Plan your Breckenridge Family Reunion

My extended family always has the best intentions of planning a reunion to somewhere beautiful (ahem, Breckenridge) where we can all bunk up in a big house and reconnect over a few days. And yet, despite all the “YES! Let’s make it happen” talk, we’re now going on a decade-plus of reunion-free summers.

Here’s why: planning can be a pain, especially when planning for a large, diverse group of people.

Which is why I was pretty psyched to discover that Breckenridge Group Sales has taken the headache out of planning a big group event. I just got off the phone with Tate Santee of Breckenridge Group Sales, and now a reunion seems not only possible, but also enjoyable.

Insider knowledge and discounts
So exactly how does one entertain Grandma Marge, the toddling new granddaughter, cousins Percy and Mable, your brother, Joe, and his wife—not to mention you, your tween-age twins, and the rest of the clan during a Breckenridge family reunion? Start by getting Tate or his partner on the phone.

Longtime residents of Breckenridge, they have a ready-made menu of potential activities that include (but is definitely NOT limited to):

• Summer Fun Park
• Gold Runner Coaster
• Alpine Superslide
• TenMile Flyer Zipline (new this year!)
• Jeep tours
• Guided hiking
• Offroad Segway tours
• Scenic chairlift rides
• Gemstone panning

Not into “Activity” with a capital “A”? No problem. The team will not only point you to the best restaurants and shops in town for your group, they will do everything they can to make it easy for all of you to get there without hassle.

Not a concierge
“There are two places where we excel: price and service,” Santee says. “We can walk you through what you want, what you need, and how to book it.”

They are also able to help reduce the costs of activities and lodging through securing group discounts. Depending on the activity, lodging desires, and size of the group, they can help knock a significant amount off the total price.

More than that, they can help the group find exactly the right thing for that particular crew.

“For lodging, we work seamlessly with our Breckenridge properties and closely with our town partners to find the right place,” says Santee. “Once I know what they’re looking for, I know all the right questions to figure out what is important to that group, and then I pass it along to our lodging partners, who will check availability and respond directly to guests.”

Qualifications
So how to get in on this lovely group sales service?

Get 20 (or more) of your closest friends/family members/club members and designate a leader who will be responsible for providing the payment (Santee says they prefer to have one form of payment for the entire group). Then go to the Breckenridge Group Planning website and fill out the initial form, ideally well in advance of your visit (at least 48 hours before). Or call group sales directly at 970-453-3234.

Passion
And if you’re still on the fence, consider what makes a reunion in Breckenridge unique. “It’s a 150-year-old Victorian mining town!” says Santee. “There is literally something for everyone here. We’ve found a lot of people just want to come up and be in the mountains and experience nature. Whatever their desire, here you have a historic mining town plus mountain activities plus white water rafting. There’s so much to do. You could never do it all.”

Which is why, naturally, you’ll have to come back.

– Rachel Walker