Summer Vacations – Gone but Not Forgotten

Fall is just around the corner, but memories of great summer vacations and long weekend getaways still linger. We want to keep the good vibes going for our PRiME readers by telling you about some great vacations you may want to start thinking about now for next summer.

First up is Aspen. Though known for its four world-class ski mountains, offering the most diverse selection of terrain and on snow experience in Colorado, Aspen is not as well known for its many great outdoor and cultural opportunities in and around Aspen during the summer. Here are a few favorites of one of our PRiME contributing editor’s.

The Aspen Music Festival and School is an international destination for classical musicians, music students, and music lovers. Over the last 50 years, it has grown from 125 students in one orchestra playing three concerts per week for nine weeks. These are performed by faculty and students with no guest artists. Today, the students have grown fivefold and comprise three orchestras presenting three concerts per day for eight weeks, which are headlined by prominent soloists and guest artists.

Condoleezza Rice and Madeline Albright are two of the prominent women speakers in their Prime that we have heard speak at the Aspen Ideas Festival. This annual event features some of the foremost thinkers in the world of business, the arts, politics, and philanthropy.

If you are a foodie or wine lover, this is an event for you.

The Annual Aspen Food and Wine Classic hosts the many of the world’s most accomplished winemakers and celebrity chefs in one breathtaking setting. Don’t miss the opportunity to browse the tasting tents and experience the pinnacle of good taste, mingle with stars, and enjoy a pleasure-packed weekend at the base of spectacular Aspen Mountain.

Our best meal during our last visit was at Rustique Bistro, known in Aspen for authentic country French cooking. The food is farmhouse fare, full of robust flavors and hearty portions. The setting is reminiscent of a Provencal country inn, complete with hanging dried herbs and flowers, used copper pots, battered shutters, and worn stucco walls. The artwork depicts rustic villages perched on the hillsides of the Mediterranean and warm candlelight enhances the feeling of coziness and feeling of “being at home”.

The Denver Post says it is the “Best Meal in Aspen”. Awards come from Esquire Magazine, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Gourmet Magazine, WSJ and several others.

There is an extensive network of winding trails that course through the mountains surrounding Aspen and on down valley to Glenwood Springs. Hikers and bikers will relish the panoramas of the Rockies, the dense Aspen groves and secluded rivers accessed by an extensive trail system. A hike or ride to Maroon Bells is one of our favorites.

 

For Colorado Fly Fishing at its best, we always go to Taylor Creek Fly Shop located 30 minutes outside Aspen in Basalt. They are our “go-to” place for local fishing information, equipment, guided wading or floating tours, or full outfitting. You can enjoy the best fly fishing Colorado offers on the Frying Pan, Roaring Fork, Colorado Crystal rivers, or high mountain streams or lakes, all of which just a short drive away.

What summer activities have not been covered? Golf, tennis, river kayaking and rafting, camping, climbing, zip lining, paragliding, site seeing, horseback riding, hunting and shooting. If you’ve not made it to Aspen in the summer, put it on your list!