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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Hotels.com Silvertree Hotel

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Map of the Aspen Colorado and the Maroon Bells.

There are many reasons I love the Iberostar Resort in Cozumel, Mexico.  As scuba divers, we love the amazing reefs and fish that cannot be beat in the Caribbean.

Here are some reasons you should give the Iberostar a try:

• Great dive operation through Dressel Divers on site dive shop
• Located on the south side of the island so close to the reefs!
• Reasonable prices
• Cute bungalows – not a big hotel look and feel
• All inclusive
• If you don’t want to go to town to shop or party – this place is the place!
• Beautiful gardens

We love to go diving in Cozumel because, for us, it’s  about  a 4 hour flight out of Denver and we are there!  You can catch flights in the morning and enjoy a beverage on  the beach at sunset that same day!

We have found the diving in Cozumel to be incomparable.  Even as we talk to people that dive all over the world, Cozumel is compared only to The Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Red Sea in Egypt as some of the most spectacular reefs and variety and size of sea life.

Hotel

The Iberostar is our choice because it is a great value for the money.  We are hooked on all-inclusive resorts and this meets our needs every time.  It’s close to the reefs so you don’t have 1 hour +/- boat rides to and from the dive sites.  Some are as close as 5 minutes straight out from the dock.  Their on-site dive shop – Dressel Divers  does a great job.  They have a very professional staff, nice boats, good equipment and are a joy to converse with as they are from all over the world.

The food is pretty good.  We tend to go there in either April or November just before or after peak season, when the resort is not full.  This means that not all restarurants are open at all times and the variety of food is not as great as when they are filled to capacity.  Is this a big deal?  Certainly not!  We don’t go there for the food – we go for the diving!

The rooms are also nice.  These little 4-plex bungalow type units give the place a smaller resort feel.  No need for elevators as they are only 2 story.  The beds are comfortable, the rooms are clean and there are plenty of units with a nice view of the water.  Always ask about the location and if there is a view of the ocean.  If they aren’t full they might just move you to a better view!

The grounds are very tropical.  After getting nearly wiped out a few years ago due to a major hurricane hovering over the island for 3 days there wasn’t much left for flora and fauna.  I want to give the Iberostar 5 stars for a very quick rebuild of the buildings and gardens.  We were there 6 months after it being nearly destroyed and we were touched that this Iberostar chose to *not* wait for insurance  money to arrive.  They fronted the money, kept their staff employed and were up and running in just a few months – way ahead of most of the other resorts.

We’ve stayed at other places in Cozumel – but his is our place.  So

much so, that when we retook our wedding vows a few years ago.

we chose the Iberostar for this event.  We brought our son who was about 24 at the time and he loved this place, too. Check out the Iberostar in Cozumel.  If you love to dive and love a casual atmosphere, this could just be your place!!!

This is a story about Darby and Cyndar –  out collecting wildflower seeds to regenerate the beauty of the wilderness areas of Colorado, a little closer to home…

Darby and Cyndar have many things in common – that’s what makes them friends.  They also differ in many ways – that’s what makes for interesting conversation.  They are different and they are alike.  One thing is certain.  They are not boring or dull.  Whenever they are together there is always a debate about “things”.  Things like, “is there such a thing as too much butter in a recipe”, or chocolate being its own food group, or is it worth it to drive all the way over to ‘here’ or ‘there’ to get a certain item or to do without.  Child rearing, money, travel, exercise, work, fruit and vegetables, reading vs audio books, love the kids no matter what or is this a weed or a flower…

They may differ on any or all of these things, but weed vs flower is yet again, another debate that they may never solve.  Ying vs Yang. Trash or treasure?

Darby and Cyndar love to garden.  They love wildflowers in all colors and varieties.  They love to cook with fresh herbs.  They both garden with love and enthusiasm.  While Cyndar talks to her plants and flowers to help them grow, Darby is dilligent and methodic about soil and fertilizer.  They share plants – one has too many of one thing, it is given to the other, back and forth, all summer long.  “Here you can have this.” and “Would you like to have some of this?” and “I grew this for you” and “This might look good there”.  It is sharing.  It is communication.  It is a shared love of nature.  It is a bond on multiple levels.

So, if you should see Darby and Cyndar out somewhere in an opesn field or each other’s yard, collecting seeds, just let them be.  They love and appreciate this bond with nature. They love and appreciate this gift of flowers and friendship.  The “seeds” they take are always regenerated.  Cultivated.  Nurished.  Loved.  Appreciated.

They are blessed.

Disclaimer:  Be sure to check with authorities before you take seeds.  Different national forests may rules and/or permits to take seeds.  Always ask your neighbor first!!!