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| Strawberry Hot Springs Park...….paradise just up a dirt road! |
This was our first day in Steamboat Springs. We were greeted with a cloudless, blue sky and a temperature of eleven degrees. That's right, a tropical eleven degrees! We knew it was going to be a chilly start but it did take us by surprise. The temperature dip took at least one local by surprise as well. We were talking with a nice young lady who worked in the restaurant where we had lunch (Freshies, if you're ever in town and looking for a good sandwich or salad). She was telling us that she took her dog on a walk this morning after washing her hair. She said by the time she got home her hair was full of ice-icicles. The good news is that the sun was out all day, which combined with the low humidity, made the high temperature of around 40 degrees feel very comfortable.
Steamboat Springs is located in the Yampa Valley of northern Colorado and has just over 12,000 residents. Winter in Steamboat Springs is all about skiing. There are two easily accessible ski areas. On the east side of town is Steamboat Ski Resort which is on Mount Werner. On the west side of town is Howelsen Hill Ski Area which is a part of the cities Parks and Recreation Department. In the summer there is hiking, biking, golf, fishing, tennis and a whole lot more. As with any destination town, there are plenty of shops, art galleries and restaurants especially along Lincoln Avenue between 3rd and 12th street.
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| Lincoln Avenue with Mount Werner and the Steamboat Ski Area in the background |
Our love of hot springs has been well documented in previous blogs. We've enjoyed soaking in some good ones in our travels around the globe. We found one in Steamboat Springs that was just as good as any we've ever visited. This one, Strawberry Park Hot Springs is located just outside of Steamboat Springs about two miles up a dirt road. The springs offer several pools of hot mineral water of varying temperatures from around 104 degrees down to a comfortable 98 degrees. For as refreshing as the water is, the setting is equally awesome. The springs sit in a small valley surrounded by snow covered mountains that are dotted with aspen trees. We were amazed when we checked the time that we had been soaking, for two hours had passed in what seemed like only minutes.
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| The entrance to Strawberry Park Hot Springs |
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| Hot springs tucked in a snow covered mountainside |
Here are a couple of things we learned before visiting Strawberry Park Hot Springs that might be helpful if you plan to visit. They are open all year and currently open at 10:00 AM. Sunday through Thursday they are open until 10:00 PM. On Friday and Saturday nights you can soak your weary bones and tired muscles under the stars until midnight. At the present time the admission fee is $15. They only take cash or checks (does anyone still carry around a check book?). You will need to bring your own towel and changing rooms are available. All of that is pretty standard stuff. The one unusual thing is accessing the park during the winter. According to the website and signs posted on the road, during the winter months snow chains or an all wheel drive vehicle with snow tires are necessary to navigate the steep, narrow, dirt road. I'm not sure how to deal with that one, but you can call the park for more information.
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| The winding dirt road to paradise! |
Strawberry Park Hot Springs
With happy bones, refreshed muscles, cleared heads and smiles on our faces we made our way back into town for a late lunch. As I mentioned earlier in this blog, we had a nice lunch at a small place called Freshies. It was recommended to us by one of the hotel staff after we told her to recommend something inexpensive, local and good. There were plenty of sandwiches, salads and soups to choose from to satisfy any appetite. The cinnamon rolls are excellent as well!
Freshies
Directly behind the restaurant was the Yampa River Core Trail. This paved, multiuse path runs for over seven miles along, you guessed it, the Yampa River. We took the trail north towards the downtown area. The trail took us through a nice city park and close to the Howelsen Hill Ski Area. We then took a side trail into the downtown area. Unlike Grand Lake and Estes Park, everything was open in Steamboat Springs. Although it's not real busy right now, the crowds will be picking up once the ski areas open. Our lack of a desire to shop has been well documented although we do enjoy roaming through a few shops occasionally. We did manage to leave a few dollars in one store. There is a very cool old drugstore, Lyon Drugs, near the intersection of Lincoln Ave and 9th Street. It has an authentic "soda fountain" that is staffed by someone who is proudly known as the "soda jerk". If you're less than a half a century old, you're probably lost right now, but let me assure you that in the pre-Walgreens and CVS days most drug stores were locally owned and had small areas that served food and beverages. The soda fountain in Lyon Drugs was the real deal. They still made cokes the old fashioned way by mixing coke syrup and carbonated water right before your eyes.
I enjoyed a "real" cherry coke while Beth enjoyed a little ice cream, all for less than four dollars.
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| The Yampa Core Trail |
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| Yampa Core Trail and River |
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| A real coke and a real soda jerks arm! |
It was now getting later in the afternoon (the sun is setting around 5:00 here at this time of year) so we started back towards the hotel. We saw the visitors and made a quick detour to pick up a little more information on the area and suggestions for the next day. After about fifteen minutes we were loaded with maps and pamphlets that will give us plenty to do on our second day in Steamboat Springs!
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| Sunset over Steamboat Springs |
