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Are you a skier? You don’t have to be to visit the historic mountain towns of Aspen and Snowmass Village, located in Colorado, U.S, famous for their skiing slopes.
In fact, in summer, the towns offer delights for daredevils and those looking for an indulgent holiday.
I got to check out the two neighbouring areas and found it to be a haven for the sun-seeking tourist who wants a balance of action, adventure and relaxation.
While Aspen is generally an expensive area, there are amenities that make it less burdensome on the pockets for tourists. For example, there are free bus rides through the city, for locals and tourists.
So if you want to head to see the Maroon Bells, one of most popular sightseeing destinations in the area, you can simply jump on a bus from the city and head there for free, and it’s unlimited.
There are also free taxi rides in the area to reduce driving congestion.
In fact, Aspen wants to reduce as much driving congestion as it can and prohibits people driving up to sights such as Maroon Bells so buses can get quite full (they arrive and depart every 20 minutes). You can also opt to get an e-bike up to the Bells (which can get strenuous considering the heat and altitude).
One of the most stunning activities in the area include mountain-top yoga, which is exactly as it sounds. Situated at the top of Aspen Mountain, you can expect an hour of open-air Hatha yoga surrounded by vast mountain ranges, for $20 (around £15).
If you’re spent from skiing all day during the winter seasons or just hiking, there are plenty of low intensity things you can do around the place.
You can opt for the Dean’s downtown walking tour, or grab lunch or dinner at quaint restaurants of different cuisines such as Le Bateau, French Alpine Bistro (where we saw Goldie Hawn), or Las Montanas.
There’s a huge classical music scene in Aspen, and students from the music university (some of whom are also performers in the Aspen Music Festival) rehearse around the city, meaning you get to listen to delightful classical music as you eat dinner, or delight in some ice cream or frozen yoghurt.
There’s one particularly popular bakery called Paradise which does delectable cookies and ice cream, with students offering dulcet violin and cello tunes in the background.
If you want to revel in the greenery and want some time to decompress, or even set up a picnic, you can head to the John Denver Sanctuary, a peaceful oasis where you can connect with both nature and music.
Situated next to Rio Grande Park in the heart of Aspen, the song garden features a series of native river boulders placed in circles, all with lyrics etched into the stones.
Just as we have in London, there are free bikes for half an hour, with stations dotted around.
In Aspen, there are a few different hotels to stay at, with varying budgets. We stayed at The Little Nell, which is a wonderful high-end hotel (prices from £748 in summer) behind Aspen mountain, that has a quick gondola ride to the top.
The hotel has plenty of amenities for the well seasoned skier and traveller, but my personal favourite was the breakfast options. I opted for the huevos rancheros, a spicy egg offering, complete with cheese, refried beans, and salsa. It’s quite the kickstart to your morning.
Through the summer, The Little Nell also puts on classic films in its adjacent restaurant Ajax Tavern.
Around nine miles away from Aspen is Snowmass Village, one of the best winter ski areas and summer mountain biking destinations.
When we transferred over to Snowmass, we stayed at an apartment at the Crestwood Condominiums (which has large apartments around £315 during summer), a short walk away from Snowmass Mall and gondolas that take you up to Elk Camp and the like.
The Elk Camp is a huge playground, great for mountain biking enthusiasts, trekkers, or anyone who appreciates a breathtaking view. It features the Lost Forest that has plenty for adults, children and families, including a climbing wall, zip lines, fishing, golf and other games. There’s a restaurant too so there’s no need to ride the gondola down for food.
One of the most fun parts of the camp is the Alpine coasters which are small-scale rollercoasters that take you around the wilderness and let you control the speed you go down with hand brakes (I advise not breaking at all, for optimum fun).
Snowmass Village is certainly not for just thrill-seeking skiers as there’s plenty of other high-octane activities to do, including white water rafting along the Roaring Fork river, with beginner and advanced levels. We went with Blazing Adventures and loved the guides, Liz, Peter and Amoury.
If you do find yourself in Snowmass Village during the summer months, you need to head to the Snowmass Rodeo, which is a hugely fun and novel experience.
The best part is the mutton busting competition for children where they have to hold on to the sheep running around for as long as possible (it is hilarious to watch).
You can expect adult cowboys and cowgirls competing too on horses and bulls.
The Crestwood Condos, where we stayed, has all the usual amenities of an apartment hotel, but they do also have the added luxury of having unlimited hotel shuttles to anywhere in the area for free.
So if you’ve had a long day of skiing or are just lethargic from holidaying around, you can opt for the hotel taxi to take you around (there’s a lot of uphill climbing, so a taxi might be best if your legs are feeling the burn).
One thing about Aspen and Snowmass is also the availability of authentic Mexican food (thanks to their closer proximity), including at Venga Venga, and Mawita where you’ll find delectable fiesta bowls, fresh guac, tacos etc.
A mountainous area known for its skiing might not be the first destination to come to mind for a summer adventure, but it really does have its perks.
Just bring your cowboy hat.
Getting there:
Return flights to Aspen start from £520 on Skyscanner.
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