Twenty-twenty-five started with a bang out West in Steamboat Springs, Colorado where we rang in the new year with our friends and next door neighbors the Van Vels Family. For years, our annual ski trips have entailed just us adults sneaking away for endless black diamond runs and ski apres happy hours. But this year’s trip looked a little different with our five kids along for the ride. Our new talent brought along with it a new sense of adventure, new routines, and amazing memories. We had an absolute blast!
Unlike our kids, skiing wasn’t part of my childhood. We played plenty of sports and had lots of other activities, but skiing wasn’t one of them. It wasn’t until I married Jeff that we both got serious about the sport. Years later and I can now ski most everything… but… I don’t always look like the lovely, even-paced, graceful skier that I aspire to be. When I watch our kids ski their runs seem effortless. I’m equally proud and jealous!
“Steamboat, Colorado is great for families,” is what we kept hearing. And that was enough for us to book it. We rented a condo that accommodated both families just off the base of the mountain with access to a heated outdoor pool and hot tub - it was perfect. The resort is an easy 40 minute drive from the local airport that happens to be even smaller than our home airport here in Grand Rapids. There was just a short layover in Denver - enough time to grab a bite and our first bubbly of the trip - and overall, the logistics and timing worked great.
On New Years Eve we booked a reservation at a place called Truffle Pig and it was fantastic. After an early dinner we joined the massive crowd gathering at the base of the hill outside the restaurant to watch the New Years Eve show which included a Snowcat parade, synchronized skiers, and fireworks! It was a super fun way to ring in the new year. The view and the service from the Truffle Pig patio was a 10/10.
All five kids spent the next two days at ski school while the adults ventured out the four of us. We all agreed that one of our favorite parts about Steamboat are the tree runs… there were many and they were so pretty! The following two days we hit the hill all together as a full crew and for the most part, between the two families, we were able to stick together on a most of our runs. The kids took turns being the leader and some were better than others. At one point Ford led us down a black that turned into 15 minutes of hiking - pictured below. All in all, we had great snow, good weather, and everything that others had said about Steamboat being great for families was true.
The ski apres and food scene was also great, although, our hot cocoa tab increased significantly! Two of our five evenings while in town we ventured into downtown Steamboat Springs - about a 10 minute drive from the resort. We enjoyed some great Mexican food at Salt & Lime, but the one to write home about was the Back Door Grill. The place itself was a sight to see - every inch of every wall and ceiling covered with graffitied dollar bills. And the food, oh the food… burgers, shakes, fries, onion rings… it was everything every hungry tummy wanted after a full day of skiing.
Last, the night ski in Steamboat was great. After-hours ski passes were available for a limited front side of the mountain including the terrain park - where the boys had a blast. Even yours truly went on the half pipe. And the older boys - Jeff and Josh - took the opportunity to ‘bomb’ down the hill and fill their need for speed.
The Steamboat Family Ski Trip was a great success and has us very enthusiastic about future family trips yet to come. Happy New Year, everyone. We hope your January is off to a wonderful start.
