Hawaiian Happiness In Steamboat

Dads and daughters danced the night away at the recent My Man & Me Luau, on the upper deck of the Old Town Hot Springs. Food, fun and happy Hula dancers enjoyed a summer evening together. Norbert Turek brought his nine-year-old daughter Sage, saying, "She asked me out on a date to the pool and I could not tell her no. She won't be this age forever." Keala Fraioli brought her dad, Marc, and her grandfather, Anthony. Marc said, "Thanks to everyone down at the pool. It was a great time spent with other dads and daughters. A warm Mahalo!"

Karin Comeau and Sierra Bosick with Rocky Mountain Dance had the group dancing the hula throughout the evening. The grill was going and the food was fantastic. Comeau says she'll be back in August when moms are invited to date night with their sons. The Mom & Me Luau Night is Sunday, August 16, from 5-7:00. This event is for elementary-school aged boys and their moms.

Plan Your Party On The Upper Deck

The upper deck above the pools is available for your next summer get-together. You can rent the deck ($100) for a family gathering, work party, special event or dinner party with your friends. The deck sits above the hot pool, and climbing wall area. It has lounge chairs, and tables and chairs, as well as a BBQ grill. A sound system and tent are available. Stop by the pool for a tour sometime. Click here for details.

Avoid The Big Bang Of Weights

The Fitness Center is on the second floor of the Old Town Hot Springs facility. Because of this, it is important not to drop free weights on the floor. This can cause structural damage to the floor, even though the floor has been reinforced. Thank you so much for not dropping the weights. Please help us with this by also letting any teenage family members know as well.

A certified Pilates instructor is needed to teach classes at the Fitness Center. If you are available, or you know of anyone, please contact Fitness Director Simonne Oliver at 970-879-1828, ext. 27.

Why The Lap Pool Is Getting Busier

The Lap Pool has been full of swimmers, kayakers, scuba divers, triathletes and Masters swimmers this summer, with many activities, events and user groups utilizing the lanes. Aquatics Director Jill Ruppel has welcomed different groups to use this fabulous Steamboat amenity, especially this spring and summer. She appreciates everyone's cooperation in adjusting lap swim time to accommodate these programs. She says, "Programming is necessary at all pools because these programs bring in income and pools are very expensive to operate."

Facilities Director Matt Enochs concurs. "The Lap Pool, at 240,000 gallons, probably is our poorest performing aquatic component if comparing cost to revenue generated (assuming that daily admission fees are generated mostly by the hot pools, against memberships generated solely by lap swimming). Any programming that brings in additional money to help offset operational costs (labor, chemicals, utilities) helps our bottom line. This in turn allows freeing up funding for other activities at OTHS."

Executive Director Pat Carney says, "We understand that many members join the facility so they can swim laps. We appreciate their flexibility in changing their routine during the busy summer months." Carney reminds everyone that for eight months of the year, the Old Town Hot Springs provides six to eight lanes all day for the members.

When lap lanes are used for special groups, the lanes are rented for $25/per lane/per hour. Groups that use the pool are under contract as well, and rent the space that they utilize. Ruppel says, "Hopefully, we can keep our membership costs in check by providing space for all user groups."

Also, please remember to use swimmer etiquette. At the Old Town Hot Springs, the motto is, "Share the lane. Circle Swim." Ruppel says, "Even adults can swim with two to four people comfortably in a lane. Make someone's day, move over and invite them to join you. You may make a new friend!" Click here for the the current lap lane schedule.

Masters Swim Workout of the Month

Matt Stensland spends plenty of time in the lap lanes at the Old Town Hot Springs, where he prefers training with fins. He says, "Fins make you a lot faster." The photographer for the Steamboat Pilot & Today also loves open water swims at the pool, when the lane lines are removed. "Open water/distance swims are my favorite both at Old Town Hot Springs and in Charlie's Hole on the Yampa River where you have to look up in order to dodge kayakers and tubers."

Stensland has his favorite workout featured on the Old Town Hot Springs website. It includes push ups against the wall in between sets, and rocket launchers. A rocket launcher is when you shoot straight up out of the water. Click here for Matt's workout, which totals 2950 yards, and the workouts of other OTHS members.

Member Of The Month

You may not recognize the Old Town Hot Springs Member of the Month for July. Georgian Kalow has been working out so much that she has lost 85 pounds in the past 14 months. "It's all thanks to the pool, and Weight Watchers," she says. Kalow swims laps bright and early three mornings a week. She also does Poolates, which is a water aerobics class with Peggy Van Vliet. She mixes in the weights and machines upstairs for strength training. She was even able to do the 10K in the Steamboat Marathon this year, as well as the Spirit Challenge.

"I think over the years at the Old Town Hot Springs, it has been the personnel who work there and greet us. They have always explained the courses that are offered and the machines that are available. They are encouraging and they provide personal attention and smiling faces. It makes it a great place to be!"

Retired Board Members Say Goodbye

Long-time board members of the Old Town Hot Springs celebrated over 120 years of combined service with a party on the upper deck of the pool in late June. Linda Cantway and George Tolles each served over 25 years on the board. Mike Holloran was on the board for 32 years and Bud Romberg was on the board for 40 years. Many members attended and enjoyed a summer evening on the deck.

Membership

Has your membership lapsed? Please check with the front desk to see if your membership dues are due. Don't miss a day at the Old Town Hot Springs! Memberships are also available through trades. Payment plans are also available. Click here for details.

Please Slow Down

Please try to avoid any parking lot perils by slowing down when driving through and looking for a parking space. The speed limit is five miles per hour. There are many families and kids walking through the parking lot this summer and we all need to be careful. Other options are to ride your bike in the summer, park in the Post Office parking lot after 6:00 p.m., or park in the overflow lot in the back in the pool, by Old Fish Creek Falls Road. Thank you for helping.

Proud Poochies On TV

Is your pooch a star? If you and your dog visited the Old Town Hot Springs for the Poochy Paddle in the spring, you and your pup might be on the tube. Steamboat's TV18 edited some video taken at the canine craziness and it is on the OTHS website. Look for the Poochy Paddle banner in the upper right side, at www.oldtownhotsprings.org.

The facility also has a budding TV star hosting the Video Tour. Ten-year-old Libby Lukens of Steamboat plans a career in TV journalism and kick-started that career doing the video tour for the pool. Click on the Video Tour link at the website.www.oldtownhotsprings.org

For Sale: The Dreamboat Café

One of Steamboat's most delicious snack shops is for sale. The Dreamboat Café is in the lobby of the Old Town Hot Springs, and currently owned and run by Michael Stoyanov and Aneliya Plocheva. With a new baby, the couple would like to be closer to family back in their home country of Bulgaria. They hope to move to Europe in the fall.

This is the fifth summer they have run the Dreamboat Café. Summer is the busiest time of the year. Michael says, "The whole environment here is fun. It's a fun place to be." Aneliya adds that she loves being around the kids in the pool area and that you get to know everybody, and everyone gets to know you.

The Dreamboat Café has a lease from the Old Town Hot Springs and any assignment of the lease must be approved by the OTHS Board. Future leases are also negotiated with the board. The business is seasonal, which means summer and winter are required, but the off season is at the discretion of the lessee. All hours must be approved by the board. For more information on buying this popular Steamboat business, call Michael at 970-691-0251, or email dreamboatcafe@abv.bg

Locker Room Etiquette

Kids of the opposite sex, seven years and older, need to use the appropriate locker rooms. A family changing room is available in the childcare bathroom. Teens must be 15 years and older to use the member locker room upstairs by themselves. Otherwise they need to use the downstairs locker rooms. Thank you.