Steamboat Springs is a small town in Colorado of about 10,000 residents but its size does not match its importance. It is important as a historic and ranching town and it is also important as a resort, namely a skiing resort.
The person that contributed a great deal in turning the city into a great attraction was Carl Howelsen who built the ski jump in 1914. Skiing was not an unusual sport in the area but it was not seen as an organised, recreational sport till then. From that moment on lots of efforts were made to ensure good conditions for skiing and Mount Werner is fully developed to meet the demands of skiers of every level while Howelsen Hill is used especially for ski jumps.
Besides skiing there are other sports you can practice. Golf is one of them. It is not practiced on a large scale as skiing, but you can surely have some fun at the 18-hole miniature golf course.
Among the attractions are the numerous mineral springs that are well known for their therapeutical benefits and bring many tourists to the area. In the past tourism was not so developed but the rich land attracted many prospectors who saw it proper for farming and ranching. Now the mainstay of the local economy is tourism.
If you want to find out more about the past of the area head towards the Tread of Pioneers Museum that has excellent exhibits on pioneer ranch life, information on how skiing became a recreational sport and it traces the history of Steamboat Springs from its origin to nowadays. Visitors can marvel at two beautifully restored Victorian homes, a Southwest American Indian collection and an impressive firearm collection. You can bring your kids along as there are some fun activities in store for them.
Being a touristy place the town has many events for every occasion, no occasion, and every month of the year. There are activities for every age range, price range, and interest; you'll feel like your vacation just went over the top!
You can start having fun at the Amaze'n Steamboat Maze. It is a human maze that takes you through intricate paths making it difficult to find your way. If you don’t feel like trying it you can get on the observation point from where you cans see the whole maze. For another type of view, head towards the Routt National Forest where you can see an amazing waterfall of 283-feet. There is also a historic bridge standing at its base.
Besides the Routt National Forest there are other green places where you can a picnic or a stroll. One of them is Yampa River Botanic Park featuring lovely gardens, beautiful plants, picturesque ponds and nice paths. During the summer there are free concerts held in the in the great outdoors each Thursday at lunch time.
But they are not the only concerts as Steamboat Springs is well known for its Mountains Music Festival, a festival that takes place during the summer season and delights visitors and locals with different musical programs for all tastes. There is classical music on Wednesday and Saturday and you can listen to the music of Chopin, Schumann, Brahms and other great composers. Another type of music like pop, jazz or country can be listened to on Friday and Tuesday nights.
If you don’t happen to be in town in summer, don’t worry you haven’t missed much as there are Winter Concert Series but they are not as frequent as those in summer. Still the bar scene is especially alive in winter and nightlife becomes lively in this season due to the increased number of tourists. There are a variety of live music and dancing opportunities and at some of the bars you can watch any sporting event you'd want to see and play pool.
What to plan on spending? Whatever your want! There are free concerts as well as ones you have to pay for but they are not expensive if you compare them to their quality.
Whether you're looking for a relaxing vacation with the opportunity to discover the beauties of the area, or to experience a great area to golf, ski, listen to quality music, Steamboat Springs is the place to be.
