Evan and I drove up to Aspen in late December for a weekend. We stayed at the Molly Gibson hotel, which we got for a steal. The hotel is right by the park, catty-cornered to the Hotel Jerome. We enjoyed staying here, but it does lack the ski-in ski-out and fun hotel bar. However, the hotel does offer a grab-and-go breakfast and has a few hot tubs- the perfect post-ski activity!
The first day we were in Aspen, I went skiing. Aspens' new reservation system was straightforward. They reloaded my ski card but sent Evans to our hotel since he did not have one- this eliminated a step for the morning. The four sports rentals site was easy to get to, and I was in and on the mountain in no time. I also found out later that day that if you rent from four sports, you don't have to pay for overnight ski storage at the bottom of aspen mountain! That makes life easy! Evan and I stuck to skiing Aspen Mountain. This mountain is mainly blues & blacks. It is a small(er) mountain. However, you have access by shuttle to both Snowmass (much larger) and Highlands (where cloud 9 is) if you so choose. Some restaurants on top of Aspen Mountain: Sundeck, Ruthies, and Bonnies. Evan and I loved Bonnies! A smaller spot with excellent food. We enjoyed some champagne and cookies on the deck. A+ cookies!! For a late lunch, we snagged Butchers Block at the bottom of the mountain. A must-go for your charcuterie, meat & seafood, and sandwich needs. The meatloaf sandwich is Evan's favorite. When my sister and her husband went to Aspen in the summer, John had Butcher's Block every day for lunch. His favorite was the Italian Sub until my sister told him he started smelling like one! Post skiing, Evan and I hit up the new wine bar at the Little Nell. It was previously, chair 9 but due to COVID, they updated the space. The DJ was playing "some bangers," as Evan likes to say! Make sure to make a reservation via tock if you want to enjoy the wine bar. And beware if there is a minimum spend. After drinks, Evan and I went to our favorite restaurant in Aspen- Casa Tua! Ask for the sommelier to help you out when it comes to the wine there. The wine menu is very complex. We had a Super Tuscan that had some cab franc grapes, my favorite variety. Italian wine is too complicated for me, so the help was appreciated—food suggestions: scallops (a+), crusted pork chops, and salmon. I don't think anything is bad on this menu. Saturday, Evan and I stopped skiing early so we could watch the Notre Dame game. We had reservations at Ajax Tavern. Find reservations on Resy. The patio is heated and an excellent option for lunch or apres ski. On the appetizer list, some must-tries include truffle fries and cauliflower gratin. I dream about the cauliflower gratin. It is vegan and gluten-free but still delicious. Something fun about Aspen is all the art! There is an art museum & modern art galleries around the village. Before dinner, it is fun to pop around and check out the art the city has to offer. The Aspen Art Museum is also an excellent go-to. In the winter, they had very modern art exhibitions (2021). You can make a reservation online here. On our second night, we went to Betula. My first time. This spot is second on my favorite restaurant list for Aspen. Probably due to the atmosphere - cozy seating, a Dj, and great lighting. Before my first time at Betula, I kept seeing others post about the cocktails here. They have one cocktail in a bird-shaped glass that is a bell pepper-infused cocktail. Make sure to ask about the cocktails- they all are unique and come in fun glassware. I stuck to wine. The list had a 100% cab franc [which has been my favorite lately]. For dinner, the restaurant was offering a 3-course meal (typical for their busy seasons). The starters recommended to us were the various ceviche options and the pulpo. For the main courses, try the seabass, grouper, and wagyu. I ordered the seabass. In all honestly, it was good, but I will probably get a different main course next time. For dessert, Evan and I highly recommend the Apple Tartin. On our final day in Aspen, Evan and I wanted to snowshoe. We drove to the Nordic center near the Aspen Golf Course. There are multiple marked trailheads for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing around here. The map was easy to understand, and the trails were very well marked! The nordic center trails are "flatter," great for walking, and have many paths if you are into cross country skiing. Make sure to check the map because walkers are not allowed on the skiing route. Evan and I were lucky enough to spend a month living in Aspen from January 15 to February 15. In that time, I was able to try many more restaurants, ski more mountains, and check out some unique things. Some highlights I recommend, check out Thug Yoga. Courtney runs a very casual yoga class every Monday and Wednesday. Follow her on Instagram @thugyoga for her location and times. Courtney curates the best hip hop playlists and gives fun names to all the traditional yoga poses. Next, Smugglers is a year-round hike. Get the spikes that wrap around your shoes ( i am blanking on the formal name) because this hike is enough to kick your peach daily. Don't leave Aspen without checking out Spring Cafe. Their menu is excellent; the food is vegetarian and can be made gluten-free. The avocado tempeh Rueben was one of my favorite items on the menu. If you are heading up to Aspen, make sure to add the Little Nell on Instagram. They are always hosting fun events like movies and dinner, Superbowl parties, you name it! the reservations fill up fast. I tackled all three mountains this time ( i am not counting buttermilk/tiehack). I now think Highlands is my favorite. Evan and I had an exhausting day of cloud 9 and then continued to hike the Highlands Bowl. If you are thinking about taking on the bowl, do it! It is a 45 min hike up. You can get straps at the bottom of the hill (top of Deep Temerity Lift) to carry up your skiis. The walk is very well marked/easy to navigate as many people have already made steps for you towards the end of the day. However, the bowl itself was tricky; however, I did think the double black under the Deep Temerity Lift was more challenging than the bowl itself. However, I stuck to the left on the bowl (which I heard makes it easier, sue me). For Snowshoeing, I learned two new routes. I would walk to the nordic center and catch Maroon Creek and walk as far along that trail as I wanted. There is a bailout over a bridge that will take you into Highlands if you're going to grab wine or lunch at St Regis. Another great route is straight-up buttermilk. The trail is very well marked; give yourself 2 hours or 2.5 hours to be safe to complete this. (follow the orange markers, and ask the staff at the bottom if you need help). Tips: Rent Skiis from Performance Ski, the staff that works on the rental side is excellent, and rentals only cost $40 a day (do not rent boards) If you do rent from Four Mountain sports- free overnight storage and free transfers if you want to ski a different mountain Book ski passes and rentals here If City Market does not have the food you want, check out Clarks, they have everything. In the winter, check the hotels and restaurants for igloo/yurt reservations: Platos, W Hotel, French Alpine, and Pinons. Snowmass is a great mountain to ski, more extensive, but it takes about 50 min by bus to get there. The bus picks you up at Rubey Park Transit Center. Restaurants: Ranger Station at the bottom of Snowmass, find Matty (server, that also is an artist in San Diego) Ellina, great wine, and food menu Hooch, fun cocktail spot Monarch, great ambiance and steak restaurant, known for tableside Caesar salad Spring Cafe, mentioned above, vegetarian and gluten-free options Nakasawa, best sushi, very expensive but worth the price, this is a pop up where Grey Lady used to be White House, go for the burger or the macho salad. French Alpine, great ambiance, hard to get a reservation, known for raclette and fondue Cloud 9 french restaurant on highlands mountain. In the winter, a snowcat up for dinner, check if it's open, ask for Olga as your server, reservations go live at Resy at 9 am two weeks ahead of time. Pine Creek Cookhouse, sled dinners, roughly 1000 dollars for two guests, fun experience, they also let you cross country ski up to the top. (135 a person for sleigh ride) Pinons- cozy winter restaurant, great for large groups Other Hotels to consider: The Little Nell: $$$$ Hotel Jerome: $$$ The Gant: $$$ The W: $$$ St. Regis: $$$$ Hotel Aspen: $ Molly Gibson: $ |