Always a must when we get out to the Rockies, Aspen never disappoints! We lived here every summer until I was 8 or 9; my dad taught at the Aspen School of Music and he would bring a bunch of college kids out for the summer and we'd all live together in these huge condos. So many special, unique memories from this time of my life. This is one tradition: coming to the Aspen Music Tent for a concert! It's an auditorium covered by a tent, and then there are expansive lawns surrounding the tent for listeners to enjoy the music at no cost. The above picture is the beautiful entry walkway, and below are pictures of Jack and Mikaila playing while we sat on the lawn. My parents were lucky enough to get seats inside this time!
(A better view of the grounds, and the tent in the background)
A little bridge and stream next to our hotel.
Typical after a long day of fun...passed out kids!
MAROON BELLS HIKE:
The Aspen visit would not be complete without a trip to Maroon Bells (two triangle-shaped peaks in background) and hopefully a nice day hike by the lake and into the valley. There is a much longer version of this which we've done many times, which starts at this trailhead, and is a total of almost 17 miles. It's exhilarating, exhausting, a bit dangerous even, but one of my personal favorites. Not really something we can do with the little kiddos, so instead this summer we had a picnic lunch by the lake with Papa, Grandma, Marika, and Mikaila, then Eric and I took our kids for a hike. This particular hike, for some reason, brought back so many memories for me--the smell of the woods is so distinct that it filled me with nostalgia and longing. All I can say is that hiking here--smelling the woods and the dampness by the rivers' edge and seeing the wildflowers along the trail--leaves me very, very content. Enjoy the pictures.
In my defense...Eric offered to carry both. :) The kids loved their views, and it freed me up to use my camera!
One of the only flat patches of the trail!
Oddly enough this type of graffiti is quite common on the Aspen trees...in fact, somewhere along a high Apsen road there is a particular tree bearing my initials + some junior high crush's...sadly, I'm not sure which crush it was that summer! Justin? Ryan? Hm...
Aaaaaand, they're gone. (Don't worry, they're lathered in sun lotion!)
Heading back...
Remnants of an old beaver house.
Met up with Papa and Grandma back at the parking lot...waiting for us with fresh, cold tangerines...yum!
So good to see him smiling and enjoying himself after such a rough time during the first part of our trip!
SPECIAL ASPEN DINNER:
My parents surprised us with this special dinner; we drove way up into the valley behind Aspen, high in the mountains, to go to this restaurant. What we didn't realize until we got here is that this is where my parents lived one summer (before I was born)! The restaurant is new, obviously, but there is a little house out back by a pond that they lived in; I believe the property belonged to some friends of theirs way back when. The restaurant turned out to be even nicer than any of us had imagined; we felt a little out of place in our jeans and hiking boots next to the women in their pearls and shawls and heels and the men in what could only be expensive sports coats and ties...BUT, the food was fabulous--we tried buffalo, caribou, salmon, elk, antelope, and other unique meats--and the bill, well, let's just say my dad probably donated an organ to pay for it!! Such a special evening.
This picture is not great but gives a view of the restaurant:
(Only one more short post to come....)
