TRAVEL

AVIDfor ASPEN

The mountains of Colorado draw Detroiters year-round.

SUSAN WEINGARDEN

Special to The Jewish News

L

ocated high in the
Rocky Mountains, As-
pen, Cola, is renowned
for its politics (the great fur
debate), its celebrities (Goldie
Hawn, Don Johnson and John
Denver), its beauty, and its
skiing. A popular playground
of the Kennedys and the
Trumps, it is also the destina-
tion of several Detroit area
families who either have se-
cond homes there or take
yearly vacations to the
popular town. Thought by
many to be strictly a winter
resort, Aspen has a season to
please everyone.
"Aspen is a way of life," says
Birmingham resident Carole
Dresner Berhorst. "We've
owned a condo there for three
years but I've been going for
22 years."
Berhorst discovered Aspen
on a cross country trip.
"Aspen has a special magic,"
she says. "I immediately fell
in love with it. There is so
much beauty around. I love
being surrounded by the
mountains. They're so ma-
jestic. I love the smell of the
Aspen trees, and the air is so
clean. Aspen is very peaceful;
it's refreshing and revitaliz-
ing."
The Berhorsts take advan-
tage of the wide variety of
summer activities available.
"My husband doesn't like cold
weather, so we go every June
and September," she explains.
"Aspen is wonderful in the
summer. The temperature is
always comfortable and the
nights are cool.
"There is a world-famous
music festival every summer.
We go hiking on the Rio
Grande Trail and we love
horseback riding. Usually
we'll take the ski gondola up
and have lunch on the moun-
tain!"
While Linda and Marty
Goldman enjoy a few weeks
every summer at their Aspen

entertainment. Those
townhouse, in winter
seeking night life or
months they spend as
shopping make the
much time as they
short jaunt into
can. Avid skiers, the
Aspen.
Goldmans have own-
A shuttle carries
ed property in Aspen
skiers between Aspen
for about 10 years.
and Snowmass, with
Linda Goldman, who
stops at Buttermilk
visited Aspen during
Mountain and Aspen
high school vacations,
Highlands.
cites the changes she
Though they enjoy
has seen in the past
the fine restaurants
25 years.
in Aspen, occasional-
"When I first came
ly the Goldmans go to
to Aspen it was kind
the Woody Creek
of seedy," she recalls.
Tavern outside of
"It was filled with
Snowmass to watch
hippies and beatniks.
the Pistons on televi-
When people started
sion. When friends
investing in property,
are in town, there is
the element changed.
always a party or two.
It now has a wonder-
Susan and Stuart
ful ambiance. There
Kaufman
invite
are wonderful stores
The Schechter family — Bluma, Greg, Rachel, Marc
Detroiters to their
and restaurants, and
and Bob — takes to the slopes.
annual awards
it is very family-
breakfast in March at
oriented. It is also
"Aspen is wonderful in the summer.
Gynn's at the High
very safe. Our kids
There
is the music festival, hiking,
Alpine Restaurant in
can walk anywhere
Snowmass. "The
horseback riding and we take the ski
and we don't have to
same people are in
worry about them!"
gondola and have lunch on the
Snowmass and Aspen
"Our lives here are
mountain."
every year," Susan
much more spon-
— Carole Berhorst Kaufman says. "We
taneous and relaxed,"
give silly ski awards
says former Detroiter
and are always trying to top
erty manager for the condos at
Barbara Meskin about her
the ones from the year before!'
the Snowmass Club.
life in Aspen where she has
The Kaufmans visit
She also serves as the can-
lived with her husband and
Snowmass for two weeks each
tor for Friday night services at
three children since 1981.
February and March. "We've
the Aspen Jewish Center. "We
"My husband was a dentist
been going for at least 10
have about 300 people at ser-
and he wanted a change," she
years," Susan Kaufman says.
vices during the High
explains. "We are avid skiers
"Our trips originally were
Holidays and we have a com-
and made trips out West twice
planned around the Berkley
munity seder," she says. "A
a year. We wanted to live in
school district's winter break,
local attorney acts as the rab-
the mountains and be part of
and then University of
bi. I have a Shaarey Zedek
a Jewish community. Aspen
Michigan break. We all meet
background and ended up
has a good school system so we
at the ski lifts in the morning
with this job by default."
packed up and moved here.
and usually break into groups.
Some people prefer staying
Neither of us had jobs."
Then we meet again for
in nearby Snowmass because
After checking oppor-
lunch!"
it offers a wider variety of ski-
tunities in the paper, Meskin's
Apres-ski socializing takes
ing than the more difficult
husband Michael started a
place on the deck of the
Aspen Mountain. Located just
landscaping and snow
Timbermill in Snowmass and
12 miles down the road,
removal business. rib facilitate
at Shlomo's in Aspen. "It is
Snowmass was developed into
meeting people, Barbara
always a scene," Kaufman says
a ski resort in the 1960s.
Meskin took a job with the
of the throngs of skiers who
Other than a few restaurants,
Aspen Ski Company, and cur-
want to be part of the action.
it offers little in the way of
rently serves as their prop-

. Kaufman says the only bad
part about going to Aspen is
getting there. "You have to
take a small plane from
Denver to Aspen and the
flights depend on the weather.
You can never be sure if you're
going to take off."
The best part of their ski
vacations is seeing all the
families together, says Stuart
Kaufman. "The kids are
always smiling."
While he takes to the slopes
with kids of all ages, two of his
favorite partners are
Michigan senior citizens
Leonard and Dolores Farber.
Unlike their snowbird friends
who flock to Florida for the
winter, the Farbers thrive in
the cold and love to ski.
Says Dolores Farber, "We
rent a townhouse in
Snowmass for three months in
the winter and we try to ski
every day. My husband is 71
and he skis for free. I'll be 65
this summer. If the conditions
are not good at Snowmass,
they make snow at Butter-
milk."
While their three children
frequent discos such as
Paradise and the Red Onion,
yearly Snowmass visitors
Bluma and Bob Schechter en-
joy the Jacuzzi or spending a
relaxing evening at home
after a tough day on the
slopes. If they go out at night,
they don't spend time worry-
ing about what to wear.

"It's an easy trip to pack
for;' Bluma Schechter says.
"Most people wear furry after-
ski boots or cowboy boots. We
wear sweaters and jeans, and
you'll see a lot of Indian
jewelry and Western clothes.
Aspen is very laid back and
casual!"
Devoted down-hill skiers,
the Schecters also enjoy cross-
country skiing. "This year we
took a two-hour drive to Vail

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

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