Aspen, CO

Aspen is the county seat of Pitkin County and one of the best-known mountain towns in the Rocky Mountains' Sawatch Range. Its roots go back to the winter of 1879, when miners entered the area despite warnings from Colorado Governor Frederick Pitkin. The silver-mining town later reinvented itself as an international ski, arts, and wealth center. Even with its global reputation, Aspen is still physically remote, hemmed in by mountains, public land, and a dramatic high-country setting.