Aspen’s Cultural Side

When scientist and humanitarian Dr. Albert Schweitzer made his one and only visit to the US in 1949, where did he go? It was a place with an elevation so high that the revered Nobel Prize winner said it was “just below heaven.” Welcome to Aspen, Colorado. Formerly a silver mining town, Ute City was a desolate, undesirable area to live after the mining bust in the early 20th century.

But by the 1940s, Chicago industrialist Walter Paepcke and his wife Elizabeth found this patch of land surrounded by mountains breathtaking. They bought property, transformed the neglected town, renaming it Aspen. Their agenda? Make Aspen a worldwide tourist destination attractive to both skiers and culture mavens. The couple launched the first Aspen festival known as the Goethe Bicentennial Convocation and Music Festival, a celebration with music and lectures. The event invited global, distinguished luminaries, including Albert Schweitzer, who shared world views and ideas to savvy festival goers open to new thought.

The successful summer event evolved into today’s Aspen Institute, a world-renowned think tank, the International Design Conference, and the Aspen Music Festival. Since then, the town has continued the tradition with the Aspen Ideas Festival every summer. Before the advent of Ted Talks, the Aspen Ideas sessions were titillating the brains of audiences for decades.

For the uninitiated, Aspen is located 160 miles west from Denver. Visitors can fly into Aspen/Pritkin County Airport serviced by American, Delta, and United Airlines. This charming hub brims with plenty of excursions, high-end eats, and luxury hotels. At the same time, free historic tours and museums are open to all.

Art, Architecture & Music

Art, architecture, music is an intrinsic part of the town where 7,000+ residents reside in a compact area of only 3.5-square miles. Downtown Aspen’s cultural integrity is evident with many of the original brick and stone buildings, outdoor sculptures, and murals plastered on exterior walls. There’s the life-sized Hyman Avenue Bear sculpture, deceptively made of dark brown nails; and if you don’t take a picture hugging it, you’ll have yourself to blame. At the edge of the John Denver Sanctuary, you’ll find Chrome on the Range, a pair of true-to-scale chrome sculptures, a lion and bull frozen in action, made entirely of car bumpers. In an alleyway, you cannot help but gawk at a 22-foot tall red, blue, and black mural of a woman’s face and winged horse titled Ideal Power, created by L.A. artist Shepard Fairey, known for his now-iconic Obama Hope posters.

And at the popular John Denver Sanctuary giant slabs of rock are etched with poems and lyrics from the late singer’s oeuvre. A sign on the local Aspen Community Church lists the 9:30 sermon time and below it, the phrase “John Denver recorded here.” The former resident was beloved by the community performing for local schools and events prior to gaining recognition. The town even hosts an annual John Denver Celebration weekend with concerts and lookalikes (13th year just completed in October!).

A weekend art crawl won’t break the bank because the new Aspen Art Museum is always free. Just look for the basket-weave exterior created by notable Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, his first museum in the US. The three-level 33,000-square-foot edifice exhibits contemporary works from established and up-and-coming artists.

Accessible History

While in town, request a tour with Nina Gabianelli, the Aspen Historical Society’s vice president of education and programming, who leads groups in period Victorian costume. Offering ten different treks for all ages, the society smartly makes history accessible for everyone. For example, the organization’s electric vehicle tour covers the founding of the town and meanders through the Victorian and modern neighborhoods. Or take an architectural walk on Bleeker and Pearl streets where the neighborhood is eclectic and unpredictable. One house with a wavy exterior, porthole, and hull-like appearance resembles a cruise ship. Another with curvy wood gingerbread features is reminiscent of a Tyrolean lodge. Go figure!

Be sure to check out the Wheeler/Stallard Museum, a historic 1888 Victorian home which highlights domestic aspects of 19th century on the first floor with the second hosting temporary exhibits. A docent-led visit to the Wheeler Opera House is complimentary. The age-old opera house continues to host concerts, so if you plan to visit, be sure to have a glance at the schedule.

Galleries & Spas

A spate of art galleries offers everything from classic masterpieces to glass castles. And lovers of craft can fill an entire day wandering in and out of the many storefronts such as the Aspen Art Gallery and the Baldwin Gallery with landscape paintings, sculptures, and contemporary art.

Those wanting to spa will discover luxurious options. The St. Regis Hotel Remѐde Spa claims to offer “the most decadent experience imaginable.” A waterfall pool, an oxygen lounge and steam caves, are just for starters in this 12,000-square-foot pamper palace. At the Hotel Jerome’s spa, the focus is on “restorative Alpine treatments” inspired by local botanicals. Hang on to your cowboy hat when you book the coffee bamboo body scrub.

Lodging Choices

Lodging choices run the gamut with both luxurious accommodations and contemporary condos for rent. At the Little Nell, the name itself evokes a tiny remote cabin in the woods but nothing is further from the truth. The ski-in, ski-out, five-star hotel’s catch phrase is “beyond luxury,” which means you can take advantage of their ski concierge to warm your boots before hitting the slopes. The recently refreshed interiors exude contemporary calm described as an Aspen modern aesthetic. At the Hotel Jerome, a revered historic property, the vibe is masculine with black-and-white photos of Native American chiefs and heads of game animals adorning the walls. It’s easy to imagine a sheriff with a handlebar mustache entering the western parlor at any moment.

New kids on the block include the swanky W Hotel, the first in an alpine setting, where a lobby mural showcases a collage of signature Aspen images and a giant, gridded “snowdome” chandelier. Upstairs, the restaurant features a white geodesic domelike DJ booth which is open to guests. Pose for a selfie here, a moment suitable for your Instagram page. And, of course, a heated rooftop pool and hot tub mean you can swim even when in the dead of winter. Next up is The Limelight, a modern boutique hideaway with a white, lime, and gray color scheme that strives to provide a “community” to its visitors. It offers group excursions, gathering spaces in the lounge and weekly events. Roomy accommodations here have high ceilings and there are abundant amenities like complimentary airport pickup, fat bikes, outdoor pool and hot tub and balconies for lounging and entertaining.

Plentiful Dining

Aspen’s dining options are plentiful. Trending these days is the 136-seat Betula, featuring Pan American cuisine executed with French cooking techniques. With a decidedly romantic ambience, the restaurant boasts a kitchen with a rotisserie that can cook bison steak and rack of lamb. Not to be missed are their craft cocktails like the “Drink Me from the Bottom,” where a glass shaped like a little bird invites you to sip it from the tail. Meanwhile, bustling Clark’s Oyster Bar is busy every night of the week shucking oysters from both East and West coasts. Seafood lovers can have their fill of both raw and grilled varieties of fresh fish like a whopping Cioppino which is so robust it feeds two. And the Little Nell’s element 47 is where you go to celebrate where both booths and tables create an intimate setting perfect for any occasion. The menu features local meats, fresh seafood, and produce but the restaurant is best known for its secret wine cellar holding at least 20,000 bottles.

To say that Aspen is just a ski enclave is not exactly accurate. History and art woven into activities, lodging, and haute cuisine prove that Aspen is much more.

The area code for Aspen is 970.