Family travel will either make or break you.  Seriously.  We had an amazing ski week in Steamboat Springs, CO, having the opportunity to enjoy time on and off the mountain, take in some great sights, and meet some amazing people.  More than any other trip we’ve taken together, this one was a challenge.  We left Philadelphia on the Saturday of Super Bowl weekend (airport = zoo), Dave had to put care for a patient who passed out mid-flight and had to give IV fluids at 30,000 feet, one kid had serious altitude sickness, I remembered to pack everything except underwear for myself, flight delays and landing to pick up a suitcase that looked like it had been beaten with a sledgehammer.  It happens!  Fortunately, the highs (GO EAGLES!) were higher than the lows.

We loved staying at the Steamboat Grand, which was great for us since we like to have a kitchen for meals (it’s just easier) and the location was perfect for getting to the mountain.  We rode horses at Saddleback Ranch, snow-shoed with a nature guide from Yampatika, ate some incredible tacos at Salt and Lime, bought a cowboy hat at F.M. Light and Sons and sling shots at Cowboys and Indians, and had an amazing afternoon at the Strawberry Park Hot Springs.  But best of all, we loved the mountain resort.  Steamboat is a beautiful mountain that offers so many great programs for families, including Steamboat Stars, an adapted needs ski and snowboard program.  Our 10 year old son, Carter, has mild autism spectrum disorder, and has hated skiing.  We’ve been skiing together as a family for the last seven winters, and Carter has begrudgingly tolerated our love of being on the mountain.  But this year, he truly loved it.  The Steamboat Stars program helped Carter find joy in skiing, something I never thought I’d see.

Hey, Steamboat Springs, Colorado!  We loved you, we came home exhausted, and can’t wait to see you again.