I visited Aspen, the most expensive vacation destination in America, for the first time. Here are 13 things that surprised me.

Monica HumphriesApr 24, 2024, 22:06 IST

The author in Aspen, Colorado.Monica Humphries/Business Insider

At the start of the 2021 ski season, I visited one of the US' most expensive ski towns: Aspen, Colorado.
Aspen is a luxury playground for the rich and famous where property sells for $8,000 a square foot.

Nestled in Colorado's Rocky Mountains, Aspen is a small ski town known for vacationers with big budgets.

In April 2024, Travel and Leisure published the findings from an OptimosTravel study, which analyzed the cost of vacationing in more than 100 US vacation spots. At the top of the list was Aspen, with vacationers spending an average of $761.39 per person per day in the town.

And it's not the first time Aspen has made its mark as an expensive place to live and vacation. In 2022, Aspen was the world's most expensive ski town based on the listing price for prime ski property, according to Engel & Völkers, a global real-estate company. In 2023, the ski outlet SnowBrains named Aspen the most expensive ski town in the US.

Each winter, celebrities flock to the town to show off designer ski gear on the town's snowy slopes. I joined them in December 2021 and gained a taste of the town's lavish lifestyle.

At the start of the 2021 ski season, I headed to Aspen, where I discovered coffee shops selling prosecco and dog food on room-service menus. It added to the luxury and charm of Aspen, but I also found some surprisingly affordable things, too.

A view of Aspen, Colorado.bluefootage/Getty Images

At the start of the 2021 ski season, I headed to Aspen, where I discovered coffee shops selling prosecco and dog food on room-service menus. It added to the luxury and charm of Aspen, but I also found some surprisingly affordable things, too.

I grew up in Florida, so it may just be my roots showing, but I didn't expect people to be walking around the town in designer ski boots with skis perched on their shoulders.

People walking to a gondola in Aspen, Colorado.Monica Humphries/Business Insider

I grew up in Florida, so it may just be my roots showing, but I didn't expect people to be walking around the town in designer ski boots with skis perched on their shoulders.

Most of my waiters and waitresses could casually list off celebrities they said they'd met.

The execs and celebrities Emma Grede, Kelly Sawyer Patricof, Jamie Schneider Mizrahi, Nina Dobrev, Jennifer Meyer, Erin Foster, Rachel Zoe, and Sara Foster at a party in Aspen in 2019.Riccardo S. Savi/Getty Images/Frame Denim

I knew to expect mansions, but touring Aspen's real estate gave me an entirely new look into how billionaires live.

An aerial view of The Peak House in Aspen, Colorado.Hart Houston/Compass

I was shocked to find a coffee shop's fridge stocked with prosecco.

Prosecco in a coffee shop's fridge.Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Other stores with luxe offerings also surprised me. For example, I popped into a store that sold cannabis next to $92,000 jewelry.

Visitors look at cannabis in a marble-clad display case.Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Overall, it seemed as if Aspen took special care with its outdoor amenities. Water fountains and bicycle stations were covered for the winter season, which I'd never seen before.

A covered water fountain in Aspen.Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Overall, it seemed as if Aspen took special care with its outdoor amenities. Water fountains and bicycle stations were covered for the winter season, which I'd never seen before.

Even the tiny, free libraries dotting the town felt like an upgrade, with hard-to-find New York Times bestsellers there for the taking.

A Free Little Library in Aspen.Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Art galleries filled nearly every street in the town.

An art gallery in Aspen.Monica Humphries/Business Insider

I didn't expect there to be so much focus on food in Aspen, but my list of restaurant recommendations was long enough to last a season.

The restaurant Matsuhisa was constantly recommended to me during my trip.Monica Humphries/Business Insider

While I wasn't surprised to see dogs in designer outfits walking the brick streets of Aspen, I was shocked to find dog food on a hotel menu.

Dog food was included on The Little Nell hotel's menu.Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Though I expected pricey meals, I also discovered some affordable eats.

A $6 slice of pizza.Monica Humphries/Business Insider

Groceries also seemed to be reasonably priced.

Produce prices in Aspen's grocery store were similar to Denver's prices.Monica Humphries/Business Insider

After a day in Aspen, I realized why the town felt so quaint. No building was higher than six stories, making way for stunning views.

Holiday lights in Aspen.Monica Humphries/Business Insider

I left the ski town with a new sense of how the rich and famous vacation and live. But even after stepping into a luxe dispensary and touring a $45 million mansion, I left confident that the everyday traveler can visit Aspen, too.

The author in front of a home for sale in Aspen, Colorado.Monica Humphries/Business Insider

I left the ski town with a new sense of how the rich and famous vacation and live. But even after stepping into a luxe dispensary and touring a $45 million mansion, I left confident that the everyday traveler can visit Aspen, too.

I spent a day at Kalahari, a resort in the 'water park capital of the world' for $60. Even as an adult, it was an absolute blast.

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I visited Aspen, the most expensive vacation destination in America, for the first time. Here are 13 things that surprised me.

At the start of the 2021 ski season, I headed to Aspen, where I discovered coffee shops selling prosecco and dog food on room-service menus. It added to the luxury and charm of Aspen, but I also found some surprisingly affordable things, too.

I grew up in Florida, so it may just be my roots showing, but I didn't expect people to be walking around the town in designer ski boots with skis perched on their shoulders.

Most of my waiters and waitresses could casually list off celebrities they said they'd met.

I knew to expect mansions, but touring Aspen's real estate gave me an entirely new look into how billionaires live.

I was shocked to find a coffee shop's fridge stocked with prosecco.

Other stores with luxe offerings also surprised me. For example, I popped into a store that sold cannabis next to $92,000 jewelry.

Overall, it seemed as if Aspen took special care with its outdoor amenities. Water fountains and bicycle stations were covered for the winter season, which I'd never seen before.

Even the tiny, free libraries dotting the town felt like an upgrade, with hard-to-find New York Times bestsellers there for the taking.

Art galleries filled nearly every street in the town.

I didn't expect there to be so much focus on food in Aspen, but my list of restaurant recommendations was long enough to last a season.

While I wasn't surprised to see dogs in designer outfits walking the brick streets of Aspen, I was shocked to find dog food on a hotel menu.

Though I expected pricey meals, I also discovered some affordable eats.

Groceries also seemed to be reasonably priced.

After a day in Aspen, I realized why the town felt so quaint. No building was higher than six stories, making way for stunning views.

I left the ski town with a new sense of how the rich and famous vacation and live. But even after stepping into a luxe dispensary and touring a $45 million mansion, I left confident that the everyday traveler can visit Aspen, too.