Aspen at night...not all of the pictures are my own.
The big debate...Drive vs. Fly: Now, I am always in the camp of flying anywhere rather than driving, so my allegiances were already established. But alas, flying from Denver to Aspen (about a 45 minute plane ride) would be super expensive since we booked late. So we drove. Big mistake. First off, we got into Denver really late, like 8:00. By the time we got our bags, ate dinner, got to the rental car, it was 10:30. We got on the road, and we were making good time. But then we started seeing these signs saying there were massive backups and we should expect 2+ hours of traffic. We thought, no big deal, it's super late so no one will be on the road. Nope. Traffic was at a standstill, and we don't really know why. Maybe because it was snowing, or because they had to close Vail Pass for a few hours? No clue. But anyways, it amounted to about 12 hours of total travel, 6+ hours of driving and the rest for the airport. Coming back it was much better, but it was still a haul. Flying is much more glamourous.
Private jets abound at the Aspen airport.
I'm a no-frills downhill skiier. I love me some good, steep, fast runs, And I'm not a fan of big moguls. So I thought Snowmass was really great because it had some great groomed black diamonds. Totally my style. As for Highlands and Ajax, they were pretty comparable, but Ajax was soo much more convenient. We could literally walk to the chair from our place. I think Highlands would be great for the super-extreme experts, but I'm just not there. I also liked that Ajax had no beginner runs and pretty much no ski school, so we weren't bugged by a ton of beginners going super slowly. Nothing against them, I was one once too, but when you're trying to go fast but worrying about running into them, it doesn't make for a fun day. But I highly recommend trying all three (or 4) while you're there to get a real taste.
Snowmass Mountain. Look at all the trails!
Apres-Ski and Nightlife: I'm a high schooler, so I don't exactly do apres-ski or nighlife. But that doesn't mean I can't people-watch! The hot spots, from my point of view, were these three places:
Ajax Tavern: This is at the bottom of the slopes of Aspen Mountain, right next to the gondola, and so convenient that people literally can ski right down and get their party on. We were just casually walking around at about 5, and we could hear some seriously popping club music coming from their deck. They have a DJ and everything! Everyone who was there was getting their groove on and dancing, whether they were a group of banker types, some moms, or some old guys. No discrimination!
Apres-ski at Ajax.
Cloud Nine: This is a little chalet-type thing at the top of the Cloud Nine lift at Aspen Highlands. At lunchtime, it's a relaxing and elegant sit-down restaurant for the set who don't like to rough it at the lodge. But once 3 o'clock hits, the music starts pumping and people go outside and start dancing on the tables! Honestly, you can see it from the lift.
Party at Cloud Nine!
The Caribou Club: My dad has a friend who works in security for some big events in Aspen. He was chock full of stories from the mythical Caribou Club, from when he talked with Paris Hilton or when he met Jim Carrey. For the record, the Caribou Club is a members-only club that costs $1500 for a week of membership. So you can bet that a ton of celebs who want to show off come in for the night. We got a little tour of the club from this friend, and there were some extravagant types!
Inside the Caribou Club.
Shopping: Aspen has designer shopping. From Burberry to Prada to up-and-coming Rag & Bone, if you're looking for high fashion, Aspen's got it. Some of my favorite stores were a little off the beaten path: Pitkin County Dry Goods was my fave. While the name might sound appalling, it's actually a really chic store that stocks brands like Diane von Furstenberg, Autumn Cashmere, and all the jeans you can think of. Gucci was actually really friendly, unlike most of the annoyed better-than-thou salespeople you get elsewhere. There was also another cool store that I forget the name of that kept trying to get me to buy a $1000 maxi dress. Um, not happening. And of course, there's the always popular ski coat designer Moncler.
Gucci and Dior stores.
Trends: The look everyone was going for was just-off-the-slopes-yet-I-still-look-hot. With a large side dish of over-the-top and look-at-me. Gucci aviators were big, as were artfully messy side braids. Fire + Ice ski coats were big, lots of neon colors with huge fur collars. Fur was trendy. Large fur coats and humongous fur boots were a status symbol. Just in case the temperature dipped to -10, they would be prepared. Oh, and dinners are formal. Pack some heels.
Neon coats with fur trim=high style.
Make like Mariah Carey and wear fur with aviators.
Sleek decoration and gourmet food make Element 47 a chic place to eat.
