Located in the valley between two ski mountains, Steamboat Springs is a gorgeous city for families and couples. Less expensive than Vail or Aspen, Steamboat Springs offers ski town living at a reasonable price. There's plenty of outside activities available in both winter and summer times. The main road offers restaurants and shopping that attract tourists and the locals. A free bus service takes people all over the city and is good for teenagers wanting to go downtown or returning home after a night out. The schools are excellent and have a wide variety of sports programs. One of the large drawbacks of any ski town is mudseason, the time when the snow starts melting and everything turns to mud. It's a little depressing to see all the gorgeous snow replaced by brown but most people use this time to take a family vacation.

Overall a very gorgeous small town.