lovely aspen

Happy Sunday!

I hope you all had a beautiful week/weekend, we sure did! Tyler had a psychiatry conference in Aspen this last week, and it was our first grown-up travel work thingy (aren't I grown-up???). It was pretty cool because the med school paid for food, gas, and lodging! So it really didn't cost us much!

--> SERIOUS side-note: this trip was the first time we have ever left our puppies somewhere without us! We dropped them off in Greeley at my sister-in-law's house and she was a wonderful auntie to them! I missed them, but I was soooo proud of myself for not crying! Not one tear between when we dropped them off and picked them up! But it's because I knew they were being perfectly taken care of and having such an awesome time at her house. 

Anyhoo - I have never been to Aspen before, so this week was quite a treat for me! I snowboard and what not, but definitely can't afford the ritz that is Aspen. Usually A-Basin, Breck, Copper...you know. One of our greatest friends from college lives there, so we got to stay with her. Conveniently, she was housesitting for a family with one of those ginormous homes right outside of Aspen, so we stayed in a sweet sweet set-up for two nights. Then we got to see her scene and stay with her and her amazing roommates in Snowmass for a night! 

Tyler had his conference in the mornings, and during that time I just enjoyed the beauty surrounding me! Went on a hike with Amanda one morning, spent one morning shopping in Aspen (Gap, not Chanel...), and did lots of reading in the parks under the gorgeous sun. Without further ado, here are some pictures of my little journeys in Aspen:

Meet Amanda :)

Out to dinner at Sky Bar - swanky swank and delicious! Notice my completely appropriate attire: CSU hoodie. Yep. 

Pesto gnocchi = superb! We had the best meal there that night! In such a blissful food coma by the end of our key lime flan...

Shopping morning - found a dog boutique! Cute cute collars and treats and I didn't even buy anything! So proud of myself! {remember how I'm stopping frivolous spending to save up for Seattle? It's working over 80% of the time, I would say! Good stats for me! I did buy pink snowpants for 75% off though - a whopping $19 total! But Tyler actually encouraged me to buy them, so it was guilt-free.}

Aspen really is such a cute town! Easy to navigate and stroll along, especially when it looks like this in the middle of the shops!

Cute gazebo in the park on Main Street. This was my view from the grass or the park bench where I spent many hours reading :)

This is the lady sitting next to us at lunch one day...seriously...at 1pm?!?! I thought it was a bit much for so early in the day, but Tyler said it was a bit much for ANYTIME anywhere, lol. I guess that's just how people do it in Aspen!

I was obsessed with everyone's cute landscapes! Granted - they all hire it out, but everything was so perfect and colorful and happy to look at!

Hello, Ajax (Aspen) Mtn! And the whole town of Aspen, too.

Here you can see some examples of the HUGE homes! We just walked around in awe at the size of them! And to the right is Buttermilk Mtn.

This is Hunter's Creek - the view from a hike Tyler and I took one afternoon. Man, I am a Colorado girl to the core! 

I just have this thing about bridges - I love them!

This was early evening on a walk in Snowmass after a little rain! So picturesque!

Really funny pic - but this is at a free concert on the Snowmass Mtn. It was awesome!

Breakfast and reading in the park! Lovely :)

So there you have it - a sampling of the easygoing and enjoyable moments I had in Aspen last week! I don't foresee myself going back anytime soon {$$$ and a 4-hour-drive from my place}, so I will look back on these pics frequently and smile and I remember the warm sun and cool mountain breeze on my skin! Such a relaxing end of summer mini-trip!

Have any of you ever been to Aspen?

What has been your favorite mini-trip you've ever been on?

Happy Sunday to you...and cheers to the beauty of nature that never ceases to amaze me!