Weekend in Steamboat Springs, CO
In September the husband and I spent our Labor day weekend in Steamboat Springs, CO. I had been to Steamboat Springs a handful of times prior to this trip for skiing and to assist at a wedding. This trip was the first time I actually got to enjoy Steamboat Springs and explore the town. We both LOVED Steamboat. My husband loved it so much that he asked most of the locals about their experience living there (ultimate retirement goals for sure!). P.S. at the bottom of this post I have a list of other things to do and restaurants that I wish we could have checked out!
Driving to Steamboat Springs, Colorado-Friday
Friday morning both of us were off of work, so we started our morning off packing and then hit the road around 11 a.m. Steamboat Springs is about a 4-hour drive from Colorado Springs. We took the back way that takes us through Breckenridge and Silverthorne.
By the time we made it to Silverthorne I was ready for lunch. I wanted to have a decent meal for lunch since we would have a few drinks and enjoy yummy food once we got to Steamboat. We stopped at Chipotle and I ordered a rice and steak bowl. It was nutritious, quick, and kept me full before a weekend of indulging!
Where We Stayed in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Once we arrived in Steamboat we headed straight to our VRBO. We rented out the perfect size apartment VRBO for the weekend. It wasn’t anything fancy or noteworthy, but it was clean and in our price range. It seemed like it was part of an apartment complex. Here’s a link to where we stayed. If you don’t care as much about the views and want a simple place to sleep then this is an affordable option.
What to Do in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Uranium Mine Hiking Trail
Sitting in the car for four plus hours made me ready to get out and get my body moving. We used the AllTrails app to find the perfect trail for a late afternoon hike. Be prepared to pay a $5 day use fee once you get to Fish Creek Falls.
The hike took us almost 2 hours and was a moderate level hike. The uphill starting section definitely got our heart rate up. It is a relatively exposed trail, so you do get a lot of sun action for a majority of it until you get into the trees. Definitely recommend hiking the additional 10 minutes after you reach the abandoned mine to get to the river. After we returned for our hike, we showered and got ready for the evening.
Farmer’s Market
We cooked breakfast in our Airbnb on Saturday morning and then headed downtown. Our first stop on Saturday was the Farmer’s Market. It was busy! They had several booths. If we hadn’t been out all day I would have bought some fresh fruit and produce. We did buy an iced coffee and tea to sip on while we walked around.
Walking and Shopping Downtown
After leaving the farmer’s market we walked up and down the street and popped into the different stores along the way. And guess what I bought. A book. A book from a local bookstore, not even a cool souvenir. A really good book though I must say, “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah.
Alpine Slide
Our downtown walking eventually led us to the Alpine Slide. We took the chairlift up and raced each other down. It was a lot more fun than I expected and we got cool views of the mountain on the way up.
Where to Eat in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Carl’s Tavern
For dinner Friday night we ended up at Carl’s Tavern and got seated outside. I had a strawberry mint vodka drink. Brandon was starving and I can always eat, so we ordered fries for an appetizer. For dinner I had the pulled pork sandwich and a side of broccoli. Brandon had a giant burger that looked amazing too.
The Barley
After dinner we walked to The Barley for drinks and ended up staying there for the entire evening. They have these cocktails made from jam. I had 2-3 strawberry rhubarb jam vodkas and they were incredible. The jam adds a sweet taste, but not too sweet of a taste on top of the vodka. They also make whiskey versions of the drink too. Brandon had one of those that he liked as well.
Salt & Lime
For lunch Saturday we stopped at Salt & Lime. This is a taco place that is highly recommended on Yelp. It was really good! I first ordered a spicy margarita, but ended up swapping with Brandon for his cucumber margarita. The spice was a little overwhelming for it to be enjoyable, but the cucumber marg was much more refreshing.
We started with chips and salsa. The tacos are on the smaller side, but they are packed full. I ordered a chicken taco and the ground bison taco. Brandon had the same, but also got the fish taco. I wish I felt hungry enough to order a fish taco because the bit I had of Brandon’s was great. I would try to hit up Salt + Lime during their happy hour, so that you can get more reasonably priced tacos and drinks.
8th Street Steakhouse & O’Neil’s
Saturday night we made reservations at 8th Street Steakhouse. Our Uber drive dropped us off at a block nearby and we had about an hour to kill before our reservation.
We went across the street to O’Neil’s and ended up staying there for the entire night. Our bartender told us that at 8th street YOU cook your own steak. We aren’t about that life. If we’re getting a steak we want the pros to cook it. Plus, we had prime bar seating and honestly weren’t even that hungry for steak.
We stayed at O’Neil’s for the rest of the night. We had a shrimp appetizer. For dinner I had a Turkey Sandwich and a side salad. Super fancy dinner for a Saturday night, right?! We really weren’t as hungry as we were expecting and weren’t feeling anything too heavy.
The Egg
Sunday morning wasn’t very noteworthy. We got up and packed. Before starting the long drive to Colorado Springs, Brandon reserved us a spot at The Egg for breakfast. This used to be the chain, but they ended up branching out on their own. I actually was really happy with my breakfast order: Oatmeal pancake w/ berries and scrambled eggs. Always a solid choice.
Overall, we LOVED our weekend get-away to Steamboat Springs and will definitely plan to go back! Our weekend wasn’t jam packed with activities and that’s exactly what we needed. Work had been crazy busy for the both of us, so it was so nice to just be and enjoy each other.
Here’s a list of other things to do and places to eat in Steamboat Springs, CO.
Other Things to Do in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
- Hiking at Fish Creek Falls
- Use the AllTrails app for SO many more hiking trails in the are.
- Strawberry Hot Springs-You’ll need to make reservations ahead of time.
- Biking & Water Activities along the Yampa River
- Ziplining & Horseback Riding
- Gondola Ride
- Skiing is a must if you visit during winter.
Other Places to Eat in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
- The Backdoor Grill (Burgers!)
- Aurum Food & Wine
- E3 Steakhouse
- Beau Jo’s (their pizza looks amazing!)
- Winona’s (hear their cinnamon rolls are great!)
- Creekside Cafe
Ok that’s it for now! I wanted to make a post about our trip for us to look back on and because we honestly had a hard time figuring out and deciding what to do while we were there. That being said we absolutely LOVED Steamboat. It’s quieter than other popular mountain towns and we’ll definitely be going back. Let me know if you’ve been to Steamboat before and if you have any recommendations of things to do and places to eat.