Enjoying our week in Stowe Vermont

Stowe is a great vacation spot for doing lots or doing little. This time, we did not see any of the "attractions" since our plans were to do some sports and then spend time relaxing. Therefore we spent our time golfing (my husband signed up for the golf school which he loved),exercising in the health club, swimming at the brand new facility called The Swimming Hole, walking on Stowe's Recreation Path, playing tennis on the condo's courts and hiking. We spent the evenings dining at great restaurants.

For first time visitors, visit Stowe's Visitor Information site which has lots of information . There are many links from this site to give you ideas of things to do!

For information on the attractions, see for information . I especially liked the gondola ride and the drive up the Mt Mansfield road.
Shopping is nice since Stowe is a pretty town with many quaint stores.
You will want to spend time driving around since the scenery is nice.
Stowe has great dining! See for dining information on numerous restaurants and for an interesting and informative chart of restaurants.
The theater is also worth seeing if a play is scheduled during your stay. See the schedule .
The major Stowe family activities are summarized here . Stowe has really come a long way from when a bought a timeshare in the eighties!

Quick Tips:

Two suggestions to have a good vacation: One is to pick up the map of Stowe (two sided color map is available everywhere). The map has restaurants and other activities clearly noted so you can't get lost.

The second suggestion is to read some reviews of the restaurants. There are so many restaurants and you want to make sure you get to some of the best ones.

Best Way To Get Around:

I never saw a taxi but I do know there is a "trolley" but that is great for first time visitors. Most of the time you need a car (to get to some of the restaurants mostly) but depending upon where you are staying you can walk to many places. And Stowe has a first rate recreation path.

Since our timeshare did not have air conditioning, we called up for a room at the nearby Stowe Motel. We were very happy with the clean and spacious room with nice cherry furniture. In addition to 2 beds, the room also included a refrigerator, table/desk, and chairs. Our room overlooked the nicely landscaped property and large outdoor pool. There were some activities (volleyball, tennis,etc on-site) plus, of course, the outdoor pool. The stay also included a continental breakfast which was held in the "hostess room."

We stayed at the motel for two nights but they were not consecutive so we were keeping most of our stuff at the condo and then relaxing and sleeping in the Motel room. The Motel manager was aware of why we were staying there and she let us check in early and leave late which was very nice (more hours of air conditioning).

The motel is very conveniently located to the center of town and VERY reasonably priced (this was the July 4th week). Even though it sits on the main highway, the trees on the property shielded you from the noise of the streets so the stay was very enjoyable.

Best Things Nearby:
Golf course
Bike Path
Center of town

Best Things About the Resort:
Great indoor pool
Pretty landscape
Spacious rooms
Clay tennis courts
Bathroom that is accessible without going through a bedroom

Resort Experience:
This is a nice resort but it did NOT have air conditioning. The rooms were 95 degrees, which made our stay unbearable! My recommendation would be highly recommend in the winter and not recommend in the hot summer. The three fans in the condo did not provide enough relief and it was obvious that the managers know there is a problem but are unwilling to put in air conditioning.

When we did stay in the rooms, we loved the place. The rooms were very large and homey. The TV included a VCR, which was great for watching movies. There was a huge deck (we were on the third floor) with many chairs and a table, which was nice for eating or to unwind. There was also a gas fireplace, which for wintertime would be great. The living room was set up to comfortably seat over six adults. The kitchen was well stocked and wasn't lacking in anything.

The on-site tennis courts were used by us exclusively. I also liked the fact that the condos were in the woods so you had a feeling of being away from it all. Finally, I liked the indoor pool and the hot tub. I believe there was some arcade like games for kids also. I would have preferred some sort of exercise room to complete the recreation building.

We would return to this condo but not when the temperatures are going to be in the nineties!

See Mountainside's web page: For more information .

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Poor
• Amenities: Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Fair
• Family Friendliness: Good
• Service: Good

Sunset Grille was the perfect choice for our first evening (when we were pretty tired from driving six hours). Not only was the

location perfect (within walking distance of the timeshare condo), but also the service was quick and the food good. We actually went to the restaurant/bar three times during the week.

