Have you heard of Dillon, CO?  Dillon, Colorado is our best kept secret…

I moved to Summit County for the winter, and stayed for the Summer.  We had moved up from the front range during the recession to get away from our old life.  The move seemed like the perfect response to an economy gone bad.

In the first six months of full time Summit County living, we learned so much.  Although we had sailed on Lake Dillon, we didn’t realize the other things to do in Dillon. 

Dillon is in the heart of Summit County, about 90 minutes from Denver International Airport.  You can get to Breckenridge in about 30 minutes via Swan Mountain Rd or the Dillon Dam Road.  It is a tiny local town with about 942 full time voting residents and the rest are vacation homes.

The town borders Lake Dillon and has my favorite views in Summit County.  I had never noticed Dillon as a visitor and have loved learning all of the things there are to do in Dillon, CO.

My first surprise were the concerts held at the Lake Dillon Amphitheater.  This little concert venue attracts some pretty awesome artists.

My friends, Tom and Bonnie and I have watched the Breckenridge National Repertory Orchestra on several occasions.  I’ve heard The String Cheese Incident on stage and the Indigo Girls once made an appearance.

Our friends Sarah and John took us out once in their race boat on a lovely concert evening.   We listened to Michael Franti’s concert while enjoying champagne.   The sunset between Peak One and Buffalo Mountain was the most beautiful I’d ever seen.

Another amazing and fun event in Dillon is the Friday Farmers’ Market.  Vendors from all over the nation sell their wears on the shores of Lake Dillon. You can find anything from hatch green chilis to fancy artistic paintings.

To fully enjoy the Dillon Farmers’ Market, ride from Frisco to Dillon (about 20 minutes on the bike path).  This is where fun meets productivity.  Load up your backpack with tamales for dinner and western slope peaches cobbler.

As you ride home through Breckenridge, you can put in about 19 miles of riding, and check off grocery shopping on your to do list. 

I remember the first time I ran from Frisco to Dillon…only 7 miles or so, and had to take the Summit shuttle back to Frisco.  The shuttle is what really influenced us to rent our first sailboat on Lake Dillon. The views on my way back from Dillon to Frisco on that shuttle were breathtaking…and just like that, I was hooked on Lake Dillon. 

If you are any kind of a sailor, you have to sail Lake Dillon.  It is the only place where we’ve dipped the tip of our main sail in the water on a hard heel. The wind funnels between the mountains and you can go from 0-60 in about 5 seconds and then come to a screeching halt in the middle of the islands.

One of my favorite memories was Girl’s Night Out pontoon night. We picked up the pontoon rental around 3pm…cooler full of champagne and snacks planning for a relaxing afternoon on the water.  Life is what happens while we are making plans.

A rain storm blew in and we returned to Dillon drenched thru our clothes, teeth chattering and looking like drowned rats. Fortunately, Pug Ryans was open and we warmed up to the music of Leon Littlebird over peppermint hot chocolates.

If you haven’t been on Lake Dillon or visited The Town of Dillon…you’ve got something special to put on your bucket list. 

Did I mention it’s also the best housing deal in Summit County?  That’s for another story…but you can check out today’s home prices in Dillon here.