Although Steamboat Springs may not be the first place you think of for a summer vacation destination, chances are you probably think of it when the snow starts to fall, but we at Grand Adventure Company want to change your thought process. Steamboat Springs in the summer is a magical time of year, offering the best of the season without all that sticky heat you may be used to in your hometown, and as the landscape comes to life, the lush green of the trees canopies, cool and clear water running through creeks, rivers, lakes, and ponds, and fields of wildflowers begin to bloom in a profusion of color, you will fall in love. And that love affair will continue when you step inside our Steamboat Springs summer rentals for the first time, offering comfort, style, and a long list of summer amenities that will spoil and ensure that your summer adventures at home will be as wonderful as the ones you experience in Steamboat Springs.
Ceiling Fans
Designers hate them and chances are you won’t need the ones that can be found in most bedrooms, but ceiling fans are wonderful for circulating the air and keeping a space from getting too stuffy, especially on a rare hot day in Colorado. Temperatures rarely rise above 83 degrees, but there can be some warmer days that will make you appreciate the gentle whirring of ceiling fan when you climb into our oh so comfortable beds at night, or in the daytime if a nap sounds like something that would be refreshing.
Televisions, Home Theaters, and Comfy Seats
You’re going to spend a lot of your daylight hours hiking through the trees and up the mountains, fly fishing, maybe even mountain biking, and after a delicious dinner, relaxing at home in front of the television may be your next favorite summer activity. The televisions in our properties will be modern pieces, slim, flat, and generously sized, making you feel as if you are living out the adventure you are watching on the screen and in some of our luxury retreats, you may even find a home theater. Super-sized movie screens and either leather recliners with cup holders or cozy sectionals, either providing the coziest spots to sink into and lose yourself in the magic on the screen. Watching a summer blockbuster after a long day of physical activity is one of those activities that are as important to your successful vacation as the adventures you experience during your travels.
Coffee, Tea, Margaritas, Beer, or Wine?
Staying hydrated in the summer months may be the most important piece of advice the experts give, but we’re not sure if they consider the type of hydration we are about to discuss as essential. (We certainly do, though!) Our heart of the home kitchens can offer all the best ways to sip and savor, including coffee makers, Keurigs, or in some cases, coffee bars, and because no one wants to drink a warm white or sip a tepid beer, wine chillers (doubling as beer fridges) may be installed in the kitchen of your retreats. Start your morning with an iced coffee, move on to wine or beer with your lunch, and finish off your summer day with frothy margaritas made with the blenders that may be resting on the counter or in the cabinet in our big, beautiful kitchens! Summer is more relaxing when you are sipping your favorite beverages, and our properties offer many options to make it easy to do so.
Game Rooms or Game Tables
Entertainment at home is as important as relaxation and comfort, and our seasonal sanctuaries may also offer more ways to play, including game rooms that may be equipped with a variety of gaming tables (pool, foosball, ping pong), arcade games (how long has it been since you’ve played Ms. Pacman?), even video game consoles and super-sized televisions to play your favorite video games. If the consoles aren’t the ones you like or aren’t offered in the escape you’ve chosen, bring your own; there will be plenty of televisions throughout the house you can connect to, offering a relaxing way to spend a rainy night, a lazy afternoon, or any other time you decide to stay in and play.
A Sauna to Remember
A sauna can provide many health benefits in addition to providing another place to relax and yes, you guessed it, we offer saunas in some of our retreats as well. There’s not a lot we can say about a sauna, other than you will really appreciate it after a long hike and you will feel your blood pressure start to lower, your neck muscles will unkink, and your shoulders will drift back down to where they belong, not cramped up against your ears! Most saunas will be found inside your vacation home, (Surprise! That door doesn’t lead to a closet like you thought.) but some might rest on the back deck or tucked away in the corner of the yard; it just depends on the property you chose.
Exterior Excitement
We have taken much of the page to discuss all the interior summer amenities you should look out for when seeking a seasonal escape in Steamboat Springs, but do the amenities all end at the door? Absolutely not, our backyard areas offer many more amenities that will increase your delight in our properties, offering more ways to play, more ways to relax, and more things that you may not have thought to ask for in a summer sanctuary!
