Skiing in Steamboat Springs, Colorado-Trip Report

'Tis the season for snow skiing, a passion I "picked" up a couple of years ago. For a Florida boy, it is such a nice change of scenery. Amazing mountain vistas, hot tubs and the laid back ski culture are a welcome change to my life in the swamp. I will get into the details soon, but let's get the logistics out of the way.

Airline- I flew Frontier Airlines directly into Denver. Even though Steamboat is 3.5 hours away by car, I wasn't about to fly into Hayden airport. Here are the reasons why: flights to Denver are infinitely cheaper, flights into Hayden get cancelled a lot because of weather and Hayden airport is still 45 minutes away from Steamboat Springs. The drive is nice. You cross the continental divide twice and drive through the Rocky Mountain National Forest. Word to the wise: watch out for deer and elk during your drive. They are everywhere. Other than that, it is an easy drive and Rabbit Ear Pass isn't bad at all (even for somebody who NEVER drives in the snow). The Frontier flight was uneventful. They have a large selection of satellite TV stations for $5 and movies available for $8. I didn't purchase either. They give you an entire can of soft drink and a huge bag of chips (TGIF brand Bacon Potato Chips), muffin, pretzels, etc. This was a nice alternative to the five peanuts in a bag you usually get.

Rental Car- I rented through Hotwire after trying all of the usual bread and butter travel sites. I have never used them before, but really like the site and got a really good deal from Hertz for a 4 wheel drive SUV. This is where the good news ends. We arrived in Denver took the shuttle to Hertz and waited in line with 20 other people for an hour because only two people were working. We finally got the car, a brand new Ford Edge. This is not an SUV. It is a crossover, but I wasn't about to wait in line so we took off in the pumpkin colored semi station wagon.

Hotel- Is it possible that the highlight of my trip could be a $60 a night hotel called the Bunkhouse Lodge? Definitely. The rooms are very basic and roadside motelish, but spacious. It has all of the basic amenities, free wireless internet, a hot tub and even a continental breakfast (muffins, toast, coffee, juice, cereal). Best of all, it is located next door to a large gas/convenience store and is less than a mile away from the slopes. The town shuttle has a stop in front of the hotel and takes you to all of the main stops on the mountain and town, for FREE. Great for those who do not want to deal with a rental car.

Dining- I have been to Mexico, Southern California, Arizona and Texas more times than Antonella Barba has taken naughty pictures of herself, but Steamboat Springs has THE BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT in the world. That is a pretty bold statement, but Fiesta Jalisco fits the bill. Located in the corner of a non-descript strip center on the way from the slopes to town, this place was recommended by a local in the know. Huge margaritas with fresh squeezed lime juice, enchiladas to die for and a mole sauce that only abuela could make. This is a destination restaurant in and of itself. My buddy Steve and I sat there for hours sampling everything on the menu, including all of the margaritas. Everything was excellent.
Just off the slopes between Lincoln Ave and Werner circle is the coolest coffee concept I have ever seen, Amante Coffee. It isn't just a coffee place, but a futuristic coffee, liquor, imported beer and tasty treat place with wireless internet and flat screen T.V.s. The espresso was amazing and they have some cool coffee with liquor drinks, perfect after a long day on the slopes.
For a fine dining option, there is no better place in Steamboat than Cafe Diva. A small, noisy restaurant near the Torian Plum Condos. The wine list fantastic and contains some choice corks. We drank the DeLoach Pinot Noir, a perfect accompaniment to the Sloppy Joe Duck Confit Sliders with Dorblu cheese and chive cream appetizer as well as the elk tenderloin with veal demi-glace. The food and service was flawless.

Apres Ski/Nightlife- Slopeside Grill is the place for apres ski and is located near Ski Time Square area. A huge ice bar is set up slopeside with plenty of space heaters. The inside features a nice wooden bar with all the libations, including microbrews-$2 a draft during happy hour, you could want. They also have great pizzas from their brick oven. There are other bars in the mountain and in town, but this is the only place I could recommend. The others don't even compare.

Ski Slopes- Steamboat is the 2nd largest mountain in Colorado with over 160 trails and features some of the best tree skiing in the country. It didn't hurt that we had a 60" base and 6" of fresh white powder either. Start early each day and head up to the Christmas Tree Bowl or Morningside Park if you are an advanced skier. For intermediates, check out Sunshine Peak. For beginners, stick with the Christine lifts. For some reason, Steamboats greens should be blues and some of the blues should be black. They do very little grooming so get used to the bumps (even on the greens).

Shopping- Forget it. The town of Steamboat is not very pedestrian friendly. It does include the typical tourist haunts that sell overpriced T-Shirts and other items emblazoned with catchy sayings or the typical "Steamboat, Ski Town USA" slogan. Save your money. You can get some good deals in town on ski gear, but you will still get better prices at home or at the Sports Authority (near Amante Coffee).

All in all, Steamboat is a great mountain, but isn't the complete package. It is too far from Denver, has no nightlife, no shopping, a dismal downtown and too many kids on the slopes. There are just too many other ski destinations for me to go back. Stay tuned for my trip report on Vail. Happy Travels.