While staying in Snowmass, CO, we caught the free shuttle bus from the “downtown” area of Snowmass to Aspen one evening. More about the free shuttle at the end of this post.

Because our stay in Aspen was very short – only a couple of hours – and it was a freezing cold January night, we decided to do some quick research and pick a restaurant near the shuttle bus stop and one with some atmosphere. After a search on Urban Spoon, we headed just down the road to La Palapa, advertised as an authentic Mexican food joint.

Because we’re from SC, we wanted to try some Mexican food in the southwestern US (Colorado counts, right?). It has a reputation for being a bit spicier and a bit more authentic. We were pleasantly surprised with La Palapa.

The place was pretty busy with a lively atmosphere on the Saturday night we visited. Of course, we had to try the obligatory margarita…

Then, as our starter we went with the ceviche de pescado, the special that night. We first tried ceviche in Costa Rica and, consequently, always compare ceviche to the Costa Rican one…which hasn’t yet been beaten. La Palapa’s ceviche was good but needed more sauce. The helping was large with a healthy portion of fish.

For our main course, we split three tacos (ranging from $1.79 – $3.79 each). We sampled the carnitas, barbacoa & picadillo (made with ground beef) tacos. The tacos were made with small corn tortillas then filled to the brim with fresh, piping hot meat (pork, beef and more beef), then smothered in diced onions and sauces. All three were quite flavorful, but our favorite was the picadillo taco. The tacos came with a side of rice and beans…pretty typical.

Our plate overflowing with tacos and more tacos.

After dinner, we briefly explored Aspen, then headed back to take our 30-minute free shuttle ride back to Snowmass. While Snowmass was our main destination for the weekend, it was fun to take a quick (very quick!) side trip to Aspen for the night. The only disappointing thing was that, even on a Saturday, the town was a bit dead and the restaurant had the liveliest atmosphere. Almost no one was outside roaming around… But it sort of suited us just fine because just looking at the picture below of snow piled up on the side of the streets makes this Charlestonian shiver in my boots (that I wear for looks only, not for warmth)!

Free shuttle between Snowmass & Aspen

Aspen…about as cold as it looks.

BOTTOM LINE: La Palapa was a tasty & authentic-seeming Mexican restaurant to pop into while in Aspen. The margaritas and tacos were flavorful… All-in-all, though, if you’ve been to any other “authentic Mexican restaurant” before, you’re not going to see anything different here.

The post La Palapa – Aspen, Colorado – Restaurant Review first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

The resort hotel just reopened under the Starwood program in November 2012 after an extensive renovation. Before that, Trip Advisor reviews all cited the need for updating, accusing hotel management of letting the resort slip a bit.

We were excited to try it out during its inaugural season.

We got in late–very late–on Friday night and, at checkin, were immediately given our first dose of the Wildwood’s “resort mentality”: the $20/day resort fee. This is a hotly contested item among hotel guests, though I’m guessing there’s nothing contested about it among the hotel chains. The night-shift desk agent spouted off all of the amenities the resort fee includes:

• Aspen-Pitkin Country Airport pickup/drop off (NO USE TO US–we drove)
• Ski/bike storage (NO USE TO US–just skiing for 1 day)
• Internet access (NO USE TO US–already included for SPG Gold Members)
• Local telephone calls (NO USE TO US–seriously?! when’s the last time you made a call from a hotel room)

Well, once we realized the resort fee was about to royally screw us, time to ask about parking. $30 for a 7-day pass. Damnit! Screwed again. So, we ended up paying for all of the other guests to be picked up from the airport but they didn’t feel the need to return the favor for those of us driving. Thanks, Wildwood Snowmass, thanks.

They went with an interesting theme for the hotel: a retro 1970s ski-lodge. Whoever had the vision for the renovation was doubtlessly inspired while watching Hot Tub Time Machine and indulging in a little bit of recreational drugs.

That said, the lodge, featuring a bar and restaurant, was very well done. It had a cozy German beer hall vibe to it and was a great place to grab a beer (at least 7 New Belgium beers on tap at all times).

These guys spared no expense in the “attention to detail” category of all the common areas; they really did a great job. For example, the encyclopedias on the bookshelves were circa 1970s, along with the books. We sat down to play Trivial Pursuit, only to find that it was the 1977 version! And, as a result, we were answering questions about the USSR. If I blacked out and woke up here, it wouldn’t take much to convince me I was actually in the 70s. A+ job.

Best part? 40’s of your favorite poor/homeless brew for $12. So ironic.

Making our way up to the rooms (McCown halfway expecting to see the Bradys at any moment) requires you to walk outside–yes, this “resort” has Best Western/Motel 8 style enter-from-the-outside rooms.

2, count ’em, TWO hot tubs

The rooms absolutely had a college dorm vibe to them–and a cheap college dorm at that. While everything felt and looked new (but also purposely 40 years dated at the same time) it was all so cheap, too. The bed, lamps, dresser, closets…well, everything felt like it was straight from IKEA. I just can’t imagine how anything will last for more than one season.

The location of the Wildwood Snowmass is perfect. It is right above the Snowmass Village Mall with all of the good restaurants and just about a 2 minute walk to ski rentals, lift ticket sales and the slopes:

Old map: Wildwood Lodge = Wildwood Snowmass & Silvertree Hotel = Westin Snowmass.

BOTTOM LINE: Cool lodge with good beers and authentic retro-1970s style. The location and decent prices make it a worthwhile place to stay when skiing Snowmass. Just be prepared for the very cheap feeling Motel-8 style rooms and a miserable “resort fee.”

The post Review: Wildwood Snowmass first appeared on Weekend Blitz.