Aspen Colorado, Things to Do

 

Aspen Colrado and All the Things to Do!

If you know anything about me, then you know I always call Vail, CO our happy place.  I have done numerous posts on visiting Vail, things to do and fabulous places to stay.  But I have to admit, Aspen Colorado has rivaled my happy place.  Admitting this has shocked me to the core!  Because I thought I knew what I loved! It is definitely a spectacular place to visit if you ever have the opportunity!  Here is our adventures in Aspen Colorado and things to do!

Aspen, July 2019

I decided my hubby and I were going to make a trek to Aspen this year as it had been 10 years since out last visit.  Yup, TEN whole years!  And I wanted to try something out of the norm and maybe get a travel review done too!  As it takes us almost 4 hours to drive to Aspen we decided to make it a long weekend and do some stops along the way!

Getting To and From Aspen

There are 2 ways to get to Aspen Colorado from the Denver metro area.  At least in the summer months.  You can either take Interstate 70 or you can take Independence Pass.  We took I70 so we could stop in Vail for a quick power walk and breakfast at our favorite restaurant, The Little Diner.  Yes, it is worth it!  But Vail is also the half way point between Denver and Aspen.  So it is a great place to stop and stretch your legs!  On the way home we took Independence Pass, but we will talk about that terrifying experience a little later!

Aspen Colorado and Things To Do

Where to begin!  There is so much to do in Aspen!  But let’s start with some basics!

• Hiking!  There are tons of hiking trails throughout and around Aspen.  Maroon Bells is the most popular as it is the most photographed area in the Rocky Mountain Region.  However, to get there you need to take a bus.  All the mass transit is FREE, but they no longer allow people to drive to the Maroon Bell trail head during normal hours due to the popularity.  But it is easy enough to hop on and off the bus or shuttle to take in the scenic views!
• John Denver Sanctuary Gardens.  We stumbled upon this little gem while on our morning power walk.  And I am extremely grateful we did!  It was absolutely amazing!  These fabulous gardens had water features, flowers of every type and a grass amphitheater with boulders for seating.  It was done well with a ton of creativity!
• Paragliding and hot air balloons!  Each morning while we took our walk there were numerous para-gliders in the air coming off the mountain peaks.  It was not only thrilling but such a treat to watch!  And the hot air balloon rides we will be doing next time!  It is on my bucket list, but I did not make reservations in time!
• Bike rentals and mountain biking.  There are several places around town in which you can rent bicycles for whatever fits your fancy!  And there are several mountain biking trails for you to enjoy at every level.
• The Arts:  there are dozens of art galleries and museums in Aspen.  You can schedule to take a guided tour through many of them.  They also host music and food festivals!  Check out the Aspen Chamber of Commerce calendar HERE to see what the upcoming events are!
• Farmer’s Market!  This was another wonderful surprise!  We came across the farmer’s market on Saturday morning.  They had a wonderful variety of vendors with bakery items, fruits, veggies, a petting zoo and more!  It was 2 blocks of vendors and we had a great time visiting each one and spending way more money than we needed to!
• For the kids!  The recreational center is huge!  And is such a delight for families!  With a lazy river and more, it is the perfect place to spend a day or afternoon before going out for dinner!
• Shopping!  Dior, Prada, Luis Vuitton, Gucci, Gorsuch and much more.  So come prepared to spend money, because the best of the best of shopping is here!

I know I have not named everything a visit to Aspen has to offer, but these were our top 9 activities!

Aspen Hotels

My favorite part!  We decided to stay in a loft condominium at the Aspen Square Condominium complex on this visit.  We had stayed here one other time and it was even better than I remember!  The room itself was a nice size with a king bed and pull out couch.  We also had a small kitchen and balcony.  The closet and bathroom were a little tight, however, for a long weekend it worked perfectly!  Check out my video to see pictures of the room!

What I loved about Aspen Square was that they hosted a happy hour on Friday afternoon from 4-6 p.m.  They served some great snacks, beer, wine and other non-alcoholic beverages. It was a lovely way to start the weekend!

They Helped You Stay Hydrated!

The other thing they did was provide ice water, lemonade and a water to help oxygenate your blood all day.  With a plate of cookies too!  This was something new since the last time we were there and it was a nice touch! And if you did not know, altitude sickness can be an issue!  So it is very important to stay hydrated!

Amenities

The amenities on property were lovely.  They have a small fitness area (but who wants to work out inside when you can do so much outside!) 2 hot tubs and a beautifully appointed pool. They also had a fire pit and numerous chairs/tables to sit out on the patio.

