So how did Breckenridge, Colorado turn up on this list of "undiscovered places?" Everyone's heard of Breckenridge.
Correction. Everyone's heard of Breckenridge Resort.
Yet visitors to the area rarely get past the mountain, except when they want to shop till they drop in the shops on Main Street.
News flash!
There's more to the Town of Breckenridge than mountains and kitsch boutiques ... really.
Rather than hit the slopes on your first day, why not explore some of the historic sites of Breckenridge. If nothing else, it's a more cultured way to acclimate to the altitude than stumbling around with an oxygen mask.
The Barney Ford Museum is a good place to get some perspective on the challenges life throws at us. What's a wipe out on mogul field compared to the trials and tribulations of a runaway slave? The Barney Ford Museum is located at 111 Washington Street. It's about a 15-minute walk from the mountain, but you can handle it, as long as you lose the ski boots ... please.
Barney Ford had the misfortune of being born into slavery in 1822. He grew up on the plantations of South Carolina with a man of the theatre as his owner. This proved to be of great benefit to Ford, who was determined to free himself from slavery. Unbeknownst to old master, Ford was teaching himself to read and write. He was also copying his vocal inflections, so that he would one day talk "like a white person." The museum has copies of the books he used to teach himself to read and write.
At age 18, Ford's master sold him as a waiter for a Mississippi Steamboat. As luck would have it, with the help of the Underground Railroad, Ford escaped and headed to Chicago. A few years later, he was married. Like many people of that era, he and his wife became enticed by rumors of gold in the West. However, when their boat stopped in a town called Greytown, Nicaragua, they decided to stay and open a hotel. A few years later, threats of war inspired them to leave.
The next stop was Denver, where he opened a barbershop. However, he was still gung-ho on gold. Unfortunately, being African American, he was not allowed to stake his own claim. A "friendly lawyer" offered to stake the claim for him and give him the profits. That turned out to be a lie. The sleazoid lawyer kept the profits for himself. To add insult to injury, white prospectors who came to the area without finding gold accused Ford of burying it off the side of the mountain. They called the area "Nigger Hill." Nice, huh? Fortunately, in 1964, the name was changed to Barney Ford Hill.
Okay, this is interesting, but what does it have to do with Breckenridge. Well, in 1863, Ford's barbershop was burnt in a fire. Not one to be set back by a "minor" mishap, he managed to borrow $9,000 to open a restaurant in Breckenridge. Within months, Ford's Restaurant and Chop House was a huge success. When a fire damaged the restaurant (anyone see a pattern here?) Ford rebuilt it and named it The Saddle Rock. Although it no longer exists, the Saddle Rock had a longer successful run than the average restaurant in modern Breckenridge.
Although you can no longer visit the restaurant, you can drop in on Barney Ford's house, which is right next to the restaurant's former location. The house gives the word "quaint" a whole new meaning. The Ford's hired the best architects in Breckenridge for its construction. From the moment you enter, you will be struck by the enormous amount of detail. In fact, anyone with ADD might have a serious time focusing. There is much to see, and many of the objects have their own story. The guides who conduct the free tour are extremely knowledgeable. Suggestion: Let them conduct the entire tour and at the end, ask questions about specific objects. Otherwise, impatient folks might get annoyed that you're making the tour too long.
The various rooms of the house seem to be perfectly planned. The wallpaper of each room seems to be chosen to harmonize with the intricate rugs, pictures and furniture. China cabinets display elegant china and an interesting assortment of knick-knacks. The overall impressions you get are of someone very wealthy and well educate; perhaps more so than the typical modern-day Colorado ski bum.
The picture of Barney Ford that hangs on the wall may also struck you as interesting. If he wanted to, he could pass for Caucasian. However, he chose not to, thereby breaking the stereotypes of what black people look like. Eventually, Ford played a major role in the education of blacks in Colorado.
As long as you're in the neighborhood, go to The Backstage Theatre up the block from the Barney Ford House. Don't be a snob! The performances are quite good, and many of the actors are former New Yorkers who got sick of doing cattle call auditions. Now they're being paid to act. The Backstage has a diverse and exciting repertory. Eat dinner at Angel's Hollow, located on Ridge Street, next to the Backstage Theatre. It looks like a dive, but it's not. Locals just make it look that way to keep the tourist crowds away. The food is great, especially the coconut shrimp. The owner makes his own citrus salsa. Locals have been begging him to can it and sell it, or at least give out the recipe. He refuses. Claims he makes it up each time. Go figure.
