You take the road least traveled when you head to Steamboat Springs. In less than 90 minutes, you can see just about every kind of scenery the Colorado Rockies have to offer.

Steamboat Springs is an interesting mixture of people. Because of the ski area, there are a lot of mountain men and mountain women. Because of the ranches nearby, there's a lot of cowboys and cowgirls.

And then there are the hot air people. Hot air ballooning is hot hobby in the Yampa Valley. The open fields around Steamboat makes it ideal for airborne adventure.

In the hands of a skilled pilot like Ian Cox with Wild West Balloons, a hot air balloon trip always seem to go right.

What also went right after Bill Clarke's morning flight was a stop at the Creekside Cafe. Go there for a hearty breakfast -- the kind to get you supercharged for the rest of the day.

Every weekend in the summer, Steamboat plays host to the Pro Rodeo tour and you don't have to go far beyond town to find traces of the old West. A stop at F.M. Light & Sons was a natural. For 100 years, Light has been the go-to place for western wear in the area.

You can find plenty of boots, jeans and hats. There are even cowboy hats that start at $4.98.

Head to the natural springs to find out where the town of Steamboat Springs got its name. When the hot springs started kicking up, it sounded like a steamboat on the river.

Of course, the Yampa River isn't big enough to have any steamboats but Steamboat Springs is big enough to have its own yacht club. The view may be what brings people to the Steamboat Springs Yacht Club every day but the food there matches up perfectly with the surroundings.

From one end to the other, the Yampa River is what's called a wild river and that means there are no dams. It's the last wild river in Colorado.

You can even learn how to fish on the river. Steve Henderson of Steamboat Fishing Company runs free flycasting lessons in the afternoons on the edge of town.

Steamboat summers are perfect for music lovers and during one visit to the Botanic Gardens, the Brown Bag concert featured faculty from the Perry Mansfield Music Camp based in Steamboat.

The concerts are organized by Strings in the Mountains, which gives Steamboat a year-round musical lift.

Speaking of lifts, one lift on the mountainside takes you to one of Colorado's oldest running ski area. In the summertime it's the alpine slide.

The slide is a rockin', sockin' downhill thrill ride -- the kind where you control the speed. It's a good metaphor for Steamboat Springs, where you can take it to the high speed lane or take it easy.

Bill's Travel Notes

The truly scenic route to Steamboat Springs is via Interstate 70 to Exit 157, Wolcott, then north on Colorado Route 131. It's 75 miles and will take about 90 minutes, maybe more if you stop and enjoy the beauty of the Colorado Rockies along the way. We did, and never regretted the extra time it took.

It is well paved and maintained, with wide lanes and easy grades, and there are some long, straight stretches where you may never see another car. After taking this road just one time, I don't think I could ever use Berthoud Pass to get to Steamboat again in my life.

Balloon pilot Ian Cox is one of the best we've ever worked with. He's got a great gift of gab and a sense of humor to keep even the uneasy first-time adventurers at ease. His Wild West Ballooning Co. has a variety of packages for the budding aerialist. Landing and taking off near the Mountain Village was a real treat, though photojournalist Jason Foster was a bit surprised to get almost dunked in the pond during his flight. More information about Wild West can be found at WildWestBallooning.com or call (970) 879-7219.

Just after our sunrise flight, we stopped at the Creekside Cafe, about a half block off the main road through town. Corned beef hash was superb, and being seated next to Soda Creek and watching the water race through town was therapeutic for our team of City Slickers. More information can be found at (970) 879-4925 or you can e-mail Creekside@Springsips.com.

Long before you get to Steamboat, you'll be seeing the yellow and black signs for F.M. Light along the road. Light is a legendary western clothing store with just about everything you'd need to be a convincing cowpuncher. What I found to be the best feature was that folks at Light take their mission seriously and they're proud of the business, but they seem to have a good sense of humor. Even if western wear isn't your cup of tea, F.M Light is worth a look-see. You can order from the Light catalog at FMLight.com.

Strings in the Mountains provides the music to soothe. Regular concerts are in a tent on the edge of town and on Thursdays at noon in the Botanic Garden. To find out what's scheduled, call (970) 879-5056 or go to StringsInTheMountains.com.

And the Botanic Garden deserves a mention for a couple of reasons. The land used to be a cow pasture connected to a trailer park. Now it's five fabulous acres that's so well laid out you'd think you're out in the middle of a remote area instead of just a couple of blocks from US Highway 40. The Brown Bag concerts make great use of a modest amphitheater in the middle of the gardens and it's perfect for settling back and having a family picnic.

Two more mentions are needed.

There couldn't be a better place for lunch or dinner on the Yampa River than the Steamboat Yacht Club. In the past few years, the owners have put a lot into the place and it shows. The deck is the place to be, and remember there's free moorage for your yacht if it's 40 feet or longer. Reservations and information at SteamboatYachtClub.com or call (970) 879-4774.

The free flycasting lessons came from Steve Henderson at Steamboat Fishing. Steve's out in the park at the edge of town regularly, late in the afternoons, with equipment and patience enough to handle even frisky kids. To get the lessons, or for tips on the best fishing around, contact Steve at SteamboatFishing.com or call (970) 879-6552.

If you haven't figured it out, I have to confess there's a lot to do, and a lot to like in Steamboat Springs. To get a line on just about everything, check out the Web site for the Steamboat Chamber Resort Association. It is Steamboat-Chamber.com.

Thanks to Phil Long for the use of the 40th Anniversary edition of the Ford Mustang convertible we drove on our One Tank Trips. The convertible made every trip even more enjoyable.

Enter One Tank Trip Contest:

Best Western and Nickelodeon are giving you a chance to win a trip for four to Universal Studios to meet the creator of "The Fairly OddParents" and $1,000 spending money. To enter, click here.