Travelogue

Although the kids do love the natural beauty of National Park campgrounds, they occasionally need the recreational opportunities offered by a good commercial campground. Steamboat Springs KOA was one of the best we've been too in terms of entertaining the kids.

Andrew Tubing the YampaWe arrived late afternoon and the kids were frantic to take advantage of everything the KOA had to offer. First, they rented go-carts and pedaled madly around the campground for their allotted hour. Next, they hit the mini-golf course and then it was on to the pool, while Herb and I relaxed in the adult-only hot tub.

It was now approaching 7:00 and time for dinner. Andrew, however, had other plans in mind--tubing down the Yampa River through the campground. Tommy was pretty hungry and tired at this point and wasn't sure if he wanted anything to do with this plan. Not wanting to let Andrew have all the fun, he reluctantly agreed to go along. Fortunately, we had 2 inflatable tubes packed in the outside compartments of the RV. I had started bringing these along, just in case, ever since I was blamed for their missing a tubing opportunity on the Virgin River in Zion back in 1999. They quickly blew up the tubes and ran to the river hoping to get some runs in before dark. Herb and I waited on the bridge with cameras at the ready as they ran up the banks of the river and then floated back down under the bridge. Tommy's tube must have had a slow leak in it because by the time he went under the bridge he was practically underwater, which was, by the way, quite cold. Tired and shivering, Tommy threatened to go back to the RV. Knowing it was not going to be as much fun alone, Andrew traded tubes with him and convinced him to keep going. They kept running up and floating down the river until it was dark. It really did look like a lot of fun.

We ate dinner around 9:30 that night--much too late, but sometimes you just have to seize the moment.

Description

Tubing in the YampaSteamboat Springs, in northernwestern Colorado, is best known as a ski resort, but it also has plenty of outdoor activities in the warmer months, such as hiking, rafting, and fishing. The small town of Steamboat Springs is surrounded by towering mountains and lush river valleys. With an economy based on ranching, it still maintains a feeling of the Old West.

The Steamboat Springs KOA is a 129-site campground right on the Yampa River. Recreational opportunities include a heated pool, mini golf, rental go-carts, and fishing on the river.