Any doubt which state has America’s most favorite mountain towns? Not to those of us who live in and love the great state of Colorado.
But Travel + Leisure magazine has legitimized what those of us in the know have known all along in its list of America’s 20 Favorite Mountain Towns.
Aspen’s No. 1 and Estes Park is No. 2.
About Aspen, the magazine said, “With 14,000-foot peaks, Aspen is a marquee destination for skiing. But America’s No. 1 mountain town and overall favorite town keeps the party going year round with festivals celebrating art, food, wine, and music. There’s even the Aspen Ideas Festival, which is appropriately suited to a town voted No. 3 for both its festivals and its intelligent locals. (Aspenites also happened to rank No. 2 for attractiveness.) In this laid-back yet moneyed town, it’s not unusual to see billionaires and ski bums elbow-to-elbow, throwing back beers at watering holes like the Aspen Brewing Co. and Hops Culture.”
T+L said about Estes Park, “This popular gateway town for visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park got the top vote for coolest motels for good reason: many well-oiled operations like the Western-themed Saddle and Surrey have been in the same hospitable family for generations. Estes Park ranked No. 2 for both its active people and its charming town square, Bond Park, surrounded by boutiques and sweet shops. And it came in No. 4 for cool souvenirs, including the signature “chainsaw bear”—a totem-like bear carved using, you guessed it, a chainsaw.”
Moving down the list, Telluride took No. 5, Boulder boasted No. 6, Snowmass Village ranked No. 12, hooray for Ouray at No. 13, Leadville lept to No. 14 and Breckenridge completed the Colorado contenders at No. 17.
Check out the rest of the picks at www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-favorite-mountain-towns/2?xid=JustIn061714FavoriteMountainTowns.
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