Get there: Steamboat is a 157-mile drive from Denver, and in the winter it will take three to four hours – longer if the weather is bad and Berthoud Pass is snow-packed or experiencing
whiteout conditions. Take Interstate 70 west to Silverthorne (exit 205). Then take Colorado 9 north 37 miles to Kremmling, then head west 53 miles on U.S. 40 into Steamboat.
You can fly into Yampa Valley Regional Airport (HDN) – which has a snazzy new terminal, by the way – on several airlines, including American, Continental, Delta, Northwest and United, with direct service to Denver, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Newark, New York City and Minneapolis during the ski season. Commuter service to Denver is available through United Express year-round, and Delta goes to Salt Lake City from early June through March.
Get around: Lincoln Avenue serves as the main street through downtown Steamboat, and most of the shopping district is located along there, with a few restaurants and shops sprinkled on Yampa and Oak streets. The mountain is 3 miles southeast of downtown, and although there is usually adequate parking, most hotels offer shuttle service, and the free bus service – operated by the Steamboat Springs Transit that runs 7 a.m.-1:45 a.m. during peak season – goes to the ski area, throughout downtown and to the major shopping areas.
Stay: The Inn at Steamboat, 3070 Columbine Drive, 800-872-2601, . Lovely rooms, part knotty-pine rustic, part leather-cowboy Southwestern. There’s a big outdoor pool with a gorgeous view and a nice great room with a rock fireplace, a sauna and a game room for kids. At the height of the season, two queen beds will run you about $175, and right now a king bed costs $79-$89. A decent breakfast (pastries, fresh fruit) is included, and during ski season they’ll shuttle you to the mountain, about a three-block ride.
Rabbit Ears Motel, 201 Lincoln Ave., 800-828-7702, . Right across the street from Old Town hot springs, very reasonably priced, the rooms are that fabulous sort of cheesy ’80s decor, and it has a pink sign with rabbit ears on the front, so you can’t miss it. Continental breakfast included, and free Wi-Fi. Rates start at $129 for two people at the height of ski season, and they’re about $79 now.
Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel, . This is the fancy-schmancy spot at the base of the mountain, and while the hotel rooms are pretty, they also are pretty small, especially for the price (the condos are the way to go if you can afford them). But this is the best the town has in terms of hotel rooms at-the-mountain right now, at least until we see what the Sheraton comes up with after its remodel. The year-round heated pool and hot tubs are excellent, though, and Wi-Fi, fitness center, underground parking and slopeside ski/snowboard storage are included. Rates during ski season start at $279 per night double occupancy for a studio with a platform bed and pullout couch or $509 per night for a one-bedroom condo.
Dine: Harwig’s/L’Apogee, 911 Lincoln Ave., 970-879-1919, . Just delightful, a place to sit and savor every bite, including decadent tidbits such as a lobster-filled crêpe and excellent escargot served in the shell with just enough garlicky butter. If the chef is sending out the Thai turkey soup, say yes, and don’t turn down the housemade sorbets and ice creams or the chocolate desserts. It’s also worth checking out the wine cellar if you can, both by drinking something from the terrific list and physically; there’s a table that can be reserved for dining and a cool ceiling made of wine corks.
Cugino’s, 41 Eighth St., 970-879-5805. They make stellar stromboli and top-notch meatball sandwiches. Cranky service sometimes; try to just concentrate on the food and cold beers.
Double Z BBQ, 1124 Yampa St., 970-879-0849. Everyone here definitely seems to be enjoying their jobs, and they provide good service, good ribs, great sauce and killer French fries, all while playing “name that heavy metal hair band” with the customers as Poison and Night Ranger blare in the background. The atmosphere is rock-lined dark cave, and the portions are huge and well priced.
Johnny B. Good’s Diner, 738 Lincoln Ave., . Pretty much the cheapest non-chain place to eat in town. The food is fab, just what you’d expect in a diner, with great milkshakes and burgers, a meaty meatloaf, and a really good ribeye, as well.
