Visits from afar

Last week turned out to be a special treat because my parents and little sister came to visit me. I was able to get a few days off work to spend time with them. Since they've never been here we decided to go see as many things as we could. If you are a new student coming out in August or simply coming to visit, here are some of my favorite things to do in Steamboat!

My family flew in late Sunday night and I eagerly awaited their arrival. After what seemed like an eternity they called me to tell me they were outside. I was quite excited to see we'd be rolling around in style all week, as my dad decided to rent an H2

The first day we walked around town and checked out all of the shops on Main Street. We stopped at Johnny B. Goods to enjoy some of the best milkshakes in town. Corrie, my younger sister, and I decided to see who could drink them the fastest. (Can you say cold headache?)
The next day we tubed the Yampa. We put in at the Mt. Werner exit and got out right after C-hole. Unfortunately, the water is getting low so it may be hard to go that far but C-hole is always fun to go through.
After a lazy day in the sun my parents went on a wagon ride/ dinner at Saddleback Ranch. They said the food was amazing, the hosts were entertaining and the views were awesome.

Wednesday we went to the Strawberry Park Hot Springs. I had never been there during the day before and couldn't believe how many people were there. The hot tubs were a little too hot considering the weather, but my dad and sister had fun playing in the creek.

Thursday I had to work SOAR II, the orientation for incoming students. I sent my family to Fish Creek Falls which they really enjoyed.

After that they took a ride up the gondola. Then we met up at the Old Town Hot Springs for one last relaxing night in town. We ate breakfast the next morning at the Creekside Cafe, a great place to get breakfast or lunch. The week flew by, and I was sad to see them go, but overall it was a great time!

Cattle Drive

Steamboat is a majestic town that you can't help but love. I'm sure it has a lot to do with it's location but there's something more to it. Perhaps it's because of the wide variety of people you find out here- from the former city slickers who needed to get away, the ski bums who want to "shred the gnar", and the venture capitalists who simply enjoy the scenery. Then there's my favorite people to see around town... the good old fashioned ranchers. You know the type. They own more land than you can imagine, and still walk around in cowboy gear. They own cattle and actually knows how to handle them. They are my favorite because I am amazed that with all our modern technology people like that still exist. It's awesome... and they definitely made my 4th of July celebration great.

It started as I was waiting for the Yellow Line, aka the one good thing that comes from paying 8% sales tax. This bus will drive me up the treacherous Bob Adams Drive when the sun is beating down and I feel too dehydrated to trek it. Yupp it was 9am and sunny, and I did not feel like walking up that hill. So, I contacted the bus driver about getting a lift and he informed me that he would not be able to make it for at least forty minutes because of the "cows".

It may have been the morning after Independence Day, and my brain may not have been functioning at its full capacity, but this guy couldn't come pick me up because of cows? What was going on?

That was when I noticed the crowds of people that were forming on Main Street. I knew I had missed the parade (something I had been genuinely looking forward to the previous day), but was it possible that they were having another one? I asked a random passerby what all the commotion was about. Before I could get my hopes up he responded "The cattle run."
"I'm sorry, the what?" I asked.
"I guess they are going to run cattle through the streets".

Huh. Cool. For some reason images of "The Run of the Bull" in Mexico gathered in my head, but I knew Steamboat tourists weren't that crazy.

Upset that I missed the parade, and too lazy to walk up Bob Adams, I decided to join the rest of the crowd and watch as the cattle were herded down the street. I got excited when I saw the first cowboy riding horseback leading the drive. They were coming, slowly, but they were coming. Just as they were about the cross my path the lead cattle suddenly stopped following the cowboy and took off down a side street. Although hesitant at first, the rest of the cattle soon followed and things started to get out of control. Luckily the men on horseback leading the parade were real cattle ranchers and knew exactly what to do. A few of them went down the side street to round up the run away cattle, while the rest stayed back with the remaining cattle and kept them in place. It was really funny to see, although I'm sure they weren't happy about all the commotion.

One poor little guy was so confused and unsure of where to go he began running back and forth between the two separated herds.

After a few minutes of mayhem everything was once again under control.

The "cattle drive" ended as quickly as it started with people resuming back to their normal routines. It was one of those not-something-you-see-every-day moments that I love about Steamboat.

Summer Reading

It's summertime and in my opinion there's nothing like ending a long day of sunshine by curling up in bed with a good book. There's also not much else I'd rather do on a rainy day, so if you ask me, summer is a prime time for reading. If you're a book junkie like myself and unsure of what to pick up next hopefully this will help!


Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen- Jacob Jankowski is about to become a certified veterinarian when his parents die suddenly, leaving him with nothing. Unsure of what to do with himself he runs away and winds up joining the circus. This book gives you an inside look at life during the depression, and the struggles of a man who falls in love with a woman he can't have... or can he? I found myself getting completely lost in this book, and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a change of pace, as it is like nothing I've read in the past.


Twilight by Stephenie Meyer- I was convinced I'd never read these books because a teenage drama series about vampires hardly interested me. Yet I found myself trapped in an airport with nothing to do, so I picked up the only familiar title on the shelf. I have to admit the first book was a pretty good read, but beyond that I was completely disappointed. I was never excited about reading New Moon, Eclipse or Breaking Dawn, yet I forced myself through them anyways. In my opinion the characters were completely underdeveloped. I think they all came off as whiny and miserable and couldn't stand reading about them. If a four book saga about a girl who falls in love with an immortal doesn't really interest you, you can easily save yourself some time. Simply ignore all the hype and watch the movies instead.


The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls- Imagine growing up with completely nonconformist parents; a father who is always on the run and a crazy mother that is more concerned about what she wants than providing for her children. Jeannette Walls describes her life of struggles and misfortune in such fine detail you feel as though you are right there with her. My favorite part about her writing is that she never once complains, she simply tells it as it was, allowing you to make your own judgments. If you are going to pick up one book this summer The Glass Castle should be it.


Shoot the Women First by Eileen MacDonald- In a world full of terrorism it is often hard to understand why such horrible acts are committed. It's even more difficult to understand why women, who create life and are often portrayed as nurturers could commit such crimes. MacDonald dives into the heart of it, interviewing women who have been convicted of committing the most heinous of crimes. She remains rather unbiased by presenting you with the facts and allowing you to conclude your own opinions. Although at times difficult to read I enjoyed learning about different cultural motivations for terrorism.

These are just a few suggestions, if you have any must-reads I'd love to know about them!