ROAD TRIP: Aspen

ASPEN • Sure, it has a reputation as a playground for the rich and famous. But last weekend on a trip here to attend the Food & Wine Classic, the granddaddy of all food festivals, we found that there's plenty for the not-so-rich-at-all.

There are wonderfully affordable dining and cultural opportunities.

Hotels, restaurants, retailers, outdoors outfitters and cultural organizations have collaborated on 50 Percent Off Wednesdays; Buy Three and Get Four Nights; and the Aspen Summer Pass, a value card with good deals valid every day of the week. For information about these offers and other deals, visit aspen chamber.org.

Though we have gone to the Food & Wine Classic here for a dozen years, this year the drive was especially breathtaking, with the trees greener than ever and wildflowers brightly blooming, thanks to the abundant spring rains.

There are two ways to get to Aspen from Colorado Springs: Independence Pass or circling Denver through Glenwood Springs.

Independence Pass is by far the fastest way, where you will travel 156.61 miles and reach Aspen in about 3 hours, 15 minutes. If you select this route, plan a lunch break in Buena Vista at Casa Del Sol, 303 U.S. Highway 24. You'll get a reasonably priced Mexican meal and, if you're not the driver, a chance to swig a couple of Coronas before climbing the thrilling pass.

The other route to Aspen is 266.4 miles from Colorado Springs and takes about 4 hours, 40 minutes.

Either way you travel, once you get to Aspen you'll be delighted with the many and varied activities that await. Here's a look at a few of the upcoming events, where to stay and where to dine.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Aspen Institute and Aspen Music Festival are celebrating 60 years, and both have dozens of free or nearly free arts events that go on throughout the summer. Whether your taste runs to "La Boheme" or Al Jarreau, you'll find the concert or show you're looking for. Visit aspenmusicfestival.com.

The best free events are on the lawn at 6 p.m. on Fridays and 4 p.m. on Sundays. Or attend the Sunday morning rehearsals.

At the Aspen Institute, there's an impressive list of speakers coming for public events.

Visit aspeninstitute.org for the lineup.

• Aspen Ideas Festival, June 29 to July 5, there are several events each night that are $20. Visit aifestival.org.
• Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Festival, Sept. 4 to 6, where some of the best American and internationally acclaimed musicians gather to entertain. Visit jazzaspen.org.
• Aspen Filmfest, Sept. 30 to Oct. 4, will satisfy filmmakers and film-lovers alike with an emphasis on independent productions from around the world. Visit aspenfilm.org.
• Aspen's Saturday Market, on the downtown streets, Saturdays until October, is the ultimate farmers market.

HIKING AND BIKING

• For a short hike with kids, try the Grottos, one of the most popular short day hikes. Head up Independence Pass east of town on Colorado Highway 82 and look for a Forest Service sign on the right side of the road. Leave your car or bike in the small parking area and start exploring.
• A harder hike is Cathedral Lake. Drive 11/2 miles west of Aspen on Colorado Highway 82. At the roundabout, turn onto Castle Creek Road. Drive 12.2 miles up Castle Creek and turn right (shortly after passing Ashcroft) onto a gravel road, driving 1/2 mile to the trailhead.
• Bike the Rio Grande Trail from town to Woody Creek Tavern for lunch. You can take the bus back, so you don't have the 9-mile gradually uphill ride to town.

SHOPPING

• The Gallery on Hunter Street, 312 Hunter St. The best women's store for a small splurge.
• The Ute Mountaineer, 308 S. Mill St. Anything you need for hiking (maps, shoes, camping stuff and cool clothes). Visit utemountaineer.com.

LODGING

• The Limelight Lodge, 355 S. Monarch St. Cannot be beat for great value, fantastic location, service, rooms, views. Visit limelightlodge.com.
• Aspen Meadows, 845 Meadows Road. Another good choice. Visit aspenmeadows.com.
• Mountain Chalet, 333 E. Durant Ave. Comfortable and affordable. Visit mountainchaletaspen.com.

FOOD

• Specialty Foods of Aspen, 601 E. Hopkins Ave. Picnic and party provisions and wine. The Cheese Shop, a hidden gem, is attached to the main store. It's a great place to get the best bang for a buck on panini. There are also a hundred fine cheeses available.

DINING

• Hickory House Ribs, 730 W. Main St. Great for dinner, voted best ribs in Colorado, even better for breakfast. Visit hickoryhouseribs.com.
• Parallel 15, 400 E. Hyman Ave. Coffee and French pastries by Kate Bailey, a well-known pastry chef from Denver.
• Jimmy's American Restaurant & Bar, 205 S. Mill St. A consistent crowd pleaser with a sophisticated, "everybody knows your name" atmosphere and a traditional American surf-and-turf menu, features more than 70 varieties of tequila and mezcal and a lively bar scene; named one of the best places for a margarita by USA Today. Call 1-970-925-6020.
• Kenichi, 533 E. Hopkins Ave. This popular sushi den is constantly abuzz, talented chefs bring global tastes to the extensive sushi menu. Call 1-970-920-2212.
• Montagna in The Little Nell hotel, 675 E. Durant Ave. Executive chef Ryan Hardy features farm-fresh cuisine on his three-course, prix fixe menu designed around the freshest and most intriguing, and locally grown and harvested, ingredients. The 20,000-bottle wine cellar has consistently earned Montagna the Wine Spectator Grand Award in recognition of the restaurant's deep passion for wine. Visit thelittlenell.com.