Hot Air Ballooning in the Rocky Mountains

Now this is something you won't see every day! One attraction that makes Aspen a truly unique destination is the Colorado Balloon Classic. The Classic was organized in 1977 and continues to astound onlookers for miles around. The Colorado Balloon Classic is an annual event held on Labor Day weekend, that is fun for the whole family, plus admission is free! The event is held in Memorial Park off Pikes Peak Avenue between near the shores of Prospect Lake. Over 100 balloons ascend into the skies around Pikes Peak during the day. At night, balloons are lit up for the Balloon Glo. On the ground families get the chance to check out how balloons work and get to take a ride if they are brave enough to climb hundreds of feet in the air.

Even if you can't make it for the Balloon Classic, a hot air balloon ride overlooking the Rocky Mountains, might quite possibly be one of the most beautiful site-seeing ventures you will ever embark on. In the Fall, climb above the peaks as the gorgeous aspen trees shimmer below. During the winter, see the Rockies with a dusting of snow. You can't visit Aspen and not enjoy this amazing adventure for the whole family!

Aspen Music Festival

The summer is almost upon us, and we are keeping our eyes and ears open for those events an venues that will be fun for the whole family. One such event that is draws crowds from all over the world is the Aspen Music Festival. From opera to the cello, this Festival has some of the greatest musical artists i the world. The summer comes alive with amazing events almost every weekend. Here are some of the incredible events that will be happening from July through August this summer.

Cellists Lynn Harrell (July 5)

Alisa Weilerstein (July 8)

Featured above: Violin sensations Janine Jansen (July 9 and 12)

Puccini's beloved La boheme (July 16, 18, and 20)

Dawn Upshaw (July 24 and 29)

Joyce Yang (July 26 and 30)

Extraordinary pianists Yefim Bronfman (July 28 and August 2)

Britten's spare and haunting Rape of Lucretia (July 30 and August 1)

Opera superstars Deborah Voigt (August 6)

Sarah Chang (August 9)

Ingrid Fliter (August 14)

Mozart's most popular Don Giovanni (August 18, 20, and 22)

These are just the beginning as there are more than 400 events. Our suggestion is choose the two that you simply must see and plan a vacation with your family around it. Enjoy the summer beauty of Aspen, while introducing your kids and family to some of the greatest music of all time!

Aspen Food and Wine Festival

You may think of Aspen as only a winter destination, considering it offers amazing skiing and snowboarding, as well as one of the top ten Aprés-ski scenes in the world. But what you might not know, is that the summer season lights up with unique events and gorgeous outdoor sports and excursions. From exploring the fabulous art galleries and shopping at the boutiques, to mountain biking over "the pass" or fly fishing in the Roaring Fork Valley, Aspen in the summer has everything you can imagine.

Along with all of these activities, each year Aspen hosts the Food & Wine Magazine Classic, which is one of the nations most prestigious events. Culinary stars show their passion for food, wine, and entertaining. More than 300 Vintners present premium wines complimented by specialty foods from around the world. You can also join leading chefs including Bobby Flay, Jacques Pépin, as well as world-renown wine authorities such as Joshua Wesson for three days of wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, and other special events.

This event will prove to be one of the highlights of the year and will be taking place June 19-21. Whether you are staying just for the weekend or want to extend your stay for a few weeks, Le Rêve can create a customized itinerary that allows you to experience the breath-taking beauty of Aspen. Whether you enjoy river rafting down the Royal Gorge, hot-air ballooning over Marroon Bells, or simply taking in the culinary arts, everyone in your family will love this Aspen experience.

While in Aspen, you can also stay in your own private villa, complete with workout room, game room, and jacuzzi. Enjoy the comfort of home, the beauty of Aspen, and the exciting talents of some of the world's greatest chefs and sommeliers.

The Remède Spa at the St. Regis

While in Aspen, I was introduced to one of the most deluxe spa treatment centers I have ever seen. It is not simply an afternoon at the spa, but a full experience that leaves you feeling rejuvenated, refreshed, and ready for whatever life holds. Exclusive to the Aspen St. Regis Resort, Remède Spa offers a comprehensive menu of customized and results-oriented facial, massage and body treatments, as well as wax and nail services. The ambiance and the welcoming atmosphere there are also a highlight. This is one of the great staff members that greeted me there.

