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Visitors to Steamboat Springs often say, "Living here must be like a constant vacation." In a lot of ways, it is.

Locals implement "powder clauses" to get in a few turns in the morning or at lunch. When guests come out for visits, a trip to the Strawberry Park Hot Springs can bring a relaxing end to a busy day.

But the Yampa Valley also can close in on residents. Those with a "valley" car often don't leave the area during winter, for fear of not making it safely over Rabbit Ears Pass. And the constant snowfall, though great for winter activities, can be daunting when window scrapers and shovels must always be at the ready. By February, many locals start dreaming about a real vacation.

There are plenty of Web sites devoted to travel to help widen daydreamers' options and turn those dreams into realities.

Whether you are a cash-trapped twentysomething working two jobs or a second-homeowner who can afford a little luxury on your next trip, these Web sites are fun to look at and can help get you there.

With a name like CouchSurfing.com, this Web site sounds intriguing - and is probably aimed at the younger set. The idea of this site, besides offering people free places to stay while traveling, is about connecting a traveler with a resident in certain areas. In this way, the site's creators hope tourists can take a step further and get insights into how the locals live.

The site is set up much like that of a social networking site. After choosing the region you want to visit, the screen fills with photos and short bios of people in those places. And, surprisingly, not everyone is in their 20s. You can choose whom you'd like to message about the area. If someone has a couch (or guest room) to offer visitors, that information will be listed on the page. Of course, not everyone wants to welcome strangers into their homes.

Not surprisingly, the thought of staying with a stranger may be simply too nerve-wracking for many people, but meeting a local for a cup of coffee in Barcelona might be an exciting adventure - and still allow for interesting conversation and suggestions about what to see in the city.

The biggest fear for many about this type of site is the safety aspect. The site's developers have tried to take precautions to ensure safety for its users, and individual subscribers must choose for themselves what they are comfortable with. Symbols on users' bios alert viewers about their status. A small lock symbol identifies that the site has verified the user's name and address. Hands entwined with other hands is the "vouching" symbol, which means that a "vouched for" user has said they trust this user. Essentially, the Web site states, the vouching symbol is a kind of Web circle of trust.

Virtualtourist.com is another site that has content largely driven by subscribers. VT members offer tips, advice and photos about places they live or have visited to help those contemplating travel to their areas.

In the forums section, users post questions about any travel-related concern they can think of, including specific places to visit, how to find the best deals and whether a hotel is in a safe area.

A fun feature of the site allows users to create a travel map of places they have been and where they want to go. Simply clicking on the map of the world is all it takes to mark where you have lived, where you have been and where you want to visit. Users can save their maps and export them to display on their personal Web sites or share with friends and family.

This Web site is great for people planning luxury vacations. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on a hotel and hoping it measures up, travelers can post questions about specific hotels and restaurants and get responses from people who have stayed there. Sometimes, users even post photos of the accommodations.

These Web sites can get you daydreaming about your perfect vacation and help when the winter gets a little long this year. But remember that when you return from being away - on the vacation you've been dreaming of all winter - Steamboat Springs may very well feel like you're still on vacation.

- Allison Miriani