After a long day in the winter abyss, seen at over 9,000 feet, nothing sounds much sweeter than curling up to a cozy fireplace. While dancing embers dot your eyes and a heavy blanket of warmth caresses your frozen limbs, it’s hard not to fall into a stupor of tranquility in front of a hearthstone fire. The thing is, here in Summit County it gets cold. Really cold. To fight the iron fist of old man winter in these parts, no better solution exists than a fireplace or wood-burning stove. Take heed of these hot spots, because they might just be your melting grace.

Blue Spruce Inn, Frisco

Nothing screams cozy more than a quaint log cabin with a roaring fireplace. What’s even more enticing is when this cabin serves up top-notch steaks and perfectly cooked fish. Enter the Blue Spruce Inn, a charming steakhouse nestled in Frisco, offering all the aWolbove and more. One can saddle up in the cozy wooded interior of the “Spruce,” and bask in the glow of a warm fire while dining on exquisite items like the Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes or Buffalo Short Ribs.

Bagalis, Frisco

Looking for a hip, nouveau joint to warm the soul? Look no farther than Bagalis in Frisco. Bagalis offers international cuisine, as well a roaring fireplace, that will make one feel like they are basking in a king’s castle. Bagalis also boasts a large variety of wine, which can be a seductive indulgence while relaxing in a fireplace’s grasp.

Lodgepole Bar and Grill, Breckenridge

Sometimes, there’s nothing more soothing than a warm fire, and a nice, stiff drink. The Lodgepole Bar and Grill, located inside the Grand Timber Lodge in Breckenridge, can help with that and more. Lodgepole offers a full bar selection with fireplace seating less than a stone’s throw away. There are not too many bars where one can sink into a plush leather seat, while embraced by warm rays of a fire, with an adult hot chocolate in-tow. Add in the full-sized pool table and stunning views of snow-capped evergreens, and you’ve got a fireplace destination not to be missed.

Alpenglow Stube, Keystone Resort

It may seem hard to believe, but sitting on the backside of Keystone Mountain is an AAA, four-star fine dining experience. Enter the Alpenglow Stube — a Bavarian-style restaurant that can only be reached with ski and snowboard, or over two gondola trips. The tone is set immediately upon entering the “Stube,” as host or hostess will take your shoes, and return, delivering a set of plush slippers. The service doesn’t stop there, as an elegant dining room, stone-laid fireplace included, will serve as your fantasy-like backdrop for the dinner. After a meal made from award-winning chefs, one has but little choice than to feast on exquisite desserts like Oreo Dream Cheesecake and Citrus Mascarpone Crème Brule, while embers from the fire fade into the night.

Janet’s Cabin, Copper Mountain

There’s a phrase used among skiers and snowboarders that goes, “Earn your turns.” It means that there is a higher value in hiking to terrain to ride down, in contrast to the runs accessed by chairlifts. When trekking to Janet’s Cabin near Copper Mountain, this phrase should be altered to, “Earn your stove.” The phrase may not roll off the tongue as nicely, but the experience of journeying, and staying at this high-elevation cabin, is equally as fulfilling. The over-10,000-foot shelter can be reached after a roughly 5-mile snowshoe or boot hike. Once arriving, the visitor is awarded with stunning views of Vail Pass, the Continental Divide and Copper Mountain. Janet’s Cabin itself is a homey abode, most importantly featuring a gorgeous wood-burning stove. The adventure of reaching this backcountry playground is well-rewarded when curling up to the glow of this rustic device.

Frisco Day Lodge, Frisco

Right off Highway 9 between Breckenridge and Frisco, lies the Frisco Day Lodge, a wonderful local venue for kick-starting almost any winter-sports pursuit. The lodge is surrounded by the Frisco Adventure Park, where miles of cross-country skiing trails and a tubing/beginner ski and snowboard hill exists. After getting some quality exercise, with a few stunning views of Lake Dillon and surrounding peaks mixed in, one can have a well-deserved rest inside the spacious lodge. The centerpiece of the lodge is a regal stone fireplace that will melt your soul and any frozen extremities. A full cafe is inside as well, offering food, refreshments and adult beverages. If there is something more relaxing than sipping on hot chocolate while munching on nachos and taking in the beauty of Summit County out of the tall expansive windows at the Frisco Day Lodge, I haven’t heard of it.

The Lodge At Breckenridge

If you’re looking for a place to rest your head with a fireplace in sight, the Lodge at Breckenridge can be a great solution. Many of the spacious rooms in this boutique hotel come with a gas fireplace, in addition to the public fireplaces that are scattered throughout the building. With an incredible location five minutes outside of Breckenridge, one can take in a plethora of eye candy from their room. From many rooms, it’s possible to alternate between watching the sun set over the Tenmile Range while glancing back inside to the flickering flames of your fireplace. If you want to get a bite, massage or workout, you won’t have to go far, with a gym, spa and restaurant all under their roof.

Bud+Breakfast, Silverthorne

While we’re on the topic of flames, why not spark up some of your own “light?” The light of marijuana that is. At Bud+Breakfast in Silverthorne, this kind of behavior is not only accepted, but “highly” encouraged. The bed and breakfast has a marijuana-friendly policy toward all of their guests, and takes the experience even one step further with a Grateful Dead theme in each room. Vibrant colors and dancing bears grace the beds and walls, making your stay a psychedelic one, to say the least. Most important of all, The Garcia suite has its own gas burning stove, allowing your eyes to intake dancing flames, while possibly creating your own.