Colorado is famous for Rocky Mountain Rainbow Trout which run in the waters of Summit County. Three streams feed into the Lake Dillon reservoir; the Snake, Upper-Blue, and Ten-Mile Creek. The Blue River is classified as a gold-medal trout fishing stream - one of Colorado's Best. Fly-casting or Spin-cast fishing in Lake Dillon right below the condo could easily net you enough Rocky Mountain Rainbow Trout for dinner. The Reservoir itself is famous for its extra large Brown Trout and Kokanee Salmon. Short term fishing licenses are inexpensive and plenty of advice and supplies are locally available including expert guides to go fishing with. You can even rent all the gear you need and purchase your license by the day.

Horseback rides are a super way to get close to nature. Many ranches offer several variations on tours, rides and mounts. The guided tours (complete with cowboys) range from one-hour rides, half-day rides, full-day, and even overnight camp-outs on the Continental Divide. Several stables offer an early sunrise ride up high into the mountains where you meet up with a chuck wagon for a hearty trail breakfast. Almost all the stables offer experienced riders unguided mounts for their own custom exploring. The owner of one Ranch allows you to freely roam his mountainous 3500 acre ranch on horseback to explore on your own. His spread overlooks the San DeCristo Range and Continental Divide. Several centers all over the county offer varied experiences from the woodland valleys to the very top of the Rocky Mountains.

Summit County has invested in over 50 miles of paved two-lane Bicycle Highways which connect the county around the lake, to the resorts and even to Vail. One of them now passes right below Marina Place at your back door. Summit County is part of the renowned annual Ride-the-Rockies bike race series. Many special events and races for cycle enthusiasts are held all summer in Summit County.

Special mountain bikes with over 16 speeds are available everywhere for inexpensive rental. They even have unique bicycle trailers available for towing along small children. The bike path system is very extensive with maps and signs. There are plenty of varied difficulty levels to suit your tastes and abilities. Some of the best views are accessed by adventurous cyclists who ride their mountain bikes on the jeep and bike trails up into the mountains. Copper Mountain has a chair lift operating in the summer to equipped to take you and your bike to the summit for an exciting and easy ride down.

For faster excitement off-road, four-wheel ATVs can be rented with or without guides by the hour, or by the day for fun exploring the back country jeep trails and off-road areas.

Just because Spring has arrived doesn't mean the fun is gone on the slopes. You can usually catch a few of the last ski runs open in the US at Arapaho Basin. You might get to ski in your shorts and T-shirt for a few runs late into June and party in the sun during "Beachin-at-the-basin" days.

Breckenridge slopes transform in the summer to a thrilling ride called the Alpine Slide. The Alpine Slide starts with a chair lift ride to the top of the mountain. You then take an exciting trip down to the bottom on a sled which rides a winding track down the ski slopes. All resorts operate a few chair lifts up mountains in the summer for a fantastic view of the mountains and surrounding valleys. Some are equipped to take your mountain bike up with you for an easy ride down. Keystone offers a Gondola ride to the summit where you can have an appetizing lunch in beautiful surroundings. A down-hill hike through the forest with a guided nature tour is also available.

One of the most enjoyable experiences you can have is 4x4 exploring. The Arapaho National Forest is criss-crossed by many jeep trails strictly cut and marked for 4-Wheel drive vehicles. Some can be travelled by car but most are for Four-Wheeling only. These trails cut deep into un-explored territories and elevations that only the four-wheelers can get to. There are Ghost Towns, Gold Mines, and completely secluded valleys. You can travel for hours in the forest up the steep and rocky trails and not see a person, only nature; windflowers, trees, lots of babbling brooks and roaring streams with snow-covered mountains. A drive up any of the Divide trails is sure to come upon some un-melted snow drifts beside the road. In these secluded areas of the forest you can have a picnic lunch, explore the deserted mining camps, and even try your hand at panning up some gold. You can even throw a summertime snowball while wearing a T-Shirt.

Watch closely as you enter the ghost towns to see the hidden residents sneak peaks to "check you out". The abandoned towns are usually inhabited by Yellow-Bellied Marmots, Prairie Dogs, Chipmunks and Striped Ground Squirrels.

Four-Wheel drive vehicles can be rented at Denver International Airport when you arrive, or you can rent one up in the mountains. For those who just like to ride, there are several jeep tour operators who give excellent guided tours through the back-country.

The Arapaho, White, San Isabel, Gore and Ten-Mile Range National forests have an incredible system of hiking trails throughout the vast wooded areas and mountains of the region. These trails are part of a vast network of trails in the state which challenge the Colorado "Fourteeners"-(Peaks who pierce the sky at over 14,000 ft). Most of the trailheads can be accessed by car. Hiking is also available on all of the jeep trails and scenic trails created for cross-country skiers in the winter.

