Colorado
Aspen, Telluride, Durango & Breckenridge
Aspen & Snowmass
Where To Stay (Aspen/Snowmass)
The Gant ♡♡* (Aspen) : I honestly can’t say enough about the Gant in downtown Aspen. They have beautiful condo’s just a few blocks from all of the best restaurants, bars, and gondola. The staff was incredibly helpful and had a free shuttle on demand around downtown, and to/from the airport. Location, rooms, amenities and service were all great, highly recommend!
Timberline Condominiums ♡ (Snowmass) : We stayed here, near the Snowmass Village/Snowmass Mall. Property is great with nice amenities (gorgeous views, nice pool & hot tub, restaurant/bar on site, clean/nice condo units). This is a nice ski-in-ski-out and would be great during winter. Staff was great and helpful as well.
Where To Eat (Aspen/Snowmass)
French Alpine Bistro ♡♡ : This might be one of my favorite restaurants of all time (not just in Aspen). French Alpine Bistro is an absolute must-do while in Aspen. Food, service, drinks and ambiance are all 5 star. The decor is so beautiful, cozy and well-done. They also built an amazing patio & Chalet that is as cozy and beautiful as the restaurant itself. Feels like you teleported to France while sitting there. I got their French 75, brie salad and gnocchi. I wish I had room for their crepes but will try next time I am in town.
Steak 316 ♡♡ : If you’re a big steak lover, this is a must-do while in Aspen. Very cozy and delicious steakhouse. For my Chicagoans, I put this on par with Bavette’s which I never compare steakhouses to. Drinks, food, ambiance & service are phenomenal. Lobster bisque, stuffed lobster and ribeye all knocked it out of the park. Highly recommend a stop in.
Ajax Tavern (Little Nell) ♡♡ : This is a must-do in Aspen. They have the best burger in town and is the perfect Apres spot right at the base of the Aspen Gondola. The restaurant is in the Little Nell Hotel . They have both indoor and patio dining (if you’re willing to wait - worth if for the views).
White House Tavern ♡ : Trendy and delicious restaurant inside of an old (1883) miners cabin in downtown Aspen. Their crispy chicken sandwich is worth a stop in along with their awesome salads (thai steak noodle & macho salad were both a hit). If you get food to-go, their pizzas are phenomenal. I loved the Mediterranean/veggie pizza and mushroom pizzas. More low key than some of the other Aspen spots in the area but I highly recommend it!
Meat & Cheese : Adorable lunch spot in the heart of downtown. They have a little market inside for meat & cheese boards but also a proper sit-down restaurant as well. Their ramen and salads were excellent. Worth a stop in for lunch or dinner!
Campo De Fiori : Went here for dinner. Seafood, service and food were awesome. We got the grilled seafood app and LOVED it. Tasted super fresh and delicious. The Linguine Positano and Linguine Crostacei were also delicious. They also have a really nice patio next to Cache Cache (which also looked awesome for Italian).
Fuel Cafe (Snowmass) ♡: We went here every morning in Snowmass. This place does it right. Incredible smoothies, delicious and filling breakfast burritos and great coffee/lattes. I’d go here every day if there was one near my house.
Venga Venga (Snowmass) : Venga Venga is in Snowmass and perfect for a casual taco, fajita and margarita dinner. This is right by the Snowmass gondola, at the top of Snowmass Village. Venga Venga also has a great view of the mountain with a fun patio with fire pits etc.
Base Camp Snowmass (Snowmass) : Base Camp is perfect for lunch while or after skiing for the day. This is right in the heart of Snowmass Village at the base of the gondola. Great burgers, wings and crab salad bowl.
Matsu Hisa : I didn’t make it here but everyone raves about it so I am including this here. Apparently this is an incredible and fresh sushi spot - I will definitely plan ahead and go next time I am in Aspen.
Things To Do (Aspen/Snowmass)
Hike: We did a fairly easy hike called Rim Trail South ♡ in Snowmass. Took us a little over an hour (we didn’t start at the village though, it’s longer if you start there). It was an easy/moderate hike with great views. We really enjoyed it.
Snowmass Gondola ♡♡ : We took the gondola all the way up Snowmass mountain (in the summer) and then the Elk Camp ski lift up to the top. The views are incredible and worth taking the ski lift up the extra 1,000 feet. You can see the Maroon Bells from there. I would allot at least and hour for this activity.
Typically the Gondola is $30 - on Tuesday’s after 5:00PM its free and then there is a Happy Hour with live music at Elk Camp ♡♡. We stopped on the way down between the chairlift and gondola for wine and live music. They also have food if you’re hungry.
Snowmobiling Tour & Maroon Bells (T Lazy 7 Ranch) ♡ : Maroon Bells is only accessible via snowmobile in the winter due to snow, and T Lazy 7 is definitely the company to book through for a tour. T Lazy 7 Ranch offers several different snowmobile tours just outside of Aspen. Easy booking process & extremely friendly staff. I originally booked for a Maroon Bells tour however was rerouted to Pyramid Peak due to weather (this is clearly stated in the booking process for safety reasons). Our guide gave us a great overview of the area, history of the ranch, interesting facts about nature/the woods, and beautiful views. At the end, we got to race each other on our snowmobiles and enjoyed hot chocolate/tea before concluding the tour. Great tour and family-friendly!
