Independence-Aspen Camping Work Week

This was taken at sunrise in Denver from my balcony before heading out to Aspen on a Wednesday morning.  I am very eager to get on the road, so I was the early bird today. Mountains to my right and Capitol to my left Going through Leadville we found a great lil pizza hut called…

John Denver Sanctuary

This precious gem of Aspen is a peaceful and serene spot for meditation and reflection.  We stumbled upon it behind our lovely brunch spot (on Hotel Jerome patio) during a cloudy walk through town on our final day in Aspen.           I just realized he died on my 15th birthday…           …

A Mountain Wedding: day three in Basalt

Finishing touches while awaiting our transportation at hotel in Snowmass… Specific location:  Roaring Fork Club The family members enjoying their free shades near the string quartet awaiting the bride and groom The wedding goodie bag Shades of lavender  Sorry David’s bald head made every picture.  I couldn’t get around it!      Discovering our table number     …

Rim Trail

This trail was a nice short hike up and just the right distance for a trail run, about 4 miles up and back down with no heavy foot traffic on a beautiful weekend.  It was attractively located just near the village, just a walk down hill from the hotel. About halfway up sits a perfect…

Maroon Bells: hike to Crater Lake

We got up around 6am to beat the crowd to the popular Maroon Bells hike to Crater Lake driving straight to the trail head.  The gate is closed to car traffic at 8am and reopens at 5pm, so we decided it was best to go early.  The hike was longer than projected, because we got…

Around Aspen

This BBQ sauce was de-licious at Hickory House Ribs!  I slathered my veggie burger in this stuff and scarfed it all down.  We stopped here for our first meal in Aspen at lunch time and was a terrific experience catching the tail end of the lunch specials with no crowd to fight for good service….

A Mountain Wedding: Sweets & Spirits

Day two in Aspen wedding celebrations Specific location:  Hotel Jerome Garden Terrace The mini Lemon Tarts were amazing as well as the Apple Fritter Donut Holes. The open bar complete with coffee and accoutrements     Steve Tyrell–from Father of the Bride wedding–sang tonight for an extra special surprise from the father of THIS bride.     The…

A Mountain Wedding: Bluegrass, Blue Jeans, and Brews

Day one:  Let the revelry begin in Aspen, CO A close up of my favorite gift from the bride and groom: S’well water bottles! Yummy chocolates Specific location:  Zeno Aspen (next to the Aspen ski lift!)             Best cheese table ever…until tomorrow night   

The Mountains Are Calling

Click for panoramic  Twin Lakes We stopped to fill our cooler at a liquor store in Frisco.  Luckily the laws in CO allow the sale of refrigerated high point beers, so this O’dell Double IPA was icy cold.  Toast to Independence Pass–almost to Aspen!