With the realities of COVID travel, I decided to travel to Colorado for my birthday celebration. It was as fulfilling as any of my international destinations, so I encourage you to try exploring within the US as much as you desire to travel internationally. Here are some highlights of my 5-day 4-night trip.
After I planned my trip, the hotel notified me that the COVID restrictions had changed for Aspen and Pitkin County not to allow indoor dining. Also, a negative COVID test was necessary before travel. I considered canceling my trip as the thought of testing, and outdoor dining in the winter was not my idea of an ideal trip, but I’m so glad I chose not to.
My stay was at St Regis Aspen, and I planned to arrive mid-afternoon as many hotels post that the room may not be ready until afternoon. My room was ready upon arrival, and my reception was as expected for a St. Regis property. A hotel representative met me at the airport who tagged the luggage to my room, so I did not struggle with luggage.
Day one was for checking in, getting set up in the room, and exploring around the hotel. I was not too fond of the first room assigned because of the obstructed view and, upon request, was moved to another room right away. The concierge recommended an excellent restaurant for dinner, and even though it was outdoor dining, it was an enjoyable experience with the heat lamps.
Day two was my birthday, and I scheduled morning snowmobiling and an afternoon dinner. Since there was also an 8 pm curfew, dinner had to be early to be back at the hotel before the deadline. The hotel arranged transportation to and from the snowmobiling location for a fee. However, it was private transportation, and the driver was accommodating with great tips and ideas. I chose to go to another county, Basalt county, to have an indoor dining experience for dinner. The hotel offered a BMW 7 series car with a 4-hour test drive window, and I took advantage of it as the restaurant was less than 30 minutes away.
On day three, I chose to go for a snowboarding lesson on Snowmass. Again, I took advantage of the car from the hotel and drove to Snow mass, which was also less than 30 minutes away. Snowmass was all that I pictured Aspen Colorado to be with snow falling, gondola rides, and ski lift experiences. The heated pool at the hotel was a great end to the day.
Day four was set aside for writing content for my blog and relaxing after snowmobiling and snowboarding lessons. It was an excellent way to relax before leaving the following day.
Overall, my trip to Aspen was an incredible experience, and my stay at St. Regis, all I expected and more. The staff was excellent, and I received complimentary champagne and truffles from the hotel to mark my birthday. The hotel also offered a breakfast credit in their modified outdoor dining space and blankets to make dining a pleasant experience.
I did not anticipate a winter vacation being so wonderful, but I encourage you to give it a try. Have you been to Aspen? Let me know if your experiences were as good as mine or ask me any questions you may have.