Christmas Day at Aspen Lodge in Estes Park

Since our family all live in another state, we decided to go out for lunch on Christmas Day. This is more difficult to execute than you might think.

First, there's the issue of location. We live in Lakewood, CO (on the south side of metro-Denver) which is pretty picturesque but very suburban. We hoped to find something a little more off the beaten path. This describes about 95 percent of the state of Colorado, but how do you find these scenic locales?

Google, right? Nothing. (I'm generally pretty good and getting information this way, I was completely unprepared for the dismal search results.)

Word of mouth? None of our friends, acquaintances or co-workers had any ideas.

Tourist information. There's no way around this one. We generally try to at least act like we know what's going on but we were desperate. So we went to the Tourist Info booth at the Colorado Mills Mall. While they didn't have any specific information, they did recommend a couple of towns and suggested that we contact the visitors' bureau of each town. Estes Park was one of the towns.

We love Estes Park. I wish that I could explain that but I can't. It's quiet and touristy and nestled right up next to Rocky Mountain National Park. It's one of the first places in CO we visited on vacation and THE first place that Della ever saw snow. That's probably where the love affair began. You'll probably hear a lot about Estes Park from me in the future.

So, we called the Visitors' Bureau and they had a list. For family-friendliness, the VB recommended the Christmas Day buffet at the Aspen Lodge. The relaxed atmosphere was great and the food was terrific. No stiff formality here, just genuine, friendly waitstaff and cozy surroundings. The dining lodge itself is a little dated, but the views of the snow falling on the grounds of the resort were more than enough to get us in the Christmas spirit. One of the dining rooms had a beautiful fireplace and Christmas tree. The entire restaurant was decorated for the holidays with fresh pine garland and candles.

Call me cynical, but I wasn't expecting much from the buffet. My hope was that it would be warm and a step up from Luby's. I was pleasantly surprised. There was an unremarkable relish tray, but everything after that was great. Smoked trout with cream cheese and blueberries, green beans with mushrooms and fried onions (a wonderful improvement on the green bean casserole that has been a staple at our family gatherings as long a I can remember), butternut squash, traditional dressing, garlic mashed potatoes and portabello ravioli all complement the carved main courses: roast turkey, prime rib and ham. It was all delicious and the turkey was juicy (not an easy feat for a buffet).

The dessert offerings were good as well. There was a warm bread pudding with white chocolate (I enjoyed the flavor, but the texture of bread pudding is always a little gross to me. I'm a real texture-freak though. My wife says it's great for those of you out there that like that sort of thing.) I was much more appreciative of the bourbon pecan pie, apple pie and pumpkin pie. Our daughter devoured a blueberry scone.

At less than $20 per adult, this was also one of the less pricey Christmas Day offerings that we found anywhere. There was complementary champagne. The atmosphere was casual and comfortable, fitting to the lodge setting.

If you're looking for a complete package, including lodging, The Aspen Lodge has guest rooms and cabins in a terrific mountain setting with views of Mt Meeker, Long's Peak and the Twin Sisters in RMNP. Check out their website for more information and special events.

Enjoy!