We decided on a week-long winter vacation in Colorado because, not only have neither of us ever been there, but we plan to spend time exploring the state this summer during our road trip. This way we could experience both spectrums of the seasons. For the first part of our trip we drove to the picturesque ski town of Steamboat Springs.
After landing in Denver, we headed to the Silvercar rental car lot to pick up our 2018 Audi A4. The service agents were friendly and the process was quick and easy. Before we knew it we were heading west (after setting up all the bells and whistles of what we dubbed the Audi cockpit, of course).
There was a surprising lack of snow, but with clear blue skies, pure mountain air, and refreshing 40 degree weather it hardly felt like winter, and made the drive quite pleasant. About halfway into our drive, we stopped for lunch at Dillon Dam Brewery, in Dillon, for a thirst quenching beer and bite to eat. It was a fairly touristy restaurant/brewery, but the location was nice and all of the food and drinks we had were very good.
From there we moseyed onward to our accommodations in Steamboat Springs. After settling in and unpacking the car we decided we should find a place to eat dinner. While perusing through the resort welcome packet we had seen an ad for Sumatera, a Singaporean Restaurant in town. This small, downtown hole-in-the-wall is a hidden gem consisting of just five tables in one small dining room. There was a little bit of a wait but that gave us a chance to wander the streets and pop in to shops along Main Street. They had taken our phone number and called a short while later to let us know are table was ready. When you enter the dining room they do their best to transport you to a different atmosphere. There was fake vines along the ceiling, bamboo dividers along all of the walls and a few different water fountains throughout the room. This gave it a nice, relaxing and intimate feel. We ordered the Pad Thai and the Ramen. When ordering they do ask you what level of spiciness you would like for your dish. On a scale from 1-4 I asked for 2. I will say that it was very good but was slightly spicier than I was expecting. Both our meals had good portions and we left full, and overall very satisfied. If you are in the mood for this style of food in Steamboat Springs I would highly recommend Sumatera.
The next day we got up early and hit the slopes. It had been a while since either of us had skied or snowboarded so for the first half of the day we used the preview (bunny hill) chair lift. After a quick break for lunch Joe convinced me to hit the Christie Peak Express and go a bit further up the mountain. Skiing came back to Joe a little easier than snowboarding did for me so we took the easy trails Why Not down to Right-O-Way all the way back down the mountain. By the time we finished it was getting late and we were tired and sore from our first day on the mountain so we headed out to get some relaxation in.
Two ways we restored our sore muscles and stuffed sinuses after a couple hard days of skiing was by unplugging at Waterside Salt Room and Strawberry Park Hot Springs. The Waterside Salt Room is a small halotherapy room with a peaceful, orange glowing wall of salt bricks inside the Waterside Spa, located in downtown Steamboat Springs. For 45 minutes we nourished our skin and lungs by lounging in comfy chairs as the halogenerator dispersed micro-crystals of therapeutic grade salt into the air.
After relaxing in the Salt Room we headed back to the mountain for a little night skiing. Neither of us had been night skiing before and despite being worn out from the day, we decided we had to go at least check it out. So we trekked our ski’s and snowboard up the mountain and took a few runs. If you have never night skied before then it is definitely something you should try, if you have the chance. A few trails on the mountain are lit up with bright lights and you can whip down the dark mountain all while seeing the stars in the night sky.
The next day we slept in a little later and then headed back to the mountain for our last day of skiing. We decided that we wanted to go straight to the top and make our way down while we still had fresh legs. First, we had to ride the gondola up half way, then ski down a short distance to get on the Sundown Express which took us to the top. We took our time coming down, stopping halfway at the Rendezvous Saddle Lodge for lunch and a drink. From there we made our way back down the rest of the mountain. When we reached the bottom we decided that was enough for us and headed back to our room to get ready for dinner.
For dinner that night we had booked a romantic meal halfway up the mountain at Hazie’s. To get there you have to ride the gondola which is included in your meal price. It’s one price per person including an appetizer, entrée and dessert. This was one of the highlights of our trip. After indulging in the three course meal (and bottle of wine) on top of the mountain with the scenic view, complete with fireworks, we rode the gondola down and drove off to Strawberry Park Hot Springs. The crisp, cool air and steamy, hot water was very refreshing. Experiencing the hot springs at night was nice, however, we lacked the ability to see any of the beauty in the natural surroundings. Had it not been a cloudy night, soaking under the mountain stars would have set the bar higher.
Before heading out to Denver, we wanted to catch some of the town’s Winter Carnival, which just happened to be that same weekend. For 106 years Steamboat Springs has hosted this annual celebration. What originated as a way for residents to cope with cabin fever, it is now the way this town celebrates the height of winter. Tradition runs deep here as no winter carnival west of the Mississippi is older than this one. As we walked down the blocked off main street on a cold, snowy Saturday, we were met with an abundance of people cheering for horseback riding cowboys that were pulling skiing children by a rope. Though we had to make our way back to Denver before the festivities commenced, this was an event like no other.
Fun fact: If you find yourself driving along Highway 9 and notice odd ramp openings in the fences on the side of the road, you may wonder what they’re for, as did we. After asking some very friendly locals, we found out that the Colorado Department of Transportation implemented a safe wildlife passage system to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions. In the first year the Wildlife Crossing Project reduced these collisions by 90%.
