ASPEN IS COLOR AND GREAT BEAUTY



 

Aspen/America The Beautiful

View of the Elk Building and Old Glory

from Peach's Corner Cafe, Downtown Aspen

 

Aspen, Colorado, is a beautiful city. Even if you aren't among the rich and famous, you can still enjoy the city's ambiance.

 

There are sculptures and flowers

 

 

And more flowers

 



And more flowers

 



And yet more flowers

 

 

There seems to be a fountain at

every downtown plaza



 

 



Aspen is full of old buildings from the silver mining days, be they brick or wooden Victorian Painted Ladies.



 

Aspen Consignment Shop

I wish I could have browsed in here!

 

 

Aspen is loaded with art galleries. They are so prohibitively expensive that one does not even dare walk inside, but window shopping is allowed. Needless to say, we did not go into Prada, Ralph Lauren, Gucci or Luis Vuitton either!

 



 

 

But hey, even Aspen has a thrift shop. I'm sure I could have found something affordable here. But although though it was right between Peach's Corner Market, where we had cold drinks, and the theatre where we attended a movie, it closed at 3 pm so we were out of luck.

 

 

 

Aspen is of course named for the beautiful quaking aspen trees of the region. I love the sound of the wind moving through the aspens.



 

Close up of aspen trees, showing their white bark.

 



 

Hot air balloons are almost a daily sight over Aspen/Snowmass. This photo is from the 2011 Snowmass Hot Air Balloon Festival. Too bad we were too early for this year's festival Sept. 18-20.

 

 

 

 

For one final touch of color, bikers in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge came through Aspen when we were there.