Aspen Awaits - feat. Alicia Adams

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Interview with Leslie Heaney - Episode: "Aspen Awaits - feat. Alicia Adams"

Release Date: August 12, 2025

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of "The Interview with Leslie Heaney," host Leslie Heaney sits down with Alicia Adams, the innovative founder of Alicia Adams Alpaca, to delve into Alicia's entrepreneurial journey and uncover the best of Aspen, Colorado. The conversation seamlessly blends business insights with travel recommendations, providing listeners with both inspiration and practical tips for their Aspen adventures.

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Alicia Adams’ Entrepreneurial Journey

Founding Alicia Adams Alpaca

Alicia Adams shares the remarkable story of how her passion for alpacas transformed into a successful luxury brand. Starting from breeding alpacas in Millbrook, New York, Alicia expanded her business from producing baby booties and blankets to a diverse range of products including wraps, knitwear, gloves, and coats for both humans and pets.

Alicia Adams [04:30]: "We started 20 years ago breeding alpacas. Everyone thought we were crazy because it's horse country, but we persevered."

Growth and Expansion

Alicia discusses the challenges she faced in scaling her business, particularly in ensuring the softness of alpaca fiber by removing guard hairs. Her commitment to quality led her to collaborate with small factories in Peru, enabling her to offer 100% baby alpaca products that rival cashmere in luxury.

Alicia Adams [07:10]: "My mission was not to have my kids wear itchy cardigans. I wanted to create the softest version possible."

Her dedication paid off as her products gained traction, leading to placements in high-end stores like Barney’s and the establishment of her own boutiques in Millbrook, Malibu, and Aspen.

Innovative Product Lines

From humble beginnings, Alicia’s product line now includes sweaters, capes, scarves blended with silk, and accessories tailored for the diverse clientele of Aspen. Her focus remains on maintaining American-made products, ensuring every item reflects her commitment to quality and craftsmanship.

Alicia Adams [10:39]: "Everything we produce is exactly what you see in the product—no compromises."

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Life in Aspen: Embracing the Outdoors and Community

Aspen's Vibrant Lifestyle

Alicia paints a vivid picture of Aspen’s active and family-friendly environment. The town promotes healthy living, with residents and visitors alike engaging in outdoor activities from early morning hikes to afternoon bike rides.

Alicia Adams [13:00]: "Aspen starts pretty early. We party hard, but we get up early because we need to get those hikes in."

Community and Culture

Aspen is not just about natural beauty; it's a hub for cultural events. Alicia highlights the music festivals, including classical performances and the Jazz Aspen Festival, as central to Aspen's vibrant community life.

Alicia Adams [27:53]: "The Jazz Aspen Festival is always during Labor Day. This year we have Lenny Kravitz and The Lumineers coming."

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Visitor’s Guide to Aspen: Top Recommendations

Accommodation

Alicia recommends several top-tier hotels for visitors to Aspen:

• Little Nell: A classic option right by the mountain.
• Molly’s: A newer, more intimate hotel that is budget-friendly.
• St. Regis: Renowned for its luxury and excellent spa services.
• Hotel Jerome: Popular for weddings and central to Aspen's activities.

Alicia Adams [14:09]: "The Little Nell is right by the mountain and absolutely beautiful inside."

Dining and Coffee Spots

Aspen boasts a diverse culinary scene. Alicia's top picks include:

• Silvers: Renowned for its New York-style bagels made with local water.

  Alicia Adams [19:42]: "Silvers has fabulous takeout food and coffees."

• Sand & Bro’s: Offers a charming terrace reminiscent of New York City.

• Clark’s Oyster Bar: A year-round favorite known for fresh seafood.

• Woody Creek Tavern: Perfect for families wanting a western-themed meal.

Activities and Outdoor Adventures

From hiking to paddleboarding, Aspen offers myriad activities:

• Hiking Trails:

  • American Lake: A scenic four-hour hike with opportunities for swimming.
  • Smuggler’s Trail: A moderate hike ideal for socializing.
  • Ute Trail: A short but steep trail for the more adventurous.

  Alicia Adams [24:14]: "American Lake is one of my favorite hikes. It's beautiful and you can even take a swim if you dare."

• Cycling: Utilize Aspen’s free Rafta buses or rent e-bikes for easy navigation around town.

• Water Activities: Engage in fly fishing, rafting, or paddleboarding on the Roaring Fork River.

• Unique Attractions:

  • Alpine Coaster in Snowmass: A thrilling ride down the mountain.
  • Glenwood Caverns: An amusement park at a high elevation offering unique experiences.

Insider Tips

• Transportation: Take advantage of free Rafta buses and the Downtowner service within city limits for seamless travel.

  Alicia Adams [17:56]: "The Rafta buses are awesome. They're actually on time, and you can take your skis with you."

• Shopping:

  • Kimo Sabe: Experience the quintessential cowboy culture with boots and hats, complete with an upstairs bar.
  • Gorsuch: Located behind Alicia’s store, offering classic Austrian jackets and a cozy café.

• Local Gems:

  • Carl’s Pharmacy: A nostalgic store resembling a '70s pharmacy, offering everything from underwear to flashlights.

    Alicia Adams [32:48]: "It's like a mini Target, a mini Toys R Us—all you need under one roof."

• Relaxation Spots:

  • John Denver Sanctuary: A peaceful spot near the Rio Grande Trail for meditation and reflection.

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Future Endeavors and Expansion Plans

Looking ahead, Alicia shares her exciting plans to expand Alicia Adams Alpaca:

• Bedding Collection: Introducing a new line of sheets and towels made from luxurious cotton, produced in Italy near Florence.

  Alicia Adams [41:17]: "We're working on our bedding collection, so sheets and all of that, made in Italy."

• Store Expansion: Scouting for new locations, with Texas being a potential next market.

  Alicia Adams [42:04]: "We're scouting right now and thinking about opening a store in Texas."