Summit and the surrounding counties have a system of mountain pass roads which connect the neighboring towns and villages. Some of the most scenic roads are closed in the Winter to allow only snowmobile and cross-country ski traffic. In the Summer these winding roads, often built on historic railroad right-of-ways, open to allow cars to literally pass over the tops of mountains through the most scenic areas in Colorado. Most of these passes are listed as US Scenic highways. Boreas Pass, Hoosier Pass, and Even I-70 in Summit County are listed by AAA as some of the best scenic roads in the USA. A lot of wildlife can be seen from trails and the side of the road including Marmots, Kits, Coyotes, Prairie Dogs, Moose, Mule Deer, Elk, Antelope and Mountain Goats.

There is a lot to be found within an hour drive from Dillon. To the North, the Rocky Mountain National Forest is only about 50 minutes away along a scenic drive past Lake Granby and the Colorado river. The Forest and Skyline drive across the mountains has such abundant wildlife it's a must-visit on your trip. Take plenty of film...you will meet lots of wildlife up close in spectacular settings for plenty of photos. There is Lake Granby and the little town of Heney, famous for its tick festival.

To the West is historic Leadville where the wild west silver mining history abounds. The Leadville Mountain Railroad runs during the summer for a trip to the Climax mining areas and an overlook of the valley. Leadville's history was recently featured on a Discovery Channel program. Light plane charters leaving the highest airport in the US provide some fantastic views of the scenes.

To the South, a trip over Boreas Pass or Hoosier Pass takes you over the Divide to Fairplay and Alma. Fairplay has a collection of authentic western buildings in a town setting to visit. It is also an excellent place to try your hand at panning up some gold of your own. If you don't pan up enough for your vacation, you might try catching some trout for dinner instead. On a day trip further south, there is Royal Gorge, Pikes Peak, Florescent Fossil beds, Cave of the winds, Garden of the Gods and other fantastic natural and amusement attractions.

To the East is historic Georgetown, an original western gold mining town. The Georgetown Railroad with steam locomotives takes you over some exciting mountain railroad bridges and winds up the mountains to a reopened mine and restored mining camp. The trip can include a mine tour of the extensive Georgetown Mine. There is plenty more to do further east including Aro Grande Mines, Central City, Coors, Golden, Look-out Mountain, Buffalo Bill history and even the attractions and museums of Denver.

For a little Wild West adventure, why not take a free 50 minute shuttle to Central City and Blackhawk. It is only there that Colorado law has now allowed old west gambling to flourish again in a once near-abandoned ghost town. These twin cities are jam packed with exciting gambling casinos 24hrs a day. Several well known gaming parlors are there including The Silver Slipper and Baby Doe's Silver Dollar. Watch out for them there one-arm bandits!

There are five beautiful high altitude golf courses located within a few minutes drive. They all have reasonable rates and a spectacular setting. Each course is completely different. High altitude golf is different too! You can play as much as two clubs less in the thinner drier air, and drive the ball farther than you ever have before. It is an experience to play on beautiful scenic course surrounded by the snow-capped Rocky Mountains.

All of the courses open in May and remain open into the Fall. When the Aspen leaves change in September and October and the snow starts to dust the high-mountain peaks it can create some of the most spectacular golf courses in the world.

On your way from or to the airport stop for a while at the world famous Coors Brewery just off the highway in Golden Colorado. The free tour is an interesting way to see one of the only breweries in the world to have the entire process at one site. At the end of the tour the taps flow for free samples of all the fine Coors beers in their VIP lounge.

Bring an empty suitcase if you like to shop. Breckenridge is a shopping village filled with everything from geological specimens to art galleries. This old Victorian town is filled with historical buildings and lots of beautiful flowers. Dillon has nearby Silverthorne Manufacturers Outlet Mall - where great deals abound. People travel all the way from Denver for the bargains here.

There are many excellent Philharmonic, Jazz, Country and Contemporary music festivals throughout the summer. There are plenty of fairs, parades, and races held in Dillon and surrounding towns. The Dillon Pack Burro race and Heeney Tick Festival are famous annual events, along with Frisco and Dillon celebrations around the Fourth of July. Dillon Marina & Yacht Club sanctions numerous sailing regattas every weekend and conducts nature programs in the nearby Amphitheater such as the popular Coyote program that will be repeated this summer.

Right by the condo in downtown Dillon you can play a game of tennis, go to the movies, bowl a game at the Dillon Bowl, or sip a cool one and dance at several popular night spots. Of course if this is all too much, you can always stay home at Marina Place, take a swim in the pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, or just sit out on the balcony and read a book and watch for the hummingbirds on the balcony feeder or in the flowers below. At night you can take a cool walk by the lake, or build a fire in the Fireplace.

At Marina Place 137 you really are at home, at the center of things.

For more Information Call: Chuck Couture, (407) 595-9995 home