Steamboat Springs

Steamboat is top notch as far as mountain Colorado towns go. There is a great vibe here and I love visiting in the winter and summer months. Canoeing on Steamboat Lake and even better nearby Pearl Lake is a great little getaway especially if you have little ones with you that love to fish and take shore hikes.

The is the Ore House a steakhouse near the foot of the ski resort that me and my family frequent when we visit. Then there is of course Strawberry hotsprings, my favorite commercial hotsprings I have ever found. The water is really clear and clean and does not make me too tired like some other hotspring waters do.

I would love to live in the Yampa Valley and there are expensive neighborhoods but also reasonable and amazing land for sale in the surrounding area. It is worth personally checking our for anyone looking to move to the mountains of Colorado.

Steamboat Springs is a small town, but packed within are a surprising amount of opportunities to eat out, shop, and of course, recreate. Also known as Ski Town U.S.A., Steamboat is home to more Olympians than any other city on Earth, thanks to Carl Howelsen who created one of the first ski mountains in the western hemisphere on a small hill behind downtown. It’s fitting that beneath this hill is now the rodeo arena, which has rodeos Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer. These two attractions capture Steamboat in a nutshell: the old ranching valley, and the new destination resort for skiers. I must also mention the Yampa River, which flows right next to these two attractions, as it brings in a summer crowd bent on fly-fishing, tubing, and drinking beers on its banks.

Downtown is the heart of Steamboat, and it has a plethora of restaurants to choose from, some of my favorite are Mahogany Ridge, a dipping grill, and Cottonwood Grille, a pan-American fine dining experience serving up delicious Peking Duck. A locals spot is Sunpies, right on the river, but get there soon, it’s only open during the warmer half of the year.

Housing is abundant in town, and behind the commercial district, houses sprout up the hill. The middle school and high school are both back there as well, catering to the majority of Steamboats resident children. There is also a private school in town, Lowell Whiteman, which is quite good. Skiing is a class there, fitting for a town with this history. Also, the Perry Mansfield compound is nestled in the woods, teaching all aspects of art, performance and otherwise, to those interested.

There is certainly no shortage of hiking, biking, and other outdoor activities to be had year-round. One of my favorite place to go it the Strawberry Park Hot Springs, about 15 minutes outside of town. This little getaway was built up just enough to have stone walls cobbled together to keep the hot waters from spilling downstream too quickly. A great way to experience the mountains and take in the beauty that is Steamboat Springs.

Located in the valley between two ski mountains, Steamboat Springs is a gorgeous city for families and couples. Less expensive than Vail or Aspen, Steamboat Springs offers ski town living at a reasonable price. There's plenty of outside activities available in both winter and summer times. The main road offers restaurants and shopping that attract tourists and the locals. A free bus service takes people all over the city and is good for teenagers wanting to go downtown or returning home after a night out. The schools are excellent and have a wide variety of sports programs. One of the large drawbacks of any ski town is mudseason, the time when the snow starts melting and everything turns to mud. It's a little depressing to see all the gorgeous snow replaced by brown but most people use this time to take a family vacation.

Overall a very gorgeous small town.