One part of snowboarding trips I’ve come to enjoy more over the years is the day off. It’s not just for the break from the physical demands of snowboarding, but a chance to explore the place I’ve come to visit beyond its ski slopes.
After “sleeping in” until 8:30, I milled around a bit on the MacBook before getting a late breakfast at Montanga in the Little Nell Hotel. The women from The Patio at the Cirque Cafe hadn’t steered me wrong with the recommendation; the goat cheese and spinach quiche was delicious and the hot chocolate decadently rich.
The town of Aspen is quite walkable, with several blocks of pedestrian malls near each other. The stores range from the typical ski and t-shirt shops to retail outposts of every high-end athletic and fashion company. There were also plenty of art galleries, and stopping in a few I found pieces to like, if not afford: near-photographic Russian paintings, modern glass and sculptures, and nude watercolors (it’s not porn when you pay $5,000+).
My late breakfast led to a late lunch back at the Hotel Jerome’s J-Bar. While waiting for one of their acclaimed burgers, Bob, Steve, and Mary walked in and over lunch told me about a path along the river they had walked. It offered some nice photo opportunities before heading back into town to finish my shopping.
Back at the condo, I reunited with the rest of the gang to catch up on the day’s stories over beers in the hot tub, gourmet pizza at Brunelleschi’s, and some pool at Eric’s.
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