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Conclusion

This episode offers a rich blend of entrepreneurial insight and travel guidance, making it invaluable for both aspiring business owners and travel enthusiasts. Alicia Adams’ dedication to quality and her deep love for Aspen shine throughout the conversation, providing listeners with inspiration and practical knowledge to make the most of their Aspen experience.

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Notable Quotes:

• Alicia Adams [04:30]: "We started 20 years ago breeding alpacas. Everyone thought we were crazy because it's horse country, but we persevered."
• Alicia Adams [07:10]: "My mission was not to have my kids wear itchy cardigans. I wanted to create the softest version possible."
• Alicia Adams [10:39]: "Everything we produce is exactly what you see in the product—no compromises."
• Alicia Adams [13:00]: "Aspen starts pretty early. We party hard, but we get up early because we need to get those hikes in."
• Alicia Adams [24:14]: "American Lake is one of my favorite hikes. It's beautiful and you can even take a swim if you dare."
• Alicia Adams [17:56]: "The Rafta buses are awesome. They're actually on time, and you can take your skis with you."
• Alicia Adams [32:48]: "It's like a mini Target, a mini Toys R Us—all you need under one roof."
• Alicia Adams [41:17]: "We're working on our bedding collection, so sheets and all of that, made in Italy."
• Alicia Adams [42:04]: "We're scouting right now and thinking about opening a store in Texas."

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the essence of the episode, ensuring that even those who haven't listened can grasp the key discussions, insights, and recommendations shared by Leslie Heaney and Alicia Adams.

Transcript

[Leslie Heaney]

Hey, everybody, this is Leslie and thank you for joining. The interview with Leslie Heaney. Our next stop in the summer travel series takes us to one of Colorado's most glamorous destinations, and that's Aspen, Colorado. And who better to give us all the inside scoop than my great friend, Alicia Adams. She is the founder of the amazing Alicia Adams alpaca brand. So in this episode, we start out by talking about Alicia's incredible company that she founded, where she went from breeding alpacas in upstate New York in my former hometown of Millbrook, to making baby booties and blankets from their fur, to her business expanding to include, gosh, everything, wraps, throws, knitwear for men and women, cats, gloves, coats, the whole nine yards. And her products are offered in luxury stores all around the country, but also in her own stores. She has one in Millbrook, New York, one in Malibu, California, and then one in Aspen, Colorado. So in this episode, Elise gives us all of her incredible recommendations. We talk about everything from where to stay, where to eat, where to have a drink, the best place to get a bagel, coffee, where to get your hair blown out, all the amazing outdoor activities you can do in Aspen in the summer and the winter. So this is a real inside scoop on Aspen. And for anybody who's interested in learning more about Aspen or you've got a trip planned, this is an episode you won't want to miss. I'm so excited about this week's sponsor, the 10 Mile Distillery. 10 Mile is an American single malt distiller jewelry based in the Hudson Valley about 90 miles north of New York. And it is the maker of the award winning Little Rest Whiskey made through a slow distillation process with all New York state grains by master distiller Shane Fraser from Scotland. And when I say award winning, I mean it's earned a 95 out at the whiskey competition in San Francisco and a 96 at the New York International Spirits Competition. This is delicious.

[Alicia Adams]

It's.

[Leslie Heaney]

If you do not believe me about how delicious this is, the good news for you is that if you're in the New York area, you can go visit this incredible and beautiful distillery yourself. It's set among the most beautiful apple orchard with beautiful views of the mountains behind. Stop by for a leisurely tour or tasting or even enjoy an expertly crafted cocktail. They also have gin and vodka available. They also have this incredibly delicious Thai restaurant that is in residence there from Thursday through Sunday. To learn more about the distillery, you can Visit them at Tenmile distillery.com TheInterview all orders will receive 10% off if you put a promo code, the Interview at checkout. So go to www.tenmiledistillery.com the interview to get that discount, that 10% off. I promise you, you will not be disappointed. Alicia, I'm so happy to see you. Just for listeners, it's 8:15 in the morning in Aspen, Colorado. It's 9:15 in Nashville, Tennessee, and Alicia looks a lot more put together than I am. I mean, you really, you've got it going on at 8:15 on a Saturday morning, which is, you know, not common. Not common among us, you know.

[Alicia Adams]

Well, you know, you just have to put on a sweater, a Nalpaka sweater, and then you're good to go.

[Leslie Heaney]

I know that is true. That should be like a. That could be like an ad campaign. I, of course, have, you know, from the waist down, have my pajamas still on. But I'm, you know, But I. Me too. Don't worry.

[Alicia Adams]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. That.

[Leslie Heaney]

I forget who I interviewed recently. We were talking about. It was like a Folgers. The Folgers commercial, that things were not as buttoned up, you know, with everything that was off camera. All right, so super excited to talk about Aspen with you and also just very grateful to you for agreeing to. Come on. I pinged Alicia, my very good friend and Aspen resident. Like, who should I interview in Aspen? I'm like, wait a minute. I should be interviewing you. And before we talk about sort of your favorite spots in Aspen, I thought it'd be interesting for listeners to learn a little bit about your business and you. A little bit. And Alicia Adams alpaca, you mentioned your alpaca sweater. Your beautiful alpaca sweater. And I hope people can watch this at some point on YouTube because you can see the beautiful store in Aspen that, that Alicia has. One of three stores, I think. Do you have three stores?

[Alicia Adams]

Yeah.

[Leslie Heaney]

And so you can see all her amazing, beautiful things.

[Alicia Adams]

But thank you. Yeah. We started 20 years ago breeding alpacas. We moved from Germany to Milbrook and just decided to breed alpacas. Everyone thought we were crazy because it's horse country and they thought we're these weird Germans creating alpacas in horse country. And, and, but we did. And 15 years ago, the kids started the little ones. The first three went to preschool. And then I launched Alicia Adams alpaca with all this fiber that we were sharing. And I didn't know what to do with it, so I just decided to try a little, little baby booties and baby blankets. And from then on, my Husband Daniel. He, he signed us up for the New York trade show, New York gift show, and at Javits Center. And I was panicking and I didn, what, what I was going to show. And he's like, we'll just repeat the product. We'll just, you know, just take the same throw and just put it around and just make more of it. And so we did. And I got my first orders from Barney's that year and, and another store that had 10 stores across the country. And so then I'm like, oh, okay, somebody really likes this stuff. So. And then from then on, I just continued adding to our collection.

