Free Thrift

Believe it or not, you don’t have to break the bank while visiting Aspen. Have a champagne Aspen holiday on a beer budget with the help of these local money-saving secrets. Here are 10 ways to keep the pennies in your piggy bank, minimize the damage, and make the most of your snowy getaway. 10. Caffeinate without a Conscience: Every morning, without fail, a few Aspen Skiing Company employees wheel out a cart of free coffee at the base of Aspen Mountain. Steps from Starbucks, these generous Ski Co. folks will pour you a freshly brewed, free cup o’ joe. (The trick is carrying your skis and poles to the gondola without spilling, there’s an art to it that takes Aspenites a few seasons to master. ) 9. Breakfast with a View: Once atop Aspen Mountain you can slide down to the warming hut and trail map below the gondola for a free breakfast (again, compliments of Aspen Ski Co. ). Stuff a handful of granola bars into your jacket for breakfast, learn about conditions, and come up a plan-of-attack for the morning. 8. Cheap Lunch: Big Wrap sits across the street from Ajax, and has healthy lunches for prices that are hard to come by in Aspen. Wraps, salads, tacos, and smoothies will reenergize you for an afternoon shred sess. 7. Pub Grub: Nothing beats a hot dinner and a beer after a day on the slopes. Zane’s specializes in sports and beer, Philly cheesesteaks and tatter tots. Also, Bad Billy’s is a two-storied spot with a long local tradition (and a new name); Bentley’s has great burgers; and the best pint of Guinness and plate of fish and chips can be found at The Dog. (My personal go-to is the 25-cent wing special at Zane’s between four and six. ) 6. Take it To Go: Grab a growler from the Aspen Brewery and take it home. The brewery boys handcraft the best beer in town and if you don’t feel like hanging out in the clubhouse-esque brewery, stick your thumb through the hole of a growler and take it to go. The beer is awesome and the growler is a great souvenir. 5. Shuck and Shoot: If you have a taste for the finer things in life, but don’t have a pocket deep enough to indulge on a regular basis, check out the $1. 50 oysters at Ajax Tavern from 3–6 PM. There’s not a better après-ski snack than a half dozen Kumamoto oysters for under $10. 4. Hand-me-downs: With all of the fashionistas that reside in our mountain hamlet, I cannot think of a better place to have a second-hand store than Aspen. The new thrift store on East Hopkins (right next to the Isis Theater) has racks filled with gently used styles and brand names. From 80s ski outfits to never-worn cocktail dresses, there are hundreds of hidden treasures to be found. 3. “I Just Want To Dance”: Check the schedule at Aspen’s infamous music venue, Belly Up, for marquee names, unforgettable cover bands, free local acts, and free movies. There is always something going on at the Belly Up, and you won’t forget the experience if you get to see one of your favorite bands in this small venue. 2. Get Cultured: Spend a delightful day off of the slopes at the Aspen Art Museum, and don’t spend a dime! Thanks to John and Amy Phelan—Aspen’s generous, art-loving philanthropists—the AAM is free for all guests. With some of the most innovative contemporary art in the world, art supplies that enable young artists to create their own lift ticket, and the Questrom Lecture Series events that allow the public an opportunity to engage with exhibiting artists from around the world and to preview AAM exhibitions, there is something for the entire family at the Aspen Art Museum. 1. “The Power of Four”: With four world-class mountains to choose from, you’ll find some of the most diverse terrain in North America within a ten-minute drive of downtown Aspen. The kicker: one lift ticket gets you access to all four resorts—Ajax, Aspen Highlands, Snowmass, and Buttermilk—and free buses run like clockwork between each spot. For a full day hit Ajax early, hike Highland Bowl as soon as it is open (usually around 10 AM), spin in Buttermilk’s Superpipe after lunch, and finish the day at Snowmass.