Three things I love: unique art, colorful lighting, and amazing food. I managed to experience all 3 in the second half of my last day with Dasha in Colorado.
Little did I know, this was going to be my last few hours of true domestic travel for a while. With physical distancing about to hit the United States a week later, I am so grateful that I had such an amazing experience the night before I flew back to Miami.
In this post, learn all about the Ice Castles in Dillon, CO. I share many of my favorite photos from the experience. I also drool over the amazing meal we had in a small Colorado town on our way back to Denver. All around this was a 10/10 experience and I’m so excited to share it with you!
What Are The Ice Castles
Ice Castles are an attraction in North America that includes sculptures, caves, caverns, tunnels, and walkways carved out of ice.
The ice castles are constructed by professional ice artists who hand-place and shape thousands of icicles in the structures you see. Inlaid throughout the frozen sculptures are LED lighting that creates a gorgeous light show experience that is best viewed on an evening visit.
The experience is an art exhibit, fun playground, and photo opportunity wrapped in one!
Where Are The Ice Castles
You can visit Ice Castles in 1 Canadian province (Alberta) and 5 different states: Colorado, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Utah, Wisconsin.
The Ice Castles in Colorado are located in the town of Dillon. This town is near Breckenridge, where Dasha and I explored earlier in the day. I am sure Dillon has some other points of interest but we didn’t stay or try to see anything else in Dillon. The Ice Castles are the major attraction for us.
Best Time To Visit The Ice Castles
Dasha and I visited on the weekend. We got our tickets in advance because they can sell out quickly. This may not have been the best weekend to go in terms of crowds because it was the last weekend of the season.
The ice castles cost different rates depending on day of the week and age. Adults tickets to the ice castles cost about $17 for weekday visits and $21 for weekend visits. For children, ice castle tickets are $12 and $16, respectively.
We also wanted to make sure we got tickets for day time but approaching sunset. The setting sun and evening lights are a part of the experience!
What To Wear To The Ice Castles
I recommend dressing warmly and as if you are going to play in snow. The longer you stay, the colder you will be so layers are great.
I was already wearing snow gear from hiking earlier. This worked out well. I had hiking boots, snow pants, jacket, and thick socks. Gloves are a good idea, too, since you may end up touching the ice or snow.
Microspikes are allowed at the Ice Castles. They are not necessary but they will help you stabilize on some of the slippery parts of the experience.
What To Expect At The Ice Castles
Since we went on a weekend day, there were definitely a lot of people at the Ice Castles. But people were really nice about waiting their turn and getting out of the way for photos. It just took some time and communication with the other guests to make it work. Personally, I enjoy the exchange that comes from “You want me to take a photo of you, too?” after someone offers to take mine.
There are a lot of little kids at the Ice Castles. They will be adorable in their snow outfits but you definitely have to watch out for them as you’re walking around!
There is a small slide when you walk in and another large one on the opposite side from the entrance. The line took about 20 minutes for the longer slide, but it was definitely worth the wait! It’s a double slide so Dasha and I “raced” each other down it.
Check out the video below which includes the 2 slides!
There are spots to walk up onto the castle but mostly you’ll be walking along snowy pathways below and through the structure. There are lots of little hidden gems. So take your time walking through. Follow the walls and look for secret tunnels. Double back on places you’ve been before, especially as the sun changes positions in the sky and reveals new colors and sights.
As the evening settled in, there was a fire show in one section of the castles. A few fire performers from a troupe called Insphyre set up and wowed a growing crowd. It was very cool to see the contrast of fire against ice. Yes, the Game of Thrones reference to “A Song of Ice and Fire” was bouncing through my head the whole time!
Once the sun has dipped below the horizon, the LED lighting throughout the ice sculptures comes alive. The water fountains now spewed lime and purple light. Areas that seemed like a plain wall before come alive with colored lights. Some of the structures pulse or shift along to the beat of music.
Taking Ice Castle Photos
The best idea was going to the Ice Castles at sunset. The lighting was gorgeous through the icicles. And I loved the chance to see the structures both during the daytime and at night when it comes alive with colorful lights!
There are many spots for photo opportunities around the Ice Castles. Our favorites were probably the thrones where we felt like we were Ice Queens or characters in Game of Thrones. I can see cosplayers or people in costume having a really fun time taking photographs with these sculptures!
I made sure to use light as much as I could while I walked around for photos before the sun set. The light coming through the ice making bright turquoise colors was so beautiful!
Photos through ice also came out really funny sometimes. Dasha and I had a good time experimenting with it.
I also got down on my knees and tried for up angled photos often. The impressiveness of these structures does not always translate well in photos but this angle helps capture their epic feel.
Looking up while walking through or between sculptures often revealed new visuals to see. The shape of the opening above to the sky, the icicles protruding downward from walls, and LED light shows embedded in the ceilings made for a new way to take in and capture the experience.
At dusk and after dark is when you can capture the colorful lighting inlaid into the ice sculptures. You’ll need a steady hand, a tripod or otherwise the ability to adjust shutter speed to capture the scene crisply. I managed to get some fun shots before my toes froze!
A Hot Meal After Ice Castles
Dasha was too cold to stay with me toward the end of my ice castle experience. The average guest typically stays about 30 minutes to an hour. I spent almost 2 in total.
I pushed through the cold that began setting into my toes because I was determined to see the ice castles at night. By the time I reached the car, Dasha was toasty warm with the heater on. A warm car was a perfect way to come back and begin the drive home—thanks, Dasha!
At this point, Dasha and I had only ate some snacks for lunch. We were ready for a real meal, especially a hot meal washed down with some alcohol.
I had a very specific vision of a place I hoped to find. In my mind, this place looked or felt like the tavern in Bree from the Lord of the Rings. Someplace wooden. Someplace warm. Someplace serving hearty meals and stiff brew.
We managed to find a little mining town called Idaho Springs with some places still open. The town has a population under 2,000. It was founded during the gold rush period and is better known today for its nearby radium hot springs.
After trying the doors of several closed establishments, we finally found Clear Creek Cidery & Eatery. It was everything I could have hoped for and more!
I am a huge fan of cider—it’s basically my go-to—so this was a serendipitous find. I also said to Dasha on the drive over “I just want a delicious vegetarian stew.” She proceeded to tell me about Colorado’s famous Green Chili. To our delight, Clear Creek had several versions of green chili on the menu! We both ordered a bowl and shared half of a chicken cider burger with a side of sauteed mushrooms.
We washed the meal down with a sampling platter of 9 different ciders. OH-MY-GAWD. This meal was absolute chef’s kiss. Maybe it hit the spot because we were so cold all day and so hungry by this point. Maybe it was because we had that small town feel and an awesome, tatted local about our age who served us. Or maybe this really was the best fucking meal I’ve ever had. Because it truly was so good.
Also, wow. I really just miss eating out at a restaurant!
Not to mention, I totally got that Bree-like feel sitting inside this place. Dasha and I kept commenting how perfect and warm and relaxed it was.
To top it all off, I went to the bathroom in the back and their sign was fun and inclusive. Amazing for a small, south-western town! I hope to go back one day.
In Conclusion
Everything about Ice Castles was an epic experience from the beauty of the ice sculptures, the awesome photos we got, the amazing lighting inlaid into the ice. And Cedar Creek Cidery & Eatery served a dynamite meal to top off an already awesome weekend!
This was such a lovely way to end my experience visiting Dasha in Colorado. I am especially grateful for this top notch experience since this was right before COVID-19 quarantine hit.
I can’t wait for the opportunity to travel again. It just may be that local experiences are all I get in the coming months. Tune in to find out what I explore while physical distancing in the near future.