[Leslie Heaney]

I remember this period because I, I met you around then. We moved full time 13 years ago. But I remember when you were starting with sort of the baby, you know, your baby blankets and your baby booties and just the most incredible. I mean, just to make the leap though, from, you know, we have all this extra stuff that we're sharing and we can make it into something beautiful. It's not a step that most people make. It's why you look so good at 8:15 in the morning. You're like, what am I going to do with this stuff? I'm going to actually manufacture it and make it into something beautiful. But how does that. So you.

[Alicia Adams]

Well, it wasn't that, it wasn't that easy. I went, I went to. So I'm not a knitter and I'm not a weaver.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah.

[Alicia Adams]

And I can, I can sew a button, but that's about it. And I, I decided I really wanted to have a product made in America 100% and like from breeding the animal to birthing it to sharing it to everything. So I went to she local sheep and wool festivals, like in Rhinebeck and the upstate, and I just started talking to knitters and weavers there and I learned so much. And so I worked with some mills and. But they sent me back like really scratchy stuff because alpaca, every fiber animal has like the guard hair and you have to remove that so it's not scratchy. And you know, they were thinking more in quantity and they were saying, oh, but you know, if we're going to give you back this, if we're going to process this fiber and we're going.

[Leslie Heaney]

To give you back the yarn, you're.

[Alicia Adams]

Going to lose so much if we, if we take out all the guard hair. And I said, well, no, we, I want it really soft. I don't want the scratchy stuff because that brought back bad memories to my childhood of Wearing those Austrian woolen cardigans that look pretty but the kids hate them because they are so itchy.

[Leslie Heaney]

Just saying that it was like an 80s torture flashback of like the, the Pharaoh that like you don't wear a turtleneck underneath them because they were so itchy. Exactly.

[Alicia Adams]

So my, my mission was I'm not going to have my kids wear those. I'm going to make the soft version of those. And so I try really hard to do all American version. But the weavers, there's no more really big weavers in America, sadly. So I went on a adventure with my dad to Peru and I found smaller factories that we're going to work with, were willing to work with me. Of course, they all didn't take me serious. Yeah. One factory closed the door in front of me and they're like, yeah, sweetie, don't you know. Bye. Go, go to the little place down the street. I now work with that bigger factory and we laugh about it together. It wasn't that easy. And then I, yeah. With the first samples I received, I then went to the New York Trade show and that was pretty nerve wracking.

[Leslie Heaney]

So that's amazing though. But then how do you supplement you as you're with your growth though? You obviously have to supplement the number of alpacas that you're bringing in, right?

[Alicia Adams]

And oh, for sure. In the beginning we were able to use our fiber and we were, we had the breed. We have the breeding, sir, the breeding, like service or program if you want. And then Daniel, my husband, would go to alpaca auctions and trade and buy and, and, and all that stuff. He would take the kids with him to like Pennsylvania and all these places and the kids would show the alpacas in the rink and we would get ribbons. It's like horse. It's like horse.

[Leslie Heaney]

It's like the underground world of alpaca breeding. And like.

[Alicia Adams]

Oh yeah, no. And they take it very serious, super serious. I was doing all the paperwork. You had to fill out all these things and submit them. And through that we also learned a little bit more about the industry, about the, the finished product. So I got some insights of what I don't want to do and where I do want to go. And so we just decided to, to try it. And it was quite the adventure. Everyone thought we, we were crazy. But I, you know, I, with support of good friends like you, you know, they kept on rallying and saying, no, this is great, go for it. And so I, I was encouraged, I was then also encouraged that people did come to the trade show and place orders. Because I was like, oh, my God, no one's going to come here. I'm going to sit here. I can pack everything up again.

[Leslie Heaney]

Forget it.

[Alicia Adams]

But that really, it was great because alpaca is such a beautiful fiber, and it is a competitor to cashmere, but it's a different animal. One is a goat, one is an alpaca, so it's hypoallergenic. And like my Barney's buyer back in the day and other interior designers that we work with, they really believed and believe in us. We still work with them after 15 years. And the quality is really beautiful. And so everything. Every weave we have is just a little bit different. And so it feels then different. So people do like that. And we. We believe to put exactly what is in the product and not, you know, mess with people. And, you know, if it's 100% baby alpaca, that's. That's what you're getting. Yeah.

[Leslie Heaney]

No, the product is so beautiful, and so it's almost more luxurious in a way. And I can't explain in what way than. Than a cashmere.

[Alicia Adams]

Just, it's the.

[Leslie Heaney]

The softness of it is. Is definitely unique in it, in how it feels. And so from baby blankets and booties, we've gone to sweaters. I mean, I'm looking. I mean, pillows.

[Alicia Adams]

I have a collection of capes and. Yeah. Knitwear for men and women and kids. And we have a lot of accessories that. Scarves that we blend with silk now, which are beautiful for this time of the year. We have a lot of weddings here in Aspen, so all those pretty ladies come with their dresses, and they think.

[Leslie Heaney]

That they're going to be warming up.

[Alicia Adams]

And on the top of the mountain. But then they come back the next day for the actual wedding. They were like. We were freezing. So they'll get a cape or a wrap or something. So, yeah, we have gloves, hats. We have a full collection.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah, you have a full collection. So then you opened your store in Millbrook, and then your second store was in Malibu, right?

[Alicia Adams]

Because we opened our. Yeah, it was. It's 10 years this. This month that we open in Millbrook. We actually just celebrated that in Millbrook this summer. And then we went to Malibu because I had to get out of the cold, wet winters in.

[Leslie Heaney]

In Millbrook.

