Road trip: Aspen!

There are a handful of towns in Colorado that I've always wanted to see so what better time than the summer when I don't have to work?! I'm super lucky to have a roommate that loves road trips so we mapped out a plan and made some hotel reservations. Here is a good piece of advice when booking a hotel...always always always book online! Otherwise you will spend waaaay too long on the phone and you won't end up with a better deal. Also, you might get talked in to a cheaper hotel, only to find out later that it isn't such a great hotel. Now if you read about my hotel adventure at El Rancho in Jackson Hole last summer, you will understand why I'm a bit skeptical. Just know, El Rancho was quite the experience! So the plan was to head to Aspen on day 1, stay the night in Snowmass, head to Vail for day 2, and leave the next day. Aspen was absolutely beautiful...if you have the opportunity to go, do it!! I was hoping to see a celeb or two (which is partly why I wore my Ralph Lauren polo dress...he has a ranch there) but unfortunately, we we're so lucky. It didn't really matter though because the scenery was amazing and we had so much fun walking around town and checking out the cool houses. Here are some pictures from the trip!

This is what $12 will get you at Starbucks in Aspen...not much!

Hangin out and people watchin

It seems like mountain towns have an obsession with oversized chairs...this one is in Snowmass 

Our hotel in Snowmass had robes so of course we lounged around in them! 

So we brought our own toaster to make breakfast in the morning, and after sneaking it into the room, Kim burned her toast and almost set off the smoke alarm...

Here is the proof!

The little village in Snowmass 

We decided to detour off of I-70 to hike Hanging Lake 

It was beautiful up there! 

If you're ever in the Vail Valley and looking for a good place to eat, check out the Saloon in Minturn...it is so good! 

My good friend from home, Beth, used to live in Vail but moved back to Charleston last year and I miss her dearly. She was out here visiting and it was such a treat to see her. 

Sorority pic pose after breakfast in front of Westside Cafe in Vail. Such a fun little breakfast place and a great time catching up!

This is where we almost stayed in Vail (via our over-the-phone reservation fiasco) until Beth warned us that it was no bueno. At that point I had visions again of last summer at El Rancho in Jackson, and took her word for it. We drove by and took a pic outside for good measure!

Miss you Beth!!

Paula Deen's Hot Fudge Sauce

Are you kidding me?! That's the first thing I said when I tasted this hot fudge because it is so ridiculously good, and so ridiculously easy to make. Of course, it's a Paula Deen recipe, because let's be honest...Paula Deen is the queen of desserts! (And yes, like all things Paula Deen, this recipe does contain butter). It is SO easy to make and tastes so amazing, you'll never go for store bought hot fudge again. So here's what you need...

1 (4-ounce) bar German chocolate
1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1 stick butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla


Melt the two chocolates with the butter in a saucepan over very low heat. (Don't turn it up to try to speed up the process because your chocolate might burn and that's no good!) Stir in the powdered sugar, alternating with the evaporated milk and blending well.  Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.  Simmer until the mixture becomes thick and creamy, about 8 minutes.  Stir in the vanilla and viola! You have hot fudge! Store any extra in a glass jar to re-heat and serve anytime!!