Branch Trip to Aspen, CO

On September 30, 2021, the long-anticipated Kansas City Branch trip to Aspen, Colorado finally happened!  Originally scheduled for 2019, then rescheduled for 2020, and then rescheduled AGAIN for this year, all twelve members traveling for the extended weekend outing breathed a sigh of relief.  Aspen greeted the branch members with amazing fall Colorado colors.  Accommodations were at the beautiful St. Regis Aspen Resort.  The group enjoyed a variety of activities including an afternoon tour provided by the Aspen Historical Society, gondola rides, visits to art galleries, the farmer’s market and numerous boutique stores.   Everyone had a lot of fun watching longtime member, Topper Johntz, perform some impromptu magic tricks too.  When not sightseeing, the members were treated to dinner at The Caribou Club (a members-only establishment), lunch at the French Alpine Bistro, dinner at the Prospect at Hotel Jerome, lunch at Jing, and dinner at Betula.  Because the group was small, trip chairperson Dorene Shipley opted to arrange for the members to experience each restaurant by ordering directly from the menus instead of set group dinners.  By all accounts, Ms. Shipley’s idea was fantastic. The group reluctantly returned to Kansas City on October 3, 2021, very well-fed, with lots of memories of good wine and good times.