[Alicia Adams]

Those. Those dull, gray, humid.

[Leslie Heaney]

Breaks us all.

[Alicia Adams]

It breaks us all.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah. Yep, yep.

[Alicia Adams]

And so we went to Malibu and opened a store there. And during COVID we. I always wanted to come to aspa. I always wanted to open A store in a mountain town that would remind me of Austria since. And Germany since. That's my, my background. And I had never been to Aspen, but I knew, I knew I would love it. And even if we didn't live here, I wanted to open a store. I don't know, it just resonated with me. And so. But we came during COVID We visited. Daniel took one trip, I took the other trip, stayed with a friend, and we loved it immediately. And then the kids are like, can we just trade the surfboards for the snowboards? Can we just move there? And that's what we did. And five years later, we're still here and we love it.

[Leslie Heaney]

Okay, so what are, tell me, what is your favorite thing or what are your favorite things about living there?

[Alicia Adams]

Well, because you said it's 8:15. Actually, Aspen starts pretty early. We party, we party hard, but we get up early because we need to get those hikes in or whatever. It's super healthy living here. It's very active. So in the summer now, for example, I see a bunch of people walking by with their hiking gear. So they're going to go on a long hike right now and then they come back and today, Saturday, so there's a beautiful farmer's market. And it's very outdoorsy, it's very family friendly. It's. Everyone has a dog, you know, it's a really, a good, feel good place.

[Leslie Heaney]

So. Okay, so let's say I'm coming out and I am coming out in September, you know, for your birthday, which I can't wait because I've never been to Aspen in the summer. I've only been there in the winter, so. Or the. When there's not snow. So I'm really excited to kind of get in this. I don't know if I'll be part of the party hard get up early group. I'll definitely be part of the former. And then maybe I'll do an afternoon hike. But if I were coming out and I weren't staying with our mutual friend, where would you recommend people stay? Or what are some hotels that you think are.

[Alicia Adams]

Well, the classic one that's right by the mountain is the Little Nell. And that's, that's the super classic. It's beautiful inside. Then you have Molly's. Who's that? Just opened a few years ago. It's newer, it's smaller, probably won't break the bank as much as the Little Nell. And then we have a classic like a grand hotel that's called say the St. Regis is Here, it's also by the mountain. It's beautiful. Jerome is very popular for weddings. And so those would be my four recommendations.

[Leslie Heaney]

And I know that there was one. And this might be a real insider tip, but our mutual friend, when I came out, actually came out during COVID I was there in March of 2020 with our two boys, with our good friends two boys. And my husband had our daughter on some father daughter kayaking trip. And we get out there, or I get out there with the boys and there was some group of randy Australians who were. Who had infected people. They were hooking up with people all over town and everybody was getting Covid. That was on the COVID of the newspaper. This is before things were shut down. Anyway, so we were looking for things to do because we just didn't want to be in too many public places. And our mutual friend said there's this great pool. There's a pool on a top of a hotel. And I don't know W. The W. It was at the W. And we kind of snuck in and we had drinks and the kids swam in the middle of the winter. So that's a real insider tip for anything you can.

[Alicia Adams]

Yeah, no, that's fabulous.

[Leslie Heaney]

I don't even know if that's a. If that was sanctioned. I, I could, I get. I'm kind of a rule follower. So I was concerned about the whole thing. But our friend assured me that it was great. But that was a fun. And I'm sure like during the summer you could probably pool hop there too.

[Alicia Adams]

Oh yeah. And in the winter it's open as well. It's beautiful. So you have this snow all over surrounding you and then you're in that pool and that rooftop pool. It's beautiful.

[Leslie Heaney]

Okay, so what might also be helpful, even though we're not going to go too deep on the winter stuff, but there's Aspen Mountain and then there's. Which is for sort of more advanced skiers. And then. Is it Buttermilk?

[Alicia Adams]

Is the, like the beginners more than beginners? That's where X. That's where X Games also takes place. So the big ramp, the big, you know, half pipe is there. So that's not so much for the beginners, but it's fun to go there. Then you have Highlands, which is pretty. It's pretty advanced as well. And then you have Snowmass. So you have these four mountains and they are for every ski skier level.

[Leslie Heaney]

See, I was. The reason why I brought that up was because I was going to ask you sort of the best way to get around. And I remember. I think there's a very easy bus to get around. And the bus would take you from. Could take you from each mountain to the other mountain.

[Alicia Adams]

Yeah.

[Leslie Heaney]

And it's for free.

[Alicia Adams]

It's Rafta. And they are. They're awesome. I have to say. They really. They're actually on time. And you can take your skis with you and. Well, that's in the winter. And then the summer you can take Raft as well. But then we have the. We bikes that you can just rent them, the little E bikes. And there's a bunch of bike stores around that run for, you know, the whole week. But if you have to get from point A to point B fast, you can just. It's like a city bike. And they have Scott stations everywhere. So my kids use that. Pretty much.

[Leslie Heaney]

You just rent those and then you. Is it like the city bikes where you can leave them anywhere and then pick up another one or you.

[Alicia Adams]

Yes, yes.

[Leslie Heaney]

Okay.

[Alicia Adams]

So those are really great. And the first 30 minutes are for free. And so that's why if you have to go from here to there and, you know, 10 minutes and then you just drop it off and then. So you can basically get around town for free on the bikes all day long if you. If you put them back in their station on time.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh, that is awesome. And then I'm sure you probably have Ubers if you need that or taxis and things like that.

[Alicia Adams]

Yeah, in the season, we definitely. We have some Ubers, some smart Uber drivers that will come from Denver and. And station themselves here. Otherwise we've got High Mountain Taxi, which are. They're good. It's just very slow. And there's another insider tip, like when you stay in the core, which means inside the town perimeter, there is the. Our mutual friend loves to take that one. It's called the Downtowner. So you just call them and they'll come and pick you up wherever you are and then drop you off. If it's within the city limits.

