Connecting With Your Teenage Family Members in Colorado
Planning a family vacation is more complicated than ever. In today’s modern world, with tablets, cell phones, and endless screentime, it’s become so difficult for parents and grandparents to deeply connect with their teenage family members.
Even in an incredible vacation destination like Colorado, with its endless opportunities for outdoor adventures, it’s tricky to cater to the unique wants and needs of teenagers. Young children are happy to play, explore, and be included in family-friendly experiences. But older kids? They’re looking for a bit more independence.
We’re here to tell you that it is possible to plan a family vacation in Colorado that will have your teenage companions leaving their cell phones at home. In the heart of the Rocky Mountains is a vibrant ranching town named Steamboat Springs that caters to the vacation needs of every generation. Even teens!
Surrounded by majestic mountains, Steamboat Springs is the best vacation destination in Colorado for parents and grandparents who want to connect with their teenage family members on a deeper level than texts asking “what’s for dinner?” Steamboat offers an array of teen-friendly activities that can be enjoyed year round, safe transportation for those who want a little bit of time on their own, and incredible opportunities for adults to relive their younger years alongside their teenage family members.
Here at The Astrid, we’re passionate about helping your family to make unforgettable memories. That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive list of activities in Steamboat Springs that you and your teenage companions will love!
How Teens Can Get Around Steamboat for Free
If your teenage companion is craving a little independence, Steamboat Springs is the perfect vacation destination for one major reason – the free bus system. Every teen craves some time away from their family, and that’s okay. It makes the time you do spend together even sweeter.
The city of Steamboat Springs offers a comprehensive system of free buses between the ski area, downtown, and most restaurant, and entertainment locations. This gives your teenage loved one a safe and reliable way to navigate Steamboat on their own terms.
Send your teen on an afternoon out with their allowance, and free them up to safely explore this charming ranching town. They’ll return by dinnertime with the most incredible stories, and will be sure to tell you all about their adventure over a hot meal.
Skiing, Biking, Snowshoeing, and Hiking in Steamboat Springs
It wouldn’t be a trip to Steamboat without spending time in nature with your teenage family members. The area recently underwent the largest transformation in Steamboat history, with a record-setting $220+ million dollar investment into the mountain. These remarkable improvements have enhanced the slopeside experience more than ever before, marking out Steamboat Springs as a year-round vacation destination for outdoor enthusiasts all across the world.
With upgraded infrastructure and remarkable new amenities, you and your teens are guaranteed to have a good time shredding the slopes, or peak-bagging your way to lifelong memories. If your young companion has never tried snowsports before, Steamboat Springs is an ideal location for beginners to learn skiing and snowboarding basics.
Trying out something new for the first time is an incredible way to connect with your teen. Facing a new experience together will build trust, prompt deeper conversations, and undoubtedly result in laughing-fits galore!
For all your outdoor gear needs, we recommend Switchback Sports for reliable and high-quality equipment rentals. At The Astrid, our residents benefit from on-site consultations with the Switchback Sports team, ensuring you and your teens have the very best adventures on the slopes.
Snowmobiling in Steamboat Springs
For teens who like to live life in the fast-lane (and their adrenaline junkie adults), there’s no experience more high-octane than snowmobiling! We recommend hiring snowmobile sleds and taking a guided tour through Steamboat’s meadows and forests with Steamboat Snowmobile Tours.
Kids aged 15 and under ride with an adult, making for an incredible teamwork experience for you and your young passenger! Feel the roar of the machine below you as you blast through Champagne Powder® and weave through Steamboat’s famous aspen trees. Your teenage family member is guaranteed to be shrieking with delight (and maybe a little bit of fear) as you zoom over backcountry terrain that’s impossible to explore on foot.
Teens aged 16 and above are welcome to ride a snowmobile sled by themselves – no driving license needed! Most of Steamboat Snow Tours’ guests are first-time riders, ensuring that your young companion will have a safe and fun unaccompanied drive. The look of delight on their face when they remove their helmet and goggles, after being let loose on the snow, will be completely unforgettable!
Bumper Cars on Ice in Steamboat Springs
What if the best fairground ride from your teenage years was given a Colorado twist? That’s exactly the kind of old school fun available at Howelsen Arena.
Hop into a purpose-built bumper car for the ultimate ice rink showdown with your family! Spin, glide, bump, and slide across the ice for some truly nostalgic fun. Your teen will love thrashing about in the LED lit bumper car, but with your experience from your fairground days of the past you’re sure to give them a run for their money!
Book this popular ice rink experience in advance of your vacation to guarantee a good time.
Escape Room in Steamboat Springs
Come together with your teen, and other eager family members, for a relationship building activity like no other! At The Crooked Key Escape Rooms, you and your loved ones can find clues, solve puzzles, and have fun in one of four top-rated escape rooms.
Overcoming the challenge of an escape room with your teenage companion will increase collaboration, strengthen communication, create moments of intense laughter, and foster a shared sense of accomplishment. What more could you want from a vacation with your teen?
Old Fashioned Milkshakes in Steamboat Springs
Re-live your teenage memories with your young family members by taking them out for retro-style milkshakes. Check out the soda fountain at Lyons Corner Drugs for a classic sweet treat that’s guaranteed to fill you with nostalgia.
Recount stories from your day on the slopes to the sound of a vintage jukebox machine, whilst indulging in ice cream sundaes. From within the walls of this iconic Steamboat pharmacy, you and your teen will be transported back to a simpler time, when conversation was full of laughter – and not a screen in sight! This is the perfect setting for a true heart-to-heart with your young companion, and relive the days of your youth.
Authentic Western Food in Steamboat Springs
What better way to make lifelong memories with your teenage family member than over a smoking grill? The 8th Street Steakhouse experience allows customers to select their specific hand-cut steak, seafood or chicken from the on-site butcher shop, then cook it to perfection on a 20-foot lava rock grill.
Mealtimes often present a struggle to get every family member happy with their food, and engaged in conversation. The temptation to get out cell phones is sadly at its strongest around a dinner table. However, with this interactive grilling experience, your teen will be having way too much fun to think about scrolling on social media. They can cook their steak exactly how they like it, all whilst learning a new skill, and bonding with loved ones.
This is also an incredible way to immerse your young companion in the ranching heritage of Steamboat Springs, as they get familiar with the finest cuts of beef that have been reared to perfection.
Unforgettable Mountainside Family Memories
After your teenager experiences a vacation with you in Steamboat Springs, we’re certain that your relationship will be strengthened. From endless outdoor adventures, to old fashioned fun, there’s no place in Colorado more suited for memorable multi-generational activities.
With so many opportunities for quality family time, it’s no wonder families are choosing to lay down permanent roots in Steamboat Springs. Your teens will be begging to come back, year-round!
A luxury residence at The Astrid is the perfect home-away-from-home for your family, where you can create cherished memories, and start building an incredible legacy for your family. We’d love to share with you details on exactly how your family can make Steamboat Springs your home-away-from-home, by becoming part of The Astrid community.
To join our community, simply provide us with your name and email address. By doing so, you’ll be invited to join our exclusive mailing list. As part of this list you’ll gain access to insider information, behind-the-scenes content, and a highly personalized email experience reserved only for members of The Astrid community.
