Two weeks ago, we had a mission. Spend 2 days getting to
know the Molly Gibson Lodge,
Hotel Aspen
and everything the town of Aspen has to offer for a luxury vacation on a budget.
This was no small challenge, considering that in this small, quaint ski town
there is nearly as much to do as a major metropolis.
Being a resident of Colorado for 18 years, I have traveled to Aspen on several
occasions: kids’ ski competitions, Jazz Aspen Snowmass annual Labor Day Concert
extravaganza, and of course the ever popular occasional girls’ trip to Aspen.
But this was a whole new experience for me, led by the keen guidance of Jeff
Bay, manager of the
Molly Gibson Lodge and
Hotel Aspen and local insider
extraordinaire. With a fabulous hotel room at my disposal, lift ticket on my
jacket, two friends in tow, and Jeff’s expert recommendations in hand, I was
ready to open my eyes to Aspen as a true ski vacationer for the first time
ever.
We arrived in town after a sketchy drive on what was looking to be a powder
day, one of the first really great storms of the new year had just blessed the
central Colorado Rockies with some pristine Colorado dry fluff.
Thanks to the
generosity of
Aspen
Skiing Company, we were given the opportunity to ski Aspen Mountain on this
glorious day. It was a Monday, the first day after the
X Games, and town was quiet
after the nonstop 4 day reveling of this legendary event that brings crowds of
over 100,000 to Aspen each year. It was the perfect invitation to ski - a
mellow weekday with few crowds and 6” of fresh snow.
In my many trips here, this was my first time ever skiing Aspen Mountain, and
WOW - was I blown away! This fun, steep, but manageably sized mountain was the
perfect venue for several satisfying, super-fun runs on gladed powder terrain,
fast groomers and steep pitches. My favorite part of the day: discovery of the
unblemished and pitch-perfect chutes in the Back of Bell area (Seibert’s,
Knowlton’s, Back of Bell #1), where we did giggling laps on fun, soft
terrain with enough challenge to keep us going back for more.
After a satisfying few hours on the mountain, we were off to one of the
landmarks of Aspen: the
J Bar,
one of the cornerstone's of Aspen's social scene. This
turn-of-the-century masterpiece has served a the watering hole for everyone
from Jerome Wheeler to the legendary WWII 10th Mountain Division Ski Troopers
during training stints in Aspen, to Golden Age movie stars John Wayne and Gary
Cooper, to the many celebrities who call Aspen home. The J Bar has been
beautifully restored into a warm, inviting room with charming tin ceilings,
fabulous subtle lighting and sturdy, comfortable furnishings that invite you to
stay for a while. Here we noshed on a delicious lunch of J Bar’s famous Twice
Cooked Lollipop Chicken Wings with Chipotle-Honey Glaze, satisfyingly large
fresh BBQ Chicken Salad and Baby Romaine Salad, and Venison Chili. The menu
here is not for the faint at heart, but rather a soul- satisfying selection of
delicious hearty snacks and entrees that make it a perfect lunch, dinner or
après-ski spot. The house-made innovative cocktails are definitely a highlight!
A short walk back to the Molly Gibson Lodge and it was time to check into our
rooms. The Molly is a charming, classic winter ski lodge, brimming with
amenities that give incredible value for your stay. My room, an updated
charming mix of modern, comfortable amenities and retro-chic vintage vibe, was
spacious and well appointed. A wood-burning fireplace anchors the sunken living
room of this Deluxe Suite, with accessibility to the large, sunny outdoor deck
overlooking town. The focal point of the huge full bath is the Jacuzzi tub
perfect for an après-ski soak. Admittedly, it was hard to leave the room again
at this point and I could have easily settled into pajamas and rented a movie.
But a second après ski, pre-dinner cocktailing and dinner at Element 47 awaited
us, so I put on my fashionable best to move on to the next phase of this
already amazing Aspen getaway.
Luckily, we had only to saunter downstairs to the incredible Molly Gibson Lodge
après-ski,
free for hotel guests and possible the biggest bang-for-your-buck amenity at
The Molly. This fabulous daily spread is carefully attended to by Elena, whose
stories and personality are as colorful as her wonderful buffet of hot and hold
hors d’oeuvres. Beer, wine, hot chocolate and coffee are available to accompany
Elena’s nightly theme of snacks that range from Asian to Taco Tuesday; the
spread always includes cheese and crackers, fruit and homemade cookies along
with an offering of hot soup or themes apps. We were now armed with a drink and
some snacks on board to venture out for our next cocktail.
We stopped by
Jimmy’s,
an iconic Aspen neighborhood bar and restaurant that was fully packed, even on
a Monday night. We squeezed in the bar for just long enough to indulge in one
of their incredible hand-crafted cocktails made with fresh juices and liquors
from their extensive spirits selection. We especially loved the 100 calorie
Citrus Crush - made with Voli Lemon Vodka, fresh lemon, lime & mint, and
soda- as this skinny cocktail didn’t threaten to spoil our dinner. Next up was
a velvety glass of wine at the chic, cool
Cache Cache: the sexy Aspen eatery known for a clientele as
beautiful as the décor.
Finally, we land at our destination of
Element 47 restaurant in The Little Nell. Formerly
Montagnas, this completely renovated, clean, contemporary space is now home to
one if the most culinary forward restaurants in all of Aspen. This was a truly decadent
dining experience. The plates were culinary masterpieces of composition and
flavors expertly prepared by executive chef Robert McCormick. To start, the
staff treated us to a bottle of their fabulous proprietary sparkling wine, n.v.
Element 47 Brut, priming our palates for the flavors to come. The Winter
Vegetables Salad and Anjou Pear Tortellini dishes were starter standouts, as
were the decadent entrees of Emma Farm Wagyu Beef, and delicate, flavorful Mero
Sea Bass with Forbidden Rice. Dessert of apple cider doughnuts with apple jam,
sorbet and crème fraîche were are stellar finish to this special meal.
Tummies full, we started toward bed but couldn’t resist a quick late-night
listen to Wild Belle w/Fierce Bad Rabbit at
Belly Up!, Aspen’s
favorite, year-round live music club.
The next morning we were thankful for only a quick walk downstairs again to
enjoy the
complimentary
continental breakfast at the Molly. We prepared our game plan for the day:
a brisk walk to the acclaimed Aspen Art Museum before afternoon meetings and
the drive home.
The
Aspen Art Museum
is nestled along a creek at the far South end of town, so a bit of a jaunt by
foot. But it was an easy walk and a pleasant surprise once we arrived. The
museum was hosting exhibits from local students examining the relationship
between art and technology, along with vibrant color studies by LA contemporary
artist Morgan Fisher. We was impressed with the beautiful, peaceful space of
the museum, and the curator let us know that they would soon be moving to a
new, even better space in town to allow more guests to enjoy what the museum
has to offer, in Spring 2013.
After a bit of shopping in Aspen's internationally known downtown, sadly we had
to leave for the drive home: kids, jobs and lives were waiting. But I can truly
say that this one overnight in Aspen was completely recharging in every way: an
incredible ski, culinary and cultural experience unrivaled in Colorado. We will
be back, soon!
For information about Aspen and the best deals on hotel rooms, look no further
than the Molly Gibson Lodge. Check out our lodging specials
www.mollygibson.com/special-offers or just
book
a room today in one of Aspen’s finest downtown ski hotels.