[Leslie Heaney]

Stop it. So if you're at a restaurant having dinner and then you want to go to a place to have a drink after, we're going to get to in a second. Then you could have that downtown or bus. And there's just a number that you call.

[Alicia Adams]

There's just a number that you call and. Yes. And then they can just pick you up if they're available. They're. Of course, they're pretty popular, so you gotta wait.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh, I love this free transportation thing. That's a really nice feature.

[Alicia Adams]

And Aspen has So many good bike trails that, I mean, honestly, a lot of people are. Are just biking around.

[Leslie Heaney]

Okay, so let's talk restaurants. You get there, you get on your ebike, you want to go. You're taking the Downtowner, you're leaving the Hotel Jerome or wherever you're staying. And, like, maybe Bre. Are their favorite, like, breakfast spots, like diners or places to get coffee that you like to go.

[Alicia Adams]

Yeah. One just opened up actually, last week, and it's become my favorite. It's called Silvers, and it's right near the Ajax, so the Aspen Mountain. And they have. Get this. They have bagels, and they make them with New York water.

[Leslie Heaney]

Okay.

[Alicia Adams]

And. Okay. But they're.

[Leslie Heaney]

They're delicious.

[Alicia Adams]

I don't know, but they're delicious.

[Leslie Heaney]

And I was gonna say, being a New Yorker, I'm thinking, like, does that involve, I don't know, some, like, a rusty plumbing? Like, what is. Maybe that's the.

[Alicia Adams]

That's the twist that you need for the good bagels. Lots of salt.

[Leslie Heaney]

I don't know what.

[Alicia Adams]

So, yeah, Silver. And they. And they just open. So they have fabulous takeout food and. And coffees. And then the step up, it would be sand and bros. They opened up here. A cafe and a restaurant. They're not together. They're not. One is in a different location, but San Ambrosa has really nice terrace, so you can just sit out there and people watch. And, you know, it's like in New York City.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh, I love it. I love it. And then you could also go there for lunch, too, if you wanted to have lunch. I would assume if it's the same as their.

[Alicia Adams]

You can have lunch and little bites and their sandwiches that are always delicious. Yes, you can.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah. What about other lunch spots that you like?

[Alicia Adams]

So my absolute favorite is Clark's Oyster Bar, and that's open all year round. Thank God, because some restaurants do close when it's off season. They take a little break. So, you know, but good thing that Clark stays open. Another lunch spot. What's fun to do with a family would be to get a bike and go to Woody Creek Tavern. That's in Woody Creek. It's a little neighborhood outside of Aspen, but there's bike trails leading there. So. And that's. It's. It's very western, cowboy. It's. It's fun to go there. You just have to make it back if you're going to have margaritas. That. That's always the challenge.

[Leslie Heaney]

How to.

[Alicia Adams]

How. How to get back. Or you call then the. Or you Take the rafter back.

[Leslie Heaney]

You take the rafter, take the ebike and take the raft up.

[Alicia Adams]

Exactly. What about.

[Leslie Heaney]

Isn't there a thing on like mid mountain, there's a restaurant. Is it, is it Cloud nine or am I confusing that with a different place?

[Alicia Adams]

Cloud 9 is in Highlands, is in the other Highlands.

[Leslie Heaney]

Okay. Mountain.

[Alicia Adams]

And that's only open in the winter. But here in Aspen, you can take the gondola up to the sun deck and have lunch up there, or you can hike up Aspen Mountain and then take the gondola down for the sporty ones.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh, that is so tell me about. Okay, so we talked about the biking and by the way, when you go to these bike stores to rent a bike, they probably have some bike maps. So they have bike maps to show you where the trails are or tell you how to get around.

[Alicia Adams]

For sure? Yes, for sure. And everything is labeled really. I mean it's, it's pretty small so you get around pretty fast. And the bike trails are all labeled and it's, it's really visitor friendly.

[Leslie Heaney]

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[Alicia Adams]

Yeah, I mean, I like. There's one. It's not in town. It's up Castle Creek Road. That's called American Lake. That's beautiful. It's. It's one of my favorite hikes, but it's a four hour hike or five, depends how fast you're going. And then there's a lake at the top of the mountain. It's just so pretty. And if you dare, you can just take a swim.

[Leslie Heaney]

Now, when you say five hours, Alicia, it's five hours up.

[Alicia Adams]

No, no, no. It's five hours in total. Total.

[Leslie Heaney]

Okay, so it's like two and a half. And what are we talking about on an elevation? It's. It's a real glute. You're going.

[Alicia Adams]

Yeah, it's a gl. Yeah, you'll feel it the next day for sure. Yeah, yeah. A little Epson salt bath would.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Alicia Adams]

And then the ones in town, the one probably where you can see everyone and it's a meet and greet one that a lot of people do is a smuggler. You. I mean, you can see everyone and catch up about last night on that trail. And that's not, not too bad, the elevation. And then the really hard one is the Ute Trail. It's short, but it's, it's very steep. And when you do that and you come back down, you really feel like you walk the American Lake, basically. And that's called U Trail.

[Leslie Heaney]

The U, like Y O, U.

[Alicia Adams]

It's ute. Ute.

[Leslie Heaney]

Okay. Oh, oh, the U. Okay.

[Alicia Adams]

Oh, my God. I've got.

[Leslie Heaney]

I had a perimenopausal moment there on my feeling thing. All right, so this is good to know. I might pack my hiking. I. I do have hiking poles from doing a couple of those hiking spa trips that I've done in the past to try to lose some lbs. Maybe I'll bring those when I come out for my September trip.

[Alicia Adams]

All right, so if you need anything that brings me to that Ute Mountaineers, that's the, the, the outfitting store here, the local, and they have everything for, for camping, hiking. They're awesome. They will outfit you with everything you need.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh, that's awesome. All right, so what about other things besides hiking? Probably mountain biking. Right. Would be another big summer activity out there. And then fly fishing, water white water rafting. What else? What kind of.

