So, it is the calm before the storm.

I am here, in Steamboat Springs, alone in my Mom’s condo. My husband Zeke left this morning, Christopher Courtney, Liam and Luke arrive tomorrow night. I am making Bison Chili in anticipation of their arrival. A.J., Wyatt and Phoenix arrive Friday and then it will really be a full house- with eight people in a three-bedroom condo. I hope we survive each other!

Even though it was my dream to have us all under one roof, it can be stressful with families and their complicated dynamics; mine is no different. Actually, my real dream was to rent a villa in Tuscany for a month, where friends and family could come visit at will and we would take day trips around the surrounding area. And have a driver, chef and a housekeeper.

But my reality is Steamboat Springs, which I love. Here, however, I am the chef, housekeeper, shopper and travel coordinator. I have been coming here since my parents bought a place (mostly for snow skiing) in the 80’s. I’m not a big skier, but I always love Steamboat in the summer. There are so many outdoor activities to do and the weather is heavenly compared to Miami, which is hot and sticky this time of year.

A.J. and I came out here with Wyatt when he was a baby, with my Mom to see the Hot Air Balloon Rodeo. I decided then I would like to come out every summer and bring the grandkids. It never happened. Wyatt is 9 years old now and there are four other grandchildren to add to the mix. That is how life goes. We think we have all the time in the world-

Unfortunately, I picked up a nasty bug (from an unnamed grandchild) which came into full bloom as we drove from Denver to Steamboat Springs. We stopped at a Native American restaurant (Tokabe) Zeke had found in Denver for lunch, but by the time we arrived here, I was really feeling under the weather. Somehow, however, I was still a bit hungry and luckily, we found a Thai restaurant (Talay Thai) right down the street from the condo.

All I wanted was soup and they had a delicious Chicken Noodle soup with a kick. It had a hot and spicy broth, rice noodles, bean sprouts, cilantro and crispy garlic. It was just what the doctor ordered and while it cost $14.95, it was huge bowl of soup. Zeke got the Monthly Special of Khao Soi– a North Thai dish with spicy curried broth over egg noodles and shrimp. The service was fast and friendly and we both really enjoyed our meals.

If you are visiting Steamboat Springs in the near future, I have some restaurant recs for you.

Breakfast: Winonas

In downtown, I had a fantastic Huevos Rancheros here, with red and green sauce, guacamole and some delicious jalapeño cheddar grits on the side. They also had these amazing looking Cinnamon Buns with a big plop of Cream Cheese Frosting on top. They serve salads, soups and sandwiches, but I would come back for breakfast.

Lunch: Backdoor Grill

I came here before when Chris and Courtney lived here for almost a year. This is a casual place, with dollar bills hanging on the ceiling, known for their burgers. It’s has indoor and outdoor seating, good music and friendly service. They are known for their Dirty Harry burger which has peanut butter, a fried egg, bacon, hash browns and cheddar cheese on a glazed donut! We were not THAT adventurous and opted to split The Big Blue ($17.95), which was a burger with blue cheese, bacon and sautéed onions. It was messy and delicious, just like a good burger should be. The Onion Rings we ordered were crunchy, with a kick to them.

Happy Hour: Table 57

We tried to go to Laundry, which looked like a scene, but couldn’t find parking and ended up here for Happy Hour. I ordered my favorite French 75 cocktail, which was delicious and came in a vintage glass. We tried the Brussel Sprouts, Pork Tacos, Lamb Meatballs and Tuna Poke bowl. My favorites were the Tuna Poke and the Colorado Lamb Meatballs. The meatballs were moist, flavorful and came with pesto and a creamy sauce, with peas and corn puddled around them. Yum! The hostess was friendly and we saw her again.

Dinner: Aurum

We went here for our “Anniversary Dinner”, because we’re not going to be together on the actual date. Aurum is part of the Yampa Valley Kitchen group. What is with all these restaurant groups these days, anyways? That’s a discussion for another blog, but Aurum is in the same group as Table 57 and during the summer, both restaurants have a neat deal where you get 50% off all their entrees. So Zeke’s $61 Bison Strip Steak was half the price and ditto on my delicious Coq au Vin. They both came with the most tasty baby carrots I’ve ever had.

We had an adorable waiter named Luke (my grandson’s name) who is, of course, a ski instructor in the winter. The friendly hostess we’d seen at Table 57 came over and delivered two glasses of champagne to celebrate our anniversary. It was her first day as manager there. And since we were saving money on our entrees, my Girl Math dictated ordering Parker House Rolls with honey butter ($9 and totally worth it) for an appetizer and a berry Pavlova for dinner. We had a beautiful view of the Yampa river, as we sipped our French white wine by candlelight and talked about our trip to Colorado and future trips we will take.

Here’s to 21 years!

Up Next: I don’t know