- Courtesy of www.colorado.com
By Carri Wilbanks, Examiner.com
Headed to Aspen this summer? Well, after seeing this line-up of cultural events and outdoor activities you will want to head West to the Roaring Fork Valley!
Outdoor Plays by Theatre Aspen
Talk about a unique theater experience – Theatre Aspen’s shows are staged at beautiful Rio Grande Park, just steps off Main Street. Imagine a backdrop of Aspen Mountain and nights dotted with starts, all the while watching Broadway actors as well as local talent put on a tremendous show. Coming up this summer:
Les Misérables: June 21 – Aug 17
Fully Committed July 5 – Aug 15
You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown – July 11 – Aug 17
Theatre Aspen
110 E. Hallam St.
Aspen, CO 81611
(970) 925-9313
Adrenlaine Rush With Blazing Adventures
Keywords here: Rafting, Inflatable Kayaks, Jeeping and Hiking. Here are three trips offered from this outdoor adventure company.
- Whiskey River: Get ready to get whisked away on this trip down the Middle Roaring Fork. Take the trip in either a ducky or raft, followed by a stop at the Woody Creek Distillery for a tasting of locally made spirits.
*Available Tuesdays & Fridays.
*Cost: Ducky’s: $112.50 per person. Rafts: $112.50 per person
- Cathedral Lake Hike: Trek to a stunning spot with a guide to a lake which is named for its unique feature of a cathedral stone wall.
*Round trip distance: 6 miles
*Cost: $98.50 per person, includes lunch.
- Standup Paddle Board Tours: Learn the latest way to ride the waves. Instructors will teach you skills such as balance, paddling techniques and safety moves. Expect a great core workout! Trip finishes with a riverside BBQ lunch at a private river park near the Glenwood Canyon.
*Cost $158.50 per person. Includes lunch, rentals of wetsuit, booties, helmet and needed gear.
Blazing Adventures
555 E. Durant Ave.
Aspen, CO 81611
(970) 923-4544
Discover Culture at Aspen Art Museum
The Aspen Art Museum continuously rotates contemporary art from artists from around the world. Head here to check out a few of the innovative exhibitions of the summer:
- Lorna Simpson: Works on Paper
July 26 – September 22, 2013
Through drawings and collages, this artist examines ways gender and culture shape the experience of life in our contemporary multiracial society.
Aspen Art Museum
590 N. Mill St.
Aspen, CO 81611
(970) 925-8050
Connect with History at Aspen Historical Society
Learn the history of this 1888 Queen Anne style built by Jerome Wheeler. Inside you can find- Seasons of the Nuche: Transitions of the Ute People. The exhibit explores the past and present of Native Americans in the American West. The exhibit journeys through the loss of their culture, territory, language and forced assimilation and their position in the world today.
Open Tues. – Sat. 1 – 5pm. $6 adults, $5 seniors (admission fee also includes the Holden/Marolt Museum) Children under 12 Free.
Aspen Historical Society
620 W Bleeker St.
Aspen, CO 81611
(970) 925-3721
Step into Nature with Aces (Aspen Center for Environmental Studies)
Learn about ecology, natural history and stewardship. Here is the line up of ongoing programs:
Starting on June 15- travel along mountain streams, over ridgelines, and through beautiful valleys with ACES’ naturalists. Options include:
- Aspen Mountain: tours offered daily on the hour from 10 am to 3 pm. Meet at the top
of the Aspen Mountain gondola.
- Snowmass Ice Age Discovery: hike takes off daily at 1 pm. Meet outside the Ice Age
Discovery Center in the Snowmass Village Mall.
- Maroon Bells Crater Lake: hike offered twice daily at 10:15 pm and 1:15 pm. Meet at
the Maroon Lake information center.
This hike has it all: explore the historic silver mining ghost town of Ashcroft and wander up along Castle Creekon this a 3.5 mile round-trip hike. Includes a gourmet lunch at the Pine Creek Cookhouse.. $75 includes tour and lunch. (Unless ordering a la carte for $38).