where was the opening scene of christmas vacation filmed

The opening driving scene of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation —where the Griswolds tangle with a logging truck on the way to get their tree—was filmed on Colorado Highway 9 between Silverthorne, Frisco, and Breckenridge in Summit County, Colorado.

Main filming spot

• The specific road used for the opening “logging truck” sequence is Colorado (County) Highway 9 , in the stretch between Frisco and Breckenridge , near Silverthorne in Summit County, Colorado.

• These mountain highway shots stand in for the Griswolds’ drive “into the country” outside Chicago, even though they were actually filmed in Colorado’s high country.

The giant Christmas tree moment

• The scene where the Griswolds stand in front of the enormous Christmas tree after the drive was filmed at the Breckenridge Golf Course/Highlands area off Tiger Road, also in Breckenridge, Colorado.

• The car’s big “landing” after the wild drive was also done around this golf course area near Georgia Pass on Tiger Road.

SEO notes

• Focus keyword used: where was the opening scene of christmas vacation filmed (plus supporting mentions of “filmed in Colorado” and “Summit County”).

• Meta-style description: The opening scene of Christmas Vacation was filmed on Colorado Highway 9 between Silverthorne, Frisco, and Breckenridge, with the giant tree sequence at Breckenridge Golf Course in Summit County, Colorado.

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