[Alicia Adams]

So, yeah, there's fly fishing on the Roaring Fork river. Where. And rafting. And then we go up still water to go paddle boarding along the river. That's much quieter, of course. And that's really. It's. That's a great activity with kids. Maybe we can do that. When you come.

[Leslie Heaney]

Is that just right outside town?

[Alicia Adams]

Oh, yeah, it's really close by. Actually, the. The store next door to me, they rent out paddle boards and they will drop you off there and then you can just go come down the river and then they'll pick you up again. It's really fun. That's really nice. And you see so much wildlife there. You can see moose and, you know, elk and all sorts of animals.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh, that is awesome. All right, so you've. You. You got up, you went. You went to Silver's, you got a New York bagel. Then you, you know, went on the ute hike, or maybe you did the paddle board, you know, paddleboard excursion. And now you're thinking about after lunch maybe getting an ice cream or.

[Alicia Adams]

Yeah, they have. They have a great ice cream place. It's called Paradise. The line is insane. During lunchtime, it's in the afternoon, it's not too bad. After dinner, it's pretty long. And then we have the music festival here so that some of the musicians, they will set up and play their classical music or something fun in front of the paradise ice cream spot.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh, that's.

[Alicia Adams]

Aw.

[Leslie Heaney]

And you said to me before we started recording that there is a music festival happening there now.

[Alicia Adams]

Well, there are actually two. There's a classical music festival happening at the moment in the big music tent. And then there is one called up in the sky. That's happening. That's outdoors. It's Buttermilk. So last night there was like a huge DJ Rufus playing, like, setting up there. And then today it's. I see. I think Casey Musgraves or something like that. And then. Oh, hang on.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh, yeah, she's awesome.

[Alicia Adams]

Yeah, she's performing tonight and we'll go to that. And then you have Belly up, which is a small concert venue but with big names. So that is definitely. If you come to Aspen, you should definitely try to get tickets for a concert at Belly Up. It's. It's like in a living room. It's amazing.

[Leslie Heaney]

Those Two music events. They happen every summer.

[Alicia Adams]

The classical one. It happens every year. Yes. And that's. It brings people from all over and the musicians are also from. From all over the world, and they're mostly young students. I mean, it's pretty, Pretty awesome. And music festivals up in the sky. I think this is the first one or maybe the second one. But then we have the Jazz Aspen Festival, and that is always during Labor Day. So this year we have like, Lenny Kravitz and I think the Lumineers coming. We've had such big names here. It's pretty close. Awesome.

[Leslie Heaney]

And then what about. And you might not know anything about this, but. So we don't have to go into it if you don't. But the Aspen Institute, right? The Aspen Institute is in Aspen. And they have lectures and. And all kinds.

[Alicia Adams]

Yeah, and that happens also. It's like in the end, that same music tent where, where the classical festival takes place and the Aspen ideas, it brings so many people in here and people go and debate and, you know, just. It's just a really good forum to interchange and just swap ideas. That's also where the graduation takes place, the high school graduation. A lot of stuff happens in that tent and that is connected to the Aspen ideas. Oh, that is fascinating.

[Leslie Heaney]

Okay, so you're sitting in your beautiful store. You went to the ice cream store after lunch. Where are we going to go to shop besides your amazing store?

[Alicia Adams]

Well, you definitely need some cowboy boots and a cowboy hat, so I would probably recommend Kimo Sabe. You can't miss that one. You need to go there because it's just such a thing. It's an experience. It's, it's. It's a beautiful store and there's such a vibe. They have a bar upstairs. Of course, if you buy, you know, boots and a hat, they'll probably invite you to go up to the bar and have a shot or something.

[Leslie Heaney]

I love that.

[Alicia Adams]

All the sales girls are beautiful and the staff there is. It's just, they're. They're super fun to engage with.

[Leslie Heaney]

It's awesome. And then Gorsuch, right? You always get the Gorsuch catalogs. I think Aspen is the only place where Gorsuch has a store. Am I right about that? Don't quote me.

[Alicia Adams]

I don't know Gorsuch. No, Gorsuch has actually, they're right behind me. They're my neighbors. They are. And that's another great place to have a coffee. They have a cafe in one of their stores. Gorsuch actually has, I think Three stores in Aspen.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh, wow.

[Alicia Adams]

Yes. And they have another store in. They have stores in Vail, in Telluride. They, they're.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh, I didn't. Oh, I did not know that. I did not.

[Alicia Adams]

Yes, but they have, they have, you know, really classic stuff from Austria. You know, those jackets and beautiful things there as well.

[Leslie Heaney]

And then if you were to go, you need to get like a hostess gift or. I mean, your store would be a great place to go to to do that. But is there like.

[Alicia Adams]

Absolutely.

[Leslie Heaney]

A homewares place or like a place for a little Knicks or.

[Alicia Adams]

Yeah, I would probably say Checkers or Paradise Underground, who are just across the street from me.

[Leslie Heaney]

They have, they have been candles and, you know. Yeah, yeah.

[Alicia Adams]

FR and things like that.

[Leslie Heaney]

I also remember you have a great toy store for families. Don't you have a great toy store? I think, I mean, that was a Covid place we visited after we pool. We pool hopped at the hotel. We took the boys to some great toy store.

[Alicia Adams]

There's a really good toy store. I mean, if you ask my daughter, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's all right. But the absolute. Oh, actually, if you come to visit, I have to take you to Carl's Pharmacy because it is actually, I think it got stuck in the 70s, that whole building and it looks like that, but you can find. It's a pharmacy. It's like a pharmacy and drugstore at the bottom. And then you go up the stairs and you will find. I mean, it's like a mini Target, a mini Toys R Us, a mini every. Everything you need from underwear to a flashlight to, you know, I don't know, like, you know, like anything for the dishes you can find there. It's really cool.

[Leslie Heaney]

It's like a favorite place for everyone. That is awesome. There's a place in New York called Zitomers.

[Alicia Adams]

Yes, it's like Zitomers.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah, that's right.

