Love is in the air at these locations around Aspen, recommended by the Hotel Jerome staff as the ideal backdrops for a couple’s getaway.
Affection in the Air
“Start the morning at dawn with a hot air balloon ride over the valley,” the Hotel Jerome staff recommends. Above It All Balloon Co. offers hourlong flights up to 2,500 feet above the Elk Mountain Range with stunning views of Aspen and Snowmass, as well as a post-landing Champagne picnic breakfast. Toast with mimosas while nibbling on fresh fruit, sausage, pastries, yogurt and chocolate-covered strawberries as the sun begins to rise. Adult tickets can be purchased for $295, or private flights can be reserved at special rates. (970-963-6148; aboveitallballoon.com)
Picturesque Promenade
“From there, I’d stroll the Saturday market sampling seasonal fruits, vegetables and local artisans’ wares,” the hotel staff says. Held through Oct. 10, the Aspen farmers market fans out from the corner of Galena Street and Hopkins Avenue to Hunter Street and Hyman Avenue. Browse Colorado-grown produce and handmade crafts in full view of the majestic Aspen Mountain. The market is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Corner of Galena Street and Hopkins Avenue; 970-429-2687; aspenchamber.org)
Tee Time
“A round of golf at the Aspen Golf Club, followed by a massage back at our intimate Auberge Spa is an ideal way to spend an afternoon,” according to Hotel Jerome staff. Aspen Golf Club’s challenging 18-hole course provides magnificent views of the surrounding Rockies. The club’s Red Mountain Grill offers a full bar and summer lunch menu for a quick bite before heading back to Hotel Jerome. Auberge Spa has a range of luxurious treatments for pampering, including botanical enzyme renewal facials, arnica and birch massages, mineral salt invigoration body treatments and oxygen lift facials. (Aspen Golf Club: 1000 Truscott Pl.; 970-429-1949; aspengolf.com) (Auberge Spa at Hotel Jerome: 330 E. Main St.; 970-429-7615; aubergeresorts.com)
Dinner for Two
Up the romance with a reservation at the intimate Matsuhisa, and ask for a table in the main dining room or on the patio. With world-renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa at the helm, the restaurant blends traditional Japanese cuisine with Peruvian and Argentine ingredients, resulting in dishes like filet mignon with wasabi pepper and broiled black cod with miso. Matsuhisa also offers sushi and sashimi, as well as a cocktail and sake menu. (303 E. Main St.; 970-544-6628; matsuhisaaspen.com)
A Private Affair
End the night dancing at the famous Caribou Club. Founded by Harley Baldwin as the city’s first members-only club in 1989, it functions as Aspen’s most exclusive restaurant, bar and nightclub, accessed through an unmarked mahogany door in downtown’s Caribou Alley. The $500 to $1,500 price tag for a weeklong membership gives visitors access to the 100-seat dining room as well as the 25,000-bottle wine cellar with bottles priced as high as $10,000. Nineteenth-century paintings of Western landscapes line the walls of this establishment, which heats up around 10 p.m. when veteran disc jockey Folami starts spinning dance music. (411 E. Hopkins Ave.; 970-925-2929; caribouclub.com)
—Written by Kristin Lee Jensen