Sit and Savor
The first thing you should expect to find outside your Colorado escape is, of course, places to sit. For larger homes, you may discover multiple seating areas spread out over multiple layers of deck, including large outdoor sectionals designed to provide a cozy place to talk as you relax. There may also be rocking chairs lined up where views of the sunset are best, porch swings that encourage snuggling under the full moon, or lounge chairs where you can lay out and soak in the rays of the sun. The Colorado sun is bright year-round, and you may be surprised to return home with a nice golden tan if you spend enough time lounging on the lounge chairs. The abode of your dreams may offer a private deck off the primary suite, furnished with a couple of chairs and a small table for setting down your beverages in between sips. And most, if not all, will offer outdoor dining options—small bistro sets in our smaller properties, large patio tables surrounded by chairs in our larger escapes—both designed to give our guests the ultimate in outdoor dining experiences.
Barbecues Are Important Too
A backyard barbecue may have its origins in Europe and South America, but Americans have perfected the activity with the invention of the kettle grill (Geroge Stephen) and the creation of charcoal briquettes, created by Edward Kingsford, a relative of Henry Ford. But the invention of the propane grill by Don McGlaughlin in the 1930s made it easier than ever before to enjoy a backyard barbecue. So, of course, our summer sanctuaries will offer either a charcoal or gas grill, encouraging guests to stay outside longer and savor the beauty of a summer day and sunset. Some may even offer outdoor kitchens, ensuring that you can do all your cooking outside if you want, but our indoor kitchens are so beautiful we hope that you enjoy both during your summer adventures in Steamboat.
Firepits or Outdoor Firepits
Cool nights are meant to be spent gathered around a firepit, listening to the sounds of nature and searching for shooting stars in the expansive Colorado skies. We don’t think we have to explain in depth when we suggest you add marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers to your shopping list. Nor do we have to tell you that as you sit making the best dessert ever (another all-American invention) ghost stories will be told, family stories will be shared, and more than a few dad jokes will be groaned over, especially as dad never seems to run out of them!
What About a Swimming Pool?
Now if this were the desert you would expect a pool in every yard, but honestly it rarely gets warm enough to enjoy a swim, unless the pool is heated. With that being said, however, many of our condo communities do offer a community pool, enabling visitors to enjoy another popular summer experience, especially as the pools will be heated. Your favorite pool activity may be relaxing in the lounge chairs that surround the clear waters, sipping a tropical beverage (frozen margaritas are a typical Southwestern treat) while you watch your kids splash about. If that is the case, our condos will be perfect, offering you access to the community pool as part of the amenities offered.
Hot Tubs
Hot tubs are big out here and even our smaller condos may offer a private hot tub on a large deck, but if not, you know that there will be community ones, often located near the pool. There is something wonderful about soaking in a hot tub for a bit, then crossing the deck to swim in the heated pool for a bit more and continuing to go back and forth until your fingers and toes are wrinkly and pale. A private hot tub, however, offers an experience that will be memorable, soothing aching muscles and offering a tranquility and peace that may be best enjoyed with a chilled glass of chardonnay. The jets may make it difficult to hear your soaking partner talk, but that’s ok, the quiet will be refreshing and there’s always time to talk later before falling asleep in our most comfortable beds.
Air Conditioning
While many of our Steamboat Springs summer retreats do not include traditional air conditioning, you’ll find that it’s rarely needed thanks to the area’s naturally cool mountain climate. Even during the occasional warm afternoon, temperatures typically drop in the evening, allowing for restful, breezy nights. Simply opening a window invites in fresh alpine air, keeping things comfortable and helping you truly connect with the crisp, refreshing environment unique to Colorado summers.
Have We Convinced You?
Steamboat Springs may be known for its winter adventures, but we hope that today you have begun to look at our mountain town in a whole new way. Summer in Colorado is a magical time and the magic of our Steamboat summer rentals will reflect all that is wonderful about the solstice. Reserve your favorite retreat today!