[Alicia Adams]

But this one got stuck. This one stayed like in the 70s. So it's really fabulous. You know, the stickers of the price stickers are already a little yellow on the folders and stuff. I love it.

[Leslie Heaney]

I definitely want to go there when we come out.

[Alicia Adams]

That sounds awesome.

[Leslie Heaney]

All right, so you go, you go to Carl's, you get a pair of underwear because you forgot to pack some toothpaste. Maybe you get like a, you know, some Legos for the kids. And then you're thinking about dinner.

[Alicia Adams]

First you still have to go and visit, you know, the Aspen Museum and they have A cafe at the top called Swedish Hill. And then you can take your bikes back down to the Rio Grande Trail and stop at the John Denver Sanctuary. You're gonna love that. It's actually a sanctuary. You can sit there, you can meditate, you can reflect. There's little water pots that you can get in. It's really nice.

[Leslie Heaney]

Andrew is a huge John Denver fan. I have to definitely. We have to go to the sanctuary when we come in September. Sounds amazing. So the other thing I forgot. If you want to get your nails done or get your hair blown out before you go to dinner, after you've.

[Alicia Adams]

Gone to the museum and the sanctuary.

[Leslie Heaney]

Where should people go?

[Alicia Adams]

There are a few places I would probably. My. My favorite hairdresser is called Alejandro and he's at St. Regis at Sweet Riyadh. They also have a place in New York City and they just opened a few years ago and they're killing it. They're awesome. So it's downstairs of the St. Regis. You can go and get a really good, you know, blow out there. Nails. There's a bunch of little nail salons. They're all the same. They're all this. They're all the same family.

[Leslie Heaney]

And if you wanted a spa day, like you wanted to go get a.

[Alicia Adams]

Massage or you wanted a facial or you.

[Leslie Heaney]

Where would you.

[Alicia Adams]

There's a place called Aspen Lux Spa on Main Street. I would probably get a facial there. For a full spa day. I would go to the St. Regis. They will pamper you there. They have their indoor pool. Small, but it's nice. Massages, O2 that also gives you like. They can give you fabulous massage. And they also have a yoga and pilates they offer. O2 is like this little boutique yoga slash massage place. And it's right in town. It's right next to the Wagner Park. I would probably go there too.

[Leslie Heaney]

And the Wagner park, does that have a playground?

[Alicia Adams]

That has a playground. And that's where they also play rugby.

[Leslie Heaney]

Okay. I was going to say. I remember something like that. I was taking the kids to some park kind of in the square, like sort of near. In the Downtowner. Right. Probably got on the Downtowner van with our.

[Alicia Adams]

Probably did.

[Leslie Heaney]

To get a free ride. Okay, so we want to have a cocktail before. After dinner. And we want to go to dinner. Take us there. What are your spots?

[Alicia Adams]

I'd probably go and get a cocktail at Casatua or Betula has a beautiful terrace as well. Dinner I would go to. We were just there last night actually at Park Aspen. They're actually going for A Michelin star. But their bar menu is really. It's. It's simplified and it's really good. So that's called Park Aspen. I would go. Or if you want to go to sushi, you can either go to Matsu Hisa or Kenichi. There's a new one that just opened called hi C, which is really. They have a beautiful bar too, and it's called. Hi C is like. Yes, yes. Because high is. I guess, yes in Japanese. So it's a Japanese Spanish fusion. Yeah. And that one is. I went with my son there when they just opened, and we sat at the sushi chef table watching him do everything. And it was really. It was great. The quality was amazing.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh, that sounds awesome. That sounds awesome. So have we missed anything? We missed any spots for food for dinner?

[Alicia Adams]

Probably the steak 316 is for, you know, good, good steak around here. That would probably be my number one.

[Leslie Heaney]

And is there a place that has, like, some ski towns have this. Or like you can, you know, any kind of union. And it might be more of a winter thing, but where you'll go and, like, have elk or, you know, sort of a more kind of meats or things that are kind of from the.

[Alicia Adams]

Air, I would say. I mean, what's really nice is to go out. It's a little bit of a drive, but it's called the Pine Creek Cookhouse and it's an Ashcroft you. It's. It's about 13 miles out or 15 on Castle Creek. You just drive there and it's a really fabulous restaurant. And I would assume that they. I think they have elk and all the locals, local meats there.

[Leslie Heaney]

And is that like a local kind of place or do you. Because there's a place that I went to in Aspen where you. You cross country ski to get there.

[Alicia Adams]

That would be that one.

[Leslie Heaney]

That's that one. Okay.

[Alicia Adams]

In Ashcroft.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yes. And it was far outside. Can you hear? I'm outside in Nashville and it's like.

[Alicia Adams]

This is so pretty.

[Leslie Heaney]

It's. I guess it's like Jurassic park with bugs the size of. I can't even tell you the noise. And then like, anyway, I go on and on. It's. It's a real. It's an.

[Alicia Adams]

It's a.

[Leslie Heaney]

It's a new feature of.

[Alicia Adams]

I'm not used to it. I'm not used to it.

[Leslie Heaney]

But you can also go. A horse.

[Alicia Adams]

I think you can also go horseback riding there. So that's nice to do in the South. So in the winter you can go cross country skiing and then in the summer you can take a horse there.

[Leslie Heaney]

Horseback. I forgot about the horseback riding as a, as something that. And if you want to fly fish too, there probably is an outfit like a.

[Alicia Adams]

Yes.

[Leslie Heaney]

Fitter.

[Alicia Adams]

Outfitter. Yeah. And they will take you there too. But most the more serious people probably go to the. On the frying pan. It's a little further out.

[Leslie Heaney]

And then.

[Alicia Adams]

But like locally you could just go to the Roaring Fork River. That's fine. Oh, another fun thing to do in the summer is going to the rodeo. They have every Wednesday there's a rodeo and Snowmass and it's fun. It's super fun.

[Leslie Heaney]

And then also I don't know if it's Snowmass or is it Highlands is the other. Is there's a roller coaster like a.

