When we lived in New York City Michele and I, desperate to vacate the city on the hot summer weekends, rented a room in a house in the Hamptons, sight unseen.

The day we drove up to the horseshoe driveway, filled with parked Porsches, we looked at each other in fear. We were hoping for jeeps and jalopies that showed the wear and tear of a life of adventure.

We walked out to the pool area and it seemed as though every New Yorker that we had successfully avoided in our everyday living was sunbathing while chatting on their phones, chewing gum and painting their nails. We felt the cold stares as we walked around looking for a friendly face to melt the chill but their was not one to be found.

That night, after Michele went to bed in a heap of depression at our foolish mistake, I went down to the living room to see if I might give it another shot and find somebody I could relate to and that is when I met Jody, a vivaciously beautiful, green eyed girl with a voracious curiosity for people and we immediately connected, spending the evening catching up on our lives.

Our friendship transitioned back to the city and Jody, with her power of conviction, had me hired with Seventeen Magazine where she wrote her own column on finding great fashion accessories around the city.

The column was perfect for Jody, a true explorer at heart, who knows how to quickly dissect any town she is visiting immediately getting to the core and finding hidden treasures that most tourists would miss.

Jody lives in the northeast but is a part time local here in Aspen and knows the town better than most locals do, always introducing me to the best ski school program or the place to find the best coffee.

When I met her in town the other day, she asked me if I had ever met Wendy who owns The Dark Horse Alley. When I said that I had never heard of her she took me inside the warm atrium of the historic Ute City Building and showed off Wendy’s charming little nook.

It took me a little bit to soak it all in, the cafe tables, the coffee cart lit up by a string of lights, the vintage coca-cola refrigerator where beautiful sugars and coffee acoutrements were shelved, the showcase of packaged chocolates surrounded by  silver almonds and colored rock candy and her tiny kitchen that she somehow masterfully rigged where she and her son and daughter make the Mediterranean, French and Indian soups and baguette sandwiches.

I looked at the menu and my mouth began to drool, have I mentioned yet how much I love food? I ordered the breakfast sandwich, an English Muffin with a thin slice of green apple, grilled chicken and melted Havarti cheese and boy was it delicious.

Treats made with natural ingredients are okay in my book and so after I  picked up the boys from school I surprised them and took them to visit Dark Horse Alley.

Their eyes became enormous as they processed the delectable pastries and sweets and they opted for the cupcake, which I made them share because I’m such a mean old hag of a mommy and I only had three dollars in my wallet.

I could almost taste every moist bite as I lovingly watched them slowly and purposefully enjoy the thick frosting, colored sugar and my favorite french silver Dragees that I told them would turn them blue if they ate too many of them.

As we drove home I became excited about this new life of mine, where I make a concentrated effort to discover the many treasures and interesting locals in our valley. I have many stories lined up and I can’t wait to share them all with you.

**PS – I do receive trade for most of the business establishments I write about but I only write about the ones I love and often, as in Dark Horse Alley, I receive nothing but the satisfaction that I am spreading the word and helping a quality business to survive in a difficult time.

**PPS – When you go to visit Dark Horse Alley, please tell Wendy that you heard about her from me.