The Shack, 740 Lincoln Ave., 970-879-9975. The Ortega steak is a hangover cure, ribeye slathered in red and green chiles and topped with eggs. The casual eatery makes mean huevos rancheros too. They do breakfast and lunch daily.
Café Diva, 1855 Ski Time Square, 970-871-0508, . This spot at the base of the mountain is just lovely, a charming space with a menu to match, dish after dish of beautifully presented food – some of my favorites included the duck confit with yucca chips and the crispy-skinned chicken with peach-riesling jus. Service is warm and attentive.
The Tap House, 729 Lincoln Ave., 970-879-2431, . Tuesday is wing day; get 3 fat, meaty, wings for $1 (the hot are good, but the spicy garlic rock), and gnaw on them while your eyes glaze over staring at 40 regular-size TVs and 3 100-inch big-screens. The bacon-and- cheese fries are good too, as are the fried fish tacos. Once you slide into a booth it’s hard to slide back out again.
Old Town Pub, 600 Lincoln Ave., 970-879-2101, . It’s a tossup as to whether the big-screen TVs or the live music makes more noise, but both draw the crowds to this century-old building with Old West decor. Great leather booths, juicy prime rib and excellent burgers.
Shop: Off the Beaten Path, 56 Seventh St., 800-898-6830, . This qualifies as a place to shop and eat; it’s a well-stocked bookstore, a wine bar and coffeeshop called Elements (best cafe au lait in Colorado, and they have organic brewed) and makes excellent sandwiches and small plates. The staff is tops at recommending reads too.
Yippie-i-O, 811 Lincoln Ave., 970-870-3354. It’s a cutie cowboy-kitsch spot that offers a line of natural cosmetics, accessories and clothing, as well as stunning hand-stitched leather and suede pillows.
Zing, 345 S. Lincoln Ave., 970-879-2524, . If you can walk out of here without buying a piece of David Marsh furniture, you have more willpower than many. The handpainted tables, chairs, bookcases and other groovy pieces have so much character and appeal, it’s impossible not to long for something, and at this time of year the sales are outrageous.
F.M. Light & Sons, 830 Lincoln Ave., 970-879-1822, 800-530-8908, . The signs start miles from the Steamboat border, but it’s not until you actually step into F.M. Light that you fully appreciate that they’ve been outfitting real cowboys and the wannabes since 1905. This is where you really can get the goods for a good price, and the selection is terrific, from souvenir hats for $5 to the real deal.
Play: Old Town Hot Springs, 136 Lincoln Ave., 970-879-1828, . It used to be called Steamboat Springs Health and Recreation but they’ve been doing some serious renovating, and so the slides have been closed. They’re supposed to be open sometime over the winter. Regardless, this is where to go to soothe those slope-sore muscles and work out the kinks. There’s a lap pool and a kiddie pool, and you can get a massage. Open 5:30 a.m.-8:45 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-8:45 p.m. Sat., 8 a.m.-8:45 p.m. Sun. Cost is $7.50 adult, $4.50 ages 13-17, $3 ages 3-12, $4.50 ages 65+.
Strawberry Park Hot Springs, 970-879-0342, . The rock-lined setting and mountain views make soaking in the series of varying-temperature, mineral springs-fed pools a natural destination after a day of outdoor activities. Cost is $10 adults, $3 teens, $3 kids, and because clothing is optional after sunset, no one under 18 is allowed then. The 7-mile drive from Steamboat includes three on a dirt road. It’s worth it in yucky weather to spring for the shuttles, another $25 or so per adult.
Tubing at Saddleback Ranch, 877-237-2628, . The Yee Haw Tubing Hill sits 15 miles west of Steamboat; a van picks you up at Mount Werner Circle at designated times between 11:45 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. daily for 1 1/2-hour tubing sessions. Cost is $22 per person and includes van shuttle and tubing (participants are towed up the hill via tube-tow). The hill has a conession stand and a warming hut. Kids under 5 are free with a paying adult.
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