About three hours northeast of Denver sits the beautiful ski town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. We were invited by our friends who visited for their honeymoon last year and loved the trip so much they decided to go back and bring their friends. So seven of us rented a condo at Bear Claw Condominiums and had an adult spring break. Bear Claw is located directly on the slopes and provides true ski-in, ski-out experience.
Skiing:
The main reason for trip was to go skiing and really the primary reason people flock to Steamboat Springs. During our time at Steamboat Springs, they were even hosting the NCAA skiing Championships! First thing you need is your gear. I would definitely shop around for who has the best price as rentals can range anywhere from $10 to $50 per day. The best option for us was at One Stop Ski Shop. They were great and very knowledgeable about their products.
Once you have all your gear in place you will need you lift pass. The sooner you book your pass and the more days you put on it, the cheaper it will be per day. We decided to do the 5-day pass which was perfect for our trip. We were able to take a much needed day of rest while also hitting every slope we wanted throughout our trip.
Steamboat Springs offers numerous slopes ranging from bunny hills to Double Black Diamonds. While Megan has been skiing a couple times in her childhood, but Kyle was definitely new to the sport. We DEFINITELY recommend lessons for both new and experienced skiers. For beginners this is a must, and Kyle was able to conquer blue slopes on the first day! For more experienced skiers this can be a great refresher and offer you some new tips and techniques to focus on throughout your trip. Each day we both got exponentially better, and we can not wait to hit the slopes again soon!
Dog Sledding:
Dog Sledding at Grizzle-T Dog and Sled Works was an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you love dogs or just being in the outdoors this is definitely the adventure activity for you. We loved spending the day with these four legged athletes. Their kennel was home to over 150 Alaskan Huskies. "Properly conditioned and with state-of-the-art nutrition, these dogs can run over 150 miles a day across some of the most unforgiving frozen terrain on earth." The 12 mile ride we took was merely a warmup for these pups. We learned how to steer our own sled which made it an immersive experience. We would definitely recommend this to anyone. I know this was something we both could check off the bucket list.
Hot Springs:
Who doesn't love bathing in a hot tub with other strangers? We were fortunate enough to get free passes to Old Town Hot Spring in downtown Steamboat Springs where we had this unique experience. The springs allowed us to unwind after a few days of skiing. However, we all agreed that it was just as nice as using the hot tub back at Bear Claw. It was a nice experience to do once, but do not think it was worth the cost of admission to go back.
Downtown:
Downtown steamboat has everything from delicious food, to touristy gift shops, to a fun filled night life (but don't expect it to go too late). Our two favorite spots downtown were Sunpies and Schmiggitys. Pictured to the right is the ladies signing karaoke at Schmiggitys! A great place to eat is Carl's Tavern (reservation recommended). If you are a beer lover, we also enjoyed Mountain Tap Brewery that featured 12 house-made beers.
This trip was wonderful and a great way to reconnect with old college friends. Living in south Florida, we don't get to enjoy a typical winter. This trip definitely gave us everything we were looking for in our one week of winter. Whether you are looking for a romantic honeymoon destination or an adult spring break, Steamboat Springs is the place for you!
