Breckenridge sits at about 2,900 metres in a high valley of the Colorado Rockies, below the Tenmile Range, and the air is thin enough to make you breathe a little harder walking up Main Street. The town began as a gold camp in 1859, when prospectors found gold in the Blue River, and it boomed and busted several times before becoming one of the most popular ski resorts in the country. Its long main street of brightly painted Victorian buildings, now full of shops, bars and restaurants, is one of the largest historic districts in Colorado.
The gold rush left its marks. The river valley north of town is lined with long piles of stones, left by dredge boats that churned through the riverbed in the early twentieth century, and one of the old dredges still floats in a pond nearby. The biggest gold nugget ever found in Colorado, a mass of crystalline gold weighing over five kilograms and known as Tom's Baby, was dug out of a mine near Breckenridge in 1887.
As a fuel stop, Breckenridge does the job, with stations in town and nearby in Frisco. Fuel is often more expensive in the mountain resorts, but there are long stretches without services ahead, so it is wise to fill up. Remember that at this altitude, your engine loses power, and you may feel tired or short of breath; drink plenty of water and take it easy.
The riding from here is spectacular. South of town, Hoosier Pass climbs to over 3,500 metres on the Continental Divide, with views of the high peaks, before descending into the wide grassland of South Park. Independence Pass, on the way to Aspen, is even higher, at over 3,600 metres, with a narrow road, tight switchbacks and sheer drop-offs, and it is closed from late autumn to late spring because of snow. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer, with lightning and hail, so ride the high passes early in the day.
Breckenridge has plenty of places to eat and drink, from coffee shops to brewpubs, and it is busy in both winter and summer. Grab something warm, walk down Main Street and look up at the peaks, which keep their snow well into July.