A First Timer’s Guide to Aspen

We are just back from a ten day trip to Aspen, Colorado. Before the trip, every time we mentioned to someone that we were going, their response was always that we were going to love it. And truly, Aspen in the summer is something incredible. The weather is lovely – cool mornings, sunny midday. It’s got a small town feel. People stop on the street and greet one another, and everyone is so friendly. 

I am not what I would consider outdoorsy, but the hiking is so special and definitely worthwhile. We did a couple of easy and moderate hikes and I loved it. 

Stay

We stayed at Aspen Square Condo Hotel.  It is super centrally located, right in the middle of Aspen. Full kitchens make traveling with kids so much easier, and it saves money on breakfast and snacks. There was no laundry in the units but there were machines on each floor. You need quarters – they’re available at the front desk. There was a pool and a hot tub, we took the kids on day after camp. There is a small gym – I didn’t visit it, but Eddie did. Parking is included in your stay, but you do need a pass.

There is also a grocery store across the street from the hotel. We did groceries so we could have breakfast in the room, make coffee ourselves, have snacks, and prepare lunch for the kids on the days they attended camp. We didn’t find groceries to be more expensive than usual but dining out is pricey. 

Getting around

Aspen is really walkable. Renting a car definitely makes things easier if you want to do things like Independence Pass or driving in the surrounding areas. We rented a car for a couple of the days we were there, but not all 10 (we used Turo for this and had a really good experience!). There is a good bus system that you can take to Snowmass – we used this for the rodeo and for a day trip to Snowmass. 

There is also a taxi company. They picked us up from the airport and dropped us off. We did arrange airport drop off a few hours beforehand. 

Do and See

• Farmer’s Market – every Saturday right in the middle of town. Can’t miss it! Get cute artisanal products, snacks, and fresh produce.
• Herron Park – such a nice park for the kids! It’s got a play structure, swings, slides, an open field, and a creek that runs along the side of it – the kids loved taking off their shoes and playing in the icy water.
• John Denver Sanctuary – a gorgeous garden/walking path – makes for some good photos.
• Independence Pass –
• Independence Ghost Town – The first mining site in the Roaring Fork Valley, today, Independence is an archaeological preserve, featuring interpretive stations that tell of the characters, enterprises, and structures that make it an integral part of area history.
• Devil’s Punchbowl – a swimming hole where the more adventurous jump from atop the rocks into the water.  
• Snowmass – We took the Elk Camp Gondola (3 day pass is $41 and you can go up Elk Camp or Aspen Gondola) and then took the ski lift up to the summit. Gorgeous views. You can have lunch at Elk Camp – there is a cafeteria-style restaurant, as well as burgers outside (and a bar!).
• Roller coaster at Snowmass – the Breathtaker. Do it at least once! The kids would get off and get right back in line. They loved it. While Chloe was too small to go alone, one of us could ride with her. Caleb was big enough to go alone.
• White Water Rafting – I didn’t take part in this but the boys did, and they had a great time. They were picked up at the hotel and shuttled to the rafting site.
• Snowmass Rodeo – Takes place on Wednesdays from June 22 – August 17. This was a really fun time, and the kids enjoyed watching the cowboys and cowgirls.
• Maroon Bells – Reserve this in advance. There are minimal parking spaces up at the top and they fill up quickly. We were able to get tickets for the bus that takes you up for next day (you can also try to go on standby). Once there, we hiked to Crater lake – it’s a moderate hike – for me, it was challenging going up. There are a lot of rocks and you go high in elevation (+500 feet).
• Trails:
  • Hunter Creek Trail – Good hike for the kids, walkable from Aspen town center. We went up about 25 min and then turned back – it was pretty rocky going further up. 
  • Ditch Trail – near Snowmass. There is a parking lot to get to it. About 5 minutes into the hike, it splits – one trail goes straight and the other curves left and upwards. The one that goes straight ahead is easy. Mostly flat, very few rocks. The trail that goes upwards is probably moderate – lots of uphill and uneven patches.

Eat

• Poppycock’s – simple breakfast, located right next to Aspen Square
• Ajax Tavern – great spot for lunch at the base of Aspen Mountain. Surprisingly, the roasted chicken was a hit, the kale and quinoa salad was amazing, and do not miss the truffle fries
• Aspen Pie dinner – pizza and wings, right next to playground for the kids. Food is passable, but the location can’t be beat if you want to let the kids run around some.
• Jus – smoothies and bowls
• Clark’s – seafood, burgers, scene 
• The Snow Lodge – The scallops were some of the best I’d had in a long time.
• Ellina – Dinner was good but nothing out of this world.
• Chica Aspen – Palomas were good. Food was good, not spectacular. Try the corn!
• Lunch at Elk Camp – burgers, drinks, cafeteria
• Pizza from New York Pizza was yummy. We ordered this and had it poolside one afternoon.
• Paradise Ice cream – Try the pistachio, mountain honey vanilla, and blackberry lavender!
• Kenichi Aspen – sushi. It was good sushi – if you like sushi, you’ll like it!
• Drinks at Hotel Jerome – this hotel has a history of being haunted, but the bar is very cool.
• White House Tavern – same company as Hillstone – some of your favorite Hillstone menu items are on there, so if you want something familiar, this is the place to go.
• Catch Steak – if the weather is nice, sit outside. The terrace is beautiful. This place was so busy and such a scene. Definitely a popular place in Aspen right now.
• Bear Den – the brunch menu is 🤌🏻 We loved the French toast board and the breakfast sandwiches we had.
• French Alpine Bistro – This was my favorite of all the places we ate. The french onion soup is amazing and the pistachio ice cream crepe was ridiculously good. Eddie and I split the duck and it was also delicious. The vibe here is French Alps apres-ski and it is perfect. 

If you’ve been, did I miss anything?

xoxo