It's as dark as deep space in our room, but our daughter Melanie is pulling blankets from our bed with the uncontrollable excitement of a four-year-old on her first day of vacation. "Balloons!" she says in a stage whisper when Pat and I finally open our eyes. "Giant balloons! Come look!"

We had arrived just the night before for a week of family R&R. I rise, slowly, still unsure of my way about this condominium at The Ranch at Steamboat, and I am certain it is the middle of the night. As I part the curtains, sunlight streams into our room--it is a glorious, Rocky Mountain summer morning, and we are at 6,695 invigorating feet. Melanie is quite correct: a couple of hot-air balloons drift lazily above the hillside beyond our window. Mel's sister, Anna, stumbles into the room and adds, "What a great way to start the day!"

So it goes in Steamboat, a ski resort with a refreshing take on the off-season. Once the ski lifts stop, hiking and biking, swimming and tennis, rafting and ballooning and a summerlong series of special events become the draw. A lot of good and different restaurants are right in town, too, and lodging opportunities include a number of hotels and bed-and-breakfasts. It's easy to see why a family like ours--which prefers hiking down hillsides to skiing down them--keeps coming back.

About 160 miles northwest of Denver, not far from the Continental Divide, the town of Steamboat Springs was first settled a century ago by fur trappers who discovered the bubbling mineral springs--they made a sound like a paddle wheel steamer, thus the town's unusual name. Faced with nine months of winter weather--and an average of 27 feet of snow--early residents quickly learned to make skis from spruce and pine trees for travel, survival and fun. Others who enjoyed snow followed, and in 1955, the area developed as both a recreational outlet for locals and an adjunct to the region's ranching economy. Its 107 trails on 2,500 acres now lure skiers and snowboarders from the world over; Steamboat has produced more winter Olympians (35) than any other North American town.

Today, Steamboat is gaining renown as a warm-weather getaway, too. During our most recent visit, we hiked nearby Mount Werner and cruised the Yampa River Trail on in-line skates, stopping downtown at Howelson Hill Park to watch skateboarders strut their stuff. We breakfasted on pancakes and omelets at Winona's and visited La Montana for a Southwestern dinner of Camarones de la Montana--shrimp stuffed with crabmeat and cheese. When we wanted relaxation, we headed for the saunas or heated pool at our condo or strolled the shops at the base of the adjacent ski hill.

And maybe next time, I tell Melanie, we'll ride in a hot-air balloon.

OPEN:

Year-round

BEST TIME TO GO:

Summer

BEST PARENTS' NIGHT OUT:

Enjoy an altitude adjustment and a picnic at a Strings in the Mountains chamber music concert.

BEST ACTIVITY FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY:

You and your kids can have a stomping Wild West time at the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo.

BEST WAY TO RELAX:

Soak your cares away in the soothing mineral waters of Strawberry Park Natural Hot Springs, seven miles north of town on Strawberry Park Road. For more information, call 970-879-0342.

BEST DAY-TRIP:

The best summertime recreation is, without a doubt, hiking. Have a family picnic and a good, long walk in the beautiful, undeveloped, 160,640-acre Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area. (Drive northeast of town on County Road 129 to Seedhouse Road; look for the well-marked trailhead.)

BEST PERK:

Catch a glimpse of a bald eagle, great blue heron or red fox as you walk, jog, bike or skate along the four-mile Yampa River Trail that links the mountain area with downtown.

For current information on both summer and winter rates, call Steamboat at 800-525-2628 or click here.

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated July 2005.