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Stowe Journals

Stowe- the Alps in Vermont

A December 2003 trip to Stowe by Suzannecat

Learing to ski at Stowe Photo - Spruce Peak, Stowe, Vermont More Photos
Quote: Great skiing getaway at the very start of the season--no crowds, peaceful, upscale town.
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Stowe- the Alps in Vermont Best of IgoUgo

Overview

Quote:
Excellent skiing, dining, and beautiful scenery. Additional highlights are the local factory tours - Ben and Jerry's, sugar houses, Cold Hollow Cider Mill, Vermont Teddy Bear Factory.Quick Tips: We went just slightly before ski season officially started - the weather was great, there was snow enough for quite a few ski lifts to be open, and the town was almost empty. No waits on lift lines or at restaurants.Best Way To Get Around: Driving - Stowe is a small town but fairly spread out (even though almost everything is on one of two roads, the roads are long). Maybe in the summer, walking would be okay for the central area, but in winter a car is a must. Four-wheel drive is even be...Read More

Mountainside Resort Best of IgoUgo

Hotel

Near our condo Photo - Mountainside Resort, Stowe, Vermont
Quote:
Best Things Nearby:Skiing, restaurants, beautiful scenery, Maple Sugar Mills, Ben and Jerry's factory tour, Cold Hollow Cider Mill, and Vermont Teddy Bear factory.Best Things About the Resort:Proximity to skiing, availability.Resort Experience:Mountainside at Stowe is pretty close to town and also close to skiing bases Mount Mansfiled and Spruce Peak. The units are all off a hilly main road, which was poorly plowed while we were there during two snowstorms. We had to leave our car part way up the hill two nights and walk to our unit carrying our toddler. Also, the units all have many stairs leading up to them, so be prepared -- pack light and don't plan to lu...Read More

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on January 5, 2004

Mountainside Resort
Cottage Farm Road
Stowe, Vermont

Swisspot Best of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:
A fabulous meal - we had a fondue feast in this quaint, small village restaurant! Starting with salad and then cheese fondue, then meat and shrimp/oil-based fondue, and chocolate fondue for dessert. We had fondue for four, and asked them to split the cheese portion into two servings regular cheese fondue and two servings tomato-based cheese fondue (truly yummy). The meat fondue came with several dipping sauces. My husband tried cooking the bread from the earlier course in the hot oil - he said it was great, but I didn't go for it. Dessert chocolate fondue came with fresh fruit and pound cake and I think marshmallows. The portion for dessert was really too small, but overall it was a great meal. Th...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 5, 2004

Swisspot
128 Main Street
Stowe, Vermont 05672
(802) 253-4622

Mad Batter Best of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "The Mad Batter"

Quote:
Great bed-and-breakfast restaurant that's open to the public. We had a delicious and filling breakfast here, full of Vermont specialties - Vermont cheddar and local sausage omelet, cinnamon apple pancakes with real maple syrup, Canadian bacon, and fresh fruit, which included kiwi and starfruit. Very calming atmosphere, though there's a TV in the adjoining room, so our kids could wander a bit and watch TV while we waited for breakfast - a nice plus.

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 5, 2004

Mad Batter
3681 Mountain Rd
Stowe, Vermont 05672
(802) 253-5121

Dutch Pancake Cafe Best of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:
A great breakfast or brunch spot with large Dutch-style pancakes and, of course, eggs, regular pancakes, and other regular breakfast foods. The fun pancakes can be filled with so many different fillings - sweet ones like berries or peaches or even ice cream and toppings, or "savory" toppings like leek and potato with sour cream. We went twice - one morning I had a Vermont cheddar and bacon pancake, the other morning, it was potato and onion. Great kids' menu.

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 5, 2004

Dutch Pancake Cafe
Grey Fox Inn
Stowe, Vermont 05672
(802) 253-8921

Gracie's Best of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Quote:
This is a fun family restaurant with a "dog" theme - great burgers and all -American casual food. The pecan pie for dessert was fresh, homemade, and excellent. Reasonable prices - our meatloaf specials with fresh green beans and mashed potatoes were "all you can eat" for about $11. Gift shop upstairs for all things "doggie"-related and a kitty corner too. I think there was a bar there, but we liked it as a family restaurant.

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 5, 2004

Gracie's
1652 Mountain Road
Stowe, Vermont 05672
(802) 253-6888

Austrian Tea Room Best of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Austrian Tea Room - Trapp Family Lodge"

Quote:
A must for any Sound of Music or Von Trapp family fan. We came here for lunch and pastry on a blustery day just before peak season. The view was spectacular. There was no wait, but unfortunately, not many Austrian specialties on the entree menu (they said the Austrian specialties came "in season"). Still, they had excellent wurts with potato salad and sauerkraut and a variety of sandwiches, plus cheddar ale soup and delicious pastries (I loved the Black Forest Cake - a chocolate and cherry masterpiece). The Viennese coffee was especially good as well. An added bonus was the gift shop selling all sorts of Austrian souvenirs, plus family recordings, songbooks, "Sound of Music" specialty gifts, and V...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 5, 2004

Austrian Tea Room
700 Trapp Hill Rd
Stowe, Vermont 05672
(802) 253-8511

Vermont Teddy Bear Factory Best of IgoUgo

Attraction

Quote:
A great tour of where and how they make their famous bears, very amusing with silly anecdotes and a staff that truly loves showing off what they do. Plus a great gift shop for the famous bears and their accessories and a build-your-own-bear area for bears that are "conceived in Vermont, born abroad" - these "imports" are made of the same materials as the factory bears, with their designs, but the "skins" are sewn abroad and then stuffed on-site, finished with a matching bow.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 5, 2004

Vermont Teddy Bear Factory
6655 Shelburne Road
Shelburne 05482
(802) 985-3001

Spruce Peak Best of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Spruce Peak /Stowe"

Learing to ski at Stowe Photo - Spruce Peak, Stowe, Vermont
Quote:
We went just before the official season started (the week before), but there was plenty of snow and several lifts were open. My 5-year-old went to ski school for 2 days and had a fabulous time. He'd never been on skis before and he loved it - it was practically private lessons, since the mountain was so empty, and the staff was very child-friendly. One day we skied with him and put our 21-month-old in CUBS daycare for a half day and everything was seamless. Again, very friendly staff - she didn't want to leave. We were concerned the mountain would be too boring for us, having skied several times before, but it was much more than a bunny slope - there were green circle and blue square runs as well ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 5, 2004

Spruce Peak
5781 Mountain Road
Stowe, Vermont 05672
(802) 253-3000

About the Writer

Suzannecat

Suzannecat
Cortlandt Manor, New York

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