Deans Aspen Tours

  Masterful storytelling of the people and place  - An easy 1.5 hour walk through varied terrain: along neighborhood sidewalks, through town parks/centers and in nature areas. Dean masterfully told multiple stories at once: the history of the town... read more (from the Ute people to silver miners, hippies and today), contemporary development and how town policies support the arts, nature and full-time year-round worker residents. It gave me a fuller appreciation of Aspen and was a great way to start my weeklong stay.

  Fun introduction to Aspen, from pre-history to today, with a knowledgeable, friendly, and conversational guide.  - This tour is a great way to learn about Aspen’s history through the present, starting in the pre-historic geological events that shaped the beautiful valley and mountains we know today,... read more the history and culture of the indigenous Ute people, the silver mining boom and bust years, the emergence of Aspen as a world class ski destination, and as a renowned center of the arts—and as a haven for the uber wealthy, making real estate among the most expensive in the country (with public sector programs to offer affordable options for full time residents and workers). Dean covered all of this in a fun 90 minute walk around town, with stops at many historic and contemporary sites along the way. He is friendly, conversational, and knowledgeable. Highly recommended!

  Although we've been to Aspen many times before we had never done a tour. We were delighted to learn more about the interesting history of the town from Dean,... read more including interesting facts about some of the buildings and parks. It was a nice walk and very entertaining. Highly recommend!

  Fun way to learn about the secrets of Aspen - There is a lot to learn about Aspen. Fun to hear about the death that has shaped Aspen. People that have been hunting the people for decades.

  It was an excellent idea for the first day to take this tour. It was an Aspen history lesson, and at the same time, I got an excellent orientation to... read more move around the town.
Furthermore, the walking helped with altitude adaptation.

Thank you, Dean.

  Dean is very knowledgeable about the history of Ute Cemetery. He tells stories like he is talking about people that he has known which makes this tour honoring of those... read more buried here. He provides details that convey much about life in Aspen in the 1880's. This is a great tour in a beautiful location. I plan to take this tour again.

  Great insight about Aspen on a pleasant walk - Dean was very knowledgeable and communicative on our tour. We're glad we did this. Highly recommended.

  The ghost tour was excellent. Dean’s research about the history of Aspen is very thorough and makes the tour very exciting and engaging!

  We attended Dean's "Historic Aspen Past to Present" & I really recommend it. The tour lasted one hour and 20 minutes with easy walking and a lot of information.... read more Dean speaks clearly and he was easy to hear and understand as I am hard if hearing even with hearing aids. After your tour, be sure to visit the John Denver Sanctuary.

  This tour was awesome - Dean is the best tour guide ever! The DarkSide tour was so good that we came back the next day for the Off the Beaten... read more Path Tour - which he set up for us privately even though it wasn’t scheduled. Make time for at least one tour next time you’re in Aspen!

  Dean was engaging and enthusiastic. A fascinating look into the history of the area. By his own admission, some of the details may have been embellished for... read more theatrical flair which made the tour even more entertaining for the teen and preteen audience. I really enjoyed his rendition of the early Aspen history and it was definitely a highlight to see the buildings built by Jerome Wheeler . This tour is certainly worth the time and cost and makes it for an intriguing look into the history of the area. Highly recommended!

  This tour was awesome - Dean is the best tour guide ever! The DarkSide tour was so good that we came back the next day for the Off the Beaten... read more Path Tour - which he set up for us privately even though it wasn’t scheduled. Make time for at least one tour next time you’re