Our Day in Aspen

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We ended up spending two nights and one full day in Aspen. We knew we wanted to see Maroon Bells, so we went in the morning. The rest of our day was open to exploring. While Oliver napped, Jo and I took a stroll. She wasn't very happy to be stuck in her stroller, but I kept handing her leaves (her favorite), so she tolerated it.

We stayed at the Annabelle Inn on Main Street in Aspen, thanks to a great deal I managed to score on one of those discount hotel websites. The hotel was quaint and absolutely everything you'd want on a trip to the mountains. The innkeeper and assistant manager were very friendly and helpful. I asked for a lunch recommendation in walking distance, and the innkeeper recommended Pyramid Bistro. He said it's located on top of a bookstore just a few blocks down Main Street, and he said their menu was full of vegetarian options. We worried the restaurant would be a little too nice for us to visit with little kids, so we stopped at a bakery and cafe next door. Poor choice! I wish we'd listened to the innkeeper. Our food was very expensive (which we expected, since we're in Aspen). The problem was, the food was bad, and the people working were rushing everyone out. The eggplant in my eggplant sandwich was old and chewy. The tomatoes in Andrew's roasted tomato and mozzarella salad were raw, sliced tomatoes that weren't fully ripe. Oliver's quiche was OK. If we paid $5 a person, I would have just shrugged it off. We paid more than twice that. Terrible. Terrible. I should have listened to the innkeeper! Oh well.

We bought Oliver a giant chocolate chip cookie and walked to the park across the way. It was a field with a gazebo. Oliver enjoyed running and being chased by Andrew, and Jo enjoyed crawling and finding leaves and blades of grass.

We returned to our hotel and got restless. So, we went back out and found a playground behind our hotel. The neighborhood was adorable, and there were a couple other families there with their kids. It felt very relaxed and slow-paced. It was very fitting for us, seeing as we had nothing planned to do!

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Photos

Strolling Along Main Street
Joanna and I took a walk down Main Street in Aspen while Oliver napped at our hotel.

Jo Loves Leaves!
Aspen, Colorado

Aspen
After stopping for a big lunch, we decided to run it off at a nearby park.

Playing in the Gazebo at Paepcke Park
Paepcke Park on Main Street in Aspen, Colorado

My Family
Oliver wanted to say goodbye to our "vacation house."