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FrontRangeLiving.com -> Escapes -> Aspen
 Romantic Getaways: A New Lease on Your Love Life in Aspen
By Heather Grimshaw
It’s often difficult to make time for romance in life. Daily routines seem
to discourage it. Work, family, friends, health, and hobbies can crowd out time
for rekindling internal fires. Set aside a weekend–-say in Aspen–-and the
door of opportunity swings wide.
Now is the ideal time to schedule such a weekend while mountain resorts,
small hotels, and restaurants offer deep discounts for the off-season-–late September
through November. Discounts range from 30
to 50 percent off regular prices in Aspen where couples get a glimpse of resort
life at a calm time of year.
 "It’s an intimate, quiet resort at that time of year. It gives people
the chance to see the beauty of the mountains without being intimidated or
overwhelmed with the ‘well-to-do,’ " says Bob Bayless, general manager
of The Sardy House.
Romantic Getaway packages that include reduced room prices, breakfast, and
dinner are good motivators for Front Range couples to explore the mountains.
The Sardy House has offered Romantic Getaway packages for about eight years
and many couples have returned five and six times, Bob says. "About 90
percent of our customers are couples, boyfriends and girlfriends to married
couples of 50 years."
After living in Golden for four years my husband and I decided to take
advantage of the opportunity and head west for a restful, romantic weekend. We
have hiked in the mountains and made the trek to Vail and Breckenridge always
setting Aspen apart. But when I stumbled upon the Romantic Getaway deals –
with half-off menu prices, retailers pulling out sale racks, and trees putting
on a dizzying display of colors, we took the bait. As a recent transplant from
Boston, I had my doubts that Rocky Mountains foliage could compare to the colors
of Vermont and Maine but I was pleasantly surprised.
 "I didn’t know what to expect but Aspen exceeded my
expectations," says Amy Connors, a caterer for The Food Guy in Denver who
stayed at The Hotel Lenado in October. Connors moved to Colorado a year ago from
New York and was eager to get away with boyfriend Dave for a much-needed
holiday. "I felt like I was in a whole different environment. It didn’t
feel like Colorado at all. It felt more like the Alps."
One weekend is not enough time to experience everything Aspen has to offer
but it is a nice introduction to the town and an opportunity to do something
romantic. Delicious dinners, a hike to Maroon Bells, leisurely walks around
town, and a spa treatment packs a two-day stay that sends you down the mountain
renewed and refreshed.
 Getting There
We approached Aspen on Route 82, a slow crawl due to construction through the
towns of Carbondale and Basalt, and I marveled at the mountains awash in
evergreen and speckled with the yellow of Aspen and the reddish orange of
Maples. Vibrant colors peek from a blanket of green, giving the mountains a
colorful dimension. Basalt offers natural hot springs and Carbondale is known
for its antiques and interesting restaurants but we were focused on our
destination so we earmarked the towns for our next trip.
 After hearing tales of Aspen’s ritzy residents I expected something from a
Hollywood set. Instead the scenery was typical high country from rambling fields
dotted with small farmhouses to long stretches of aspen trees.
Houses line Main Street at the northwest entrance while an old County Court
House caps it at its east end. In-between these two markers, visitors stroll
along wide streets in an atmosphere that is best – but somewhat surprisingly
– described as a sleepy town.
The Getaway
After driving about four blocks down Main Street we pulled up to The Sardy
House, a tidy Victorian home built in 1893. The B&B has recently undergone
an addition and remodel that retains its original charm and subtle elegance.
Centrally located to the town center, it sits across the street from a park with
a clear view of the mountains and offers a Romantic Getaway package that
includes two breakfasts and a dinner at Jack’s Restaurant. We dined there the
first night after a walk around town, which consists of several interlocking
blocks with a pedestrian mall, and a drink at the historic and stately Hotel
Jerome’s J-Bar. The Hotel Jerome offers a Romantic Getaway package as well as
a late fall special for Coloradans from November 22-December 23.
