Summer at the Top of the World: Gondola Rides in Aspen and Snowmass 2010

There is nothing like the view from the top of Aspen and Snowmass mountains. It may not be the “real” top of the World but it sure feels like and we bet you’ll say “wow!” Riding the Gondolas at Aspen and Snowmass are an activity not to miss!

Aspen: The Silver Queen Gondola is beginning its summer service on weekends only starting on Memorial Day weekend through June 12-13 and then full summer service begins on June 18th. The gondola takes you 2.5 miles and more than 3,000 vertical feet up from the heart of downtown aspen to the summit of Aspen Mountain at 11, 212 feet. You’ll be glad you got a ride!
Once standing on top you will be able to look up the gorgeous Avalanche Creek Valley, over to a perfect view of the Highlands Bowl and on to Maroon Bells. It is such a spectacular sight! The Silver Queen Gondola is running from 8am to 4pm with the last ride down at 4:30pm.

Snowmass: New to this summer, the Elk Camp Gondola on Snowmass will take you to mid-mountain to access the many many miles of hiking and biking, disc golf on Snowmass mountain. On the weekends the gondola will run to the 11,300 foot summit of Elk Camp to the breath taking views that look out on the rest of Snowmass Mountain to the High Alpine area. The Elk Camp Gondola will begin summer service on June 19, 2010.

Remember to bring sunscreen and plenty of layers as the summits can be windy and cooler than in town. With the elevation you will still see snow on top of the mountains until late summer.

When you come to Aspen, stay with the Inn at Aspen and be centrally located for every event and summer activity. To make the vacation even better, we offer some of the best lodging deals in town. Book your vacation now and stay for as little as $89 a night!

It's a Smokin' Weekend with Snowmass Chili Pepper and Brew Fest: June 4-5, 2010

Snowmass is serving up a serious triple threat with spicy chili, cold brews, and sweet music during the annual Chili Pepper and Brew Festival this June 4 & 5th, 2010!

This sizzling weekend hosts the International Chili Society that judges two chili competitions to see who is the hottest chili chefs around! Get ready to sample red and green chilies and of course salsa! Cool the fire from the crazy chili tasting with cold micro-brewskies from around the country. Expect to taste incredible brews from local to European exotic blends with over 50 breweries expected to be there! And smooth it all out with sweet music played all weekend.

Schedule: Friday’s lineup includes Kyle Hollingworth Band featuring Michael Kang of String Cheese Incident… That’s right they are mixing some cheese into this spicy weekend. Brett Dennen will follow with his folksy soulful tunes. Saturday don’t miss The Wailers taking the stage with their Jamaican Raggae that has been enlightening hearts since the Bob Marley days. And George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelics will be closing out the concerts with their mind blowing music.

All three events will be spread throughout Snowmass Mall and Fanny Hill. See Full Event Schedule.

• Friday the venue opens at 4:30 pm and goes till 10:30pm.
• Saturday, the venue will open at 2pm- 10:30 pm with the Official Chili After Dark Party at the Viceroy Hotel.
  

Tickets can be bought online. They are offering three different ticket options so you can get as up close and personal to the micro brews and chili as possible. Get your tickets now because the Champion Tasting Pass only allows 200 people per day and includes Skky Vodka and Cabo Tequila Tastings.


Lodging: To top off this sizzling weekend, get one of the hottest lodging deals in town for this event by staying at the Inn at Aspen for as little as $89 a night. Perks of staying at the Inn? It is on the bus route so once you are ready to come back to great accommodations just grab the bus- believe us you will love the bus after sampling all the incredible microbrews!

Celebrity Chefs, Infamous Wineries,& Unforgettable Flavor: Food & Wine Classic 2010!

The Food & Wine Classic will be rolling into Aspen June 18- June 20, 2010 and tickets are on sale now and going quickly. The Food and Wine Classic is the nation’s premier culinary festival with an insane line up of celebrity chefs including Mario Batali, David Chang, Thomas Keller & more.

To enjoy all the bountiful experiences Food & Wine has to offer, the Inn at Aspen is offering an inexpensive lodging deal that will allow you to focus extra funds towards the Classic! Enjoy a 4th Night Free on us and take in more of the best of the Food & Wine!

This is an experience not to miss whether you simply like wine or you are a master sommelier! Vinophiles and Foodies alike can take advantage of the seminars discussing this year’s hottest trends in the culinary world at the Grand Tasting Pavilion where famous chefs and renowned wine experts will gather! A few of the topics include:

• In the Kitchen with Top Chef’s Gail Simmons and Tom Colicchio.
• David Lynch’s “I Like American Chardonnay and I’m Not Afraid to Say It!”
• Tony Abou-Ganim teaches how to make your own signature cocktails.
• Joshua Wesson pairs wine with Haute Dogs.
• FOOD & WINE’s Ray Isle is back with Burger Bonanza wines: The Sequel.

And Get close to the heat with the Classic Quickfire challenge between the season 6 Top Chef Winner and Rick Bayless!

• Food & Wine Complete Schedule
• See Video of the Food & Wine Classic
  

Remember that for every ticket bought Food & Wine Magazine will donate 2 percent to the Grow for Good. Grow for Good is Food & Wine Magazine’s national initiative dedicated to supporting local farms and encouraging sustainable agriculture!

Aspen’s Final Ski Days Will Be Powder Days!

Aspen’s last days of the 2009/2010 extended ski season this Saturday and Sunday April 24-25th will be memorable for the untouched powder. With this late spring storm Aspen has already received 7 inches of new powder and it is still storming!

