The Robinson Residence: Travel Guide to Aspen...

Friday, October 20, 2017

Travel Guide to Aspen...



When to go:
September-November(Autumn): This is the time frame that my family and I went, and honestly the weather was perfect in my opinion. It was cool and windy, yet the sun was still shining, giving off a little heat! In late September & early October the fall foliage is at it's prime! In early October there is even snow, up in the mountains! Surprisingly Autumn is a slower time. Therefore, the tiny village was not crowded and reservations for restaurant were not needed. (Very convenient with our babies!)

December-February(Winter): Winter is by far the most popular time to visit due to the 200 inches of annual snowfall. The snowfall attracts tourist across the country who are into winter sports, such as skiing and snow boarding. This is the most expensive time of year being that it is so popular. If you rather go when the crowds have dispersed- visit early January, or late February for manageable prices.

March-May(Spring): Unfortunately, this time of year Aspen isn't the prettiest. March and April are usually the rainiest months of the year. Also, good luck booking a hotel during this time frame. Many hotels are closed for a few weeks before the arrival of the summer tourist. 

June-August(Summer): This warm weather is ideal for outdoor activities such as golfing, biking, and hiking. There are also tons of popular festivals going on at this time! To receive the best available rates, be sure to book your lodging a few months in advance.



Where to eat:

Campo di Fiori: If you want authentic Italian food, then this is your place! I am a sucker for some authentic pasta, so we tried this place our first night in Aspen and it was wonderful! I highly recommend this restaurant. P.S-The noodles are house-made!

White House Tavern: This cute little spot is hands down a place you can't miss while visiting Aspen. It is actually a pretty popular lunch/dinner spot. Everything we got was DELICIOUS and so unique. I highly recommend their Chicken Meatballs as an appetizer. Then for the entree either the French Dip Au Jus (SO good) or their Honor Burger (Best burger I have had in my LIFE, seriously craving it right now talking about it.. yum!!)

Meat & Cheese: This was a quick little spot we stopped at lunch one day and it was delicious! Cute little meat and cheese trays. The soups are also super delicious, I highly recommend the Thai Basil Coconut soup of their's..so tasty! 

The J-Bar at Hotel Jerome: Who loves room service?! We do. Especially after a long day of exploring the town with 2 babies.  The J-Bar is actually one of the top restaurant's in town, and luckily... it was right below our room, in our hotel! They have a wide variety of food, and the selection is endless. They are known for their hamburgers! 

ink Coffee: The 1st question I asked the valet when arriving to our hotel was "where is the closets Starbucks?!" I mean hello, when you arrive to a place like Aspen from a place like Houston, it is just a must to get a hot drink in hand! He told me that there is no chains in aspen meaning NO Starbucks. What?! It was a major disappointment. He recommended THIS coffee shop-ink Coffee. OH MY GOSH, you guys... the White Almond Joy Expresso. It is sooooo good. Now, I am wishing there was one located in Houston!

Where to Stay:

Hotel Jerome: Hands down, stay at Hotel Jerome. This hotel was such a nice and luxurious place for our family to stay. I have nothing but good feedback! I am very picky when it comes to where our family stays, so trust me on this one! The concierge team was so sweet, helpful, and catered to all of our needs. When we arrived, they knew we had babies with us so in our room they had set up a bassinet, wipes, baby toiletries, a stuffed animal, and even a diaper pail. How convenient, 
personable, and thoughtful?! They also left a tasty variety of snacks and drinks to enjoy whenever we'd like. 

What to do:
Maroon Bells- The most photographed mountain scene in North America, obviously you can't miss it. The views were seriously breathtaking. Pictures simply just don't do this mountain justice! Maroon Bells is about a 35 minute drive from Aspen and the drive there was so beautiful. We even saw a moose, pretty cool! 
A few things to know before visiting Maroon bells:
-It costs $10 dollars to park your car. Cash ONLY



Independence Pass-My family and I took this road coming to Aspen from Denver and oh my goodness, the 3 hour drive flew by! The views were insanely gorgeous. There was always something to be fascinated by and see. Brett and I took turns saying "LOOK!"..we had a blast in the front seat! We stopped multiple times with the kids to see breathtaking views, it was an adventure in itself! We explored a lot just getting to our final destination, we were happy with that!!

Glenwood Hot Springs-This is located right outside of Aspen, in Glenwood Springs. Either coming to or from Aspen, I would highly recommend to stop and check out the hot spring! 

John Denver Sanctuary-We walked to this cute little sanctuary with the babies and played on the soccer field, rocks, and through the leaves! It was a fun little adventure, considering it was only 2 blocks from our hotel. Sophia enjoyed running up and down the hill with her daddy! As for Noah and I..we were bundled up cuddling. It was quite windy that day!


Hiking- Hiking is a hit here! There are a bunch of different trail options: Crater Lake, Grottos Trail, Rio Grande Trail, Cathedral Lake, and Ute Trail. (There are several more options, these are just the ones that were recommended to us).

Shopping-The shopping is Aspen is phenomenal. They have very high-end shopping, just about any designer you can think of, it's located in the little village.  They also have the cutest little unique boutiques there! I fell in love with one baby boutique for children- Katebaby & KIDS. If you love spoiling your kids with LOVE and clothes, walk in that store...I promise you won't leave empty handed!! 

Gondola-The view from the gondola is beautiful and breath taking! I highly recommend this while in Aspen. Considering it only takes about 30 minutes to get to the top, it is worth every second. FYI-during the fall season, it is only opened on weekdays.

Skiing/Snowboarding- Obviously Aspen would be an ideal location for winter sports during the December-February!

Below are some photos of our trip!
I hope this travel guide was helpful to you. If you plan on traveling to Aspen any time soon and have any questions/concerns, please do not hesitate to ask me. I would be more than happy to help!


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