Roadtrips: Breckenridge

BRECKENRIDGE - The mining-town-turned-ski-town turns 150 this year, and it's showing its age ? in a good way.

Breck isn't one of these instant Colorado tourist towns (no offense, Copper and Keystone), but one that has always balanced its contemporary flare with a solid sense of history.

The quaint, multicolored Victorian buildings that line Main Street serve as the perfect symbol for that balance.

For many of us, that cute town facade is just a gingerbread, snow-icing backdrop for us as we swoosh down the mountain. But come spring and summer, the town and its culture move into sharper focus.

Breck in the warmer seasons blossoms with not only great recreational opportunities (love the bike trail behind Main Street) but also cool shopping, dining, gallery-hopping and festivalgoing.

For music lovers, the newly renovated Riverwalk Center is the place to be. It features more than 40 classical and contemporary concerts through August, and live music can also be heard at several bars and restaurants in town.