The Final days will be epic! See Lodging Deals for this weekend! see full-sized map.

Aspen Mountain will have the Silver Queen Gondola, Ajax Express and FIS lifts running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday accessing as much terrain as conditions permit. Patrol will monitor conditions throughout the day and may close certain terrain as needed.

And don’t forget the after parties at the Sundeck (on top of gondola) and Ajax Tavern (at base) The Sundeck will fire up the grill and will offer food and drink specials. Ajax Tavern will offer après specials from 3 - 6 p.m. including $15 for a burger & pint of beer as well as $1.50 oysters on the half shell and more.

Saturday, April 24

• 12-3 p.m. - DJ Naka G at the Sundeck
• Starting at 2:30 p.m. - Slightly White at Ajax Tavern
  

Sunday, April 25

• 1-3 p.m. - Trenton Allan & The Good Timey Groove Gang at the Sundeck
• Starting at 2:30 p.m. - Slightly White at Ajax Tavern
  

All Aspen/Snowmass season passes are valid as they are during the regular season. Flex Passes are valid for one day each weekend. Additional days for Flex, Classic and Escape Pass holders are $19. Adult tickets for ages 18-64 will be $39 per day, ages 13-17 and 65-69 will be $29 and ages 7-12 will be $19. As always children six and under ski for free. Current season pass holders from any other resort will pay just $29 for their lift ticket.

This is the best ski deal in Aspen and the last chance to ski some spring powder! Stay with the Inn at Aspen and get a cheap deal in Aspen!

Come Join the Free Ecofest Events in Aspen, CO for Earth Day

Earth Day is quickly approaching and Aspen Ecofest has created a new way to think, learn, educate and be everyday eco-friendly... and they want you to learn too for free!
This will be the first year of the Eco Fest over April 24-25, 2010.

The Festival will be offering diverse and interactive events that are meant to foster public awareness and an opportunity to preserve and enhance environmental growth that is specific to the western slope. And it is all conveniently located at the Inn at Aspen. Stay here, play here and be eco-friendly for as little as $89/ night. See our lodging deals for this great event.

Check out the great interactive schedule:

• Eco Marketplace (sat and sun) with lots of vendors selling their green, sustainable, recycled, reused, organic, hand made, or home grown products. Expand your knowledge of the eco-friendly business close to you!
• Don’t miss the Round table Conversations (sat & sun) that will be facilitated by the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado, where you can have the unique opportunity to speak one on one with a small group about green investing, greening up your home, and green policy!
• At the Eco Swap Meet (sat & sun) be all about reusing, reducing and recycling! Bring your gently used item and swap for anything from a couch to decorative items.
• And the events continue with the Environmental Art Show (sat & sun) where you can see all types of art made from “trash”, Clunker Bike Criterium (sat) that is all about bikes made or remade of recycled parts, and party the night away with at the elegant Green Tie Ball (sat night) - don’t forget to wear your eco attire and watch the eco-fashion at the Eco Fashion Show.
  

See the full event schedule and all the Eco-fest events are happening at the Inn at Aspen so stay where the action is! We have rooms for as little as $89/night when you stay 2+ nights! You won’t miss a thing because it is all happening at the Inn at Aspen!

Buttermilk Season Closing and Inn at Aspen Updates

Buttermilk Mountain is making the call and getting ready for its closing weekend on April 4th, 2010! It was a fantastic season with great snow and many events hosted on the slopes including Winter X Games!

Despite Buttermilk closing for the season, Aspen and Snowmass still have a few weekends left. Snowmass will be closing April 11th and Aspen has announced extended weekend skiing past the 11th for the weekends of April17 &18 and April 24 & 25, 2010.

So don’t think you missed out on Spring Skiing! The Inn at Aspen is still offering Spring Rates at only $99 per night and the free shuttle will service Aspen Mountain, Snowmass and Downtown Aspen making the journey to the slopes as easy as it can get! With the pools and hot tubs and fitness center open year round you can soak away the tired muscles after your day on the mountain with prime spring skiing conditions!

More information and updates of the services provided can be found at the Inn at Aspen website. The Inn at Aspen will be in observing “mud season” by discontinuing bar and breakfast service till June 3rd and June 16th respectively.

Get one of the cheapest Aspen lodging deals there is for this Spring 2010! Finish out the end of season in style in Aspen without breaking the bank.

Aspen Ski Season Extended! More Weekends For Fun on the Slopes.

It’s snowing in Aspen and Aspen Ski Co. has announced that Aspen Mountain’s 2010 Ski Season will be extended! Aspen Mountain will close on 4/11 and reopen for the weekends of 4/17- 4/18 and again 4/24-4/25.

Consistent snowfall and cold temperatures have given the resort the deepest base of this season. So we might as well keep playing on it!

Specific lift and terrain openings will be announced prior to the weekend openings. Lifts will run from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Local ski passes will be valid for the extended season, and current season pass holders from any other resort will be offered a $29 lift ticket. The walk-up lift ticket rate will be $39 for adults, $29 for seniors and youths, and $19 for kids, ages 7 to 12. Those age 6 and younger can ski or ride for free. The Sundeck atop the mountain will be open and host a band each day, according to the Skico. For more information see the article in the Aspen Times.

So get to Aspen and get some seriously cheap Spring Skiing with fabulous conditions. Make it the most affordable ski vacation yet by staying with us at the Inn at Aspen for only $99 per night! What are you waiting for? It has snowed 3 inches so far and we are expected to get another 3-5 today!