Going to Aspen with the bf in March for a ski vacation. It's our first trip there, and I'd love recommendations of things to do. We're staying 4 nights at the St. Regis. So far, we've planned:

Skiing
Massage
Maroon Bells
Aspen Brewery Tour

Anything else we should add? Would love recommendations. Any cool tours or unique Aspen activities would be great. Thanks!

[Edited on December 15, 2011 at 11:32 PM. Reason : S]

12/15/2011 11:31:10 PM

I don't know Lucy, the French are assholes.

12/16/2011 12:40:31 AM

A place where the beer flows like wine. Where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I'm talkin' bout a little place called... As-pen

12/16/2011 3:09:54 AM

I was expecting the Rockies to be rockier than this.

That John Denver is full of shit, man.

12/16/2011 7:55:50 AM

Hmmm, California! Beautiful!

12/16/2011 8:32:15 AM

Shoulda done Vail or Breck. Aspen is for the 1%ers

12/16/2011 8:45:45 AM

Quote :

"Aspen is for the 1%ers"

She's a big time saver...she might be in the 1% these days.

I only know about Breckenridge. Vail was only for the Richie Rich's in my home town.

12/16/2011 8:48:22 AM

We got airfare for two directly into Aspen for $890. That's not bad. And the accommodations are super cheap for us due to a hotel hookup. We tried for Vail or Beaver Creek, but Aspen ended up being way cheaper for the accommodations we wanted. About half the price. We got the St. Regis for $200 a night. That's a steal.

We also get discount lift tickets, so that helps.

All of my Colorado friends said Aspen is a cooler town to explore. And our friends who live there know of a lot of great dining venues and bars that won't completely break the bank.

Either way, I did the math, and every way I looked at it, Aspen ended up being cheaper than Vail, but only because we have great hookups.

12/16/2011 9:25:05 AM

I didn't think Vail was Ritzier than any of the other major ski resorts in CO. The skiing there is phenomenal, however.

Haven't been to Aspen, but most of what I read is that it's a place to be seen, and the skiing is mediocre (relatively).

[Edited on December 16, 2011 at 9:26 AM. Reason : .]

12/16/2011 9:25:20 AM

Neither of us have been skiing in about 10 years, so we wanted relatively easier slopes. And after research, we found that Aspen would have smaller crowds than Vail. Plus, we wanted a fun city to bum around ... and good spas.

Also, we're hoping to party with Charlie Sheen. Kidding.



When I think of the 1%, I think of my old boss: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204346104576638981631627402.html

Quote :