For visitors who – like Amy and Dave – bring their canine kids along it
is important to note that many hotels allow pets and that Aspen is extremely
pet-friendly. Connors noted that the doormen at The Hotel Jerome carry dog
biscuits, and Jim and I quickly noted the number of dogs accompanying couples in
town. Many stores feature doggie designs and C.B. Paws, a store lined with
specialty dog and cat items, should not be missed.
Unlike the hustle and bustle of the summer and winter months, when music
festivals and skiing draw crowds, autumn in Aspen is as quiet as it is
breathtakingly beautiful.
"Aspen in the off-season is a place to go and relax," says
Elizabeth Dining, a Boulder resident who has gone to Aspen during off-season for
the last eight years. "I like the off-season because it’s not a scene
like it is during ski season when it’s bustling with people with lots and lots
of money with everybody asking, ‘did you see Don Johnson?’ You have more of
an opportunity to appreciate the mountains and the beauty of Aspen."
Elizabeth first visited Aspen with a friend and noticed The Sardy House while
walking down Main Street. She now stays there religiously.
"I haven’t missed a year," she says. "That hotel is romantic
even if you don’t get the package." Elizabeth recommends taking afternoon
tea in your room, sneaking a martini out to the hot tub while snowflakes fall,
and sitting by the fire in Jack’s Restaurant for dinner. "It’s a way to
be totally pampered," she says. "They do that really well."
Walking the streets you’ll see western-style architecture mixed with modern
buildings and highbrow retail stores like Chanel and Gucci. Aspen was once known
as Ute City though it assumed its current name in the spring of 1879 when
settlers who crossed the Continental Divide discovered rich silver ores in town.
HeritageAspen, a historical society that hosts talks and walking tours during
the year, cultivates bits of the past that help visitors and residents
appreciate how the city has developed.
Aspen’s rugged history is easier to appreciate if you take a short car ride
to the ghost town of Independence in the White River National Forest where
remnants of wood houses continue to weather the cold and wind. At 10,830 feet
the ghost town is a short drive from Aspen or an easy stop on the way home to
Denver, but the environment provides a stark contrast to the luxury of Aspen. It’s
eerie, to say the least, to look at the bare wood bones of homes and imagine how
people withstood cold, harsh winters. A walk around the Independence townsite
gives visitors a good perspective on life in the mountains circa early 1800s
before heading back to Aspen for a rich dinner with a fire crackling in the
background.
A dinner at Jack’s, a small cozy restaurant on the first floor of The Sardy
House, is included in the Romantic Getaway package and we were comfortably
stuffed when we returned to our room in the newer portion of the B&B. The
bed had been turned down and mints had been placed carefully atop fluffy down
pillows.
 Discovering Aspen
On Saturday we awoke early and hungry despite our immense meal the night
before and headed down to a gourmet breakfast before seeing the town. My
favorite store was a bookstore across the street and down a few doors from the
Sardy House. The sign on the door reads Explore Booksellers and Bistro and it is
a must-see while in town. The small house is packed to the brim with books of
all shapes, sizes, and genres and the restaurant atop the stairs is charming. It’s
one of those places that you stumble into and never want to leave.
Les Chefs D’ Aspen is another fun treasure stocked with wonderful treats
for kids and babysitters back home. After diving into a few stores we headed
over to the Main Street Bakery & Café to pick up sandwiches, waters, and a
few cookies for our hike in Maroon Bells. Be prepared to wait at the community
table for quite some time but the picnic lunch is worth the wait, which gives
you some time to peruse the Aspen Daily Times and local brochures for
entertainment ideas and local news.
In the summer visitors must ride a bus to Maroon Bells, a breathtakingly
beautiful area that is one of the most commonly pictured places in the country.
During off-season visitors are allowed to drive, which gives you the opportunity
to stop and gawk at the scenery.
