Summer is here and the living is easy. We’ve assembled a list of 10 magnificent Aspen swimming pool scenes where one can unwind, revitalize, and refresh in heavenly waters.

The St. Moritz Pool in Aspen, ColoradoKicking back poolside and taking a plunge into the deep end is a touchstone of many summer vacations. Yet Aspen’s high alpine pool scene doesn’t quite capture the traveling public’s imagination like the glitzy, anything-goes sizzle of Las Vegas casino pool parties, the rooftop pools of Rio de Janerio, or the seductive palm-fringed hideaways in Southern California and Miami. Perhaps it is because Aspen is mythologized exclusively as a cold weather ski destination rather than a place to sport swimwear, drape a beach towel, and spend an afternoon floating in the water.

While the pool scene in Vegas and Miami is hardly under-the-radar, Aspen’s pool scene is one of its best-kept summer secrets.

Best selling author of A Long Way Gone and international humanitarian advocate Ishmael Beah discusses his next book, reciting Shakespeare, adjusting to the quiet life in Aspen, and how he almost ended up an accountant.

It’s not the type of thing you expect to hear from an accomplished author. On the second day of the Aspen Summer Words Literary Festival, Ishmael Beah, the one-time child solider in the Sierra Leone civil war and author of A Long Way Gone, glanced around the room after being asked about his forthcoming novel. His eyes landed on his co-presenter, Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and admitted, “I feel it is unhealthy for me to write another memoir.”

Calling itself “Modern Barbecue,” Smoke satisfies a carnivorous urge in the midvalley with ribs, brisket, pulled pork, chicken and everything else one might expect to find in a classic barbeque place. So it’s only natural to wonder what, exactly, modern barbecue means.

A relative newcomer to the midvalley scene, Darwin’s Beer and Grill is the brainchild of Steve Sklar, whose previous ventures have included Aspen’s Grill Next Door and the Big Hoss Grill in Snowmass Village.

By now, most people in the Roaring Fork Valley are well aware of Fruita’s reputation as a first-class mountain biking destination. With miles of stellar singletrack and rides to suit any ability level, this small town in western Colorado has earned its place in the sun. It’s that very sun, however, that can make a trip to Fruita problematic.

Renown Chef Mario Batali Photo by Melanie DuneaWhat makes dining in Aspen so special? According to chef Mario Batali, it’s because of a “kind of hippy, laid back approach to local and serious food.” Known for colorful television appearances, best-selling books, signature Orange Crocs, and a sophisticated coterie of Italian eateries in New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas, I caught up with Batali via e-mail before touching down in Aspen to attend the 27th Annual Food & Wine Classic.