The picturesque west-central Colorado town of Aspen was founded as a silver-mining camp in the late 19th century. By the middle of the following century, the village had reinvented itself as a thriving resort town. While its reputation for jet-setting is not undeserved, there is a lower-profile side of Aspen that’s equally alluring. In addition to its famous ski resorts, Aspen offers a rich landscape of summer recreation: The spectacular White River National Forest offers plenty of hiking, biking and horseback-riding opportunities, as well as excellent trout fishing. Its music, film and dance festivals are first-rate cultural events, and the Aspen Art Museum presents exceptional rotating special exhibitions in its innovative building downtown.