[Alicia Adams]

Is it a crazy one? Is it like a one where you take a gondola? Oh, it's the alpine coaster.

[Leslie Heaney]

The Alpine coaster, yes.

[Alicia Adams]

Yeah. That's in snow mess.

[Leslie Heaney]

Okay. You're like on the mountain and you. I thought it was so fun.

[Alicia Adams]

Yes, yes. Because we do have one that is the Glenwood Caverns, but that's in Glenwood further down like a 45 minute drive. And that is the highest, the, the amusement park on the highest elevation. It is absolutely terrifying.

[Leslie Heaney]

Oh my gosh. Oh, I forgot about that. Should we just quickly. It's high up, Aspen.

[Alicia Adams]

Yes, it's high up.

[Leslie Heaney]

So you want to just, you want to hydrate and write any other tips. And now forgetting this, I'm going to bring my. Myself some. I'm going to get those. I, I took the altitude pills when I went to Telly ride for Christmas, Christmas before last. And it made a huge difference.

[Alicia Adams]

Yes. I mean if you're, if you're sensitive to that, you definitely also, especially on the cocktail side, you need to go a little. Cause it hits you a little harder in the beginning. I'm going to have to pace myself.

[Leslie Heaney]

Definitely. Yeah.

[Alicia Adams]

But you definitely need to hydrate. You know, drink tons of electrolytes if you need. And it's pretty hot here right now, so it's definitely suggested.

[Leslie Heaney]

And that's something else. Temperature. So like during the day it can be warm, but then at night, like you were talking about people coming into the store to buy wraps. At night it would get a little chillier.

[Alicia Adams]

Yeah. At night it's, it's so nice. It cools down to around you know like high 50s or, or like even low 50s now. But in the daytime it's. I mean yesterday was pretty hot. It was nearly 90 oh, that's really hot here. But it's, It's. It's a dry heat, so it doesn't. It doesn't really. It's not this sticky heat, which is helpful.

[Leslie Heaney]

Me outside and I.

[Alicia Adams]

That you can see the.

[Leslie Heaney]

The dew on my.

[Alicia Adams]

Well, yeah, it has a pros and cons because, I mean, you get really. That's why we have to hydrate here much more. I didn't even think about that.

[Leslie Heaney]

All right. Okay. So you're in your beautiful store. What's next for you? What's next for Alicia Adams? Alpaca. Are you thinking expanding stores, expanding product line? You're just. Everything's exactly where it is. Sweet spot. Tell me what your. Your plans are.

[Alicia Adams]

We're working actually on our bedding collection, so sheets and all of that, and I'm very excited about that. And we're going to have that made in Italy, outside of Florence. We're working with someone there, and I'm very excited to get that into the stores. And they do towels as well. And then. Yeah, we have to complete the bed. Yeah.

[Leslie Heaney]

How will you weave that. No, no pun intended. Into the. Are you able to use alpaca or is it just fiber different types?

[Alicia Adams]

We'll just use really nice cotton for that. And then just to make it simplify people's lives and just be able to use our washing machines.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah.

[Alicia Adams]

They can put all the fuzzy stuff on top. And then we're looking into opening another store in Texas.

[Leslie Heaney]

So we're.

[Alicia Adams]

We're. We're, you know, we're just scouting right now and thinking about it.

[Leslie Heaney]

I'm headed to Dallas the week after next for the podcast called Podcast Movement or Podcast Nation or something. It's somebody. It's a podcast conference. And so if I can. And I'm staying with a friend there, so do you want me to do any recon for you? Let me know on.

[Alicia Adams]

Yes.

[Leslie Heaney]

On locations I can get.

[Alicia Adams]

Well, I'm a big. I'm a big Dallas fan, so I kind of. On the list.

[Leslie Heaney]

I think Dallas might be the place.

[Alicia Adams]

Definitely on our list. Yes.

[Leslie Heaney]

All right, my friend. Well, I am so grateful to you, particularly at this time of the morning on a Saturday to talk to me and all my listeners about all the inside scoop on Aspen. I can't wait to. I'm going to hit the sushi place. I'm going to paddleboard. I'm going to do it all when I come out in September.

[Alicia Adams]

And we're going to hike. We will hike.

[Leslie Heaney]

We're going to hike. I might not do the, no, the one.

[Alicia Adams]

Just do the ute.

[Leslie Heaney]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I like, and I, you know, I like. Oh, I'm excited about the steak place and the bagel place with the dirty New York water. I'm, I'm, I'm on board for the whole thing.

[Alicia Adams]

Don't quote that. I don't know really where the water comes from. That's just what they said. But they're lovely people.

[Leslie Heaney]

I love it. Well, it sounds delicious. I mean, there's no, there are no better bagels.

[Alicia Adams]

So that's, that's, that's true. That's true.

[Leslie Heaney]

However they do it, I'm, I'm on board. So. But thank you so much, my friend. I can't wait to see you.

[Alicia Adams]

Thank you, Leslie. Yeah. And I'll see you very soon.

[Leslie Heaney]

That brings us to the end of this episode of the Interview. Thank you, thank you. Thank you to the great Alicia Adams for joining us, telling us all about Aspen. I can't wait to head out there for a visit next month and try out and visit all these great places that she shared. Big shout out too, to our summer sponsor, 10 Mile Distance Distillery. Don't forget to check out their website to order their delicious and award winning little red whiskey and other spirits. And don't forget to use the promo code, the interview at checkout for 10% off. Big thank you to Cozy Earth, our other sponsor. Not only do their products keep you cool, they're amazing sheets and PJs, but they're the perfect things to order for your college kids for back to school. And don't forget to use the promo code, the interview for 40% off of those sheets and PJs and all their other amazing products. And as always, thank you listeners so much for listening. I so, so appreciate all of your support of the podcast. I hope you're having a great summer. And if you're interested in learning more, even about the Hamptons, we're going to have another episode on that. So tune in on Friday for that next episode. And until Friday, this is Leslie. And thanks for joining the Inter.