These treatments and services, combined with signature touches including chilled champagne, Jacques Torres truffles and Kashwere throws, create a decadent spa experience that is unmistakably Remède. Remède Spa recognizes each guest, each face, each body is unique. As such, no two facials or massages are the same.

Following your treatment, enjoy the Oxygen Lounge, where guests reap the benefits of fruit-infused oxygen while laying on chaise lounges before a marble fireplace.

Here is a day experience which especially caught my eye. What better way to spend a day to yourself while on vacation. Allow Remède Spa to indulge you in a day of decadence, including the following treatments:

The Remède Customized Facial
The Remède Customized Massage
Sweep Body Softening Scrub
The Remède Manicure
The Remède Pedicure
Light Lunch

Take advantage of the incredible Remède Spa while enjoying the breath-taking beauty of Aspen!

Back from Aspen

I’m back from my whirlwind tour in Aspen. Below are some of the highlights from my last couple of days spent with my family and friends:

~ Atlas Pizza in El Jebel. As you can see it is the friendliest family restaurant in the Valley and the wine and food along with the atmosphere are fabulous too…a win-win for the whole family! Aren't the girls beautiful!

~ Kenichi with my TASIS friend…the food was good, but the most interesting part of the night was that we learned that Sapporo beer is brewed in Japan and Kirin is brewed in the USA (thanks for the trivia Dominic!).

~ The NASTAR race exclusively for the TASIS alumni on Aspen Mountain. I didn’t win…in fact far from it, but did have a blast! This can be arranged for any group (family, corporate, bachelor party, etc.). We enjoyed a private lunch at Buckhorn, a picnic spot with a view of all the surrounding mountains, which you can see in the picture below. Our host brought us Swiss cheese, sausage, chocolate and wine…what more could you want?!

A few other suggestions that I would be remiss if I left out:

~ If you are looking for a fun and challenging ski run while in Aspen you’ll want to ski Highlands to hike and ski “the Bowl” Just ask a local and they will tell you about it!

~ A few things I want to fit in on my next winter trip to Aspen: Pine Creek Cookhouse, Skate-ski to Maroon Bells, Historical tour of Aspen with the Aspen Historical Society, Snowcat dinner to Cloud Nine, Cross country ski Hut-Trip…stay tuned for the Le Rêve one-of-a-kind gourmet Hut Trip (bringing a bit of Switzerland culture to Aspen) and call me if you want the details!

~ I accomplished my goal of sourcing the finest luxury rental homes in Aspen and re-learning where to go, what to do and who to help plan it! I saw family, old friends and made some great new friends as well. I feel like Aspen is my home once again! I look forward to planning one-of-a-kind Aspen trips for my customers…I just know they will be blown away!

The West End, Snowmass, and the Variety of Aspen

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.

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!

Aspen - The Top Après-Ski Scene

If you're not from a cold-weather climate, you might be wondering what the term "Après-Ski" means. Literally the term means 'after skiing' in French, and is a central part of a great skiing holiday. It is a term that refers to going out after a full day of skiing, whether it be drinks at the lodge, heading to a concert, or enjoying a gourmet meal overlooking the slopes.

Aspen has been rated one of the Top Ten Après-Ski Scenes by MSN and almost every travel and ski-tour organization you can name. It ranks right up there with Switzerland's Mont Blanc. It has beautiful scenery, excellent powder, and wonderful nightlife to round out your skiing holiday. One hot-spot that tops the charts is the new 39 Degrees Lounge and Restaurant in the Sky Hotel. With swank surroundings, excellent food, and fun company, there are endless nights of conversation and laughs after a day on the slopes. Here are two other hotels that are at the center of the Après-Ski Scene in Aspen.

Little Nell Hotel and Residences – this is the only ski-in hotel in Aspen and it’s Après-Ski scene is unparalled. Located at the base of the ski run and centered in downtown Aspen make this THE location. The resort is approaching room remodels and the Residential units just opened and are selling like hot cakes.

Hyatt Grand Aspen Residences – This has a huge variety, whether you are traveling with your entire family or just with your spouse. The rooms are cozy and deluxe with top-of-the-line amenities. There are many options for room style and the value is a big selling point here. Again, it is located in the center of town and the ice-rink is just outside the front door.

Each of these resorts has their own flavor. It’s all about knowing our clients to match them up with the right property and area activities. Taking the time to plan in advance and talk about what is important to your vacation or meeting is what will make the difference between a trip and an experience!