The restaurant had several sections. The first section is a bar with a pool table and lots of TVs (a poor imitation of sports bar though). When we had drinks there (second night), we had a good time but we had the impression that the manager was waiting for us to leave so she could close up.

The second section is the main dining room. The tables were a little crowded and lots of families so it was noisy. But the food was good. I had a chicken dinner. Nothing fancy but it is a casual restaurant.

The third section is the outdoor dining area. That''s where we went the first night to eat and unwind. We both ordered wings and they were very good.

Our bill for two (dinner and beers; tax and tip included) was $38

In one word -- great. Whenever we return to a vacation spot, I make a list of restaurants to visit: some will be return visits and some are "let's try this time". Stowehof Inn was in the second group (but will move to the first group the next time we visit Stowe).

We had reservations and since we didn't know the exact time to drive (the restaurant is a little off the beaten path), we arrived early. That gave us plenty of time to view the property and I was impressed even before sitting down to dinner. The landscaped property is beautiful and we enjoyed our time walking around. If I was staying at the hotel, I could imagine that it would be a very relaxing place to sit on the "swings" and breathe in the fresh air. We then went to dinner. We had a choice of sitting indoors in one of the main dining rooms or outdoors around the pool. Since it was extremely hot, we opted for indoors. Our table was excellent - roomy and it overlooked the outdoor eating area.

We were presented with a wine list and even though I knew the restaurant was supposed to have a great wine cellar, we chose a moderately priced bottle of wine. I can't remember the brand of merlot but it was excellent. As far as the main course, I ordered rack of lamb (which is why the price of our dinner is higher than the average). The lamb was cooked to perfection for me and was delicious. All during the meal, the waiter was available but not intrusive. In addition to great food, great service, and fantastic environment, we were also able to use our enterntainment card to get a sizeable discount. I would highly recommend the restaurant. Our bill for two (dinner including wine and desert; tax and tip) was $108 (that is $15 less because we had a discount)

We went to the Gables Inn, a bed and breakfast on the main street, for breakfast. I was disappointed since the food was just ok and service very slow and we had invited friends to join us!

My order was Belgian waffles. Unfortunately, the taste was not acceptable (not as good as what I make from a box at home). However, one of my friends ordered pancakes and her food was good. My husband's eggs were so-so.

We ate outside which was a bad decision on our part since by the time we got served, the sun was in full force and it was a little unbearable. I have eaten at this restaurant before and I have to believe that it was just one of those days. My recommendation is to have reservations and to leave (as some did) if you don't get service within a reasonable timeframe. We just waited and waited -before the order was taken and then had the same unacceptable wait after the order was taken. Our breakfast bill for four was $41 (tax and tip included)

I have always had a good meal at this restaurant! The menu is very extensive and varies from munchies to full course meals. Also, the meal selection allows you to choose dinner selections according to your pocketbook.

I selected the meal I usually select: fish and chips. As usual my entree was very good. Not only is the food good but also the service is friendly and efficient. There were not a lot of diners the time we picked, but the waitress was very attentive. In addition, even though not all tables were going to be used, we were allowed to pick out the table we wanted. So we didn't get stuck with a table in a high traffic area. You can choose to eat outside, but no one chose that area during that evening because it was so hot outside.

Cost of dinner for two (including beers, tax and tip) was $80.

We also returned another evening but stayed in the pub area - aka Mr. Pickwicks Pub. The bartender was great and somehow he had the three groups of strangers talking to each other. I enjoyed listening to the one customer who lived in England but was in the U.S. for vacation. His job was taking the first trial run on amusement parks! He was very interesting.

I also ordered a special beer that I liked that tasted like a strawberry champagne. The bartender went down to the basement to get my first bottle. After I ordered, others followed suit and since no one else there had sampled that beer before, there was quite a discussion about the beer! I think the bartender made quite a few trips to the basement that evening. He did tell us that he had never sold that many bottles in one evening!