Ski Lessons : I was new to skiing and booked a beginners course in Snowmass for my first day. Highly recommend taking lessons in Snowmass. My group class was only 3 people and felt I got very individual attention. Instructor was extremely patient and helpful! Just note, if you book here, you are expected to meet at the start time at Elk Camp at the top of the gondola. Allow plenty of time to get up there as you have to wait inline with all other skiers!
Aspen Gondola : You can catch this at the base of the Little Nell hotel. You could grab lunch at Ajax Tavern and hop on the gondola to the top of Aspen Mountain.
Mountain Biking: My husband did this on Snowmass Mountain and said it was a blast. You can take your mountain bike on the gondola and ride the trails down - you can see them as you go up the gondola.
Bars:
Hooch ♡: Awesome cocktail bar. Super cool ambiance (speakeasy feel) and cocktails are amazing. Worth a stop in before or after dinner!
Red Onion ♡: Super old school, Aspen dive bar. It’s been around since 1892 and it feels like it hasn’t been touched since then. Worth a stop in for a beer.
Public House Aspen : We stopped in here for apps and drinks before dinner. Great decor/ambiance with good drinks and apps!
Telluride
Where To Stay (Telluride)
AirBnb ♡♡: We stayed at this Airbnb in the heart of downtown Telluride. Super easy/accessible to restaurants, shopping, hiking etc. The Airbnb was spotless, super modern and had incredible views of the mountain from the patio off the living room - it even had a steam shower which was a major bonus. I would definitely stay there again. Our host, Luke, was super responsive and helpful as well.
Where To Eat (Telluride)
The Phoenix Bean 1892 : Great coffee and breakfast spot off the main stretch of bars/restaurants/shops in Telluride.
Butcher and Baker Cafe ♡ : Adorable breakfast cafe and bakery. They had healthy options as well which was great. Very cute and cozy spot.
Smuggler Union Brewery ♡ : Great brewery and restaurant. Their food wasn’t just your typical brewery food - it was actually insanely delicious. They make their elk sausage in-house, served over polenta. It was exceptional. For dinner I got a truffle mushroom linguine and it was also phenomenal. Beer was awesome as well, I did a flight which is always fun. I was expecting the great beer but was surprised by the amazing food! Also, great patio and view of the mountains!
Chop House : We grabbed lunch here which was really good - its in the New Sheridan Hotel. I think for dinner they are well known for their steak house.
The Tunnel : This was an interesting spot with really delicious tapas. It is normally a speak easy with an interactive dinner however, that concept doesn’t quite work during COVID. We sat on their patio and it was like a normal restaurant. Service was slow but our waitress made up for it and the food was worth the wait.
Baked In Telluride : Great spot to stop in for some homemade desserts!
Allreds : This is a spot I wish we had time to eat at that looks amazing with incredible views. You can drive (30 minutes from downtown) or take the gondola up (but the line is always super long)
La Marmotte : This place came highly recommended from a friend. They were still closed due to COVID when we went - menu looks amazing and the restaurant looks adorble.
Things To Do (Telluride)
Bridal Veil Falls ♡ : Great hike right outside of downtown Telluride. From the top, you can see the entire town which is pretty spectacular. There is an easy way up (which is really just a dirt road) or you can take a more difficult path up (for about 1/2 of it) through the woods. We took the more difficult path up , which brings you to the base of Bridal Veil falls which is really cool to see. From there, you can take the dirt road up another 1.5 miles to the power plant (it looks like a white house). From up there, you have amazing views of the town. We then took the dirt road back down as it was raining/hailing! It took us about 2.5 hours round trip/ 4.5 miles.
Blue Lakes Trail ♡♡ : This trail is about 1-1.5 hours from Telluride but definitely worth the trip to go do as it was probably the best hike I have ever done. It is pretty difficult at some parts and fairly flat at others. From the start of the trail to the third lake is about 10 miles round trip. Different maps seem to show different distances however, my fitbit clocked 10 miles exactly and about 4.5 hours. From the trailhead to the first lake is pretty moderate and about 1.5 hours - definitely some steep spots that will wind you and then some very flat portions that feel like a leisurely walk. The first lake is a good sport for photos and a snack. It is heavily trafficked at the first lake as there is a camp site right there. From the first lake to the second lake is fairly intense - more difficult than moderate (you pass over 2 creeks and some loose rocks on fairly steep climbs). The second lake is pretty cool but the 3rd lake is definitely worth continuing on for (they are only about <10 minutes apart). From there you can summit which I hear takes about 4+ hours and is pretty intense. We didn’t do that part but if you want to summit, i recommend camping by the first lake night 1 and then summit the next day.
Shopping Along Colorado Ave:
T Karn Imports ♡: If you are shopping around town, definitely stop in at T.Karn Imports. They have some really unique handcrafted jewelry, decor and accessories from all over the world.
