Summer Showdown:
Beach Vs. Mountains Getaway
Weather
Beach: Sun and fun are two words that describe the beach. The temperature at the beach is sure to be hot, hot, hot in the summertime, so don’t forget to pack the essentials for protecting your skin!
Mountains: Aspen boasts an average of 300 days of sunshine annually, that’s more than the sunshine state itself! Summer weather is warm and dry with temperatures occasionally as high as 85 degrees during the day. Afternoon showers are frequent, but always brief, giving you just enough time to take a break and cool off from the day.
Both: Don’t forget to slap on the sunscreen! While it’s easier to remember at the beach, Aspen is located at 7,908 feet, meaning you will experience intense altitude and sunshine.
Outdoor Activities
Beach: Get in touch with your inner mermaid (or merman) and explore under the sea with snorkeling and diving, or opt for more adventurous activities such as surfing, boating, stand-up paddleboarding and more.
Mountains: Endless sunshine and outdoor opportunities make Aspen an adventurer’s dream! Summer activities include hiking, road and mountain biking, white water rafting, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, fly-fishing, horseback riding, golf, tennis, paragliding, and four-wheeling, just to name a few.
Both: The local lifestyle at the beach and the mountains are similar in a positive way. People tend to be relaxed and love enjoying nature -- whether it is surfing at the beach or hiking in the mountains-- people in both places love the outdoors. The vibes on the mountains are the same as on the beach. People have a mutual respect for each other, you don’t cut someone off on a cycling trail, just as you don’t drop in on a wave someone has already caught.
Events
Beach: Festivals are a plenty at the beach. Kick off the summer with Hangout Fest featuring Florence + The Machine, Alabama Shakes, Lenny Kravitz and more. Additional events and festivals happening at beaches across the country can be found here.
Mountains: The special events in Aspen are world-renowned. Join one of them and watch the likes stack up on your Instagram when your friends see you on top of Aspen Mountain enjoying a free classical music from the Aspen Music Festival & School or hiking up Smuggler with incredible views of town. Highlights for this summer include the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Aspen Ideas Festival, Jazz Aspen Snowmass June and Labor Day Experience (featuring Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Thievery Corporation, The Killers, and more), Aspen Music Festival & School 2016 season (featuring Robert Spano, Mohammed Fairouz, Weijun Chen, Eric Nathan, Libby Larsen and Sebastian Currie, to name a few), among many other events and festivals.
Dining
Beach: Fresh fish, sushi galore, and depending on where you are, plentiful local produce.
Mountains: Wore more than 80 eateries in downtown Aspen alone, every block of our town brings old favorites with fresh menus and new talent to provide enough culinary options to please any palate. Many of Aspen’s restaurants have embodied the locally grown, fresh-food movement, focusing on sophisticated slow food, while some, such as Pyramid Bistro, are national trailblazers in terms of championing a more mindful, behavior-changing, healthy approach to food and nutrition. New eateries in town include Aspen Kitchen, Nello Alpine, Mi Chola and the new Cooking School of Aspen.
Both: Make sure to check out the local farmer’s market in your area. The Aspen Famer’s Market kicks off in June and features Colorado grown produce, crafts, live music and a food court every Saturday throughout the summer.
