Aspen is, well, Aspen.  It’s not only for the rich and famous.  It’s for all of us.  There is so much to see, to take in, to explore if you are just – shall I say it – a tourist.

Let’s just start with Maroon Bells.  It’s so famous as a picture post card spot.  It’s so majestic.  It’s just so OMG!  We’re happy to say that Doug’s picture of Maroon Bells made the local news.

Go very early in the morning.  Go at sunset.  Just go.  The times we have been there it has been very un-populated with local spectators. It has been remarkably shy of people.  This is what makes this place soooo amazing.  There is the lake.  There is the beaver lodge.  There are the trails.  There is Crater Lake.  There is the wildlife, like blue heron, and geese.  There is an abundance of flora and fauna.  There is peace and tranquility.  Don’t ever come here without a camera.

You can hike here.  You can fish here.  If you are especially outdoor/hiking inclined, you can backpack in here.  You can walk and you can hike.  You can just stand at the lake and look at the Maroon Bells and just take it all in.  This is Colorado at it’s finest.  This place alone is worth the trip to Aspen.

The town of Aspen is like none other.  It has all the high priced stores you’ve heard the names of.  There are plenty of restaurants. (Our Favorite is Little Annie’s Eating House) There is an abundance of gazillion dollar homes.  There are also many back streets that have such charm and Victorian homes that make walking the streets a sensory trill.  Try not to look at the price tags on the homes for sale.  Look at the architecture. Look at the gardens.  Look at how they decorate the gardens.

Did you know there is actually camping – Forest Service Camping Grounds in Aspen???  The Difficult campground is really nice.  It has all the amenities of most Forest Service campgrounds. Along Maroon Creek, leading up to Maroon Bells also has campgrounds but you’ll need reservations in the summer.  Camping will make your trip to Aspen much more affordable.  While there are many rental condos/homes available – it is, afterall, Aspen, and it can be expensive.  I’ll recommend Snowmass (the ski village right next door) as a less expensive alternative if you’d prefer a condo for your stay. The place we love is the Crestwood Condos.  They have great package deals and it has been recently renovated inside and out!!!  One time we stayed at Silvertree  Hotel which was also nice.

I encourage anyone who is vacationing in Colorado to make the stop in Aspen.  It’s beautiful.  You’ll probably never see a movie star, but there is so much more to experience there.  It’s definitely one of my favorite places go to.

Aspen has 4 world class ski areas: Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass (the second largest ski area in the USA).

Plan your any season trip to Aspen Colorado – you won’t be disappointed. Visit the links below!

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Map of the Aspen Colorado and the Maroon Bells.

Just step back in time.  Don’t fight it – just go there.  Lake City is such a special little community, it would be a shame to miss it.  There’s a peacefulness there that is hard to find.  I hear there is great fishing!  I know there are great 4-wheel drives.  OH!  There is also a little store that has a REAL soda fountain and makes REAL milk shakes!

One of the things Doug and I love to do is going to places that are a little out of the way – the road less traveled, if you will.  I think there are treasures in these places if you’re willing to take just a little time to explore them.  Each town is different.  Each has its own history.  Each has its own treasures.

I have always liked churches.  Wherever I go, I like to step inside an open church to just take a moment to reflect on the blessings in my life.  Lake City has several churches, fairly close together, that were all open the day we visited.  I was so fortunate to be able to walk inside and take in several houses of different faiths.  Each had its own beauty and charm.

Doug and I took the Alpine Loop for a fun little off-road adventure.  The road was in good condition most of the route. But at higher routes like Engineer and Cinnamon Pass requires 4×4 vehicles. We got to see the sights from a higher perspective.  With all the rain Colorado had this year, the greenery was at its peak.  Plenty of wildflowers were out and that always makes for a photo-op!

While we don’t fish, it became apparent very quickly that this is a place for fishermen come to Lake San Cristobal and Rio Grande Reservoir. Fly Fishing at Cebolla Creek, Heart Creek, Hanson Creek and the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River runs on the outskirts of town and there was no lack of prey or catch!!!  There are fishing stores, guides,The Sportsman Outdoors & Fly Shop and Dan’s Fly Shop for the avid or novice fishermen.

In the winter, snowmobiling is the sport of choice!  There’s an abundance of trails and plenty of intown stores to support this fun and exciting winter adventure!!

Don’t let this gem pass you by.  We highly recommend Lake City as a hidden treasure of Colorado!

Note: the weekend of September 26 should be a good weekend for Autumns  fall colors in Lake City.

Map of Lake City Colorado.

Creede Colorado is a very cool place to visit.  It’s an old mining town that has really stepped up to tourism and becoming a destination vacation place.  How is that possible you say?  Well, aside from seeing old mines from the 1800′s, there’s fishing.  One thing about this part of Colorado – being located at the head waters of the Rio Grande river, there is excellent fishing!  And, the locals support this activity with shops, guides, and well, fish!

We don’t fish.  But we do like adventures to Colorado’s little “treasure towns” as we call them.  Mining back in the 1800′s was the main stay of this place and the possible resurgence of it is promising.  This summer, the town was active with tourists and fishermen.  There are nice little restaurants, outdoor shops, tourist shops and great scenery.

There are several *very* cool things to see in Creede, but I would have to say that the Underground Fire Station is one of my favorites.  There are new fire trucks BUT there are also vintage ones.  This was a nice surprise for us.  They are well kept and a great photo-op for the family.  Right next door is a mining museum where you can take a tour of a once active mine.  If you’ve never done this before, I highly recommend it.  It is really something to comprehend what the miners had to endure to make a living back in in the day.

Probably my favorite encounter was at the Last Chance Mine.  A fairly easy 4 wheel drive trip up Bachelor Loop road, there’s an unexpected attraction once you get to the end of the road.  Jack Morris will greet you (weekends only) and is an exceptional narrator on the history of the mine and how he came to own it.

The *very* cool thing about The Last Chance Mine is that Jack has refurbished and built a couple of  circa 1860′s mining “shacks” that you can spend the night/weekend in!!!  There are tons of original artifacts from the mining days all around the premises.  Also a great find are the rocks and jewelry.  I saw so many pieces that it was truly hard to make up my mind on which to buy.

Make the drive up to The Last Chance Mine.  Definitely make the drive to Creede.  It’s a Colorado Treasure!!

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Map of Creede Colorado.