Next Stop, Steamboat Springs, CO
The 3rd and final leg of our journey found us in Steamboat Springs, CO. Steamboat is always a fun trip down memory lane for Ryan and I. When we were in college, before we became Mr. and Mrs., Ryan’s family would make a trip down each winter to ski and they were kind enough to let me tag me along. All of us spent many very happy days skiing the mountain, shopping the downtown and Ski Time Square, and eating the one-of-a-kind Steamboat food.
I remember all the fun times we had in our ski in/ski out condo, playing games, soaking in the hot tub while the snow fell, cooking food, and spending time together. The magic of Steamboat was palpable especially at night, when the mountain and town put on their finest attire and welcomed slope weary skiers and tourists. The streetlights anchored ropes of twinking lights that spanned the streets criss crossing from one end of town to the the other, reflecting the sparkling snow crystals that floated in the air and lined the streets. We’d walk up and down each side, wandering the shops searching for just the right souvenier to help us remember our trip. The lights, the people, the atmosphere – all of it was so different from anywhere I’d ever been and so full of magic and energy. It felt like being in a fairyland and I guess that’s why it holds such a special place in our hearts.
I will always be very grateful to Ryan’s family for taking me along with them on their winter getaways. They are some of my most treasured memories and I still get that same feeling when we return today, even with the both the town and mountain having grown and changed so much. Some of the changes have been great and improved the town and mountian significantly, while a few things would have been better left alone happy and familitar in my memory, but I suppose that’s progress and why they say, “nothing ever stays the same”.
Regardless of the the changes of the past 30 years, Steamboat remains a magical place for us and one we are always anxious to return to and this trip was no exception.
Steamboat Springs KOA
Our Stay
We chose to stay just out of the city center at the Steamboat Springs KOA. While I believe it is still within the city limits, it does sit a bit apart making it a little further from the main happenings but making it more quiet as well. The major road into and out of town does border the campground, and we heard the cars, but it wasn’t bad. The noise level would also change depending on the loacation of your site. We really liked this campground with it’s very clean facilities and fairly level white graveled campsites. At the time I’m writing this, they are completing some construction projects so expect some noise from that. We did not find it bad at all, but if that would bother you during business hours, you may want to relocate to the back side.
Along with RV sites, they offered tent sites, as well as a variety of standing cabins and cottages. The selection of accomodations was impressive and all were well kept and neat and very clean. The Arkansas River runs right through the center of the property and is accessable to all. Some of the cabins did back right up to the water. The river was flowing quickly and offered beautiful sounds as well as views.
We were pretty close to our neighbors but again, there are a variety of sites that had a bit more breathing room. We didn’t get to choose our site when we booked online, which was annoying, and we think it’s worth a phone call to get more details nailed down on your site locaiton but they all were nice. The staff was very friendly and accomodating. The campground store was very well stocked and had everything one may need from smore’s, to clothing, to souvenirs, to even some common and universal RV parts. It is definately worth a walk through.
The laundry was coin operated and adequate. The machines were available when we needed them, but there were times when they were fully occupied. They could likely expand it some and get more folks through as it is a large campground. The restrooms and showers were great as well. There was a nice dog park as well as a small pool, hot tub and playground for the kids.
The city bus convieniently stops inside the campground so if you don’t feel like messing with parking or fighting traffic, you can take it downtown and to Ski Time Square. It runs every 12 minutes, but as you’d expect, it can run a bit behind. Still, it was a nice, no frills, and free way to travel.
To wrap it up, we would certainly stay here again. We met lots of fun people and even made some new friends out of neighbors. Our experience was top notch and will rate Steamboat Springs KOA 4.5 out of 5 campfires. I’m taking half off simply due to construction, not due to any fault of the campground itself.
Round Town Dining
Dining in Steamboat is always an adventure. We had amazing food and experiences at all the places we chose while we were there. The first night we arrived, we ate at Old Town Pub and Restaurant. The atmosphere had a dim and ‘old timey’ feel which we found charming. We had a good service and a wonderful meal of the house burgers which were really good. They had plenty of gluten free options available. We would definately eat here again, although probably not without trying some of the other ‘new to us’ places first. The Old Town Pub and Restaurant earned 4 out of 5 stars.
When we visited 30 years ago, yikes that sounds old, the place to go for mexican was The Cantina. The food was fair at best, but then you didn’t really go for the food, you went for the ‘it’s just where one goes when in town’ vibes of it. Eventrually, as with many things we have found, it changed hands and we haven’t been back. In short, we needed a new mexican place.
Then, a few year ago, we visited Steamboat in the summer and tried out a ‘new to us’ mexican restaurant off Lincoln Street, where the most popular restaurants and shops are, called Fiesta Jalisco. This place was incredible and has claimed the hard-won title of our Favorite Mexican Restaurant, not just in Steamboat, but in all of Colorado (that we’ve tried). The food and service was just next level. We have enjoyed theird fare multiple times now and will continue to patron it in the future. Their margaritas were excellent as will as everything we’ve ever ordered.
Look! I actually remembered to take photos this time. I encourage any and all to visit although I can’t recommend anything specfic as everything has been perfection. On top of our already lofty opinion, a fun tidbit we discovered on this last trip is that the owners of Fiesta Jalisco also purchased the old ‘Cantina’ and turned it into ‘Vaqueros Mexican Restaurant and Taqueria‘. We will be trying it on our next trip. Fietsa Jalisco earned it’s standard 5 out of 5 stars.
The last place we ate was one of our favorites due again to nostalgia and memories. We stopped and took a chance on being able to get a table without reservations at 8th Street Steakhouse. We snagged one in the bar and made ourselves comfortable, ordered drinks, and perused the menu.
Again, back in college, we ate at this restaurant when it was Aussie themed and called ‘Boomerangs’. Like The Cantina, it was just where you went. This unforgetable place set itself apart by being a steakhouse where you walked up the meat counter, pointed to what you wanted to eat, and they handed it to you uncooked on a plate. The fun part was you did the rest yourself.
Although no longer Boomerangs, this the 8th Street Steakhouse was still a cook-your-own steakhouse! What?!?! Be still my heart! They had everthing from chicken to beef to bison, to fish. Once you picked your protein, they seasoned it to your liking and asked how you prefered your meat cooked. I am a medium to medium rare kind of girl, so man behind the case told me to put it on the grill and cook it 8.5 minutes on each side. He then told me emphatically, not to touch it and to trust the process. He was right on the money. There were some additional seasonings at the grill that you could add to your meat if you were so inclinded, but we’ve found simplicity is delicious. When you chose your dinner, you also placed your order for your side that they would deliver to your table when your meat was ready.
All three of us had the bison steak and it was excellent. The meat was high quality with a wonderful flavor that made you look forward to the next bite. The drinks and sides were also delicious. They food was almost secondary to the fun of getting to grill your own. It’s truly a fun and unique experience not to be missed.
Another touch of class the 8th Street Steakhouse added to our meal got me right in the ‘feels’. Our 25th wedding anniversary was two days after our meal and we told our waiter about eating there ‘back in the day’ when it was still Boomerang’s. It turns out he was a waiter there even back then. We got to remeniscing about days gone by and he joked about seeing us in another 25. Then they surprised us with a decadant (and gluten free!) ice cream dessert that was out of this world.
8th Street Steakhouse went the extra mile to make our experience one we truly appreciated and won’t ever forget. We would give this amazing place no less that 5 out of 5 campfires. Don’t sleep on this steakhouse folks!
Steamboat Shannigans
