Jennifer Goddard / Special to The Malibu Times
Summer or winter Steamboat Springs in Colorado is a great place to vacation. This resort area, known for skiing in the winter, offers dozens of outside activities for children, teens and their parents in summer. Walk outside any door and the Rocky Mountains stare back.
Once we left in our rental car from Denver Airport, what should have taken about three hours to reach Steamboat Springs, took us five and a half hours since I had misplaced our driving directions. Somewhere we took the wrong highway and ended up at the entrance to the Rocky Mountain National Park. My husband asked the ranger at the kiosk how much longer to Steamboat Springs, the ranger replied 140 miles and then asked for $20 so we could drive through.
Big negative sighs were echoed by our 22-year-old son and 18-year-old daughter, as well as the tired driver himself. I embraced the adventure. It is spectacular for those who can appreciate the beauty of nature. This major highway in North America tops out at 12,183 feet above sea level. Nearly one third of the park is above tree line-11,400 feet of elavation in the park.
We made a pit stop half way through the park and saw dozens of families stopping, including a half dozen car loads of men in black hats and women wearing pastel bonnets and long dresses accompanied by children. I immediately thought Amish and then realized that Mormons have a big influence in neighboring areas. It was a culture shock to our 18-year-old daughter who works part-time for an online fashion boutique.
After leaving the park, I tried to wake up my kids to view the immense greenery and pointed out a moose grassing near the highway.
From there, we drove up to Steamboat Springs to almost 7,000 feet.
Steamboat Grand Resort is both a hotel and condominium complex. The entrance is grand and inviting, and the young people who work there-from the bell captains to the front desk-are devoted skiers who work year round to enjoy the ski season that begins Nov. 22 and runs through mid-April.
This upscale mountaintop resort offers luxurious accommodations during summer at half the cost of the winter months. Our rooms deserve the four star rating the Automobile Club tags. We had two bedrooms on either side of the living room/dining room/kitchen with views of the ski lift.
The resort offers a great deal of entertainment to guests and their families, including a large outside heated pool and spa. Additionally, a gym is right next to the water activities and has state-of-the-art equipment including treadmills, stair climber and weights. Sauna and steam rooms are adjacent. Our son and daughter took advantage every day for the week we were there.
I promised our daughter a spa treatment, and while she had a facial I treated myself to a body scrub with light massage. Both soothing and relaxing, and accomplished what both my daughter and I were looking for.
Across from the resort is the Slopeside Bar and Grill, where in the winter, skiers can ski right to the bar and restaurant.
Steamboat Springs Grand Resort has a free shuttle that takes and picks up guests wherever they want to go within the town.
Another breathtaking site is Fish Creek Falls, a short walk from the parking lot, and an absolute must to see. A footbridge at the bottom provides an excellent view of the falls that plunge 283 feet.
Through the resort, my husband and son rented mountain bikes and rode on the Yamba River Core Trail, a seven-mile route, providing scenic opportunities.
We take a family vacation every year. The nice thing our son mentioned while driving the five-plus hours to get to Steamboat Springs is that Colorado, unlike California, has open space. We have taken the kids to Hawaii at least six times, our son attended college there for a year and a half, but Colorado is a great vacation at half the cost and one I plan on visiting again.