Steamboat Springs, Colorado is known for many things. Sure, Bike Town USA, but our more well-known moniker of Ski Town USA is likely something you’ve seen or heard if you visited anytime between Thanksgiving and April! While a blanket of white is what comes each winter like it or not, what I feel so fortunate to be a part of has little to do with a nickname, a ski mountain, or a bike trail. Rather, it has to do with something you really feel when you live here. Steamboat Springs is a community of people who strive to live creatively and playfully.
We often joke around the water cooler (or in my case, coffee pot!) after a hard weekend of play that we are “living the dream.” It’s not the dream that you’re likely to suspect. Most of us have messy homes, with less-than perfectly manicured lawns, older cars, and do little shopping at the mall on the weekend. Because well, for one thing, we don’t even have a mall! The story is familiar; I’ve heard it time and time again. People come here or even try to live here–to play. We creatively piece together a life that may entail swing shifts or 2nd jobs or seasonal labor, compromises… all to make it work. To make play a priority.
And what does that play do? It nurtures dreams and possibilities both for the young and the old. Kids ride their fat-tire bikes to ski jump in the dead of winter (for fun), or swarm the riverfront for a dip or float outside our town library all summer long. Adults create music in the bars, craft beer, or paint murals on buildings. Work looks a little something more like you’re watching something being born… you feel like it’s okay to buck the norm and just play awhile.
The Crooked Key was a whisper of a thought in April 2016. As we watch our ideas, our sweat, our creativity come to life, I want you to know this is not just a business that offers a game with some ill-conceived nonsensical puzzles meant to tediously occupy your time or siphon your hard earned money. We feel our loving family, supportive friends, and the entire community of Steamboat Springs behind this endeavor, and we thank you. I wouldn’t ask you, our guests, to settle for an experience that doesn’t delight you or surprise you. I believe we are doing something special, and offering something like no other at the The Crooked Key. We invite you to come play.
Nicole DeCrette, Owner
