Day 12: Steamboat Springs, CO

Steamboat Springs is a fun place to window shop & chow down on yummies for your tummy.  We found a cool little two-story bookstore with a café in it.  We spent about an hour readin’ & eatin’.  Then we walked up & down Lincoln Avenue, which passes right through “Old Town”.   Lots of interesting (& often expensive) shops selling funky painted furniture, outdoor gear, leather goods & organic food.

After lunch at The Shack Café, where we were able to eat outside by the street, we strolled down to where several of the natural springs are located.  Here’s some info, straight from the “Steamboat Springs Downtowner”:
It is a natural, geologic occurrence that makes Steamboat Springs infamous.  Deep in the earth’s crust, thousands of feet below the city, cracks in the Dakota Formation allow molten rock to seep upward, super-heating ground water & sending it boiling over onto the surface in more than 150 thermal mineral springs.  The 1st bathhouse was first constructed in 1910, & shortly thereafter an Olympic-sized outdoor pool was also built.

Right across from the library, there are two springs, Soda Spring, which is marked by a gazebo, & Sulphur Spring, which we could smell even before we could see it.  It is one of the areas most active spring, bubbling up furiously a strange greenish-blue slightly foamy liquid.  It is said to keep a constant 73 degrees.  It stinks!

Later in the afternoon, we drove out to Strawberry Park Hot Springs:
We are located approximately 7.0 miles from beautiful downtown Steamboat Springs and our springs are by far one of the most attractive mineral springs in the world. Hot Springs Creek is nestled between Rocky Peak and Copper Ridge. This is the point where a series of hot springs spew from the hillside at temperatures of approximately 150 degrees fahrenheit, and flow down into the creek.

A fabulous display of masonry architecture divides the creek into cells where the water temperature is controlled by adjusting rustic style gates.

The largest hot pool is approximately 19'x 16' and is kept at a temperature of +/- 104 degrees fahrenheit. The next pool down is slightly smaller and cooler. The cool (creek) pool is larger than both of the other cells put together. It offers a comfortable contrast to the hot pools and sports warm spots due to geothermal venting in various places. The masonry walls were constructed to create 5 waterfalls. In addition a small private pool was created for Watsu; warm water massages. Most recently a beautiful stone stream house, a warm changing area, and picnic area have been added.

For photos, check out http://www.strawberryhotsprings.com/2005/gallery.php

I was lucky enough to be able to enjoy a full-hour massage in a room that was built around a huge boulder.  A waterfall was just outside the windows, so I had real nature sounds to listen to during the massage – not a CD!

The waters were HOT!  The kids played mostly in the river just above where the hot springs join it.  I was able to tolerate the hotter waters, but only for a few minutes at a time at the hottest pool.

This was great fun for us – we can’t help wonder what it would be like in the winter!  Brrrr…splash…ahhh!