Saturday: Cool Slopes and Hot Springs
The famous alpenglow illuminates the mountain just before dusk.
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After breakfast, take the gondola up the mountain. Warm up on a few
runs, and then return to the gondola by 10:30 for a free guided tour of
the mountain. Spot your ambassador in front of the "Meeting Place" sign
at the top of the Vagabond Trail. The tour lasts about two hours, but
you'll need to peel off early and catch a quick bite for lunch to be
back in time to meet the resort's own Olympic ambassador.
Billy Kidd, a silver medalist at the 1964 Olympics, will give a free
half-hour clinic to anyone who joins him on the slopes. Meet him at 1
p.m. at the top of the gondola, under the electronic "Billy Kidd Meeting
Place" sign that says, "Billy Is Skiing Today."
By the time the lifts close at 4 p.m., your legs will feel like
muscadine jelly. Grab your swimsuit, and head over to Strawberry Park
Natural Hot Springs to soak those sore quads in the 104-degree mineral
pools. Sweet Pea Tours offers packages with round-trip rides and
admission for $30.
Relaxed? Good thing you don't need to use those limp-noodle muscles
for tubing. Skidding down the slopes on a doughnut will put you in touch
with your inner 5-year-old.
Top off your perfect day with a romantic dinner at Café Diva. Order
the surf and turf ($32). Offerings change frequently; we swooned over an
elk tenderloin served with prosciutto-wrapped sea scallops.
Sunday: In a Western Town
Warm up with a cappuccino and a chicken pot pie at Off the Beaten Path, a cozy cafe, wine bar, and bookstore downtown.
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Sidle into town for a lazy brunch at Winona's. Try the blueberry-granola
pancakes ($5.25). For a different perspective, rent a pair of snowshoes
for $5 at Backdoor Sports, and take a walk up Howelsen Hill.
Perk up with a cappuccino ($2.25) and a chicken pot pie ($6.95) at
Off the Beaten Path. Now figure out how you're going to get out of work
next week, so you can stay a little longer. The hardest part about this
trip is going home.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Call Steamboat Central Reservations at 1-800-922-2722 for the easiest
ski trip you'll ever plan. The reservationist will help you choose
accommodations, find discount packages, buy lift tickets and tubing
tickets, and more.