After a short but brisk hike at Maroon Bells we headed over to The Aspen Club
& Spa. Jim has never been a big spa buff but he sampled a reflexology
treatment, his first, while I experienced the Alpine Rejuvenator. The body
treatment is formulated to help visitors adjust to the 8,000-foot altitude in
Aspen with organic pine essentials, body mask, wrap, and massage. It was both
relaxing and invigorating. The club itself is an oasis of health management for
couples and families. Complete with high-tech equipment, indoor swimming pool,
spa, and play area there is something for everyone at the club, which is located
a few minutes outside the center of town.
 Treating yourself to a spa treatment is a luxury for most people, including
us, and it was a welcome addition to our weekend. Spa packages abound at the St.
Regis Hotel, where a Spa Savvy Fall Package is available for $299 per night.
Locals describe the St. Regis Hotel as a castle and it definitely lives up to
its reputation. We traipsed through the lobby on our way to Whiskey Rocks, a
jazz bar in the lobby. Suffice it to say that the bar is decadent. Once you open
the large doors you are transported into a dream-like ideal of a ski resort with
a roaring fireplace, deep soft leather couches and dark paneled wood walls.
Later that evening we dined at Rustique Bistro, one of two local restaurants
owned by chef Charles Dale, that is recommended by most locals. One of the nice
things about Aspen is that it’s a friendly town where people suggest favorite
shops and restaurants. Three people suggested Rustique to us since Range,
Dale’s other restaurant, was closed. The other dining
suggestion, which we did not have time to sample, was Annie’s. Every time we
walked by Annie’s, located in the heart of the town center, the small pub-like
restaurant was filled with people and exuded a warm, lively atmosphere.
Arriving at about 8 o’clock, we missed the bar menu at Rustique, the
pre-fix dinner, and indulged in the regular menu that offers subtitles like
"Small Plates," "Weird Dishes", and "Plats Du
Jour". There is an intimate feel to Rustique, where Dale delivers meals to
tables and chats easily with his guests. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinners and
had an opportunity to ogle Tom Cruise who was seated at the table across from
ours. Stars, or star citings, are as common to Aspen as bears traipsing through
the city, we were told.
 Though four hours away from home, our trip to Aspen felt like a real
vacation. We were able to relax and separate ourselves from the responsibilities
of home.
Perhaps it was the spa treatments, the lazy mornings that required nothing
more than a quick trip downstairs for Belgian waffles or spinach sausage
omelets, or the quiet beauty of the changing seasons.
Unlike other mountain resorts that, as one local said, can feel like a rest
stop on the highway, Aspen is a true destination. Sitting at the base of a
valley, travelers climb or descend to reach the city, which is surrounded by
neighborhoods. Small homes on modest plots of land with gardens and trees
surround the town center and lend an air of normalcy to the well-known resort
area.
The size of the city also helps to make visitors feel at ease quickly. Once
you’ve found a few favorite spots you feel right at home. Aspen is a town that’s
easy to adopt, especially for a weekend away with someone you love.
Resources:
The Sardy House, www.sardyhouse.com, 970-920-2525
The St. Regis Aspen, www.stregisaspen.com, 888-454-9005
The Hotel Jerome, www.hoteljerome.com, 800-331-7213
The Aspen Club & Spa, www.aspenclub.com, 970-925-8900
Rustique Bistro, www.rustiquebistro.com, 888-311-CHEF
Aspen Art Museum, www.aspenartmuseum.org, 970-925-8050
Aspen Map, Activity Guide, www.aspenactivities.com
Explore Booksellers and Bistro, 221 East Main St., 800-532-7323
HeritageAspen, www.heritageaspen.org, 970-925-3721
Aspen Music Festival (in January) www.aspenmusicfestival.com
Listing of events: www.aspensnowmass.com
Aspen center for Environmental Studies for snowshoe tours, 800-525-6200
Pine Creek Cookhouse for a sleigh ride into the Ashcroft Ski Touring Center,
970-925-1044 (this restaurant is only available by ski, snowshoe or sleigh).
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