Tranquil Travel: Your Guide to Steamboat Springs, Colorado

For the most part, vacations are wonderful. You get to take a break from work, be carefree for a little while, relax, and ideally have fun. Unfortunately, vacations aren’t always so picture perfect. Whether you are worried about your kids causing a scene or gaining 10 pounds after a week of eating delicious food and not exercising, vacations are often not as peaceful as they should be. If you want to combine the best of both worlds and relax while still staying healthy and fit, there are plenty of vacation destinations all over the world that should satisfy all of your vacation needs.

For a huge chunk of the country, this winter has been a real doozy.  Blizzard after blizzard, ridiculously low temperatures, and never ending piles of ice are not fun.  On snowstorm is nice, especially if it happens on a weekend or holiday and your only obligation is to watch the snowfall while drinking hot chocolate.  After that, it just gets old.

I don’t know about you, but I find this all a little sad.  I’ve always loved the snow, but this winter is really putting that love to the test.  If you are someone who wants to rekindle their love with the snow, why not go somewhere it can actually be useful?  Steamboat Springs, Colorado can be such a place.  Located in the mountains in Colorado, you know this place will offer you some great skiing, but it also boasts a range of other winter activities.  Better yet, it can be a great vacation spot year-round, so even if snow isn’t for you at all, it still might be worth checking out some other time of year when your parka won’t be necessary. If you want to plan a trip to Steamboat, here are some suggestions to get you started:

Steamboat Springs Ski Resort

This is an internationally known ski resort, so what better place to start your trip planning? There are so many activities, trail maps, lodging suggestions, and other things on their website, that I was having trouble narrowing down my suggestions.   I recommend checking it out for yourself. Skiing has never been my specialty. If it isn’t yours either, there are a whole bunch of safer winter activities you can enjoy, like a sleigh ride, or taking a stroll in some snowshoes.

If you aren’t a winter person, you can also go to Steamboat Springs Resort for a plethora of fun and relaxing activities, from horseback riding and hiking to spending a day at the spa or relaxing in a natural hot spring.

In between your days on the slopes or biking through the mountains, you’re going to have to eat, right? Maybe do a little shopping?  Luckily, for those of you who get their therapy by eating a good meal after hurling yourself down a mountain, Steamboat Springs also has a downtown area full of shops and restaurants.  The town has a southwestern feel and a great sense of community, so you will probably feel right at home in one of the restaurants, art galleries, or spas.

Life Essentials Day Spa

I can’t think of a better time to go to the spa than after a few days of skiing and other physically intense activities.  This spa is committed to health and wellness, and even uses some organic products in their treatments. They don’t want to just give you a massage and send you out the door, but also to educate you a little so you can feel like your best self all the time.  You should definitely check out one of their awesome cleansing treatments.

Creekside Cafe and Grill

One of the worst parts of any vacation can be getting home and feeling gross after a few days of eating in restaurants, so it is always good when you know of a few places where you can get a quality meal made of fresh, local ingredients. Creekside Grill is such a place, and Trip Advisor has it ranked #2 of 128 restaurants in Steamboat Springs. Good ingredients at a great price.  This is the perfect spot to grab breakfast before heading out to the slopes.  Or to the spa.

Will you be heading to Steamboat Springs?

Featured image via About