If you are wanting more of a hotel atmosphere then I suggest the Hotel Jerome or the Little Nell.  We have had the privilege of staying at both and they are truly amazing properties.  The Hotel Jerome is a historic building that was recently purchased and completely renovated.  And it is amazing.  The Little Nell is newer and sophisticated.  Be prepared to spend $600 or more per night at either of these properties, depending on the season.  But they are well worth it!  The Aspen Square Condos were about $400 and up a night. And you could do 2 night stays.  The Little Nell had a 4 night minimum and the Hotel Jerome was completely booked!  So book early for the best selection!

Places to Eat in Aspen Colorado!

I have so much to say about this subject!  My husband and I are total foodies!  We love going to nice restaurants and it doesn’t scare us to spend a chunk of change on a good meal with impeccable service!  So when we go somewhere on vacation, we look for great food that will hopefully provide great service too!  In Aspen, we hit the jackpot!

J Bar

On Friday we spent the early afternoon (before going to the happy hour at Aspen Square!) at the J Bar in the Hotel Jerome, located on Main Street.  They have homemade tortilla chips that were awesome!  And the guacamole and salsa were excellent too!  With an extensive (to me!) beer list and a lovely selection of wines, we enjoyed ourselves immensely! And the bar staff was knowledgeable and friendly.  As the bartender has lived in Aspen for 16 years, it was great to talk to someone about all the changes that happened since the last time we were there!  Like the closing of our favorite breakfast place 3-4 years ago!

The Wild Fig

For a late dinner we went to The Wild Fig!  Located on E Hyman Ave in central Aspen, it is a great location if you are staying in downtown Aspen!  Again, we sat at the bar wanting something light before we headed back to the where we were staying.  And it did not disappoint!  We had the fig salad and the scallops!  They were divine!  And dessert was the best part!  A light and fluffy vanilla cheesecake with a peach compote.  Definitely one of the best cheesecakes I have ever eaten!

I Saved the BEST Restaurant for Last!

Tatanka Western Bistro

I saved the best for last!  We happened upon a restaurant called Tatanka Western Bistro on our walk Saturday.  So we decided to give it a whirl on Saturday night.  And I am so grateful we took a chance on it.  At the time of this post there were only 10 reviews on Google and they were all 5 star.  With only 5 reviews we were a little nervous about trying it, but OMG!  The reviews were right on and the restaurant had only opened 3 weeks prior to our visit!

Good Service

First, I just want to say that good service is extremely important to us.  We like our cocktails at dinner and we expect good service for the generous tips we leave.  I used to be a server in college at an exclusive restaurant, so I expect a certain level of service and our tips start at 20% and go up or down accordingly!  Again, we sat in the bar area and had an amazing server by the name of Casey!  He was attentive and talkative, which we like!

Our Server, Casey

Casey’s food selections were fabulous too!  We loved everything we had!  And the rock shrimp and calamari was the best!  Like ever!  No lie, it had an amazing salsa diablo negro sauce that rocked! And the rock shrimp and calamari was tender, not chewy!  The Cesar salad had corn in it!  And I believe is was a southwest Cesar type dressing, either way, it was fabulous! And don’t even get me started on the dinner selections!  Shane had the short rib which was tender and juicy!  And packed full of flavor!  I had the fried eggplant.  I would like to say that I make an amazing eggplant Parmesan that we have yet to find a restaurant can rival.  That is until now.

I was blown away by how delicious the eggplant and the sauce were.  It was amazing! Our dessert of churros with chocolate for dipping was even mind blowing!  We will be returning to Aspen this fall just to go to this restaurant!  That is how good it was!

Independence Pass

As I stated earlier, we took Independence Pass home. As the highest paved mountain pass in Colorado, this pass is a scary experience and not for those that fear heights.  Or those faint of heart!  With its highest point at 12,095 feet above sea level, there are truly breath taking views.  However, the tight turns, one lane passes and having the guard rail (when there is one) almost in your lap, it was a white knuckle experience!  Named as one of the scariest drives in the world (more than once!) Independence Pass is a spectacular sight to see.  Due to adverse weather conditions it is only open from Memorial day through the fall when the snow starts to fly!  So be sure to make sure it is open if you decide to take the ride!

In Conclusion

Aspen Colorado is a fabulous town that caters to everyone, but it has held onto it’s old town charm.  As we love Vail, it definitely has a much “newer” vibe and Aspen Colorado has been able to retain a western vibe with an upscale flair.  Very upscale flair! This is someplace that you should put on your bucket list to visit.  It is definitely worth  going  to Aspen Colorado and trying all the things to do!

 

 

 

Looking just for a hotel? Hotels.com is the only website I use to save money.  And for every 10 nights you get one night free!

More importantly, thank you for spending your time here at Colorado Kelly!  I love having you here and appreciate everyone that visits and look forward to having you back soon!

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