Skip to Content
Categories:

A short trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Steamboat Springs, CO is one of the coolest vacations I've ever taken.
Steamboat Springs, CO is one of the coolest vacations I’ve ever taken.
Sophie Swartout

I took a trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado for a few days and it was one of the most fun trips I have ever been on. The views, the shops, the restaurants, and the slopes are just a few of the many highlights of this beautiful town in Colorado.

The Flight

One of the very nice things about Steamboat is the direct flight there. The standard trip you would think to take would be the hour and a half plane ride to the Denver Airport and then the three hour drive to Steamboat, but there is an airport that goes directly to the town next door to Steamboat. We left for Steamboat at 1:50 pm on Wednesday and arrived at Steamboat at  3:00 pm mountain time.

The Mountain

We went skiing for all three full days on this beautiful mountain. There are over 2,900 acres of skiable acres including two gondolas and 20 chairlifts. There is a wide range of difficulty across this mountain, they have easy green runs to the most challenging double black diamond runs. They have backside mountain runs that only feature difficult terrains and have three running terrain parks with a variety of difficulties.

My siblings and I ski down an easy run on our final day of vacation (Sophie Swartout)
Riding up the lift, we are heading to Four Points, on the way to the peak. (Sophie Swartout)
We skied down the blue square run high noon on the right side of the mountain (Sophie Swartout)

 

The Food

I tried so many different foods on my trip, from on the mountain to in the town, and I have a lot to say about all of it.

 

Mountain food

The infamous truffle fries from Four Points Lodge on the top of the Four Points lift (Sophie Swartout)

When you are skiing for a long time, you get hungry, thankfully Steamboat has a lot of options for on the mountain food.

I stopped at the Four Points Lodge to eat lunch every day, and I would get the truffle fries. On the mountain, dining is known to be incredibly expensive, but the portions are very big so you can share the dishes.  The truffle fries come in around $17, but I was able to share them with four people and still feel full after having them. There are eight on the mountain restaurants, and even more at the base for that post ski snack or meal.

My friends and I cooking our own steaks on the grill (Sophie Swartout)

 

8th Street Steakhouse

This steakhouse was an experience. When you walk in, you get seated, and your server brings out your drinks and appetizers, like at any normal restaurant. After you have settled in for a bit, you are then led to a display case of the different steaks they have to choose from. Once you choose the style of steak you would like, you are then given the steak and led over to the grill. This is where you cook your own steak and Texas toast. You are able to grill the steak to your liking, and once it is cooked, you bring it back over to your table and eat it.

The Town

Rachel and I take pictures outside a restaurant next to a light-filled building. (Sophie Swartout)

Steamboat has a beautiful small town with an abundance of shops and restaurants. It is a short drive from the hotels and condos at the base of the resort to the town. There are buses that come around every 10 minutes, and there are so many shuttles that will bring you anywhere with the push of a button.

My sister Izzy, my friend Rachel, and me walk around town. (Sophie Swartout)

 

The heart of the town has many different small businesses that sell different souvenirs and clothing items. They also have many big name stores such as Lululemon. You are able to walk around for hours shopping and getting different snacks and desserts. I visited Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, which features many different kinds of chocolaty desserts from fudge to chocolate covered Twinkies, they even had caramel apples. I also visited Fuzziwigs Candy Factory, which features the famous Dubai chocolate bar. Steamboat not only has nice restaurants and small snack shops, they also home to many fast food places that we have in the area. There is a Qdoba, Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and even a Starbucks. The town made this vacation feel more exciting and it was so fun to explore.

My Experience in Pictures

 

Sawyer, Rachel, and me hang out outside of our condo before dinner. (Sophie Swartout)
Rachel had fun skiing down the back of the mountain alongside me, her best friend.
We stopped to take a picture after skiing down a black diamond run. (Sophie Swartout)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rachel and I were anxiously awaiting our steaks at 8th Street Steakhouse. (Sophie Swartout)
Rachel and I got to eat at the best burger place in town where the walls are covered in bills. (Sophie Swartout)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Friends and Family Experience

More to Discover
About the Contributor
Sophie Swartout
Sophie Swartout, Senior Journalist
Fav Color: Pink Fav Season: Summer Hobbies: Dance, Yoga, Hanging out with friends Jobs: Mr. Twisty and Scooters Coffee Dog’s Name: Bodie