A is for Aspen - Day 1 - September 22, 2012

Favorite picture from the trip. This feathered friend joined us for my birthday lunch.

Aspen is very expensive, so we stayed in Snowmass. Paul calls Snowmass “the poor man’s Aspen.”  We stayed at the Pokolodi lodge.  Our room was very nice and affordable at $100 for the night.

Aspen trees in front of Pokolodi Lodge.

Our hotel in Snowmass, "Poorman's Aspen"

The bus system in the area is fantastic.  We rode the bus from the Snowmass Mall, a short walk from our lodge, to a commuter parking lot/bus stop called Old Snowmass.

Paul waiting at the Snowmass bus stop.

The views from the bus stop were beautiful. Here we see nature showing off some fall colors.

Rocky Mountain view from the Snowmass bus stop.

We strolled along the streets of Aspen enjoying window shopping at expensive designer boutiques with international names like “Gucci, Prada, and Dior.”

Soon we happened upon a “True Value Hardware Store,” and stopped at Paul’s urging that we might be able to find something we could afford at this store.  Paul says, “You know you are in Aspen when they play choir selections from a Puccini opera in the hardware store.” 

I had been wondering what I would collect from every place we would visit as we travel “Colorado A to Z.”  I thought, “Maybe Christmas ornaments, maybe snow globes, maybe clothing….” 

I say, “You know you are in Aspen when the hardware store has a spiral stair case.”  We climbed the stair case and I found the answer to my collection question.  I found a cookbook, “Lighter Tastes of Aspen:  Recipes from Aspen/Snowmass’ Finest Restaurants and Caterers.”  So, I will be looking for cookbooks and other kitchen items as we explore “Colorado A to Z.”

My kitchen will be decked out with new cookbooks or other kitchen items as I pick up a souvenir from each destination.

Enjoying some lemonade and scenery at Victoria's.

We decided to buy some breakfast for Sunday at Annette’s Mountain Bake Shop.  Here I am with Annette herself, and her chief cook and bottle washer.  We got two croissants and two apple juices for $15.00.

Doesn't this look like a nice place to buy tomorrow's breakfast?

Like all things in Aspen, the croissants and apple juices were a bit pricey. But it was a pleasure to meet Annette.

Next stop: Wheeler Opera House

Saturday evening, we attended the movie “Samsara” (http://barakasamsara.com/) at the Wheeler Opera House. It is a beautifully produced documentary without any narration, solely video and music.  We climbed up the first flight of stairs where they had concessions and asked the man behind the counter how to get into the theatre.  He smiled and said, “You’re in Aspen.  Climb.”  We had yet another flight of stairs to tackle before entering the theatre.

We were the first to arrive and smiled as the docent congratulated us on being first to arrive and able to get first pick of the seats.  According to Annette’s chief cook and bottle washer, there are no bad seats in the theatre.

You wouldn’t get that impression from the behavior of the locals who attended the movie.  And from their behavior we understood why the docent had congratulated us on being first.  The audience built around us.  There were many vacant seats, but people crawled over each other, switching seats and loudly complaining when someone sat in front of them.

The men right behind us sat right in front of some older shorter ladies and loudly hoped that we would slouch throughout the movie as we had while waiting for the movie to start.  When the movie started, I sat up straight and the men said, “No, slouch.”  Paul turned around, smiled and said, “We need to work on invisibility.”  The men were totally embarrassed, and said that it was o.k. if we sat up straight and that they were just thinking about the shorter women behind them.  Hmmm.  If that’s so, how come these “gentlemen” sat in front of these women to begin with?

We watched with amazement as the couple next to us snapped pictures during the movie.  Isn’t that illegal?

It amazed me that these well-to-do locals felt their $10 admission was worth more than my $10 admission.  I felt much more comfortable amongst the housekeepers, waiters and waitresses that rode the bus with us tourists.  They were much kinder, giving up seats for people with babies in arms, sharing coupons with each other for McDonald’s Happy Meals, and helping tourists with bus schedules and stops.

  Our seats in the Wheeler Opera House were right underneath this beautiful chandelier.  I said, “I wouldn’t want to be here during a performance of ‘Phantom of the Opera.’”  Paul and I shared a laugh when “Music of the Night” was on the playlist as we waited for the movie to start.

The chandelier at the Wheeler Opera House.

Arrive early to admire the beautiful theatre and be amused by persnickety patrons.

 
 It isn't over yet! Stay tuned for our second day in Aspen- my birthday!


-Beth