Telluride Toggery : Loved this shop - they have some great Telluride attire and also some really cute jewelry / accessories.
Million Dollar Highway : I am still not sure I recommend doing this or not however, if you are heading to Durango, you can opt to take the Million Dollar Highway (between Silverton & Ouray). It is one of the worlds most beautiful and dangerous roads through the mountains. There are many twists and turns up / down the mountain with rarely any guardrails (with oncoming traffic around quick & windy turns!). As I am prone to getting car sick, I took Dramamine the night before and that morning, and still needed to pull over to puke. I think it was a mixture of anxiety, being car sick and altitude but I won’t be doing that again. The views were incredible however, I personally did not enjoy this part of the trip as I was scared the entire time!
Durango
Where To Stay (Durango)
Strater Hotel ♡ : This is the oldest hotel in town (1887) which is super cool. Location is perfect and in the center of town. They have an awesome old saloon bar with a live piano player. It is definitely very touristy in the bar however, we really enjoyed it and the staff was very nice. I would stay here over the General Palmer as it has 2 full service bars and restaurant.
General Palmer : We stayed here - location was great and pricing was fairly cheap. This hotel is one of the oldest in town (1898) and has a very cool old country western/victorian feel. Staff was very nice and informative. Rooms are old school but its also part of the experience.
Where To Eat (Durango)
Lone Spur Cafe ♡ : best breakfast in town - massive portions and has a nice Southwestern feel to it. Food was great and has a great old school western vibe to it.
Steamworks Brewing : Perfect spot to stop in for a low key lunch or dinner. Definitely is a hot spot in town so be prepare to wait a little - you can join the wait-list online ahead which is great. Food was pretty good and it was fun trying some of their beers.
Derailed Pour House : We ate dinner here - extensive cocktail list and good food. Cool decor inside, live music & patio seating.
El Moro Tavern : We didn’t end up going here but it came highly recommended by a local - menu and reviews look awesome so figured I’d share!
Things To Do (Durango)
Animas Trail : We hiked Animas Trail on the edge of town (20 minutes from downtown) which is part of the San Juan National Forest. It was a nice hike - 2.5 hours, 6 miles. The hike itself wasn’t too difficult or steep - easy/moderate level. Once you get to the top, there are great views of town. We did see a bear and had to run (which apparently is the WRONG thing to do!!) but we survived to tell the tale :)
Diamond Belle Saloon ♡♡: This is a great spot to stop in for drinks (or maybe food + drinks). The Diamond Belle is inside of the historical Strater Hotel (opened in 1887) - waiters and waitresses are dressed up period outfits from the 1880s. It’s 100% touristy so don’t say I didn’t warn you but - its fun to go for an hour for a drink and listen to live music.
Ernie's Bar : We tried to get in here for patio drinks and apps - there were restrictions as everyone needed to be seated due to COVID and the wait was too long. Seemed like a super fun spot with food/beer trucks where you could walk around for drinks, food and live music. All outdoors.
Old Barrel Tea Company ♡ : This is seriously the cutest, coolest little tea shop right in the middle of town! We bought some amazing teas : Yerba Mate (great coffee substitute as its highly caffeinated but doesn’t give you jitters and helps with focus), lavendar creme brulee and cleanse. They deliver and we plan to order more of their products once we run out! Definitely stop in!
Breckenridge
Where To Stay (Breckenridge)
The Lodge Breckenridge : This hotel was great - super cozy with a nice home-y feel. It’s a little bit outside of the main downtown area with all of the restaurants & bars but there is a free shuttle you can call on demand for drop off & pick up downtown. The Lodge also has a spa and hot tubs which are great perks. The views from the rooms are amazing and worth upgrading to a mountain view room.
Where To Eat (Breckenridge)
Mi Casa : Fun traditional Mexican restaurant. Great food & margs and would be perfect for a big group.
Modi's ♡ : Excellent food & wine here. Definitely the best meal we had in Breckenridge. Cozy and romantic ambiance.
Blue Stag Saloon : Low key saloon with firepits out front. Perfect spot to stop in for lunch & drinks. Pretty standard bar/saloon fare
Carboy Winery : Awesome wine bar in the middle of Main Street. We stopped in for wine flights and their food looked really good as well.
Things To Do (Breckenridge)
Tubing (Frisco) : We had a blast tubing in Frisco. It was pretty crowded/windy but definitely seemed like the spot to go (about 15-20 minutes or so from downtown Breckenridge)
Dog Sledding ♡ : We LOVED dog sledding here. They took us up in the mountains for some amazing views and let us take turns driving the sled with the dogs. The dogs seemed very happy and treated well. They were very friendly and sweet. They let us stop and take photos with them & could pay for a professional photo as well.
Main Street : This is the main strip of bars, restaurants and shops in Breckenridge. Fun for a night out or walking around during the day to shop/eat/drink.
Skiing : I didn’t ski while in Breckenridge, however, my husband has been multiple times on ski trips. If you have questions, I am happy to find out more!
* ♡ = a favorite
♡♡ = a must do