Next month Cupid will be swooping in and Steamboat with its sun, snow and springs, makes the perfect backdrop for a little romancing. For ideas on happy hour with your hunk, to a mountain top proposal, we got you covered. There’s something for everyone to make smoochy memory makers.

For the athletic pair – skin up Mount Werner late in the day with a backpack of your favorite sun downers and a head lamp. Sip and savor the view as the sun starts to set, before adorning the headlamps and skiing down.

For the spa lovers – soak beneath the stars at the Strawberry Park hot springs. Take the plunge in the cold creek before hopping back into one of the warm pools to cozy up.

For the foodies – start the evening off with a legendary cocktail at The Laundry, their homemade infusions are legendary. Saunter down to Yampa Street and wander along the river to Sauvage. Opt for the six-course tasting menu where flavors are foraged from the fields and forests to the sea. 

For the photographers –pre-order a charcuterie platter from Laura the Butcher and pick up a mini-bottle of bubbles. Stock up on handmade chocolates by Daniela at The Homesteader and pack a basket complete with warm blanket. Head up to Fish Creek Falls and snag a picnic table (you might need to clear off the snow), then set up your picnic by the frozen backdrop of an iconic setting.

For the adrenaline seekers – zip through snowy meadows and wind through aspen groves on a sunset snowmobile ride on Rabbit Ears Pass. Head back into town for a bite to eat at Salt n’ Lime before dancing the night away at Schmiggitys on the main street.

How well do you know Steamboat Springs? Test your knowledge and see. 

1. The town was given its name by French trappers who were confused by the engine-like chugging noise from a spring located across from the current library on 13^thStreet. It was reminiscent of an old Steamboat, hence the name.
2. The width of Lincoln Avenue – the main street that runs through downtown Steamboat, is wide enough to accommodate a cattle drive. The stockyards were on the west of town and ranchers had to move their cattle through town to the load onto cattle cars. The Yampa Valley is home to eight Centennial ranches, (they are still owned and operated by the same family after 100 years).
3. In the early 1900s, Steamboat was known for its strawberries. Around 9,000 crates of strawberries were shipped out of an area three miles from downtown, known to this day as Strawberry Park.
4. Howelsen Hill is the oldest, continuously running ski area in North America.
5. Sherman Poppen invented the modern snowboard in 1965. Back then it was called the Snurfer. Poppen, who was a skier, never actually learned to snowboard until he moved to Steamboat Springs in 1995.
6. Steamboat Springs is home to more U.S. Olympians than any other town in the nation.  Over 89 Olympians have come through the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.
7. The Yampa River is named after a flowering root, which grows along the river. The Ute Indians used to ground it into flour and use it as a staple food in their diet.
8. The Yampa Valley has more than 150 natural hot springs. Since the 1800s, the Ute Indians together with the Shoshone, Arapahoe, Sioux, Crow and Cheyenne came to the area to soak in the medicinal springs.
9. F.M. Light & Sons is one of the oldest family-run businesses in the country. Last year the store, which is now in the hands of the 5^thgeneration, celebrated 115 years. Drive into Steamboat from any direction within a 150-mile radius, and you will see one of 100 yellow and black signs, advertising their wares. 
10. Founded in 1913, the Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp is the longest continuously operating camp of its kind in the United States. Students from ages eight through college come to learn about dance, theatre, art and equestrian all summer long. Dustin Hoffman and Julie Harris are among the famous alumni.

As we celebrate the month of Saint Valentines, we urge you to find your inner romantic. Whether you are looking for love, or some inspiration to reignite the flame, Steamboat Springs is the place to make it happen.  Here’s just a smattering of ideas to get you smooching.

❤️Watch the sun go down over the Yampa Valley from the best viewpoint in town. Ride the gondola to Thunderhead Lodge on most Thursday evenings for Sunset Happy Hour. Snag a table by the window, savor a cocktail and listen to the live music before cozying up on the gondola ride down. $15 for the gondola pass and get $5 off food and drinks.

❤️There’s nothing like trying something new together to break up old habits. Sign up for a class at the Steamboat Snowsports School, or a guided trip to experience ice fishing, dog sledding or horseback riding. Reward yourselves with dinner for two at Café Diva, a favorite among past guests and our team at Condos in Steamboat.

