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.

Finally! A Steamboat Powder Day...20+ inches! April 7, 2010

I think yesterday was the first day all season that it actually snowed in Steamboat all day and all night to bring us this, better late then never, double-digit powder day. We had over 20 inches of sweet powder and I think every local in town was out ripping the long awaited powder that, up until this point, seemed to come in small amounts all year long.

They finally opened up Morningside about 10:30 and I got to catch a lift with Seth Warner. He's on his 26th day of 30 resorts in 30 days. Seth gave Steamboat some props by saying, "this is the best snow I've had on the tour so far." Check out his website and blog at http://www.30resorts30days.com/

With the Steamboat ski area closing on Sunday, this storm came just in time! So get up here for some of the best snow ever on closing weekend! With the Springalicious 4-pack for $99 and $99/night lodging at select ResortQuest properties.

Check out the video below of the sweet pow-pow:

Earth Hour is coming! Sat March 27th at 8:30pm.

Earth Hour is here again and we are ready to show our support by turning off as many lights and work stations in the ResortQuest properties on Saturday night at 8:30 pm. We will be asking all of our guests to participate as well and turn off any unnecessary lights in their condo or townhome they are staying in!

Earth Hour has recruited millions of people around the world along with 4000 cities in 88 countries who have officially switched off the power, to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.

This 2010 effort is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future. People across the world from all walks of life will turn off their lights and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet. Earth Hour is to show the world that there can be a solution to the threat of global warming and it is possible through collective action.


Need some reminders of why we need to protect our one and only planet… see the videos below.




Remember that you can continue this energy saving practice on a daily basis, it is not only saving precious energy, lowering your energy footprint but you will also save money and quite a bit of it.
They say that for every household who unplugs appliances like the toaster or hairdryers on a daily basis and turns off lights or the tv when they leave a room, they can save lots of money.

Be part of the effort! Go to Earth Hour and sign up yourself or sign up your business. The best way to help the effort is to spread the word!

Here is an awesome link to a power calculator so you can see what kind of power you are using and how clean it is. Do your part to help change the planet's energy use and our ideas about it.

Activities To Do in Steamboat While the Ski Resort Closes Due to Weather.

This is actually a very rare and seldom, almost never, event when the Steamboat Ski Resort closes completely due to weather. Today’s cause is due to severe gusting winds that make it unsafe for the lifts to operate. These winds are expected to intensify through out the day so the lifts are on a “wind hold” and will not open until the weather conditions improve.
So what do you do when the Ski Resort is closed? Steamboat isn’t just about the snow: Check out the following activities we recommend and sign up to follow our blog so you will always know what is going on in Steamboat! Our concierge is happy to help you book any of these activities :

A Day Off the Mountain Activities:

Hot Springs –rejuvenate your body so tomorrow with all the new powder from this crazy storm you will be ready to go! Head to the downtown springs at the Old Town Hot Spring rec center or head to the Strawberry Park Hot Springs. It is recommended to go with a tour as the road conditions require 4-Wheel drive and a little bit of courage. Sweet Pea Tours or Hot Springs Adventures will get you to your destination safe, sound and it wont take away your relaxed vibe. Call our concierge.

Pools and Hot Tubs at your ResortQuest Condo- don’t want to fight the wind? Then pamper yourself with all our on-site amenities or call concierge to book a massage at the Trappeur’s Day Spa.

Tubing/Airboading: If you are still dying to get outside then head to Howelsen Hill for some tubing in the afternoon or we can book an airboarding experience you won't forget. Click if you don't know what airboarding is!
Movies: What a great day to watch a new movie than to be cold outside! See local movie listings.

Silver Lining Jewelry: Located right in Torian Plum Plaza, within feet from the Torian condos or a simple drive on the ResortQuest complimentary shuttles, where you will find gorgeous beads and more to make your favorite jewelry. All the staff is ready to help you create your favorite piece of jewelry!

The Potters Wheel: Get the creative juices flowing at this hands on ceramics center where you can create anything from your dads next favorite coffee mug to gorgeous serving platters, picture frames and more. Located downtown on 2780 Acre Lane. Our van drivers will know how to get you there and hours are Tues- Friday 11am – 5:30pm and Sat. and Sun. 12-4pm

Watch DVD's in your condo with Home delivered Pizzas from Soda Creek!

Go Downtown: Jump on the complimentary vans and check out the spring sales starting this weekend. Make sure you buy a good book at Off the Beaten Path or Epilogue and curl up in your over-sized king bed in your condo!

Apres Ski All Day: Hot toddys at Saddles Bar at the Sheraton, wear your boots to be ready to jump on the lifts when they crank up again or just look like you tried to conquer the wind! Or get Margaritas at Cantina, Pizzas and Beers at Slopeside or yummy lunch with TV at the Tugboat!

These are just a few of the alternative skiing options that Steamboat has in store. Contact our concierge for any questions or if you would like to book your windy day adventure!
• Torian Plum Concierge: (970) 870-4287
• Trappeur's Crossing Resort Concierge: (970) 870-4296
• Email: SteamboatConcierge@resortquest.com

Become a follower of our blog and always see what is going on in Steamboat!

Steamboat Ski Conditions are Fantastic for Spring Break

Yesterday's ski conditions (Mon. 3/15/2010) at Steamboat Ski Resort were fantastic still despite the lower snow totals we have been receiving this year.

The snow was a little icy in the early morning however it pleasantly warmed up to fun soft snow on the top at Storm Peak. As you got down to the lower mountain the snow started to become that fun "mashed potatoes" feel around the Gondola and down Heavenly Daze and Valley View ski runs. Try to stay off some of the more heavily used and popular trails and you will still find awesome snow.

