We LOVE Colorado!
Year after year, finds us returning to Colorado! Although, there are many reasons to choose Aspen, we like how dog friendly this community is. Our favorite times of the year to visit, are May and September. It's true that Aspen is a wonderful ski resort town, but......three long haired shih tzu & snow, equals a lot of work... the opposite of my idea of a vacay, LOL!
Since air travel can be complicated with two dogs, and not an option we'd even consider, with three, we vacation with the "Girls" in our 34 ft. motorhome. Our favorite place to park, is the Tiger Run RV Resort, located in Breckenridge, Colorado. Besides offering paved roads and level parking, it sits at the base of the Mountains and two creeks run through the property. The clubhouse boasts, clean restrooms & showers, a clean laundry room and an indoor pool & game area. There are also "chalets", little log cabins, available for humans, if you aren't in a motorhome. This place stays busy throughout the year, and reservations are recommended. For us, there is nothing like waking up to take the dogs for a walk, with the sound of the rushing water, elevated during May, because of the snow melt coming down the mountains. The air seems fresher, the sky, more blue, and you'll see many other dogs, walking their companions, during your outing. This resort provides most sites with green grass, pine trees & beautiful pansies, my favorite flower. It is chilly in the mornings and evenings, a welcome climate change for us, as we escape from the warm & rainy/stormy season in Oklahoma. There are fishing guides available, hiking tours & white water rafting companies ready to take you on an adventure, but mostly you'll have to leave the little paws at "home", but perhaps bringing just one dog, might help your chances of taking them more places. We enjoy our most restful vacations here, doing very little besides, taking in the glorious mountain views, reading, walking and spending time with our shih tzu, Molly, Gracie & IsaBella. With town, only a few miles away, I usually sneak in for a bit of shopping and my personal fav is a little boutique, called A Canary in a Clothes Mine! We love to start & end our Colorado trip in Breckenridge, at the Tiger Run RV Resort!
After renting an SUV, large enough to carry us, the Girls, our luggage and theirs........ yes, I said theirs, plus their mesh/canvas travel crate, big enough for all three to ride in the vehicle, for their safety, and their stroller, an ice chest for their food, we're on our way to Aspen! It takes longer to pack them than it does us! The trip is never boring and the scenery changes, but is beautiful, the entire drive. All of our girls weigh less than 10 lbs. each and we've never had a problem at any hotel, having three stay with us. Most all the hotels in Aspen are dog friendly, and our experience at The St. Regis, The Inn at Little Nell and at The Hotel Jerome has been fantastic. Because the area is so dog friendly, your little friends will have the time of their lives, sniffing every square inch they pass. The Girls accompany us each day, on our outings. We have breakfast at the hotel and they are allowed to stay in the room without us, although they like our breakfast, by room service, as much as we do, to enjoy keeping each other company. As we leave for a day of shopping, they are happily ensconced in their stroller, zipped in for their safety and my convenience of being able to actually shop, pay for purchases, etc. without worrying who they'd like to go visit & introduce themselves. I always ask shopkeepers & restaurants, but have never been turned down to enter their establishment, with the Girls, in tow. I feel like the stroller probably does help, but we never ran into a problem when traveling with our first shih tzu, Chloe', an only child, who was on a leash. There are many wonderful shops, but I love Pitkin County Dry Goods best. They have both Men & Womens clothing, shoes, etc. Our favorite outdoor cafe' has been the Ajax Tavern. Chloe' always stayed under our table, resting from the hiking, and they would bring her a saucer of water & and an extra one, in case we wanted to share any of our food with her. Because we currently have three dogs, they remain in the stroller in shops & while we eat. This said, the sales force seem to always ask if they can be taken out of the stroller, and they are passed around very much enjoying all the attention, never far from Dad and under the watchful eyes of Mom. We lunch in outdoor cafe's or pick up lunch and walk to one of the beautiful parks for a picnic! With this option, I bring their food along and we all enjoy the Mountain scenery with our meal. They drink from a water bottle and that makes it convenient to keep in the stroller. A catnap, a big play and an exploration of the park before it's time for an after lunch stroll back to our room, to be combed out and take another nap! After they eat dinner & have a big walk, we leave the Girls, each evening, for dining in one of the many fabulous restaurants that Aspen has to offer; we love Matsuhisa, Rustique Bistro and Pinons, just to name a few. We always leave my cell phone number at the front desk and ask them to call if any barking is reported. All our restaurant choices are within walking distance, some just across the street and up the block. It seems like there is always a local festival or rugby tournament going on, as if we needed another activity, and we get plenty of hiking and walking, just exercising the Girls. There are the usual tours and activities available for fishing, hiking and white water rafting. The beautiful Maroon Bells is located just outside the City and worth the drive or hike. The Golf course is just beautiful, with an even more gorgeous view, for those who love to play. Snow Mass Village is not far away and offers plenty of diverse shopping. There is much to do and see, and thankfully for those of us who can't even think of leaving home, without the paws, can rejoice that they can be included & welcome, at this destination!
Tired, happy and full, (of the lemon souffle' pancakes served for breakfast, at the Hotel Jerome :) we make the drive back to Breckenridge. It's been non-stopactivity and we look forward to a peaceful rest in a tranquil setting. Listening to the babbling brook and breathing that clean mountain air; the perfect refresher, for us & for Molly, Gracie & IsaBella, before we heading home!
Happy Travels with your furry family! Renee