, bouncy rope rides, downhill trams and you can ride a chair lift to the top of the mountain - and bring your bike and ride down. Restaurants and shops also. It is over 10000 feet elevation at the ski resort.
At the bottom of the gondola station is the transit center and our bus arrived in five minutes. 20 minutes later we were back to our RV. What a great system.
After enjoying such lovely temperatures and sunshine today, it began to sprinkle before dinner, then the skies opened up and we retreated indoors and watched the Dodgers on television. The weather changes so quickly in The Rockies.
Not that I didn't do enough cooking this morning, but the famed Colorado Palisade peaches were finally ripe. I blanched, peeled, sliced and doused them in lemon juice before tossing with a mixture of sugar, cornstarch, a pinch of cinnamon and salt. This mixture was placed in a vacuum-sealed bag for the freezer. Ready for a pie when we return home and the 4Ls visit.
And how about The Leftover Queen's casserole topped with mashed potatoes?
It was so good, but so rich - and though only a few inches square, we could not finish. Burp.
Until my next update, I remain, your Breckenridge correspondent.
Campsite Information: Tiger Run Resort