Thursday night we were invited by Steven at La Tour to come sample some of their signature entrees and desserts. We had heard great things about La Tour from a few different locals, so we were definitely excited. While La Tour is a French restaurant, it doesn’t have the same stuffy atmosphere as a lot of French restaurants we’ve visited. It is more modern, with a vibrant and contemporary dining room and bar.

After selecting…

We are currently staying in Breckenridge at a former bed and breakfast called the Colorado Pines Inn, ran by a lovely woman name Margaret. She used to rent out rooms in her house to travelers, but she currently has the house listed for sale, so it is not operating as a B&B any longer. However, the home is still set up like a B&B, and she even cooks us a hot breakfast every morning. This,…

We kicked off this week with a free breakfast buffet at the Ocotillo restaurant at the Marriott in Lionshead. Ocotillo feels like a Colorado restaurant, with southwestern décor and inviting booths overlooking the Vail ski runs. The breakfast buffet is expansive with everything from French toast with house made bread, to an omelet station where a chef will cook your omelet to order. With the large variety of breakfast items, along with fresh-squeezed orange juice,…

Last night, the manager of The Marketplace invited us to sample his fabulous tapas menu, gourmet pizza, decadent crepe dessert, and a few specialty drinks. We met Michael a few days ago after we inquired about his family’s establishment, and were delighted when he invited us to investigate their menu offerings. We were far from disappointed, and will definitely be visiting the Marketplace when we come back to Vail.
To start off, Michael suggested…

Friday was our last day in Aspen. After wrapping up some business, we packed up and hit the road. The drive from Aspen to Vail is less than two hours and is incredibly scenic. We took highway 70, which winds its way through a canyon carved out by the Colorado River, and checked in at the Vail Village Inn Plaza. We are staying with a few new locals who own a condo here at the…

Over the past few days we talked with most every remaining restaurant in both Aspen and Snowmass. The great thing about the dining scene in Aspen is the shear variety of cuisines offered in every price range.
Some of the highest-end fine dining you will find anywhere can be found at restaurants like Montagna at The Little Nell and Cache Cache on Mill Street. Both of these restaurants offer the very best in world class…

Yesterday, after we spoke with the last few restaurants in town, Casey and I took a drive up to Independence Pass, just East of Aspen on Highway 82. The change in scenery as you leave town is dramatic and very sudden. Just over a mile after leaving twenty million dollar homes and stores like Prada and Louis Vuitton, we were surrounded by national forest, huge mountain peaks, and unspoiled valleys. The top of Independence Pass…

According to most of the locals in town, this was the last weekend of the season. Like most ski towns across the country, things generally get very quite between September through mid-December; when the snow hits and the tourists flock back. We spent Friday and Saturday celebrating the last busy weekend, and enjoyed everything from Mexican food to a scenic and chilly gondola ride.
On Friday, we woke up and headed to the bus stop…

Our second day in Aspen we decided to take the bus from Snowmass, to avoid the parking nightmare downtown. Due to a grant of some kind, the bus from Snowmass to Aspen is now completely free. Last time I was here it was something like $2 each way to ride the bus into town. Definitely a good improvement, and hopefully someday all the buses in Aspen will be free, like they are in Park City.…