ResortQuest Aspen News & Doings,
Things To Do
By Richard Dietz, Editor-At-Large

ESPN Winter X Games concluded here on Sunday. It was another successful year, the 12th, for the ESPN Winter X Games held at Aspen's Buttermilk Mountain. Inn At Aspen staff never had a dull moment!

Airport Envy

You say you just want to get to the slopes after touchdown without a long drive from the airport like most of those ski resorts in California and Canada?
As if "Ski In, Ski Out" at the Inn At Aspen was not enough to quench thy ski-fever thirst, how about this: Fly in, fly out to Aspen's favorite family hotel and conference facility. The Inn At Aspen boasts the closest proximity to an airport of any ski resort in North America. Sardy Airport, if not the most traveler-friendly airport in the country, with its shortest walk from arrivals to baggage pick-up of any airport (unless you've got an airport in the back yard, and you might), is located just one mile from Aspen's favorite family Inn, which is situated at the base of Buttermilk Mountain.

Around Town News, Things To Do

New Clubs & Eateries In Town
Social, on Hopkins Avenue in the same building as Elevation, is a lounge and tapas bar with small-dish entrees, owned by the people who own Elevation. The owners say it is way different than any other Aspen restaurant.

The Regal opened Dec. 7 in the former Shooters space on Galena describes itself as a casual lounge. DJs spin 'em while you dance on leather floors. (What?!)

Fly Lounge. No, you won't need a swatter, or even see anybody that looks like Vincent Price at Fly Lounge. Cool name. Waitresses dress up as flight attendants (don't call them "stewardesses" unless you want to get short changed on the peanuts). It's a concept that started in Washington, D.C. and looks like the inside of an airplane, only with much fancier seats and lighting and carpet; probably a much better audio system, too. All seats must be First Class 'cause there's high-priced bottle service at "V.I.P." tables. Want a $900.00 bottle of Dom Perignon? Fly Lounge is the place to be. On the Hyman Ave. Mall in the former Lava Room, sub-sidewalk entry.

Restaurant Bits & Bites

The building that houses Aspen's famous dinner theater, the Crystal Palace, has been sold. Aspen Times reports no announcements have been made about closing, but this will be the last season for Mead Metcalf, who plays piano there and who started the entertainment venue in 1957.

Blue Maize, which was open only for dinner, is now open for lunch. It offers eight varieties of tacos at $3 apiece. Salads, $9, for example. A new dinner menu was also introduced: try the chimichurri steak for $18; or roasted pulled pork tacos with ancho-cucumber barbecue sauce for $17; grilled chipotle chicken with an orange juice and chili reduction for $19; or tortilla-encrusted trout with cholula garlic lime sauce for $17, to name a four samples. Mmmm...

Best View At A Lounge/Restaurant
Best [daylight] restaurant and lounge views goes to Elkhorn Lounge at the Inn At Aspen. The southeasterly view of Buttermilk Mountain can't be beat. Watch for incoming jets as they approach Sardy Airport one mile to the west. Last week and over the weekend, if you were here, you would have seen one of the highest snow pipes built for the X Games along with lots of banners and spectators and television cameras. Were you and your family or friends here for X Games XII? Tell us about it!

Are You Foolishly Bold? Boldly Foolish?
Either way, try the new Temerity run at the Highlands, a new lift and steep-and-deep run opened on the SE side of the Highlands accessed from the Loge lift. Opened a couple of years ago, but I haven't been there yet; it's new to me, darn it!

When I'm out to try as yet un-explored terra cota at any of the four mountains, I always look for an Ambassador for direction and advice on pitch (it's just me...), but never find one. They're there somewhere....

Survey: What do you think this blog needs? What would you like to see us add to it? What do you need to hear, read from us? Comments and suggestions are welcome.