Destination: Steamboat Springs

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS - “This is the West.”

That’s the tagline the tourist folks use to promote this ski town. So, in the summer you expect lots of horse play and rodeos to take center stage — and they do.

What you might not expect is an abundance of arts events, dining options and family activities worthy of a town five times the size. In a single day, you could zoom down an alpine slide, fly fish, soak in hot springs, sip wine at an art walk and catch an opera. OK, maybe you’d want to spread that over a weekend. You don’t want to rush your horse.

A SOAK

The Ute Indians frequently came to the Yampa Valley for the same reasons residents and visitors love it today: the abundant wildlife, natural beauty and, of course, the hot springs.

Old Town Hot Springs (136 Lincoln Ave.; 1-970-879-1828) is one of the most family-friendly hot springs in the state, with its kiddie pool and two 230-foot water slides. It has a resort vibe, but it’s far from snooty. Adult admission is $15 a day.

For a more rustic soak, check out Strawberry Park Hot Springs (1-970-879-0342), a collection of hot springs pools about 7 miles north of town. Adult admission is $10 per day. If you’re looking for a place to stay, you might consider the quirky lodgings, including a caboose and a covered wagon. Rates are $55-$110.

A FEW BITES

Italian restaurants thrive here, from the pizzeria to white-tablecloth varieties. Among them:

Mazzola’s Majestic Italian Diner

917 Lincoln Ave., 1-970-879-2405; mazzolas.com

This funky little pizza and pasta place has huge portions and personality. Get good wine and great homey Italian specialties.

Riggio’s Fine Italian Food

1106 Lincoln Ave., 1-970-879-9010; riggiosfineitalian.com

When you just have to have some lobster and shrimp gnocchi with a glass of full-bodied super Tuscan, this is the place.

BeauJo’s

704 Lincoln Ave., 1-970-870-6401; beaujos.com

Those who have missed the “mountain pizzas,” including some very good gluten-free varieties, since this regional chain pulled out of the Springs will find an outlet here.

Also worthy: Creekside Cafe & Grill for breakfast, Freshies for lunch and the Ore House for steaks.

A GOOD READ

Off the Beaten Path

68 Ninth St., 1-970-879-6830; steamboatbooks.com

Imagine our long-gone, beloved Chinook Bookshop, a place where the staff is so well-read and interesting that their recommendations are better than those in the New York Times Book Section, then add a coffee house and bakery. What you end up with is a place where you’ll want to spend hours exploring or just hanging out.

STORE FIND

The Homesteader

817 Lincoln Ave., 1-970-879-5880; thehomesteader.net

Par Avion meets Williams-Sonoma at this gourmet kitchenware store and market. Thirty-five gourmet cheeses. Fresh-baked baguettes. You’ll want to move in.

SPECIAL EVENTS

July 2-4 — Fourth of July Weekend Celebration

Cowboys Roundup Days

You’re thinking just a few fireworks? Think again. Steamboat turns Independence Day into a celebration of the Yampa Valley’s Western heritage. Among the activities: a pancake breakfast, concerts, rodeo parade, cattle drive, rodeo and, oh, yeah, a fireworks display to knock your boots off.

July 10 — Hot Air Balloon Rodeo

36th Annual Art in the Park

OK, this isn’t actually a rodeo. The folks in Steamboat seem to call everything a rodeo, whether they’re wrangling broncos or hot air balloons. Along with the beautiful ascension of more than 40 balloons, this celebration features the region’s biggest art festival.

Aug. 19-20 — Steamboat All Arts Festival

The Steamboat All Arts Festival is a new, collaborative, four-day celebration that incorporates music, dance, visual, literary and culinary arts.

Sept. 4-6 — Wild West Air Fest

Expect vintage airplanes and warbirds, remote-controlled aircraft, hang gliders, para-gliders, airplane rides and displays and classic cars at the Steamboat Springs Airport.

ARTS and culture

The Emerald City Opera

The Emerald City Opera produces professional-caliber, classical opera.

First Friday Artwalk

Two dozen galleries and alternative art venues remain open for this self-guided tour, and refreshments are served.

The Great American Laughing Stock Company

This troupe produces the Picnic Theatre Festival in Spring Creek Park, along with a children’s theatre workshop, through July. Summer repertory performances include a classical Shakespeare work, a musical theater piece, and an original play developed specifically for the festival.

Steamboat Art Museum

The museum is currently exhibiting quilts, landscapes and other fairly traditional art.

Other cultural assets: Steamboat Community Players, Steamboat Dance Theater, Steamboat Springs Arts Depot — Eleanor Bliss Center for the Arts, Steamboat Springs Chamber Orchestra and Tread of Pioneers Museum.

ALPINE SLIDE

The Howelsen Lodge Alpine Slide is at the Steamboat ski resort. (Go to Fifth Street, past the Rodeo Grounds, at the base of the chairlift at Howelsen Hill.) It’s a doozy, a twisty ride down 2,400 feet. Rates start at $9 per ride and get cheaper if you do multiple rides.