"Jacqueline Siegel paces the floor of her unfinished 7,200-square-foot ballroom. The former beauty queen, with platinum-blond hair, blue eye shadow and a white minidress, clacks along the plywood construction boards in her high heels trailed by a small entourage of helpers and staff. Jacqueline Siegel, pictured here, and her husband, David, couldn't afford to finish building their 90,000-square-foot house—the largest private home in the U.S.—after the credit crunch. ."This is the grand hall," she says, opening her arms to a space the size of a concert hall and surrounded by balconies. "It will fit 500 people comfortably, probably more. The problem with our place now is that when we have parties with, like, 400 people, it gets too crowded." The Siegels' dream home, called "Versailles," after its French inspiration, is still a work in progress. Its steel-and-wood frame rises from the tropical suburbs of Orlando, Fla., like a skeleton from the Jurassic age of real estate. Ms. Siegel shows off the future bowling alley, indoor relaxing pools, five kitchens, 23 bathrooms, 13 bedrooms, two elevators, two movie theaters (one for kids and one for adults, each modeled after a French opera theater), 20-car garage and wine cellar built for 20,000 bottles. At 90,000 square feet, the Siegels' Versailles is believed to be the largest private home in America. (The Vanderbilt family's Biltmore house in North Carolina is bigger at 135,000 square feet, but it's now a tourist attraction). The Siegels' home is so big that they bought 10 Segways to get around—one for each of their eight children. After touring the house, Ms. Siegel walks out to the deck, with its Olympic-size pool, future rock grotto, three hot tubs and 80-foot waterfall overlooking Lake Butler. Her eyes well up with tears. Versailles was supposed to be done by now. The Siegels were supposed to be living their dream life—throwing charity balls and getting spa treatments downstairs after a long flight on their Gulfstream. The home was the culmination of David Siegel's Horatio Alger story, from TV repairman to chief executive and owner of America's largest time-share company, Westgate Resorts, with more than $1 billion in annual revenue and $200 million in profits. Yet today, Versailles sits half-finished and up for sale. The privately owned Westgate Resorts was battered by the 2008 credit crunch and real-estate crash. It had about $1 billion in debt—much of it co-signed by the Siegels. The banks that had loans on Versailles gave the Siegels an ultimatum: Either pay off the loans or sell the house. So it's now on the market for $75 million, or $100 million if the buyer wants it finished. As she stands on her deck in the Florida sun, Ms. Siegel wipes away her tears. "Maybe it will still work out," she says. "It always does, right?" The Siegels' Versailles may be the nation's most extravagant monument to the debt-fueled, status-crazed real-estate binge of the past decade. Like many Americans, the Siegels borrowed too much, spent too much and bet that values could only go higher. Even in the age of excess, Versailles was excessive. Their story might seem like the exception among the rich, who, we're told, just keep getting richer. Yet episodes like the Fall of the House of Siegel are becoming increasingly common as the wealthy undergo a sweeping and little-noticed revolution. The American rich, who used to be the most stable slice of the personal economy, are now the most volatile, with escalating booms and busts. During the past three recessions, the top 1% of earners (those making $380,000 or more in 2008) experienced the largest income shocks in percentage terms of any income group in the U.S., according to research from economists Jonathan A. Parker and Annette Vissing-Jorgensen at Northwestern University. When the economy grows, their incomes grow up to three times faster than the rest of the country's. When the economy falls, their incomes fall two or three times as much. The super-high earners have the biggest crashes. The number of Americans making $1 million or more fell 40% between 2007 and 2009, to 236,883, while their combined incomes fell by nearly 50%—far greater than the less than 2% drop in total incomes of those making $50,000 or less, according to Internal Revenue Service figures. Of course, the trauma of giving up a Gulfstream or a yacht can't compare with the millions of Americans who have lost their only job or home. The Siegels will make do in their current 26,000-square-foot mansion. "

And sadly, they had to get rid of the private jet. When they flew commercial for the first time, the kids wanted to know why all the strangers were on their place.

[Edited on December 16, 2011 at 9:40 AM. Reason : k]

12/16/2011 9:27:19 AM

was that a #humblebrag?

12/16/2011 9:41:20 AM

About my old boss? No way. They pay their employees terribly.

Just saying, that's the 1%. We ain't it.

Anyway, I just want tips of other things to do while we're there. Back on topic!

[Edited on December 16, 2011 at 9:48 AM. Reason : f]

12/16/2011 9:44:02 AM

Snowmass is a good easy place to go ski. it's actually where i learned.

i need to find the name of the place where we did the cross country skiing. it was a lot of fun.

Aspen is great - they have a free bus system that runs until about 2am. it will remind you of the wolfline drunk bus. flaaaashbacks!

depending on where your layover is, be prepared to probably have a delay in your flight. we had problems because the valley that the airport sits in is a bowl and fog conditions get really bad quickly there and they have to have minimum visibility since you're basically spiraling down the bowl to land. i remember i connected through Salt Lake and i got to the gate, flight was delayed, then they got us on the plane, then took us off the plane, then said they would probably cancel the flight, but then put us back on the plane, sat on the plane for about an hour, and then finally took off.

12/16/2011 9:48:07 AM

Thanks, Cass! Def let me know when you figure out where you went cross-country skiing. That sounds really cool. I know they have neat cross-country ski tours in the area, but specific company information would be really helpful.

