When You Get Off The Slopes...
1) The Gonzo Gallery. Soak in political posters by activist Thomas W. Benton, gunshot art by journalist Hunter S. Thompson, artwork from the illustrator Ralph Steadman as well as work by leading contemporary artists and photographers.
2) Lunch at the Woody Creek Tavern. As their website, states: Step into the Woody Creek Tavern for the first time and it is difficult to figure whether you have stepped back in time, or forward in time, or maybe you suddenly slipped sideways in time. A single word doesn’t do justification…it is bizarre, strange, peculiar, odd, curious, funny, outlandish, abnormal, eccentric, unorthodox, queer, extraordinary, weird, wacky, kooky and maybe even freaky. One thing is clear, the Tavern is not conventional nor is it the result of a well thought out and precise design. Try the tamales with a blue agave marg. Heads up, sometimes there a wait and the staff rarely suffers fools gladly. Cash only. Also, if you’re a fan of Hunter S. Thompson, Owl farm, his famed “fortified compound”, is just a couple of minutes away on Woody Creek Road. It can be easy to miss, but last time I was there as a guest, there were two large metal vultures guarding the drive way entrance. If you see those, you’re there.
3) Aspen Historical Society. Get your learn on. Located in the Wheeler/Stallard House, Jerome B. Wheeler built this Queen Anne style Victorian in 1888 for his family, it takes up entire city block. Today the Aspen Historical Society continues to use the Wheeler/Stallard House as a headquarters, house museum, and exhibit space. The main floor is maintained in the style of a late nineteenth-century parlor and the second floor houses local history exhibits. Maintains the history of the area from its earliest inhabitants, the Ute Indians, to modern day Aspen.
4) Grab a drink at the J-Bar. You’ll find it inside the Jerome Hotel, it’s where ski bums rub shoulders with socialites. A great place to people watch. Order up the Aspen Crud. It’s a 100 year old drink that dates back to Prohibition. When booze was made illegal, the bar was turned into an alcohol free soda fountain. Aspenites soon discovered a way to circumvent the law by dumping bourbon into the milkshakes. The Aspen Crud is made with Buffalo Trace, vanilla ice cream, and milk.
5) Speaking of people watching, Hyman Avenue Mall, where it meets the park. Stoners rub shoulders with billionaires, tourists shop among townies. As far as the stores go, it's a place where you can buy an expensive fur, then a bag of weed.
Thanks to Don Chaney for his help with this. Don is an erstwhile KBCO Morning Show producer, was a friend of Hunter Thompson, and has lived in the area for years.