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“I came to Aspen for the winters, but I stayed for the summer.” Those are my words, but I imagine that few denizens of this privileged enclave of wealth and beauty haven’t echoed them at some point during their tenure. Once the snow has melted and the spring mud dried, Aspen is transformed into an outdoor pleasure dome for adventurers and athletes, culture lovers and prominent thinkers. From the vibrant wildflowers to the classical music that pours out of nearly every venue in town to the festivals and erudite lectures that (I swear!) leave me begging for more about quantum physics, everything conspires to keep you from thinking about, let alone missing, the long winter.

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Since Aspen became famous as a ski resort in the 1940s, people have been trying to pinpoint its special essence. It has been called everything from provincial to cosmopolitan, jet-set to cow town. After living here for more than two decades, I conclude that you can get whatever you want from this 7,500-foot Rocky Mountain aerie, be it superb outdoor recreation or a satisfying dose of social mingling. Though Park City may receive more actual snow depth and Vail can claim more vertical footage, Aspen’s dry climate, ample sunshine and four mountains provide a ski experience so superior that it commands one of the highest daily lift-ticket prices ($87) in the country. Off-slope activities, from dining to shopping, are peerless. And when it comes to dressing up, anything from Prada to Western wear will take you to the fanciest party. Though summer brings a bounty of cultural offerings, winter is no wasteland, as it offers classical music series, screenings of Academy Award–winning films during the holidays and nightly concerts at the Belly Up nightclub and the Wheeler Opera House. And just as Aspen has a unique history, as a mining town turned ski resort turned ritzy enclave for the rich and famous, its residents are diverse, both sophisticated and small-town at once. Whether they’re gifted artists, great thinkers or seriously opinionated taxi drivers, though, everyone shares a passion for this resort community. And when the snow begins falling sometime around Halloween, we all act like children opening presents on Christmas morning.