The shuttles/easy transportation was a huge selling point on the area. Figured it was better to rely on that than trust my bad driving.

Thanks for the heads up on the airport. Luckily, our layover is in Denver. Love that airport. Great place to enjoy a microbrew or two during a long layover. Since we're going in March, that should make things a little easier. The weather conditions may not be as harsh.

[Edited on December 16, 2011 at 9:52 AM. Reason : a]

12/16/2011 9:51:44 AM

Let me know if you want drugs while you're there. I know a guy who works at 39 degrees that can get you almost anything you need.

12/16/2011 9:52:57 AM

12/16/2011 9:54:02 AM

Slippy, Slappy, Swinny, Swenson, Swan, Swanson... Swanson? Oh wait it's right here... SAMSONITE. I was way off!

12/16/2011 9:56:41 AM

How's about another shrimp on the BAAAAARRRR-BEEEEE?!!!

12/16/2011 9:58:21 AM

Quote :

"The Siegels' home is so big that they bought 10 Segways to get around—one for each of their eight children."

12/16/2011 10:18:28 AM

A place where the beer flows like wine. Where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I'm talkin' bout a little place called... Aspen.

12/16/2011 10:19:21 AM

petey didnt have a head!

12/16/2011 10:25:11 AM

While Aspen's skiing experience isn't as great as other Colorado resorts unless you ski all the time you won't notice a difference and it's still 100 times better than anything east coast! Of course I've never skied there because flights to Denver are so much cheaper ($200 round trip).

Colorado is an awesome place have a blast!

12/16/2011 11:13:43 AM

^ I've never skied out west, so really looking forward to it. Have only done Massanutten and Beech Mountain ... and that was about 9 years ago. Have only skied twice in my life. This should be a humbling experience.

And really looking forward to the beer and pubs. Colorado is definitely the coolest state. If it weren't so cold and landlocked, I'd move there in a heartbeat. Have explored Estes Park, Denver, Colorado Springs and Boulder in the summer ... winter in a ski town should be pretty neat.



Now I'm craving a microbrew.

BTW, where do you find $200 RT tix to Denver? Must be cheaper to fly there from where you are. $300 RT to Denver is good for here (Orlando).

[Edited on December 16, 2011 at 6:18 PM. Reason : k]

12/16/2011 6:14:04 PM

I went the third week of March and the weather was still erratic.

12/16/2011 6:22:27 PM

Getting stranded in Colorado wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

12/16/2011 6:44:53 PM

Take a trip to some hot springs and relax a little bit. I would recommend Glenwood Springs, which isn't too far away.
Also, if you get bored with Aspen, ski a day in Vail. You won't regret it.

12/16/2011 7:54:49 PM

Quote :

"I only know about Breckenridge. Vail was only for the Richie Rich's in my home town. "

Vail isn't any meaningful amount, if any, more expensive than Breckenridge (or Copper, Keystone, etc).

I'm hoping that I can take a jet out to Aspen in a few weeks, sometime in January.

12/16/2011 8:33:00 PM

challenge a bro to a race down a mountain

12/16/2011 8:40:16 PM

Find one of the hot springs where you can hang out naked.

12/16/2011 8:50:56 PM

Quote :

"BTW, where do you find $200 RT tix to Denver? "

it all depends on when & where you search for them, & like you mentioned where you're flying out of. we flew to denver in june for $230/person & bought the tickets in like march or so. we bought them directly from airtran (it was cheaper than going through travelocity or whatever).

12/17/2011 9:47:18 AM

Athhhhhpen

12/17/2011 4:25:37 PM

Quote :

"And really looking forward to the beer and pubs. Colorado is definitely the coolest state. If it weren't so cold and landlocked, I'd move there in a heartbeat. Have explored Estes Park, Denver, Colorado Springs and Boulder in the summer ... winter in a ski town should be pretty neat. Now I'm craving a microbrew. BTW, where do you find $200 RT tix to Denver? Must be cheaper to fly there from where you are. $300 RT to Denver is good for here (Orlando)."