❤️Stash schnapps or a flask of hot chocolate in a backpack, along with goodies from the bakery counter at Winona’s and head for Fish Creek Falls. Strap on snowshoes and follow the trail to the iconic 283-foot waterfall. Stop at the base of the frozen falls then hike up the winding pathway through miles snow-packed forest.

❤️Get your motor running with a two-hour guided snowmobile ride in picturesque North Routt, and cozy up in a cabin at Hahn’s Peak Roadhouse over a three-course dinner.

❤️Relax in style with a massage and a soak at the Strawberry Park Hot Springs. Clothing is optional after dark.

❤️The first ever chairlift speed-dating event happens on Saturday, March 7. Starting at noon, the Denver-based speed dating company Lovebug is staging Love Laps: an afternoon packed with introduction opportunities, live music and après ski festivities. Register @steamboatprings.net/lovelaps

The Irish are not the only ones who get to feel lucky. Spending a springtime vacation in Steamboat Springs will make you feel blessed, and here 10 reasons why.

1. Skiing or boarding on the fresh groomers in the morning and soft snow in the afternoon sun. (Although an impending storm is going to add a fresh layer of powder to the mix next week).

2. Rockin’ out at to a free concert at the base area with Bud Light Rocks the ‘Boat series.

3. Slopeside’s Ice Bar – après ski just got cooler.

4. Soaking in thermal waters at the Strawberry Park Hot Springs – one of 19 mineral springs on the Historic Hot Springs Tour through Colorado.

5. Cross-country skiing in a t-shirt and refueling with a picnic on Rabbit Ears Pass. (Pick up a to go from Backcountry Provisions but be warned, you might need a nap, it’s so good).

6. Gear sales have started in town and on the mountain so there’s plenty of bargains to snag.

7. Snowshoeing and hiking at Fish Creek Falls where the ice is beginning to melt. When it does, you can’t hear yourself think for the roar.

8. Sipping suds at the four local breweries dotted around town.

9. Road biking past miles of rolling ranch lands.

10. Taking an early morning hot air balloon ride as the valley below awakens.

Steamboat Paddleboard Adventures

1. Yoga at 9,000 feet

It’s not everywhere you can downward dog and tree pose with your head almost touching the clouds. Every Sunday until September 6, stretch out at the base of Mount Werner from 9 – 10 a.m. with instruction from the experienced teachers at Yoga Center of Steamboat. Cost is free but suggested donation is $10 – best to reserve a mat in advance.

On August 30 make your way to the top of the gondola (opens at 9.30 a.m.) for a 10 – 11 a.m. class at 9,000 feet. Views, fresh air and an entire body stretch – Namaste.
www.yogacenterofsteamboat.com

2. Paddleboard Pearl Lake beneath the stars

Surrounded by a forest of pines, Pearl Lake is a secluded little haven just short of Steamboat Lake. Steamboat Paddleboard Adventures has introduced a very different way to experience the tranquility of this place. Starting at 8 p.m. a group of up to six people can enjoy a guided nighttime float. Boards are equipped with NOCQUA lights, which emit a soft glow to show the way. Tours end at 10 p.m. and must be reserved. Suitable for age ten and up. www.steamboatpaddleboardadventures.com

3. Unwind in soothing waters

Feel your stresses float away with a Watsu massage at Strawberry Park Hot Springs. Nestled in the trees, seven miles north of town is one of Steamboat’s hidden gems. Natural waters gather in a series of pools ranging in temperature, with a cool stream to dip in and out of. ½ hour massage $65. www.strawberryhotsprings.com

4. Seek scenery from the saddle

Meander your way through aspen groves and catch a glimpse of rolling ranchland riding in North Routt. Family owned and run Del’s Triangle 3 Ranch offers one and two hour rides through some of the Yampa Valley’s most dramatic scenery. $55 for one hour, $85 for two hours. www.steamboathorses.com

5. Source or sample some of Steamboat’s edibles.

With only 59 growing days, we relish any fruits or veggies that can grow up here. Local non-profit, Yampatika runs a series of guided summer hikes and workshops throughout the summer, sharing knowledge of native flora and fauna. Join them later this month on their annual wild mushroom hike and learn the art of foraging. Or kick back on September 16 for their garden to table dinner served in the historic setting of the Legacy Ranch. Reservations for both are required. www.yampatika.org.