The sunshine is making everyone happy and the spring breakers are having more than a good time with many of the boys sporting their winter white tans- I hope they were wearing sunscreen otherwise it will be a sore, burnt spring break!

Saturday's Free Bud Light Rocks the Boat Concert with the Easy Star All Stars was a great concert filling the air with beats keeping tired skiers still bopping to the music with the band playing for over an hour and a half. This Saturday March 20th the Free Concert is here again with Lyrics Born! Don't miss it- 3pm at the Gondola Square.
So get out and get some Sun! and there is rumor that the snow will be flying again this weekend with a big Northern storm headed our way! Check out the current Steamboat weather report.

Free Concert in Steamboat: Easy Star All Stars, March 13th, 2010!

The Easy Star All Stars will be “Rockin’ the Boat” for Free this Saturday at 3pm in the Gondola Square. Easy Stars are known for their rocking dub and reggae covers of well known albums like Dubside of the Moon (2003), Radiodread (2006) and their most recent Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band (2009). This band will be rocking in the sweet mountain sunshine this Saturday March 13!


This is just the beginning of Spring Celebrations with the Bud Light Rock the Boat Concert Series bring 4 more awesome concerts to the Steamboat slopes for Free!

Stay with ResortQuest to get perfect spring savings.

International Pancake Day! Steamboat's Best Pancakes Feb. 23.

Pancakes come in ohh soo many shapes, sizes, and flavors. Some like ‘em hot, covered in fruit toppings, bacon filled, dripping in syrup, the shape of Mickey Mouse or smothered in whip. No matter how you like your flap jacks Steamboat serves up some mighty pancakes to go with your pre-skiing mighty appetite.

Among the locals favorites, Rex’s Bar and Grill came in as a syrupy number one with their unlimited pancakes for only $2.49 when you get them with a meal. “They are served hot off the griddle and the "Crazy Monkey" banana walnut are to die for."

Freshies (595 S. Lincoln Ave) is loved for their fabulous granola pancakes, Creekside Cafe (131 11th St.) for their fluffy cakes that you can get with an amazing cinnamon butter. And don’t miss Winona’s (617 Lincoln Ave.) famous Buttermilk stack of 3 enormous pancakes.

Come to Steamboat and get your fill of Pancakes! You'll be reverted back to the joys of childhood and you can receive incredible lodging deals with our Games Night deal or if you have last minute travel check out our Sunday Specials!

Happy Margarita Day! An insiders guide to Margs in Steamboat Springs, CO

Happy National Margarita Day to all of my fellow marg lovers! Because I want everyone to enjoy this marvelous day I have asked around the ResortQuest Steamboat offices to see where people get there margs in Steamboat Springs, CO.

Dave, Maria and myself all prefer the Cantina downtown.

“I don’t often drink Margartias. The last one I had was at Cantina. I had their raspberry margarita and loved it. It is a nice alternative to the regular sweet and sour sugary margaritas," said Maria, our Reservations Manager.  "It has frozen raspberries blended to the mix and gives nice, fresh kick to the drink.”

Cantina has started doing a great Mexican Mojito which is a Mojito with with tequila instead of rum. Like Maria’s Raspberry Margarita, it is a great, less-sweet and tangy version of a margarita. I can’t decide whether I prefer margarita’s or mojitos, so this is a perfect match made in heaven for when I am being indecisive.

Katy and Will like to stick with the authentic margs at Fiesta Jalisco that are fresh lime juice, tequila and cointreau.

"It's simple. Not too sweet, and it comes it a large martini shaker," said Katy.

Where ever you end up on this nation holiday just remember to have fun. Maybe you will see some of the ResortQuest Steamboat staff out enjoying some margs!

Post written by Madison Proper, ResortQuest Steamboat's Wholesale Reservations Coordinator. 

Warm Up Routine for a Powder Run in Steamboat- A Tip From the Ski Bums

We all have our own routines when getting ready for the Steamboat slopes and for that epic powder day in Steamboat Springs. Some of us inhale a gallon of coffee or couple Red Bulls, some do vigorous stretching, yoga and meditation, some of us start out at work waiting for our break to go ski...

My fellow rider and a co-worker Jeremy has a very unique way of getting himself ready - a headstand, when already on top of the mountain and in full ski gear!

I am not sure if this an idea he got from the Flying Federsen at the Olympic send off party couple weeks ago, but I had the priviledge to witness this routine yesterday.

See for yourself : )

It looks like the powder was "head deep"!  If you want to improve your warm up routine then get to Steamboat and also get some incredible deals on your lodging.  How do you warm up for those epic powder days?

The Little Skier in the Boat. By Kiki

One of Steamboat Springs, Colorado's newest locals, Jackson Schutt, recently enjoyed a snowy cross county skiing adventure.

Jackson chose one of numerous cross country skiing options in and around Steamboat Springs. There is a groomed track downtown plus a Nordic ski jumping venue! Many World Cup Nordic Combined and Cross Country events have been held there. Several local ranches groom tracks on their property. Some even offer instruction and rentals. There are trails throughout the surrounding national forests and state parks.

Jackson plans to cross country ski at Rabbit Ears Pass, Catamount, Vista Verde, The Steamboat Touring Center, and Steamboat Lake State Park. If Jackson is able to ski all the Nordic areas he will have covered over 100 kilometers of groomed track in the Yampa Valley. You’re the man Jackson!

(Jackson is Kiki's son. Kiki is the Group Sales Manager for ResortQuest Steamboat. For Group lodging quotes - weddings, reunions, ski clubs, business retreats - Kiki is the local Steamboat expert! Contact Kiki at (866) 634-9616 or email SteamboatGroupSales@ResortQuest.com).