I second that. If CO wasn't so damn far away from the coast I'd probably live there (or want to live there).

This time around I got my $200 flight off Kayak (flying Delta I think). Last year my flight was $250, from Southwest. Both flights from RDU. In 2008 I flew there nonstop round trip from Newark, for $160 with Continental. Denver is an amazingly cheap place to fly to, love it!

[Edited on December 19, 2011 at 1:26 PM. Reason : k]

12/19/2011 1:26:09 PM

Aspen actually has some amazing snow and is a really cool town.

There are some places up on the mountain where you can see for miles, and not a single other skier around. It was great

12/19/2011 1:55:46 PM

12/19/2011 2:42:29 PM

We leave in 2 days! Any more tips? Restaurant recommendations? I want to try Matsuhisa for a nice sushi dinner out ... not sure what else is a must-try.

3/1/2012 2:51:19 PM

Ill be going to Colorado the first week of April. First time back since I used to live there. Looking forward to it . Have a great trip!

3/1/2012 3:11:03 PM

Nice! Whereabouts? Have fun! That's an interesting time to visit. Could be snowing. Could be warm and sunny. You never know what you'll get in CO in April.

3/1/2012 3:29:30 PM

Colorado springs and Denver. I'm going with my girlfriend she opted for that rather than someplace warm. We are restricted though based on very rarely does she not have her kid so it's that week or bust. Hoping for some good weather as we wanna hitup some of the outdoor areas but guess I won't know till a few days out how it's gonna look. Keeping my fingers crossed for highs around 70 .

3/1/2012 5:01:37 PM

Hey guys. Woah, Big Gulps, huh? All right! Welp, see ya later.

3/1/2012 8:07:12 PM

Man I miss Colorado...but this summer at the beach house in Indian Beach I won't miss it too much.

3/1/2012 8:51:12 PM

^^^good luck haha. yesterday it was in the 60's and now theres two inches of snow on the ground. last year in may it snowed for a week straight (colorado springs). but it is sunny almost everyday where are you and your girlfriend going to stay when you are in the springs?

[Edited on March 2, 2012 at 12:08 AM. Reason : have fun in aspen iheartkisses! i am jealous!]

3/2/2012 12:06:42 AM

I hope I can make it to CO for one more trip out west before this ski season is over.

3/2/2012 1:32:19 AM

Not sure yet I just realized its been 20 years since I lived that. Man I am old . Should be a much different experience as an adult than it was as a kid. Not gonna lie, having the rocky mountains as your own personal playground when you are 10 years old was pretty freaking awesome.

3/2/2012 10:17:52 AM

CO is currently getting dumped on

3/2/2012 10:46:28 AM

March is when they get most of their snow. I only hope that global warming will come through for me and give me a few days in the 60s at least to start april haha. Otherwise I guess it will turn into a ski trip or at least some epic snowball fights!

3/2/2012 10:59:41 AM

cant read this thread without this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0ry-QEZCjY

3/2/2012 11:25:01 AM

^^I live in Denver

3/2/2012 11:59:02 AM

Booked the trip last night now time to pray for decent weather although it does appear most everything we want to do is open even if snow is in play other than ya know a blizzard haha. Packing is gonna prove very tough for this one though I would imagine seeing as cold weather clothes take up much more space.

Gonna stay at the Academy Hotel in Colorado Springs 2 nights and the Red Lion Hotel in Denver for 2 nights. Should get into Denver around 10-10:30 then drive down to Colorado Springs and the fun part is gonna be trying to pack in as much as possible into the time frame we have.

3/6/2012 10:02:58 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYJ9zOyzI4w

3/10/2012 11:01:20 AM

Quote :

"Getting stranded in Colorado wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. "

3/10/2012 12:42:14 PM