Despite the unusual direction of my storytelling, the skiing and snowboarding in Aspen is, as expected, also exceptional. Experts: The steep slopes walking distance from the heart of downtown are guarenteed to provide the challenge and addreneline rush you're chasing. The rest of us: Hop on the free shuttle to Buttermilk or Snowmass for a wide range of slopes to choose from. For a quick trip or for beginners, I recommend Buttermilk and while you're there, definitely check out Home Team BBQ to refuel. For a longer day when you have some extra time to explore the shopping and restaurants, definitely check out Snowmass. We did one day at each and my only regret is not having more time to spend in Snowmass, so plan accordingly!
Pick up a charcuterie plate from Meat & Cheese and have a picnic on the mountain, you won't be disappointed!
Aspen knows how to throw a party, especially during the holidays. Our journey began with a bang at Belly Up Aspen, an iconic music venue. Zhu, the world-renowned DJ and producer, graces the stage here around Christmas every year. It doesn't just stop with Zhu's Christmas time performance! I may be biased towards EDM but Belly Up had some strong headliners coming in the months following Christmas I would have gone back for in a heartbeat.
Pro tip for Belly Up: Arrive in time to snag a table and order a bottle (or more) of wine, to be delivered on ice so you can sit back and enjoy the show (or go dancing) without a single trip up to the bar!
A key takeaway from an expert: Aspen is not just about winter sports and entertainment; it's also a haven for food enthusiasts. I wish I could tell you all about my favorite one or two spots, but I'm going to have to go with top four:
We celebrated Christmas Eve dinner at this Asian fusion restaurant, and boy were we in for a treat! Not only was the food phenomenal, but we were fortunate to meat the chef, Jing, who is extremely passionate about his curated menu and even entertained us with a picture before the meal was over! (Reservations strongly recommended)
Here we simply celebrated life and friendship over some caviar and otherwise exceptional food. We stumbled upon this place on an evening we didn't think to make reservations, not realizing the experience we were about to have. Don't let the meat and cheese counter look fool you - the food here is top notch, and the gifts and snacks to take home are a bonus
Blake and I celebrated Christmas dinner here while our friends were already on their way home to Georgia. I will forever remember this as one of the best dining experiences of my life. If you like multi-course meals with wine pairings, be sure to check this place out and for the best experience, reserve a seat at the bar if you can! (Reservations strongly recommended)
To close it out, we have the hidden gem we found in large part thanks to our bartender at Bosq. It took quite some time to locate the piece of receipt paper with the name of the restaurant, but it was worth it! We had a fantastic breakfast here, and have cooked a great many fantastic meals with Mawa's cookbook since.
Book an afternoon flight home and check your bags early at the airport. While you're waiting for your flight, take a short walk across the street to indulge in breakfast and mimosas at Mawa's!
No Christmas trip is complete without a bit of shopping, and Aspen doesn't disappoint. The town boasts an array of charming boutiques and stores, perfect for finding unique holiday gifts or treating yourself to something special. From cozy winter wear to exquisite jewelry and locally crafted goods, we found all sorts of goodies. Not only that, but every store we stopped in we were welcomed in like family, usually by the shop owner themselves, and enjoyed a lot of great conversations along the way.
Aspen is home to one of the most challenging airports to fly in and out of - but don't let this discourage you from a visit! Pilots cleared to land in Aspen boast exclusive certificates and only specific models of passenger aircrafts make the trip. What's interesting about this fact is it means the immense number of private jets that frequent the airport are only cleared to take off on the best-flying days - so if you're commercial flight is delayed you can rest assured it is a clear day for flying as all the private jets line up for last minute takeoff.