Steamboat Springs, CO

Earlier this month, I had the chance to attend a high school friend’s wedding in Steamboat Springs, CO. While I have been to Boulder/Denver a couple of times previously to see other friends, this was my first time outside of those two cities in such a stunning state. Even better, I was able to spend time with 7 of my friends from high school! Having gone to an all girls’ Catholic school with small classes, we all became and have remained close friends. For Moe’s (who has lived in CO for the past 8 years) wedding, we came out from MA, NY, and DC. Living states apart, the opportunities we have for quality time have diminished, so this trip was special in more ways than one!

First we flew out to Denver, then rented a car to drive the 3.5 hours to Steamboat. The drive was gorgeous! You are actually going up and through mountains and the backdrop looks like something from a Hollywood set.

After getting there, we rallied from a long day of traveling and everyone met at Sunpie’s Bistro, Moe and Shawn’s favorite dive bar in the area, for a welcoming party. I saw why they loved it! No frills, but funny signs, cheap drinks and sarcastic bartenders abound.

The next morning, the gang minus the soon-to-be newlyweds headed to Strawberry Park Hot Springs. I had never been to hot springs before, but I would definitely go again! We were some of the first people there that morning, but it was already starting to get packed when we left late morning. if I had the chance, it would be fab to go at night time (they’re open late) to see the stars while taking a dip. Some of the springs were hotter than a hot tub, which is nice for a few minutes, but then we were ready to move into the slightly cooler one (think a heated pool). Since the water is moving, it feels cleaner than a pond or lake and you can still touch the bottom in most spots which is nice.

Later in the afternoon, we made our way to a beautiful Catholic church for the ceremony, before heading back to the hotel to board the gondolas up the mountain in our formal wear! After the ride, we boarded buses (more like trucks with the body of a coach bus) to go even higher to Four Points Lodge for the reception — 9, 736 feet above sea level!

The views were INSANE. Pictures do not do it justice, but did we ever try to capture just a bit of this breathtaking scenery. Because there were no bugs to speak of, the doors were open all night out to the deck so you could come and go as you pleased. The food was delicious, the drinks were flowing and the DJ was on point — although because of the altitude, we definitely needed to take regular breathers from dancing. Once night fell, I went back out on the deck and saw the most vivid stars of my life. There was the Big Dipper and the Milky Way clear as day, as well as seemingly (and probably actually) millions of stars! You felt like you were in a different world, in the best way possible.

The next morning most of us headed home, but Katrina and I were spending a night in Boulder with friends and leaving Monday morning. While everyone else unfortunately sat in tons of traffic on their way to the airport, Google Maps took us a different route– which brought us THROUGH Rocky Mountain National Park! Being more of a city and beach girl, the mountains aren’t my usual jam, so it was a wonderful experience that I otherwise may never have had.

We rounded out the trip with dinner in downtown Boulder with some of my oldest and closest friends who live out there as well, which was the perfect ending to an incredible weekend out west!