We’ve been to Breckenridge before for a long weekend, but this year we decided to bring Mindy along - and to drive there. We learned so much about traveling with a dog and I am sharing my tips and tricks as well as our itinerary of adventures below. If you visit, I can’t wait to hear what you think of my recommendations!

To read about our first trip to Breck for a long weekend, click here.

Looking for my learnings on dog-friendly travel? I wrote a post with all my tips!

Day 1 // St. Louis, MO to Hays, KS

-Picnic lunch along the way in Burcham Park, Lawrence, KS
-A stop at the World’s Largest Czech Egg in Wilson, KS
-Fast food dinner in Hays, KS
-Overnight stay at the dog-friendly TownePlace Suites in Hays, KS

Since it was our first long haul with the pup, we decided to break up our drive into two days to play it safe and give ourselves time. Packing a picnic lunch helped us stick to healthier food since we knew dinner would be takeout. The hotel in Hays was (to my surprise actually) very spotless and very comfortable. I would highly recommend staying there if it fits into your itinerary on the way there or back.

Day 2 // Hays, KS to Breckenridge, CO

-Stop in Colby, KS at the Oasis Travel Center to play at the dog park
-Stop in Bennett, CO for gas
-Stop in Golden, CO for a picnic lunch from D’Deli and a scenic walk
-Stop in Frisco, CO for groceries at Safeway
-Check in at Ski Country Rentals in Breckenridge for our stay at the dog-friendly Mainridge D condo
-Dinner and Magaritas at Sancho

After a good night’s sleep and a free breakfast at the hotel, we were on our way to the dog-friendly travel center in Colby. In my dog friendly tips post, I explain why the dog-friendly stops might not always be the best - but I will say this stop had the best bathrooms along the whole route. Onward to Golden, we had a delicious lunch at D’Deli (I highly recommend the Bommy Mommy!) and had a chance to stretch out, enjoy the first glimpse of mountain scenery and take a walk along the riverwalk. Mindy loved it! From there, it’s a short jaunt to Safeway in Frisco to stock up on groceries (Breckenridge doesn’t have many big grocery stores), and an easy contactless check-in at Ski Country. We checked in to our condo and ordered amazing tacos from Sancho (highly highly recommend, especially the Honey Fried Chicken!).

The condo was an amazing location, but know that because it’s pet-friendly, it will not offer the most top notch furnishings. Overall it seemed a bit old and in need of updates, but I will say it was absolutely sparkling clean and the private hot tub and quick access to Main Street totally made up for it.

Day 3 // A low-key day staying local

-Sleep in, and enjoy a dog walk along Main Street
-Brunch crepes at Crepes a la Cart
-Shopping, local perusing and a short walk to the Troll
-Homemade chili dinner
-Dessert at Mountain Top Cookie Shop (complete with a fox sighting!)

We knew we’d be worn out from the drive (and we were!) and adjusting to the altitude of Breckenridge, so we didn't make any plans for our first day there. We ended up giving the dog a nice long walk, ordering Crepes from Main Street and taking a short hike along a pretty trail to see the famous Troll. Along Main Street, my favorite shop is Lucille’s and I also really liked Ruby Jane. After exploring, we opted for a homemade dinner at the condo and then took a walk later on to grab some delicious cookies. Along the way, we saw fox along Main Street who was interested in Mindy, following us from a distance the whole way. :)

Day 4 // A scenic day at Blue Lakes Trail

-Homemade breakfast
-Hot Chocolate stop at the Coffee Depot
-Blue Lakes Trail picnic lunch (upper spot)
-Blue Lakes Trail walking and sightseeing
-Family photos with Lizzy Beerman Photography at Blue Lakes
-Dinner at Empire Burger

Wow, this day was amazing. Blue Lakes offers the best scenery we had during the trip, and is easily accessible by car just 20 minutes from Breck. The ride to the parking lots is bumpy and if you don’t have all wheel drive, it might be a bit tricky. There is a bit of hiking you can do if you want, but the views from the parking lot areas are just as great. This is where we saw the mountain goats! They wandered all around the parking lot and were close enough for Mindy to bark at. :) We enjoyed a picnic lunch before meeting up with a local photographer for family photos. After we got caught in some misty rain, we headed back to the condo for some relaxation time and grabbed dinner at Empire. Their fried mushrooms are so good!

Day 5 // Hiking and Relaxing

-Homemade breakfast
-Local hike to the Sawmill Reservoir
-Time to relax and enjoy a beer on our patio
-Shopping in town along Main Street
-Homemade dinner
-Dessert at Crepes a la Cart

We originally had flagged a couple longer hikes for this day, but opted for a shorter one that is accessible from town so we could bring Mindy. It took us about 2.5 hours round trip on foot straight from the condo, but it could be done a little quicker if you aren’t being so leisurely. The beginning of the hike was a bit steep, but the views at the reservoir are stunning (it’s also possible to drive to the reservoir). After we got back, we perused Main Street a bit more, cooked fajitas at home and went back for more crepes…this time sweet!

Day 6 // Scenic Driving and Local Perusing
-Breakfast at Coffee Depot
-Boreas Pass Scenic Leaf Drive
-Homemade leftovers lunch
-Short hike on part of the Illinois Creek Trail
-Shopping and ice cream at Oh Fudge
-Dinner at Sancho (again!)
-Desset at Crepes a la Cart

This is the day I would’ve done a bit differently if I were to go back. After some magical little sausage croissant rolls from the shop across the street, we packed in for the Boreas Pass Drive, one that was hyped a lot for the scenic leaf peeping. It goes to Como, but what we would’ve done differently was just go to the Continental Divide and then turn around (about halfway through). The aspen trees were honestly the prettiest at the very beginning of the drive, and past the Divide, it got so incredibly bumpy. I felt like I was in a washing machine! The views are amazing - so grand… but for me, it was such rough terrain that I would’ve been okay with just seeing the first half. After chowing down on some leftovers for lunch, we headed back to the Troll trail area for the upper Illinois section before heading back into town for ice cream and final shopping selections. We didn’t have any concrete dinner plans, so we opted for more of the Sancho tacos (they were SO good!) and had to have one last crepe since it was our last day.

Day 7 // Breckenridge, CO to St. Louis, MO

-Stop in Bennett, CO for breakfast
-Stop in Colby, KS to visit the dog park and stretch
-Stop in Salina, KS for a break
-Packed sandwich lunch en route
-Stop in Blue Springs, KS for dinner

On the way home, we decided to hightail it out early, around 7am, and returned home by 11pm. It was an extremely long drive, but worth being back in our own bed at the end of it all. I’d highly recommend with a dog to stop at travel plazas only, just for the sheer time-saving ability to get gas, food and take a bathroom break all in one stop. Especially during Covid, a lot of the food stops were drive through only.

I’d love to hear your questions or your experience if you follow this itinerary!