I’m a decade or two away from my college days, but I still know a good drink special when I see one and a good spring break town when I visit one. My top two picks for best college spring break towns in Colorado are Breckenridge and Durango.
Durango’s advantage in the spring break game is that it is a college town and that means bars cater to college kids and THAT means you can find great drink specials.
We like the Irish Embassy Pub and end up there on every trip to Durango. They have great drink specials and an active bar scene. We also like Lady Falconburgh’s. They call themselves the “Cheers” of Durango and it’s the truth. You can’t help striking up a conversation with a stranger at this beer centric bar; they have over 100 to choose from.
And speaking of beer, there are six breweries in Durango now. I had so much fun on our tour of Ska Brewery that I recommend it to everyone who heads to Durango. Read about the tour here. I also have fond memories of swinging on the back patio of Carver’s Brewing Co. in an air chair. Another great memory is of an amazing salmon sandwich at Steamworks Brewing Co. Other local breweries include Animas Brewing Co., Durango Brewing Co. and BREW Pub & Kitchen.
Hands down, the best thing about Durango isn’t the bar or brewery scene, it’s the people. It’s one of the friendliest towns in Colorado, hands down.
Oh yeah, and there’s skiing in Durango too. I haven’t been there, but check out Durango Mountain Resort while you are in town. Locals call it “Purg.”
To start planning your trip visit Durango.org.
We’ve spent quite a bit of time in Breckenridge over the years and have gotten to know the town pretty well. Of course, a lot of spring breakers visit Breck for the skiing. Unlike some other ski resorts, the town of Breckenridge and the resort blend together seamlessly so that you can literally ski off the mountain and into the bar – no need for a car here – just park it and forget it. This is convenient for families too.
Here’s a full blog post I recently wrote about things to do in Breckenridge when you aren’t skiing, but on our most recent trip we discovered a few more excellent places. I think college kids will enjoy Empire Burger and Angel’s Hallow; two joints that not only serve up huge portions of delicious food, but excellent drinks too. Angel’s Hallow is where locals go for margaritas, and yes, that’s because they are good AND strong.
We are big fans of Breckenridge’s newest brewery, Broken Compass. Locals have fallen in love with this place, especially the Coconut Porter. I like the majority of the beers here, which is unusual because I have gotten picky when it comes to microbrews. There are so many out there today.
Another plus for Breckenridge is that condos are plentiful making it easy to find a place to stay. If you stay at Beaver Run Resort, check out their free beer tasting event from 4 to 7 p.m. every Friday.
To start planning your trip visit GoBreck.com.