The only down side of the evening is that we had to go home!

First of all, we ended up eating at this restaurant was because it had air conditioning and the other three restaurants we tried did not! Therefore this restaurant had an extra star to begin with.

There are three things that are nice about this restaurant. It has been around forever so the management knows the customers' needs. We have returned to the restaurant numerous times. And the major reason for the restaurant's longevity is the extra touches (that mean a lot), such as quick service, cheap prices, friendly atmosphere, etc.

The second nice thing about this restaurant is an extensive menu that allows you to find something to meet whatever your mood is that evening.

The third thing nice about this restaurant is lots of tables and different areas of dining rooms for you to choose (family area, greenhouse area, quiet nook area, etc).

I had a burger with lots of fixings, which is my normal choice when we frequent the Shed. I do not think the meal is anything special but it is a family Mom's cooking type of place.

And don't forget it had air conditioning which many of the other restaurants in the town did not have!

Cost of dinner for two (including beers; tax and tip) was $31.

I was not happy with my experience at this restaurant. This was one of three new restaurants we tried this time in Stowe, and of the seven restaurants we visited this week, it was the worst!

I will first mention the positive aspects of this restaurant. The decor inside is very interesting (quaint antique items all over). Before dinner we spent some time browsing. We also spent some time looking at the outside the gardens (though I know from past visits to Stowe that this was not the right time of the year for maximum blooms. Whenever you are on Stowe's recreation path, you past the gardens and they are usually spectacular.

As far as the dinner itself, my husband had the house specialty which is prime rib. He thought his dinner was good. I had the ribs and they were terrible. Since they were not edible, I took the time to complain. Unfortunately, the manager really didn't care. I left the restaurant ready to go someplace else for dinner since I ate very little. Later I realized that the reason I hated the ribs so much is that they were beef, not pork ribs, and they were way overdone!

Cost of dinner for two (including beers, tax and tip) was $51.

We hadn't planned to stop in at the Partridge Pub. We went to the planned Stowe July 4th event. However, since it had rained all morning, the field was a mud bath and we left after a short time. We needed to find a nearby place to wait out the early evening hours until the fireworks would be held. So we remembered the Partridge Pub. We had been there before and it is a very friendly family atmosphere restaurant and a "bar" are to unwind or in our case a great location for us to "wait it out". Since we had already eaten some of the "carnival" food at the fireworks event, we obviously didn't select dinner fare. Instead we ate munchies at the bar and had a few drinks. Even though it was obvious that we would be there for only an hour or so, the bartender was excellent and very friendly. The food I selected was wings which were good and reasonably priced. Because most of the town was at the fireworks event, we pretty much had the place by ourselves. So we sat, sipped, and chatted and then off for the fireworks!

Hiking:
We asked about a recommendation for hiking at the front office of our timeshare. I guess I didn't realize that there would be a difference of opinion concerning what the word HIKE meant! Yes, the views at the top of Pinnacle trail were beautiful, but it was a grueling (for me) mountain CLIMB. At the top, I made a cell phone call (phone was in my camera case) just to let my co-workers know that I might not want to descend the "trail"! As we descended, and people going up the mountain asked questions, I didn't know whether to tell them bad news or good news. Should I tell them that the hike took over 1 1/2hours to the top or that the view was beautiful? For hikers in better shape than me, this is a good hike. Whatever your fitness level, the views are great. I don't think my photos give justice to the views.

Walking:
We also spent time walking along Stowe's famous Recreation Path. On the path (easily accessible by most condos), there were walkers, bikers, skateboards, etc. Just no motorized vehicles. The wide path is well marked with distances painted in the surface. In addition the path winds through pretty wooded areas and there are several bridges over streams. Very peaceful!

Information on the web:
After returning from vacation, I found a web site that gave a lot of information (including ratings) about various hiking trails. See For lots of information .

