There's a saying in Steamboat Springs: "When Olympians gather in Utah it's called the winter games. When they gather in Steamboat it's called Thursday." It's a clever little slogan and it's true. This is a small ranch town that just happens to have a world-class ski mountain for a neighbor. There are several things you can count on when you visit Steamboat: a connection with its rich western heritage, small town hospitality, and snow, lots of it. They call it champagne powder here 'cause it's so light and dry. But in summer, the drink of choice comes in a long-necked bottle and ski stories give way to ranch talk.

Sitting 7,000 feet up in the Colorado Rockies, Steamboat is one of North America's largest ski mountains. With 142 trails, 3600 vertical feet, and nearly 3,000 skiable acres, its six peaks are filled with world-class groomed cruisers, bumps, steeps, open meadows, legendary tree skiing, and Mavericks, North America's longest superpipe. Steamboat is a ranching community, but mixed in with the Stetsons and Tony Lamas is a smattering of millionaires and New Agers who keep the place interesting.

Steamboat is a summer and fall getaway with enough to do to keep even the most energetic summer vacationer busy for weeks. This is the kind of place where everyone goes to the local post office each day to pick up their mail - and ends up jawing with neighbors about local gossip and news. It's the kind of place where you can walk down Lincoln Avenue, Steamboat's main street, and buy the kind of tack intended for a working ranch and not a decorator's wall. Drop by F.M. Light & Sons, which celebrates more than 100 years of business in the same building. Can't miss it, look for the big horse out front on the sidewalk.

Steamboat is the kind of place where cattle were driven down Lincoln a century ago, and still are every 4th of July as part of Cowboys' Roundup Days. Roundup is a Steamboat tradition, the town turning out and saluting the spirit of the old West with parades, fireworks, and a griddle cake feed.

What to do? Well, you can mount up and hit the high and lonesome, soak in the hot springs, take a hike, or picnic on a blanket in the fresh mountain air. Check out the Strings in the Mountains Festival of Music, or grab a guide and go fly fishing on the Yampa. Drive or ride out to Steamboat Lake, just 45 minutes northwest of town. Rent a boat or bring your own. The bus system is extensive and runs throughout the area. It is also free.

Steamboat Springs is an easy and scenic 3.5-hour drive from Denver (180 miles from Denver International Airport). Head west along I-70, get off at the Silverthorne exit, and go north on Highway 9 to the town of Kremmling. Then head west on U.S. 40 over Rabbit Ears Pass. Rent a car or hire a shuttle service. To book ground transportation, call 1-800-922-2722.

You also can fly into the Yampa Valley Regional Airport, located 22 miles away, near the town of Hayden. United Express serves the airport in the summer with three flights a day. Or fly Continental Express with non-stop flights from Houston.