Aspen

Aspen's historic grand hotel, right on Main Street and an easy walk to everything in town. If you're choosing between the Jerome and the Little Nell, this is the one we'd pick. It simply has more character.

Great for: couples. Our pick for staying in town.

The in-town choice for ski-in, ski-out. It sits at the foot of Aspen Mountain, so if getting on the lift with the least effort matters most, this is the place.

Great for: couples who want to ski from the door.

The one to book if you're using points, since it's part of Marriott Bonvoy. An excellent hotel in its own right, and in our opinion it has the best spa in town.

Great for: couples, points travelers, spa days.

One of two newer hotels that sit a little lower on Aspen's price spectrum (which, to be clear, is still Aspen). A boutique hotel on the edge of the West End, a short walk from the center of town.

Great for: couples looking for a little more value.

The other newer, slightly gentler-on-the-wallet option in town, with a relaxed boutique feel. Petit Trois, the French bistro on the ground floor, is a nice bonus.

Great for: couples looking for a little more value.

A polished, full-service hotel in Snowmass Village, and one of the two places we point families to when Snowmass is the right call.

Great for: families.

A relaxed, easygoing hotel right in Snowmass Base Village, next to the Elk Camp Gondola.

Great for: families.

Our go-to for coffee in town. A beautiful rooftop with a view straight across to the mountain, plus good pastries. It also works as a solid, casual café for a light lunch.

Great for: coffee and a slow breakfast with a view.

Another easy, quick coffee stop in the middle of town.

The best breakfast burrito in the valley, hiding somewhere you'd never think to look. The "Aspen ABC" (technically the Aspen Business Center) is really a light industrial park across from the airport, and Louis Swiss is near the back. If you're driving out to Snowmass for the day to ski, bike or hike, it's right on the way. Get the breakfast burrito, ask for extra hot sauce, and enjoy.

Worth the detour.

For a simple takeout coffee and muffin in the morning, and just as good après, when it serves the best ice cream and cookies in town. The local move is a bag of "chippers": really just mini cookies, but more fun.

Great for: morning coffee, après treats, kids.

A local favorite for wraps and burritos.

Sandwiches with Grateful Dead-themed names, and an easy, inexpensive lunch.

Our favorite dinner spot in Aspen. It's not fancy. It's our Aspen version of that comfy neighborhood place you keep going back to. Get the bo ssäm board.

Our favorite dinner in town.

Simple but great food, and not too fancy, with a similar atmosphere to Meat & Cheese. The cocktails are good, and if you don't have a reservation, happy hour at the bar is a good bet.

No reservation? Try the bar at happy hour.

Very solid, casual pizza and Italian food at the base of Aspen Mountain.

Great for: families, an easy night out.

A Charleston barbecue spot with an outpost in a low-key hotel at the base of Buttermilk, a short drive out of town. It's not exactly about the ambiance (it's a BBQ joint), but it's great. Order whatever you like, but add the smoked wings with death relish.

We'd argue it's the best après in the valley. Classic après pub food, a big sunny patio, strong drinks, and often a DJ or live music.

Great for: après-ski.

French-Panamerican cooking and good cocktails, right in the middle of town.

Chef Nobu Matsuhisa's Japanese and sushi restaurant, right on Main Street.

The Aspen outpost of the Los Angeles French bistro, on the ground floor of MOLLIE, serving elevated French comfort food.

Italian with an Alpine accent: fresh pasta, fondue and pizza in a warm, rustic room.

Where beginners and families with young kids should head. Strong ski school options and easier terrain make it the gentlest start in the valley.

Great for: beginners, families with young kids.

The other great choice for beginners and families, with a strong ski school and plenty of easier terrain. At the other end of the scale, it also has some of the best expert terrain in the valley. Elk Camp, a great mid-mountain stop, is home to the learn-to-ski center, which is perfect for little ones, and has a nice outdoor deck with a grill for lunch.

Great for: families, beginners, experts.

For strong skiers. The gondola leaves right from town, so you can walk from breakfast to the lift.

Great for: strong skiers.

Along with Snowmass, home to the best expert terrain in the valley. For the adventurers, hiking up Highlands Bowl is a must-do. Up on the mountain, Cloud Nine is rather infamous for the late-lunch crowd spraying champagne indoors. Not our thing, but we hear it's a good time.

Great for: experts. The Bowl hike is a must for adventurers.

A great trail straight up from town that takes you to a field of old mining cabins. It's about 1.6 miles up to Hunter Creek Valley. Dogs need to be on a leash on the lower trail, and bikes aren't recommended on its lower half.

A fire road that many locals use as a daily fitness session. If you're new to the altitude, challenge yourself to make it up to the lookout deck, with great views of town and the ski mountains, and back down in under an hour. It's about 1.4 miles up the road to the overlook.

Hikeable in all seasons. Bring microspikes if it has been snowy recently.

If you're really looking to feel the burn, hike up Aspen Mountain in summer. It's brutally steep, but a great workout, and you can take the gondola down for free.

Trails around Maroon Lake and up to Crater Lake, right beneath the peaks. If you want to take the bus up, you'll need tickets. Book them ahead on the official reservation site. The shuttle leaves from Aspen Highlands.

Bus tickets required. Book ahead.

Road cyclists should try the road up to the Maroon Bells, open only in summer and early fall.

Great for: road cyclists.

A great mid-mountain stop in summer too, with family activities from a climbing wall to an alpine coaster, plus hiking and mountain biking trails.

Great for: families.

A great trail to ride. It starts in town and runs many miles down valley, so you can go as far as you like and turn back. It's just as good for a walk, or for the kids on scooters. Keep an eye out for deer, and watch out for bears.

Great for: cyclists, walkers, kids on scooters.

A huge array of cross-country trails around the valley, plus lift-assisted downhill riding at Snowmass.

Great for: mountain bikers of every style.