Denver, Colorado Springs, and Aspen: Summer Arts







Enjoy this 7 day 6 night summer art and music tour including: a performance at the Central City Opera, 2 performances at the Aspen Music Festival, a tour of Denver and the Denver Art Museum and much more.    
 
Total Price: $2399 (double occupancy), details below.



Enjoy the arts in the spectacular glory of the Rocky Mountains in the summer and experience the world class events at the renowned Aspen Summer Music Festival. Our trip begins with two nights in  the glorious  picturesque community  of Aspen  and ends with four nights at the Mile High City of Denver.  We spend a day in Colorado Springs where we have tickets for the Colorado Festival of World Theatre and another day in  Central City where we have tickets for the 50th anniversary of the opera, The Ballad of Baby Doe, commissioned by Central City Opera in 1956.  Deposits are due before April 3.






1.  Wednesday, July 19     Arrive Aspen
We depart LaGuardia at 8:05 am on a non-stop United Airlines flight to Denver where we connect to our United flight, arriving in Aspen at 12:15pm.  After lunch (included) we check into the Annabel Inn, where we spend two nights.  Located in the heart of downtown Aspen, the newly renovated Annabelle Inn possesses all the charms of a vintage European  Lodge, while offering all of the modern conveniences one would expect with a stay in Aspen. After a welcome dinner, we see an evening performance at the Aspen Music Festival, featuring  violinist  Sarah Chang who has received worldwide recognition with appearances in the music capitals of Asia, Europe, and the Americas.  Ms. Chang will perform  Vivaldi: Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione, op. 8, nos. 1-4, "The Four Seasons".   (L/D)



2.  Thursday, July 20     Aspen
On a walking tour through this quaint Victorian town our guide will lead you through the historic West End of Aspen where you’ll  see landmark buildings, Victorian architecture and hear fascinating stories of Aspen’s past. We visit the Aspen Art Museum recognized internationally for presenting outstanding exhibitions with a particular emphasis on contemporary art.  WHEELER HOUSE.  The afternoon is free to explore on your own.  Aspen offers a multitude of experiences with many shops and galleries and  acclaimed restaurants.  Tonight we  have tickets for an evening  performance at the Aspen Festival, featuring renowned pianist, Leon Fleischer and his wife, Katherine Jacobson.  They will perform  Ravel’s La valse, and Hindemith’s Concert Music for Piano, Brass, and Harps, op. 49  (B)



3.  Friday, July 21     Aspen/Denver
The morning is free.  In the afternoon we enjoy a scenic ride through the Rockies, arriving in Denver in time for lunch (included).  We have lunch on arrival and then tour the Colorado State Capitol When visiting the capitol, you may see a resemblance to our nation's capitol, including famous street names such as Pennsylvania and Lincoln Avenues. That's because it was designed and built with the our nation's capitol in mind. The capitol building was built in the 1890's and in 1908 they used 24 karat gold to plate the dome. The gold plated dome commemorates Colorado's Gold Rush days, and the early pioneers and miners who helped build the great state.  We see Larimer Square, the birthplace of Denver, and see some of the finest remaining late 19th and early 20th century commercial buildings in the American West.  We check into the Warwick Hotel  
which combines the finest in comfort with unmatched hospitality and service. The Warwick, which recently completed a $20 million renovation, is situated in the heart of Denver's trendy uptown neighborhood.   A complimentary town car service is available to guests  for their personal transportation needs within the downtown Denver area. (B)  



4.  Saturday, July 22     Denver & Central City
We visit the Denver Art Museum which is unique among art museums in the United States in the scope and depth of their Native Arts collection. The American Indian collection, including more than 16,000 art objects, represents more than a hundred tribes across the United States and Canada. The afternoon is free.  After an early dinner, (included)  we travel to Central City for a  evening performance at the  Opera.  The uniqueness lies in the beautiful jewel-box theatre where acclaimed traditional and progressive works are performed. The combination of diverse repertory and the intimate venue attracts internationally recognized directors, conductors and artists.  We see the 50th anniversary performance of the  Ballad of Baby Doe, which was commissioned by the Central City Opera in 1956.  If without pain and suffering there is no beauty, then Baby Doe’s ballad is the most exquisite of them all. The young and beautiful Baby Doe wins the heart of Colorado icon Horace Tabor—a powerful mining millionaire, much to the scorn of his wife Augusta. Baby Doe overcomes her illicit trophy-wife reputation and lives a rags-to-riches-to-rags life, when after years of happiness Horace falls ill and the prosperous mining boom goes bust. The unfaltering devotion to her husband evokes empathy for Baby Doe’s humble beginnings and her solitary last days. Colorado’s hard-won history lies in the wake of this true tale of love, loss and loneliness. Douglas Moore created the perfect arrangement of music to accompany this touching story, featuring arias and ensembles that reminisce of turn-of-the-century melodies and traditional operatic fair.   (B/D)



5.  Sunday, July 23     Colorado Springs
We  travel toward Pike’s Peak, the famous mountain named after Lt. Zebulon Pike, who explored the area in 1806. We visit  the United States Air Force Academy  and enjoy the mystifying beauty of the Garden of the Gods.  After lunch (included)  we see a performance at the Colorado Festival of World Theatre which offers an eclectic selection from five types of theatre-musical, drama/comedy, international, avant-garde and cabaret, set amidst the spectacular surroundings of one of America's most majestic areas.   We return to Denver for a free evening.  (B/L)



6.  Monday, July 24     Denver
At the Colorado History Museum we discover the diversity of Colorado from its earliest inhabitants to its pioneer families. Imagine covered wagons, a rendezvous of fur trappers, Indian buffalo hunts, mining the Rocky Mountains, and life in early Denver. Next we  visit the Molly  Brown House which stands as an enduring symbol of the Victorian era and the city of Denver. The House Museum interprets Margaret "Molly" Tobin Brown's life - primarily between the years 1894 and 1912 – interpreting the social, economic, and political aspects of Victorian life in Denver. The afternoon is free.  Tonight we have a farewell dinner.  (B/D)



7.  Tuesday, July 25     Return New York
After breakfast we depart on a morning flight from Denver and arrive at LaGuardia at 3:37pm.





This engaging experience includes:

  • Round trip non-stop airfare LaGuardia/Denver/LaGuardia
  • 6 nights accomodations
  • Central City Opera
  • Aspen Music Festival
  • Colorado Springs Festival of World Theatre
  • Breakfast daily, 3 dinners, 3 lunches
  • Tour of Denver and the Denver Art Museum
  • Coach transportation from Aspen to Denver
PROGRAM PRICES  
Per person (double occupancy) from New York: $2399  
Single Supplement: $525  
Air Taxes: $80