How is everybody there reacting to the current state of the economy? Are you cutting back? I asked one of my friends this in another ski town, immediately realized what a silly question it was and we both had a laugh. “When are we not cutting back?” she laughed. Living in a resort town as a working full-time resident, especially in ski towns such as Aspen and Jackson Hole, counting your cash is as much a part of your daily life as skiing, hiking, biking, or anything outdoors.
You choose a lifestyle where the community and the outdoors outweighs your desire for material excess. The compromise is worth it for you. If it is not, you leave. Those who stay year after year are fine to cut out the excess, live simply and at the same time, live large. It is the environment and the people in these small resort towns that keep residents happy and alive.
This article that was published earlier in the month in the Aspen Times Weekly is a good one to read as you consider mountain living, question how people do it and what makes it worth it for so many to stay.
Excerpt …
ASPEN — Life for the average “Joe” is pretty good in Aspen, despite all of its challenges and struggles.
That appears to be the consensus among locals, many of whom have made great personal sacrifices to live in Aspen, where the average home price has hit $6 million and the gap between the “haves” and “have nots” has grown wider than ever before.
Conversations among Aspenites at bars, construction sites, restaurants, polling places, gyms, doctors offices and everywhere in between indicate that while it’s tough to live here, it’s worth it. Prices are high, traffic is a headache and it takes at least a 40-mile drive to buy socks or underwear, but life is still good in Aspen.
To read the full article, go to The state of Aspen according to ‘Joe the plumber’.
Well, its a great time to be having an Aspen Vacation right now. We’ve received over three-feet of snow in the last three days. It’s looking like another great snow year on the way, with more snow predicted. There are some great deals on Lodging, lift tickets, and Aspen right now…come out and ride FOUR epic mountains!