Whew! There is so much to see, that each day is a whirlwind of activities and connections...I love being back in Aspen! You have to come and check it out for yourself! Here is some of what the last few days have held for me.
Wednesday night: My Mom came to stay with me and we drove through the West End of town where I grew up in one of the Historical Victorian homes built in 1876. The West End is known for its beautiful Victorian homes and gorgeous landscaping, as well as the Aspen Institute. One of the best features of the West End is the Music Tent which combines the openness and romance of a tent with the acoustic integrity of a concert hall, and hosts a wide variety of orchestras and performers such as Natalie Cole. I have great memories of running and riding my bike through these streets as a little girl. It is much more built up and “fancy” than when I lived there, but it still has the West End charm and nostalgia.
We reminisced about our favorite Mexican restaurant that closed down a couple of years ago, but were happy to find Su Casa, across the street, which has received excellent reviews and is a great family restaurant.
We would have loved to have taken in a show at the Wheeler Opera House, which has a wide range of music, dance, movies, and of course, opera, but there’s only so much time in a single day! It has a beautiful traditional interior with huge crystal chandelier and red velvet seats.
As I was checking out of Mountain Chalet, we ran into many of the Melville family members and got to catch up. The Melville’s own the Mountain Chalet and have since the mid 50s. Their span of 6 kids is the same as the span of 6 kids in my family so the Melvilles and Bascoms (my maiden name) have a great history together. They resisted the pressure from the big name resorts to sell out and remain the Inn Keepers of this cozy chalet. Their many patrons are thankful to still have the charm of the Mountain Chalet to come home to.
I toured many beautiful luxury homes to add to our inventory. From a down-town penthouse to a 12,000 square foot home up toward “the pass” I was amazed at the availability of some of the most amazing homes I have ever seen, including game rooms, theaters, professional kitchens, entire rooms for the “behind the house systems”, automatic everything and of course beautiful views! To the right you can see one view of "the pass" that I especially love. I’m excited about the opportunity for home owners and guests wanting to rent out a beautiful vacation home….the timing is great for this travel option!
I ventured on the local RFTA shuttle bus (which by the way is the simplest and most efficient public transportation system I have ever experienced – no need to rent a car or hassle with driving in the snow) to Snowmass and checked out the new full and fractional ownerships and some that are scheduled to open in the coming years. I used to teach the Snowmass Snowbunnies ski school and waitress at the TimberMill…well, a lot has changed since then! This sleepy village has come to life and is a destination that stands on its own! A couple of projects to keep an eye on are the Little Nell Residences in Snowmass and the Viceroy Snowmass Residences. I’ll update you as these projects continue to develop. To the left you can see a picture of Snowmass, which speaks for itself and explains why this is one of the fastest growing areas.
We reminisced about our favorite Mexican restaurant that closed down a couple of years ago, but were happy to find Su Casa, across the street, which has received excellent reviews and is a great family restaurant.We would have loved to have taken in a show at the Wheeler Opera House, which has a wide range of music, dance, movies, and of course, opera, but there’s only so much time in a single day! It has a beautiful traditional interior with huge crystal chandelier and red velvet seats.
As I was checking out of Mountain Chalet, we ran into many of the Melville family members and got to catch up. The Melville’s own the Mountain Chalet and have since the mid 50s. Their span of 6 kids is the same as the span of 6 kids in my family so the Melvilles and Bascoms (my maiden name) have a great history together. They resisted the pressure from the big name resorts to sell out and remain the Inn Keepers of this cozy chalet. Their many patrons are thankful to still have the charm of the Mountain Chalet to come home to.
I toured many beautiful luxury homes to add to our inventory. From a down-town penthouse to a 12,000 square foot home up toward “the pass” I was amazed at the availability of some of the most amazing homes I have ever seen, including game rooms, theaters, professional kitchens, entire rooms for the “behind the house systems”, automatic everything and of course beautiful views! To the right you can see one view of "the pass" that I especially love. I’m excited about the opportunity for home owners and guests wanting to rent out a beautiful vacation home….the timing is great for this travel option!
I ventured on the local RFTA shuttle bus (which by the way is the simplest and most efficient public transportation system I have ever experienced – no need to rent a car or hassle with driving in the snow) to Snowmass and checked out the new full and fractional ownerships and some that are scheduled to open in the coming years. I used to teach the Snowmass Snowbunnies ski school and waitress at the TimberMill…well, a lot has changed since then! This sleepy village has come to life and is a destination that stands on its own! A couple of projects to keep an eye on are the Little Nell Residences in Snowmass and the Viceroy Snowmass Residences. I’ll update you as these projects continue to develop. To the left you can see a picture of Snowmass, which speaks for itself and explains why this is one of the fastest growing areas.A great family option is the Treehouse Adventure Center for kids, which offers ski and snowboard lessons, arts and crafts, games and lot more! This is a family must and gives the parents a chance to enjoy a carefree ski day and a little Apres ski action at Sneaky’s Tavern or the ever so hip Liquid Sky. Located within the revamped Snowbase Village near the soon-to-debut Viceroy and Residences at Little Nell, this upstairs social lounge and dance romp offers an Alpine twist on that sleek and sexy styling of N9NE Group venues like Playboy Club, Ghostbar and Rain in Las Vegas. The location will host an all-day lounge scene of Chanel-logo ski bunnies and show-off snowboarders not shy about stripping off the gear and letting loose on the early evening dance floor. By night the club will come alive with nightly DJs surely to recruit some of the one-name celebrity mixers that spin at the owners headline clubs in Chicago, Las Vegas and Dallas!
Another off-the-beaten path activity, yet a local favorite is the Aspen Man Camp , the perfect fit for someone you know who has been completely dominated by his inner wimp, they'll come to your town, pick him up, and carry him to the Man Camp! Meet the Basquach (see intervention) who is none other than my brother! If you are looking for landscaping trees, the Basquach is also the man for the job. Just look at him…he is “one with the tree”! This is who you want handling your trees, and I don’t just say that because my Mom and brother own this tree farm located in Crawford,CO. Trollhagen Tree Ranch has lots of big trees which are very rare right now! They are quality, Colorado Grown at 6500' making them winter proof, and they are ready to go and can be delivered immediately directly to your site in Western Colorado or shipped anywhere in the country. Trollhagen Tree Ranch offers full service from the planting of trees in their infancy at the farm to the planting of trees on your site. They take pride in their trees and have a vested interest in planting them appropriately…a skill in itself!
Hi Mike and Taya,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Jane and I'm with Dwellable.
I was looking for blogs about Aspen’s West End to share on our site and I came across your post...If you're open to it, shoot me an email at jane(at)dwellable(dot)com.
Hope to hear from you :)
Jane