We also went to the July 4th fireworks display. It was billed as an afternoon event with lots of vendors and amusements followed by fireworks. The posters stated "Family fun! Food booths, crafts, music, fun and games. Fireworks at dusk." It had all of that. Unfortunately the weather was not the best since it had rained hard all morning. That meant there was lots of mud and fewer vendors.

We spent the time waiting for the fireworks to begin by walking around the field and deciding which vendor''s food was to be selected. It was a hard choice since there was the normal assortment of fair food. I believe sausage and peppers won out by a small margin over all of the other choices. Of course there was also the snow cones and cotton candy!

For the fireworks display, we managed to get a spot leaning against a fence. I was envious of all of the locals that had brought chairs! When it got dark enough, the show began. There were lots of ahs and oohs as the most beautiful displays shot up. All too soon the display was over and we had to drive back.

One suggestion: know back-up routes to leave the field. We wanted to turn left and was forced to turn right. It took us an extra hour to get back to the condo because we made a wrong turn after the detour. Another plan of action would be to park on the main road rather than in the "field"!

My husband is an avid golfer who decided to sign up for golf school (2 full day) lessons. This was the first time he ever took golf lessons, and he was very impressed with the school. There were just four people in class and he learned a lot. The brochure that described what would be covered was very accurate. By the end of the second day, the four students got along great. The only problem was that 18 holes of golf was included each day after eight hours of instruction. With the heat, he was too beat to play more than 9 holes!

Since I am not a golfer, I would rate this activity as expensive but a golfer would probably have a different opinion. In fact, my husband plans to sign up again when we return next to Stowe!

See the Golf school's web site for lots of information .

Quite frankly at first I was not too thrilled to stop at the "tour" at the winery. We were on the way home and I didn't want to delay our return for wine tasting. However, after our visit I was very glad we stopped.

First, it was interesting to see how wine was made. And we got to sample some of the cheeses and jams. Then we went to the wine store where we listened to the wine merchant tell us about the various wines (as we tasted each one in the repertoire). I believe the tasting cost about $2 each (refundable if you buy wine). Not only did we buy several different bottles of unique wine, we also tipped the merchant because he was so enjoyable and knowledgeable.

The stop was a total surprise and very enjoyable.

Since the drive from Albany, NY to Stowe, Vt is quite tedious, we took a ferry. See the following site to get all of the information about times, rates, and directions to take the Ferry across Lake Champlain from various departure points: http://www.ferries.com/charlotte.html (Be very aware of the times the ferry takes off or you have a long wait for the next one). The bad news is that as we got closer to Burlington, we knew we would miss the Burlington, Vt to Keene, NY ferry. The good news there are several ferries to choose from. So we continued driving on down the highway. When we got to Essex we made a split decision to take the Essex Ferry. Luckily we didn't take more than 5 seconds to make the decision because we were the next to last car loaded (only seconds to spare!). What the literature doesn't tell you is how beautiful Lake Champlain is. It was a beautiful view and gives you a rest from driving. It was a clear day so you could really just look out in wonder at Lake Champlain. We were asked how difficult is it to get your car on and off the ferry. It was a breeze to get on: We drove down the road (well marked) and held our breaths that we would make the ferry in time. Then we just drove on -- kinda like driving within the lines of a car wash. As for getting off, that was pretty funny in our case because of the order. Since we were in the last row and the middle column of cars, when we reached the other side, we thought most cars would drive off before us. Little did we know that they de-loaded the cars by columns. You guessed it - we were in the column selected to go first. So we were running to the car (we were still gazing out on the water), trying to get in with our camera stuff getting caught in the door, trying to start the car without really being in the car yet. And of course laughing at the same time because we looked like bumbling idiots! And I am sure other passengers (who obviously knew the routine) were wondering whether we would hold up the line. Several suggestions: Check the schedules ahead of time so you minimize the time waiting for a ferry (some are hours apart). Allow yourself enough time to get to the Ferry since it does take between 15 minutes to 45 minutes (depending upon which ferry chosen and which direction) to drive from highway to the ferry departure. And taking the ferry decreased drastically the time we would be driving on no-pass highways of Vermont!