Looking at the recent photos posted by Larry Pierce (incidently, I think that my husband is his biggest fan...) reminded me of being in Steamboat this time last year (this year we had to go a bit earlier, in January).
Great photos and a great time of year to go, if you can. Fun activities, really good family atmosphere around town and the ski mountain is really pretty quiet too (pre-Presidents' week). I think a particularly good time to come for families and groups where not everyone skis/boards or even for families who are after a "Winter Vacation" without skiing/boarding at all.
We arrived in time in 2005, looked forward to going into town as we made it up from Denver by afternoon, but by evening when we finally got ourselves sorted out with groceries, ski and the rest, the dreaded jet lag struck and somehow never made it.
i think we are going to the Sheraton for the Christmas buffet. Others have suggested the Ore House, Cafe Diva alos. Yes book ahead of time. thats what i will be doing next week.