Sex and the City or Sex and the Country? Girls Night Out with Martinis, Fine Dining and Shopping.

Ladies of Steamboat, Sex and the City 2 has finally arrived. It’s been released around the country tonight May 27, 2010. So grab a martini, your craziest Carrie Bradshaw inspired outfit and hit the country … Steamboat won’t know what hit ‘em.

Sex and the City has notoriously made men roll their eyes (even though we know they are hot for the lead ladies) and women tune in. Whether you watch it because it is the only decent thing on late night or you are a hard core fan who wishes you were the 5th in the circle of friends, there is a connecting factor for all: Girls just want to have fun!

So what to do in little ol’ Steamboat to celebrate the premier? Gather the up the Ladies of course! We highly recommend taking the Sex and the City mottos to heart this weekend for the Premiere of Sex and the City 2! Ditch the silly boys, put on your favorite heels, grab a cocktail dress, go to dinner with your best gals then off to the movies!

Big City Style: Uptown Restaurants in Steamboat

• Bistro C.V. This new age modern restaurant in Steamboat features delicious gourmet dishes and has been reviewed in the NY Times Travel section and more. See their menu. For mud season they are doing great happy hour deals with ½ price apps and a huge wine and drink menu to choose from.
• Three Peaks Grill is a contemporary take on the grill type fare of steaks and seafood. Indulge with ahi tuna to petite medallions. See the full menu.
• Café Diva is a superb refreshing and delicious on-mountain choice. Every dish packs a surprise of amazing flavor with a unique twist. If you can wait till Tuesday they offer half price appetizers, salads and soups. See menu.
  

Cosmo Martini Wars: Best Place for a Martinis

• Mambo Italiano: Sit at the outside bar in warm afternoon sun and enjoy their Superb Martinis or even better the Mojitos!
• Harwigs: Sit at the cute little bar in Harwigs and enjoy a wide range of option for Martinis. They also have an extensive wine menu.
• Café Diva: Their bartenders are some of the best! They absolutely know their drinks and are always creating something new. Ask to see if they are making the Blood Orange Martini
• Bella’ Wine Bar: Its not Martinis but the wine is not to miss. It is recently new in Steamboat and is a styling wine bar with exposed wood beams and a super modern nice feel.
  

Beauty is on the inside but the clothing makes the girl:
Can’t celebrate Sex and the City without shopping! Steamboat has unique boutiques that offer a wide arrange of styles. Some of our favorites are:

• Over the Moon has amazing unique cute clothing and jewelry and tonight is their ladies night! Get 10% off and get an extra 5% if you bring a friend that has not been before! Go shopping before cocktails!
  
• Talulla has fancy jewelry, inexpensive beautiful bags and really unique skin products, journals, scarfs etc. It will be hard to leave with out finding something you have to have!
  
• Kali’s Boutique has gorgeous designer name brands from traditional looks to outstanding dresses.
  
• 7th Street Boutique you can find trending accessories that are on the cheap to moderately priced. Great earrings, sunglasses, scarfs, hats and purses.
  
• Chez Nous is on the pricier side but they have chic casual wear to trending work and night out outfits.
  

The Metropolitan Wildhorse Stadium on 655 Marketplace Plaza has show times for the Sex and the City 2 at 4:00pm, 5:15pm, 7:15pm and 8:30 pm. Be there or be square. And celebrate your best girlies and the fun town we all love!
If you are coming to Steamboat get the best lodging and accommodations in town when you stay with ResortQuest Steamboat. We will make your vacation a luxurious experience.

When to Teach Your Child To Ski or Snowboard.

When I was about two years old, I remember stepping into my first pair of skis. Back then the newest technology in kids performance gear was a sweet pair of red plastic skis, a pair of boots that were way too big and my dad equipped with a thick old rope tied around my waist. And it was complete with my private ski hill- our very steep driveway!

Things have changed a bit these days and the starting age for getting kids out skiing and boarding has become younger and younger. And forget about those old plastic skis! Now companies like Volkl, Rossignol, and others make skis tiny enough for the wee beginners starting at 60+ cm. You don’t have to tie your kid up anymore but rather fit them with a great and comfy harness. And if you can’t do all the teaching, Steamboat Ski Resort along with most ski resorts have great lessons designed just for the kids.

Check out this little girl in Mammoth, CA who can’t get enough bunny runs on her Snowboard!



So what about the age thing? There really is not a set age that determines when a child can begin to ski or board. It is highly dependent on the child and your setting. Most say the earlier the better. Ava's mom is all for this philosophy! As soon as they can walk, start to get them familiar with the equipment and the feeling of moving on snow. Not all kids will be born yearning for snow however it will make the learning curve easier if they start out younger!

Check out these resources for determining how to get your child started:

• Google Shopping for Kids Ski/Snowboard Gear
• Child's Sizing/Fitting Guide
• Ski Diva: Moms advice from their experiences
• Steamboat Ski Resort Ski School
  

Steamboat Springs Music Scene

Steamboat Springs is known for its spectacular location, copious amounts of outdoor activities, world class ski resort, natural hot springs and for its continual supply of live music that is always on the cheap. Whether it is summer, winter or a season in between, the ‘Boat is always rocking. Here is an idea of the music venues Steamboat has for live music.

Most music venues in Steamboat are intimate settings in bars or restaurants.
Mahogany Ridge is a great example of restaurant by evening and concert venue by night. It’s a great place to grab a micro-brew, jam your friends and strangers together on the second level and dance the night away to awesome local or somewhat local (Colorado based) bands
Old Town Pub has a great set up as well with a huge bar area and lots of room to dance to their always different, funky and unique bands they keep coming to Steamboat.

Winter or Summer Free Concerts
Nothing beats seeing a great band with a backdrop of the great outdoors of Steamboat.
During the winter the Steamboat Ski Resort hosts their annual Bud Light Rocks the Boat Free Concert Series. These concerts are based at the bottom of the ski resort in the Gondola Plaza and sunshine or snow you will see famous bands grace the mountain town with killer tunes. Previous year’s performances included Ozomatli, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Donavon Frankeinrieter and more.

The Free Summer Concert Series is a non-profit that keeps the summers light and cheap with their free outdoor concerts set at the base of Howelsen Hill in downtown Steamboat. The locals and visitors alike arrive by the masses to see big headliner bands take the stage in the cool summer afternoons. Big names like Michael Franti, Rusted Root, Susan Tedeschi, the Avett Brothers and more. Grab your bike, put on your walking shoes or take the bus to this venue as parking is not a good option! See the 2010 free summer concert line up.

Ghost Ranch Saloon
The Ghost Ranch has been open now for over a year (see Steamboat Pilot article) and is proving that their swanky music venue is worth the steeper drink prices. The venue is one of the larger venues in steamboat that was catered to making a music specific venue in town. The setup allows for a large bar area with the stage very close by. The stage is set at ground level so you can get up close to the bands playing that night, or you can head up to the second story to watch with a birds eye view. The décor and atmosphere is like stepping into the old Wild West with a ritzy modern twist.

Steamboat Strings
Steamboat Strings brings in a wide range of musical talent to Steamboat with artists like Grammy winners and nominees, major competition winners and principal players from the most renowned orchestras and international soloists. Classical, bluegrass, country, rock and jazz notes fill the air as a nightly events during the summers in Steamboat. This wide range of music delights and entertains with famous musicians playing all summer at the beautiful music pavilion. See the full calendar and performer lineup.

So if you are coming to Steamboat make sure you check out a few or all of the great unique music venues Steamboat has to offer. ResortQuest also offers year round lodging deals and best rates to make your vacation a great value.