Aspen

Kate, Matilda (six month old golden retriever) and I took a road trip for the weekend to Aspen.  I have hired a brand new Ford Edge 4WD and am really enjoying driving it - great visibility and with all the safety essentials a good 4WD offers for driving at this time of the year when the weather can change.  

Glenwood Canyon

If you ever get the opportunity to drive from Denver or Eagle to Aspen on I-70 west you will experience one of the wonders of modern engineering - the highway through Glenwood Canyon.  Truly breathtaking, snaking through a very narrow deep gorge forged by the Colorado River which went on to continue its work on the Grand Canyon.  I loved every minute of it and would recommend it as a "must do" experience for the area.

We stayed at the pet-friendly Sky Hotel in Aspen.  Great location for skiing too as very close th to gondola base.  Aspen is great spring, summer and fall destination as well as winter for which it is famous.

Drinks were had at the famous old Hotel Jerome, a member of the Historic Hotels of America chain.  If you half closed your eyes you could see the finely dressed ladies and their gentleman mixing with the cowboys and miners in the old bar - but it is lacking in spirit today with "doof, doof" music drowning out any conversation and no sophistication in most areas - however the beautiful architecture remains and is worth visiting.

Dinner at the Japanese restuarant Matsuhisa was a highlight.  Fortunate to get a seat at the sushi bar, we watch the skills of 7 or 8 chefs preparing wonderful sushi, sashimi and other Japanese delicacies - the menu is well priced but the wine list, although extensive is expensive.