Aspen's Top Ten

The Road Trip: A Time Honored Travel Tradition - Photo by Laura Raczkowski
Aspen's breathtaking alpine backdrop is known to intoxicate, tempting visitors into staying in the Roaring Fork Valley much longer than originally anticipated. Many well-seasoned Aspenites call this geographical magnetism the "Curse of the Ute" and one of the reasons so many visitors-turned-residents have a difficult time returning to the rat race of their previous lives outside Colorado.

Flying Dog Ranch
$56,000,000

The next owner of George Stranahan’s Flying Dog Ranch in Woody Creek will have some hefty boots to fill. Flying Dog RanchAfter 40-some years of living at Flying Dog Ranch, Stranahan’s has managed to wrangle the western frontier dreams of an aspiring young cowboy into a life and a livelihood. Flying Dog Ranch is where he personally raised and ranched a herd of Colorado Limousine Beef Cattle, cultivated an avid interest in photography, started the nationally-distributed Flying Dog Beer, began distilling premium Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey with a neighbor, launched a boutique publishing company, opened the Woody Creek Tavern and Community Center, and raised a family.

How much does it cost to own a piece of the dream in Aspen? Depends on how deep your pockets are. We’ve assembled a list of 10 fairytale properties currently on the market.

.Dining Al Fresco on the Patio of D19 and Pacifica in Downtown Aspen with a Postcard Perfect Mountain PanoramaWhether conquering the coals of a casual backyard barbeque or relaxing over a romantic four-course treat, one of life’s simple summer pleasantries is dining outdoors. Feasting on a delightful meal while lounging on a patio or deck in the warm sunshine and fresh air is nothing short of an obligatory pastime. Time seems to whisk away with sweet nonchalance into dreamy oblivion when dining outside with good-humored company. Here in Aspen, the epicurean nirvana is heightened when enjoying a tableau vivant of regional specialties like blue agave margaritas, a warm brie paired with the perfect merlot, a main entrée of fresh Colorado lamb, or a palate cleansing antipasto before dessert.

Using a little imagination, dining al fresco in Aspen’s thin Rocky Mountain air is like dining in sylvan realm of Fairyland, the fictitious setting of Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream . Many bistros and cafes in this charming Victorian ski town pride themselves on well-appointed porches, patios, and decks in woodsy settings with postcard-perfect mountain panoramas and menus of artisan haute cuisine.