One-day getaway

These days it is hard to find leisure time, between school, work and the rest of the daily grind, Denverites are left with little time to enjoy the beauty all around them. Often a weekend is wasted at the laundromat and grocery store, and the mild climate is forgotten.

One day to get away means planning on leaving after work and driving three hours to Steamboat Springs Colo. It is just far enough from the city to feel like a vacation, and close enough the make it to work after your day off. Getting familiar with the town the night before, and finding a room close to the slope makes it easy to hit the powder early.

"If you don't make it up 'til noon you get the mashed potato stuff, it's perfect conditions up here!" Said Doug Bell, an avid Steamboat skiier who spoke later in the day about an alternative to fighting traffic on the way back to the city by leaving after some more R&R.



Once the mountain has caused enough bodily damage, the hot springs at Strawberry Park Park offers relief from aches and pains. Three pools of different temperatures lie nestled in the mountainside. The first pool is mall and warm, about 104 degrees (F), the second is slightly cooler, and the third is a cold pool with pockets of warm where natural vents heat the water.

The second 'sport pool' is perfect temperature to soothe the aches of the mountain, and allow for relaxation in the dark water where clothing is optional after dark. In the daytime, the pools glisten in reflection of the mountains.

The drive home is downhill most of the way, and if the trip was timed right, there will be eight hours before the alarm clock goes off again.