Last weekend we had a vacation in Steamboat Springs Colorado and it was fantastic. It was during MLK weekend and we expected it to be crowded, yet we were pleasantly surprised with almost no traffic and not too many people in town. It took about 4 hours for us to get there via car, but we did make many stops. Driving back to Denver took about three to three and a half hours. We ate breakfast at Freshies and Wynona’s. These are great breakfast recommendations from @skiprgirl. We ate dinner at Mambo Italiano and Old West. They both had great atmosphere’s and were good restaurants. I would try many other restaurants before going back to either of these. They were good, but there are many others.
We stayed at the Hampton Inn and it was a good place for not being ski in/ski out. They had a very warm outdoor pool, three hot tubs, and a shuttle that dropped us off just a few yards from the Gondola. I was impressed with the shuttle service. The hotel also offered a complimentary breakfast that was a nice touch. We had a large room with a lounge area and the rate was NOT expensive – under $150 per night.
So now for the skiing. This has been a slow season in terms of getting snow at ski resorts in Colorado. Being from east coast, the snow was awesome although skiing out here for six ski seasons, the snow was disappointing. I did enjoy the hard bumps and the steep fast slick runs – that’s the east coast in me. I was not happy with the tree skiing as it was non-existent. It was the type of snow where when you wanted to turn left, the snow made you turn right and you had no choice. I do need to get back to Steamboat when it dumps to experience the tree skiing. I did notice all the Aspens and how nicely separated they were providing great lines. Unfortunately, I didn’t experience taking runs through them, but definitely next time.
A brief disappointment was the lack of cowboy’s in town. I was expecting to see cowboy’s and cowgirls, but mostly laid back hipsters, ski bum’s, and families. It seems to be a very good family resort. It did not have the posh feel like a Beaver Creek. I look forward to my next visit and hopefully finding Billy the Kid!
I do recommend Steamboat and will return!
