While much of the world is wondering if summer is ever going to end come August, in Steamboat Springs we are celebrating the beginning of autumn as the temperatures start to fall. The leaves aren’t changing color yet, but we’re pretty sure that pumpkin spice coffee is already being sold, and if you are visiting and don’t pack a jacket, you will regret it! Fortunately, if you do forget, the fireplaces in our Grand Adventure Company seasonal sanctuaries will warm you quickly, and this guide to experiencing Steamboat Springs in August will help you enjoy everything our town has to offer.
We Pull Out Our Cowboy Hats and Boots
If it is summer the Steamboat Pro Rodeo, 401 Howelsen Parkway, is the main event, but it ends August 23rd, so be sure to plan your visit before then if you want to experience an authentic Western Rodeo. Offering cowboys and cowgirls participating in all your favorite rodeo events, a barbecue before the night’s show begins, and one of our favorite parts of the rodeo, two fun children’s events, the Ram Scramble (ages 5 and under) and the Calf Scramble (ages 6-12). The kids are so cute and so determined to win that we wish EVERYONE could be declared winners!
We Eat All Our Veggies
The Steamboat Springs Farmers Market is our favorite way of buying the vegetables we eat, offering locally sourced produce that just tastes better than the stuff in the grocery stores. Located on Yampa Street between 5th and 8th, and open every Saturday through mid-September, the Farmers Market also offers locally raised buffalo, chicken, beef, seafood, and trout, as well as baked goods, specialty sauces, and a large number of arts and crafts vendors selling merch that will make great souvenirs and even greater Christmas gifts, if you are organized enough to think about starting your holiday shopping that early!
Wetting Our Lines
The cool mornings are the perfect times to climb into a pair of waders, head to the Yampa River, and cast our lines out into the water. Fly fishing is a big time summer activity in Steamboat, and it may be the only reason you skip the trout purchase at the Farmer’s Market. If you haven’t tried to fly fish before your Steamboat August getaway, Steamboat Flyfisher, 655 Yampa Street Unit C-2, offers guided fishing trips and instruction on how to best cast your line.
We Like to Eat (A LOT)
In our humble opinion, the restaurants of Steamboat Springs are some of the finest in the world and we spend a lot of our time off the clock exploring meal options at some of the best. You may worry about being at a disadvantage, not knowing enough about the restaurants in town, but a food tour can help relieve your mind. Steamboat Springs Food Tours, 635 Lincoln Avenue, offers custom tours that are a bit pricier, but their standard Bite of the Boat Tour is reasonably priced and visits 4-5 restaurants to give you a taste of what you can expect from your vacation. Go back at a later time and revisit your favorites or consider it good and decide to conduct your own food tour at restaurants that didn’t make the tour, leaving town with an authentic taste of Steamboat deliciousness.
Exploring Art
Although summer temps rarely rise above 80 degrees, there can be some days that get a little toasty and on those days, we gravitate to indoor activities, such as visiting the Steamboat Art Museum, located at 801 Lincoln Avenue inside a former bank building. Its most current exhibit, “The Art of Printmaking: Process and Passion, comes to a close on August 31, and offers the works of nearly 45 artists from all over the country. Writers are encouraged to enter The Painted Words, the museum’s 8th annual literary competition & writer’s celebration, an event that takes place on August 5th. Also offering a cute little gift shop selling reproductions of the art that has been exhibited there, it’s another great way to pick up souvenirs to bring back home with you.
And We Relax
Fall and all the craziness that accompanies the season is right around the corner, and if we take a few days in August to sit around the house and do nothing, is anyone really going to judge us? Of course not, no more than we would judge you for daring to do the same thing during your stay, and our seasonal sanctuaries offer many enticements to be lazy. Soaking in a hot tub on the back deck, binge watching movies on supersized state of the art televisions or sleeping in late every day of your stay. Our August accommodations are designed to be the best part of your vacation experience, and we encourage you to spend some time exploring all their wonderful amenities!
