“A Little Place Called Aspen”

In this episode of “I have to get out of town but can’t go overseas because of COVID,” we’re visiting the crown jewel of Colorado luxury destinations, a little place called Aspen.

Taking just a week away to visit Colorado, we spent three nights and four days in what is my new favorite Colorado summer destination, but here are a few things you should know.

Getting There

There are a few different ways that you can get to Aspen, however the most obvious is to fly directly into Aspen, or to fly into Denver and then drive the rest of the way… I mean, who doesn’t enjoy a nice view while in the car? A less obvious alternative is horseback, but that might have been preferable to what happened to us.

We chose to fly into Denver, rent a car, and then drive the brief 3.5 hours west to Aspen. It was an easy drive, scenic, and validated our choice to save on flight cost by going into Denver rather than Aspen. That was at least until it was time to go back to Denver, in which case the Colorado wildfires and a couple of jack-knifed tractor-trailers forced the closure of I-70, sending us way out of our way with a nearly nine-hour drive.

The moral of the story, cheaper isn’t always better, so drive Colorado at your own risk.

Stay

We’re big fans of utilizing hotel loyalty programs and with multiple Marriott concept hotels to choose from, we opted to stay at the W Aspen. The staff was very friendly and helpful, the location was perfectly walkable to everything in Aspen Village, and the amenities were excellent. I’ll share more about our experience at the W in another post.

Another hotel option that landed on our radar once we arrived, however, was the Hotel Jerome. While we did not see any of the rooms at this historical hotel, the lobby was next level. We did get drinks and some bites at the outdoor dining concept for the hotel.

Experience

With just three days in the Aspen area, I had to make an effort not to overschedule us as I’m known to do, so I wanted to pick a singular activity that would be memorable and fun for both of us. I chose Stand-up Paddle-boarding (SUP) at North Star Nature Preserve just outside of town. That said, due to a drought in Colorado, the water is very low, and use is somewhat restricted, but we still very much enjoyed the experience!

Shop

Hello, vacation! I’ll be the first to admit that Aspen is not what I would consider being a “budget” destination, although you can be frugal. Part of what I loved about Aspen was the high-end shopping experience that I don’t have back home, so you might say that window shopping is a favored leisure activity for me. That said, there are a variety of stores and if you look hard enough you might still find some solid gold nugget deals. I purchased a vintage suede jacket that I found at an antique store, and also splurged a little bit and got a custom Stetson hat from Kemo Sabe.

Eat

Come hungry and leave happy by taking advantage of the diverse food scene in Aspen. Since we're not made of money and in the interest of being frugal, we utilized a daily dining credit at our hotel which we used for breakfasts in exchange for declining housekeeping service, this saved us about $50 per day.

For lunches, we mainly stuck to budget-friendly sandwich shops and gastropubs, but what would a vacation be without the occasional spendy evening out? Not frugal by any measure, but worth every penny, we did treat ourselves at a French Pan-American restaurant called Betula. With a romantic/modern vibe, Betula is a great option for special occasions or date nights and is the perfect option for dinner or dessert and a nightcap, I highly recommend it!

Tips & Summary

Of the things I wish had known or done differently concerning the planning of our weekend getaway to this destination, I present you with the following list:

Don’t be cheap - Fly into the Aspen airport and save yourself time and potential driving headaches
Don’t rent a car - You do not need a car if staying in Aspen village and parking is both limited and expensive (particularly during the winter ski season)
Leave your nice high heels at home ladies - The brick roads and walkways will murder the material and caps of your more delicate spiked heels
Expect to pay 20% or more for everything, because it’s Aspen
Give yourself time to relax and take in the scene - Aspen was made for people watching so give yourself time to get bored of sitting at sidewalk cafes or in the hot tub while taking in the mountain views!

Questions or comments? Leave me a note below!