Where can you go to find a small, remote city that offers quaint shops, a variety of year-round outdoor entertainment options and breathtaking scenery?

“I’ll tell you where. Someplace warm. A place where the beer flows like wine. Where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I’m talking about a little place called Aspen.” 

If you’re a Jim Carrey fan, you probably recognize that quote from the 1994 comedy Dumb and Dumber; a film in which Lloyd Christmas, played by Carrey, ultimately convinces his buddy, Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) that the two of them should leave their Rhode Island home behind in order to pursue a better life (and the girl of Lloyd’s dreams) in Aspen, Colorado.

Recently, I was fortunate enough to visit the area myself and after a brief but in-depth inspection, I can assure you that Christmas was a tad off in the way he described the place. However, I must also admit that sharing laughs with other travelers over Lloyd’s error-filled Aspen monologue certainly helped pass the time during what proved to be a two-and-a-half-hour drive there from our starting point at Elk Mountain Ranch in Buena Vista, Colorado. (Click on the map to view our route in detail.)

Aspen is located 158 miles southwest of Denver on State Highway 82 (a designated Scenic Byway). The city, which is now at least a part-time home to many celebrities including Charlie Sheen, Jack Nicholson, Goldie Hawn and Catherine Zeta Jones, was initially founded as a mining camp during the Colorado silver boom in the late 19th century.

On the day of my visit, our drive was filled with adventure as we cautiously navigated the sometimes steep, narrow and winding road through picturesque terrain that Hoosiers like us usually see only in movies and magazines.

Approximately halfway through our trek, we reached a snow-covered area in the mountains known as Independence Pass which is at the summit of the ridge of the Sawatch Range. While there, we pulled off the road and took advantage of bathroom facilities that, in all honesty, were nothing more than glorified portolets. Nevertheless, the view of snow-covered tundra and mountainous ridges surrounding us was magnificent and we paused in order to catch our breath.

Literally, we had to stop for air. After all, at 12,095 feet above sea level, Independence Pass is the second-highest paved mountain pass in Colorado.

When we arrived in Aspen, we spent several minutes driving around in an attempt to find a convenient parking spot and to familiarize ourselves with the area’s layout. As far as appearance goes, it was everything I had imagined: clean and fresh; filled with crisp mountain air and an abundance of brightly-colored springtime flowers. Once parked, we began our self-guided foot journey on Hyman Avenue, one of five main roadways that navigate Aspen’s primary shopping district.

Quaint stores filled with everything from local treasures and t-shirts to jewelry and western wear were bountiful but interestingly enough, art galleries were the most common type of store we encountered during our two-and-a-half hours in the city. In fact, unique sculptures, including a life-size bear made entirely from nails, were positioned on walkways and near public gathering spots, serving perhaps as a reminder that Aspen has much more to offer than just skiing.

If you’re planning to visit Aspen for the first time, here are some tips:
• Carefully examine a map of the city beforehand. Familiarizing yourself with streets and possible points of interest will save a lot of “blind exploration” time.
• Before setting out on foot, allow for some time to drive around. The shopping district isn’t overwhelmingly large and you may spot a point of interest or coffee house you would like to visit later on.
• If your trip does not include an overnight stay in the city, allow yourself at least several hours to explore.
• Bring a lightweight jacket. Daytime temperatures during the spring and summer months are very comfortable but can drop rapidly once the sun goes down. Remember, you’re smack dab in the middle of the Rocky Mountains.