Remember the crepe you ate on that street corner in Paris, that street taco you devoured during your adventures in Rocky Point, or that slice of pizza you still swear is the best slice you have ever tasted, eaten during your stay in New York City? The food we eat while on vacation is almost as important as the adventures you experience, and during your visit to Steamboat Springs, we at Grand Adventure Company want to share some of our favorite local bites with you, ensuring that this vacation will be one you long remember. This guide to our favorite must-try summer Steamboat eats will have your taste buds cheering as you begin to salivate and your stomach begins to rumble.
A Cup of Joe from Off the Beaten Path Bookstore & Café, 68 9th St
Although coffee technically isn’t considered a meal, so many travelers skip breakfast but never skip coffee that we feel it should be grandfathered in, and a cup of joe at Off the Beaten Path Bookstore & Café is where we are starting our epicurean explorations. The coffee might not be the star of the show in this eclectic bookstore, but just like those earrings you purchased added the right amount of bling to your “OOTD” (outfit of the day to those without TikTok) the coffee served here is the perfect accessory to the books you will not be able to resist buying. Also offering a yummy selection of pastries, spending a couple of hours sipping iced coffee, devouring every crumb of your cream cheese brownie, and browsing the aisles of the bookshop that reminds us why we still need books when eReaders are in existence, might be the adventure you remember most.
Plate-Sized Pancakes from the Shack Café, 740 Lincoln Avenue
The plate-sized pancakes of the Shack Café will certainly push all thoughts of Paris crepes from your brain, offering a fluffy treat to help get your brain functioning in the morning. (Although the Shack Café does serve breakfast all day.) The pancakes are literally the size of dinner plates and can be stuffed with your favorite fruit or chocolate chips, or can be enjoyed the way nature intended, plain and drowned in maple syrup! Kids will be delighted by their “Mouse” pancakes, the ears made with dollar-sized pancakes, banana slices and blueberries as eyes, a chunk of strawberry for the nose, and more blueberries lined up in a smile.
Happy Hour at Café Diva, 1855 Ski Time Square Drive
Happy hour is summer’s version of après ski, and Café Diva is where you will find us from 5-6 PM in both seasons. Serving smooth wines and delectable bites that include a charcuterie plate, which we feel is the best light meal for summer, your happy hour at Café Diva may roll over into dinnertime, and a menu that is destined for greatness. Seared scallops are one of our favorite summer treats, and we always are sure to save room for the Diva’s key lime pie ice cream sandwich!
Rocky Mountain Chili at Stonewall, 685 Marketplace Plaza # C-1
Ok, you got us. Chili is usually considered more of a fall or winter dish, but in Steamboat Springs, the temperatures can drop into the 60s in the evenings, so chili is a year-round dish to us, and the version served at Stonewall may be our favorite. Made with Colorado bison & elk and served with cheddar cheese, cornbread, and house-pickled jalapeños, when you want to spice up your day a bit, nothing does it better than Rocky Mountain Chili from this wonderful eatery. Their summer salad is a good choice for those seeking something lighter, made with arugula, charred broccoli, grilled corn, almonds, bacon, and served with a lemon parmesan vinaigrette.
Step into the Past with a Shake From Lyon’s Corner Drug & Soda Fountain, 685 Marketplace Plaza # C-1
Back in the day, first dates were usually enjoyed at a soda fountain counter, sharing a milkshake with two straws, and today, your Steamboat Springs adventures will let you continue that tradition with a stop at Lyon’s Corner Drug & Soda Fountain. Lyon’s opened its doors for business in the 40s, but there has always been a pharmacy on this spot since the 1920s, and the history of Steamboat is steeped in every inch of floor space in the business. Also offering a savory menu of sandwiches and soups, guests can enjoy an authentic flavored soda, banana splits, sundaes, or, of course, a milkshake or malt, a tasty summer treat.
