Memorial Day Weekend Getaway to Aspen, Colorado

Memorial Day Weekend symbolizes so many different things. For most of us it means to honor those who fought for our liberties and it also is a sign of summer. Families gather, backyard barbeques commence and pool parties are hoppin’ assuming the weather is cooperating. Weekend trips are booked and that is what we did for Memorial Day weekend. The fiance and I booked Memorial Day Getaway to Aspen, Colorado.

Driving to Aspen is scenic and the views of all of the pristine mountains and the crisp blue sky contrasting with the white snow make for a beautiful drive. Not only that, but Independence Pass was officially open the two days before. Independence Pass is a monumental drive in the state, and arguably the entire country. If you are afraid of heights this is quite the thrilling drive. But safety first, driving cautiously you’ll be fine and the views are incredible.

Zack and I were driving through Independence pass and I could not believe how we as humans pretty much decide we get whatever we want. We wanted to build a road through these mountain, well we go it. The snow was plowed on the road but you could easily tell that there was 10 -12 feet of snow all along the road. It was pretty cool to see. But even cooler than that was watching the most badass people in the state ski down these down these mountains!

How cool is that?! People trek up the mountain in their ski boots and ski down these open trails. Backcountry skiing at its finest. I was just in awe of these incredible acts of human physiology. To hike up a mountain in that high of altitude and then ski down is such an impressive feat. I’m not sure how long people are able to ski in Independence Pass but if you venture through Indy Pass at the end of May you are sure to see the skiers and snowshoers!

Finally we made it to Aspen which is only about 3 hours from Denver. When you hear the words “quaint little town” what pops in your head? Well, Aspen will forever pop in my head when I hear those words. We stayed at Hotel Aspen just outside the main streets of the city.

Aspen is a humble city at the foot of the most beautiful mountains. Zack and I stayed at Hotel Aspen which was a wonderful little nook for the weekend. Complete with a pool, jacuzzi, hot breakfast bar that was dietitian approved, free bikes and a collection of DVDs to watch. Surrounding the hotel was a lush park, a cool nature trail, and the main streets of Aspen. Hotel Aspen is so close to everything that we were able to walk everywhere, which as an active chica, I really enjoyed!

We first walked to the gondola which had an amazing deal that included unlimited rides up the mountain and a 10$ voucher for lunch at Sundeck!

I’m going to talk about fear of heights again here because obviously if you are afraid of heights you might want to skip the Gondola ride. But if you can handle it, it’s so beautiful and I have been on gondola rides in Sicily through Taormina so I knew this ride would be just as safe and beautiful.

We took some photos of course to show the amazing scene. I tried to do the photos justice but you just have to visit for yourself. We dined in the restaurant and hello delicious food! Also dietitian approved! If you got your mind on nutrition the Sundeck restaurant is the perfect ski mountain lunch spot. I got a Power Greens salad which had the most delicate green leafys and kale, cucumbers, tomatoes, a touch of red onion, and edamame with a fillet of salmon. I also sipped on a peppermint tea while Zack had some drinks from the bar.

After we finished our lunch we headed back down the mountain in a gondola. Another really notable feature is that the facilitators of the ride let you have your own private gondola, so that’s nice. A small detail that I really appreciated! Inside the gondola, you can even hook up your iPod or iPhone to play music. We didn’t have the adapter cord with us. But for next time we will! We left the gondola ride and meandered through the streets. We found a cute outdoor bar and seating area where we just basked in the sun. I was so relaxed I almost fell asleep. We had reservations for dinner at 6:15, a little compromise action there ;-). So around 3:30 we walked back to our hotel and soaked up some more sunshine by the pool.

I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, My Favorite Murder, which I recommend listening to if you’re into murder cases. At one point Zack said to me “what do you think the temperature is”? And I guessed 78? He said it was 64! The sun was so strong but the air was so crisp. It was the perfect weather.

Dinner time approached and I dressed up a little fancier than I probably needed too, but hey, why not!? We dined at Justice Snow's which was a restaurant right on Hyman St. We walked in and it was a saloon-y type of feel. We chose to sit at a table instead of the bar. Next to us was this huge door to an old safe. It was really cool. But the FOOD! YUM!

First, we started off with the most delicious cauliflower appetizer. Can I just say, as a dietitian, I am so loving the movement towards more plant based appetizers. I feel like we’re programmed to think apps are fried, chips, chicken wings, and just things that taste good but not really the most nutritious options! But restaurants are now finding the wonders of vegetables and are getting so creative! We got the roasted cauliflower with pistachios. It was just the right amount to split before our meals which were phenomenal!!!

Zack got the special pasta entree which was made with homemade fettuccine, mussel, shrimps, caviar, and some spring time veggies. I ordered the Salmon with charred farro, blistered tomatoes and asparagus. It was topped with pea tendrils, which by the way, I am officially obsessed with pea tendrils. Ahh! They are so good and delicate. I would describe the flavor to be like citrus without the sour but slightly sweet. I asked the waitress what they were and she told me Pea Tendrils! Locally grown pea tendrils from the farmers market. Im telling you, these are a must if you’re into garnishing your meals. The whole meal was fantastic!

We skipped dessert at the restaurant only so we could venture to another goodie. Paradise Bakery was packed! So obviously it sucked. No I’m kidding , that was total sarcasm. This was place was AMAZING! It had fresh gelato in dozens of flavors and baked goods, speciality coffee drinks and teas. They even had this tray of crumbled muffins and cookies for taste testing. I was in heaven. I love cookies! I had a gingersnap cookie and Zack got a cone with Mocha Peanut Butter Gelato and the second flavor (I picked!) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough!

Then we walked back to our hotel and just before the night was over we decided to take a sunset walk through the Memorial. What a cool nature scene. It was an intimate little trail alongside a creek with these big beautiful stones and trees and flowers. We stopped to take pictures of this rock with a quote on it. There were a few with quotes. It was really neat and very close to our hotel. Like i said earlier, we walked everywhere!

Finally we turned in for the night. We picked up a movie, Good Will Hunting from the front desk. I of course fell asleep during it. But I had such a restful sleep. I woke up sprightly and headed straight to the hot breakfast bar. I had a hearty bowl of steel cut oats with berries, a cup of coffee, and a side of scrambies. They had all the fixings there for a great breakfast.

By 9am we were out of there and driving back through Independence pass again, still as beautiful as the first time.

It was a truly perfect memorial day weekend getaway!

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