Day Six
Breckenridge to Aspen and back 195 miles
Walked down to the new (as of Friday) coffee shop, Cabin Coffee, and brought computers, iPad. We walked in yesterday and really like the look of it. They roast on site and are just starting to franchise with two founder-owned shops in Iowa. They have nice big tables and comfortable chairs. And good coffee, roasted every two hours. I was still full from the clam pizza chowdown so didn’t want anything to eat. Bob got something at the French pastry place on the way back to the room.
We were on the road to Aspen — same route through Leadville and over Independence Pass — at 9:30. Beautiful, no traffic and started listening to Dan Brown’s Inferno. We actually sat in the dark underground parking garage on Sunday when we got back from Aspen and the store to listen to the last half hour of Sycamore Row. It was really good.
Arrived in Aspen at 11:30 and Anne met us at City Market so we could follow her to the house. Beautiful house with a big open great room and kitchen, lots of outdoor eating and sitting areas, creek (no trout) going through the back yard. Kurt was happy and lively and funny as ever. Two adorable doggies, their Wheaton terrier and Anne’s daughter’s Golden Doodle. We did have some bittersweet, sad minutes talking about Dad. They loved each other.
We went to Ajax Tavern for lunch, right at the bottom of the mountain where the Gondola starts. Kurt and Anne are regulars. We sat outside for probably the best two hours of the day weather-wise. Bob ordered a delicious Russian River Chardonnay that we had never heard of and now forget what it was! $60 and one of the cheapest bottles on the list. It was our most expensive lunch ever by far !– but worth it to see Kurt so upbeat. Anne said that we gave him a lift like Kurt gave Dad in December. Kurt ordered six oysters and French onion soup without the cheese, Anne ordered truffled fries for the table (addictive. We made her take the leftovers home) and had kale salad with chicken, Bob had French onion soup with cheese and I had the kale salad too (local kale, a bit of Serrano ham, Manchego dressing and almonds; perfect as I still wasn’t all that hungry. Thank you, clam pizza.). We had a lovely time, telling stories, people watching. Bob arranged with the waitress early on to get the check and she graciously took Kurt’s card when he offered it to her and then returned it to him when she brought Bob the bill. Kurt tried to fight but Bob shut him down saying that we were treating on behalf of Dad and how much Kurt’s visit meant to him. We left them at 2:15 hoping to beat the storms back to Breckenridge.
Quick trip home with lots of dark clouds and drizzly rain but zero traffic, sometimes miles without another car.
Stopped at City Market for lettuce and sundries for dinner based on last night’s leftovers. As soon as we got up to the room, the skies opened and it started hailing. This is the roof next door about 4 minutes after it started. Looked like snow!
We wanted to check out Mi Casa‘s Happy Hour so ran over in the rain and had a margarita and some chips and salsa. They have $1 tacos which we will remember for another day.
Bob went home to start the bacon for the Charlie Palmer salad and I ran down to Giampietro’s to get some chili pepper flakes. They remembered me having the giant pizza from the night before and happily gave me two little tubs of flakes. Great, a pizza reputation. We had the Charlie Palmer salad again with crispy bacon, shallots, tomatoes, butter lettuce and Ranch. Bob heated up his pasta from last night and pizza bread from Sunday’s stop at High Mountain Pies. I heated up three slices of pizza in the non-stick pan on the stove covered in foil. It was good, good, good!
We watched tv, read and went to bed. Great DAY!!!
Bob and Sharon's Travel Diary 