Your Secret Family Potato Salad, at Home with Grand Adventure Company
Your secret family recipe for potato salad will stay a secret as you putter around our fully equipped kitchens, gathering the ingredients to prepare the dish that makes your family think of home. Reserve your favorite summer sanctuary today!
Everyone celebrates the Easter holiday a little differently, with some focusing on the sunrise service and Easter brunch, others focusing on the Easter Bunny, baskets, candy, and Easter brunch, and still others making their way to Steamboat Springs, ready to celebrate in all those ways, while adding in end of ski season festivities to the mix, and of course, Easter brunch! There is no wrong way to celebrate the holiday, but if you are in the last group and are planning an Easter Steamboat Springs getaway as well as a stay in our Grand Adventure Company holiday hideaways, we’ve got you. This guide to plans you can make as you are going about your everyday lives will brighten your days and make your workload seem a little more bearable.
Pack for a Winter Steamboat Springs Getaway
Easter is arriving a little later than normal this year, hopping onto the scene on April 20th, and the calendar does say it is spring, but in the mountains, winter lingers. So wear your winter coat on the plane (it makes a good pillow and takes up far too much space in your suitcase) and wear your warmest boots. Your suitcase is going to be fuller than normal, simply because winter clothes are bulkier, but you won’t need to pack an Easter basket, even if you are travelling with children, because it just makes more sense to pick one up while you are in town.
Children are good at discovering your secrets, and if you aren’t ready for them to know about your alter ego, the Easter Bunny, you don’t want to carry a basket that is just going to get crushed during your travels. As you can imagine, there is a Walmart in Steamboat Springs, and everything you were going to purchase back home can be acquired with one stop at the store, saving you space in your luggage and lessening the odds of your kids’ Easter being ruined.
Easter Brunch Ideas
There isn’t a lot of info out there yet about which restaurants are serving Easter brunch this year, but going off last year’s celebration we are pretty sure you will be able to enjoy a wonderful brunch at Creekside Café, located at 131 11th Street. Even if they don’t serve something inspired by the holiday, they will be open and serving delicious brunch options, ensuring your family will enjoy every bite. Last year’s menu, however, included smoked prime rib, Colorado lamb skillet, salmon carpaccio, and a heavenly cinnamon roll French toast that we still dream about nearly 12 months later and we are keeping our fingers crossed that it will still be on the menu.
End of Ski Season Excitement
The end of ski season is always a time for mixed feelings for us, we love the slopes and are sad to see our time on them end, but the events and activities that take place this time of year are fun and help take some of the sting out of the parting. Additionally, this year we get to add Easter into the equation, pushing aside even more of our tears of sadness, so you should be truly excited to celebrate with us.
Offering barbecue, live music, games, head to head races, and a DJ spinning the music that will make you dance, the entire weekend is one of celebration, and although we hate to see the end of the season, we love to celebrate it! If your Easter visit is an extended one and you are joining us the weekend before the holiday, be sure to check out the Pond Skim event in which skiers speed down the slope and try to skim over the icy pond that is at the bottom, held on April 13th. Spoiler alert, most fall in the cold, cold, waters!
Planning an at “Home” Celebration With Grand Adventure Company
You can have tons of fun during your adventures in Steamboat Springs, but you may be looking for a quiet celebration at “home” and our spaces will help you do just that. Boil the eggs and create the feast in our fully equipped kitchens and decorate those eggs and eat the feast in the dining rooms that are located just steps away. Our state of the art televisions are the latest models and will show off your favorite Easter movies in crystal-clear beauty, making you feel as if you are helping “Hodge Save Easter.”
Also offering plenty of places to hide the colorful eggs inside and outside your comfortable holiday hideaway, but we suggest avoiding hiding them in the hot tub. The eggs are already boiled and the bubbling waters are meant to warm and soothe your aching muscles. Reserve your favorite Steamboat Springs Easter escape today and take your holiday to the next level of perfection!