A Scenic Weekend Getaway: Aspen and Snowmass Road Trip

In September 2022, my husband, family, a close friend, and I packed up for a weekend road trip to enjoy the changing seasons and some of Colorado’s most iconic places.

The highlight of our trip was the Snowmass Balloon Festival. Located just 7 miles from downtown Aspen, Snowmass Village is a beautiful mountain destination that transforms into a vibrant festival hub every September.

The mountain scenery was lush and green, though we did run into a bit of typical afternoon rain. Because of the weather, most balloons weren’t permitted to fully take flight for the main event. However, we stayed long enough to watch the massive, colorful envelopes being inflated. It was a spectacular sight against the mountain backdrop! As we headed out, we caught a glimpse of a few balloons drifting through the moody, low-hanging clouds before the weather closed in.

We rented a cozy Airbnb that served as our home base. It had this deck on one side that would be great for morning coffee. We didn’t have time to truly enjoy it.

We took a ride on the Aspen Silver Queen Gondola. It was the perfect way to soak in the panoramic views of the Elk Mountains and see the vast forest from above.

On our last day, we walked through a small neighborhood to a breakfast place. I took photos of the flowers because they were just so pretty.

No Aspen road trip is complete without visiting the most photographed peaks in North America: The Maroon Bells. Even if you only have time to “drop by,” the view of the twin peaks reflecting in the water is absolutely mesmerizing and a must-see during the autumn months.

One of the most touching moments of the trip happened on our way back to the town of Aspen. We hopped on the shuttle (Maroon Bells switched to a shuttle-system in 2019), and as the driver started to pull away, he noticed in his rearview mirror that I was taking a drink from my water bottle.

He actually stopped and waited for me to finish before moving again so I wouldn’t spill. I only realized what was happening because the shuttle’s movement synced perfectly with my drinking, and no one else was drinking when I looked around after I found the movement odd. Since I was sitting by the back exit, I didn’t get a chance to thank the driver personally before we hopped off, but his thoughtfulness really stayed with me. It’s those small moments of local kindness that make a trip truly special.

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Listening to:

“It’s All For You” by We Are All Astronauts