Quick Tips:

The Visitor’s Center is located right on Main Street (Rt 100) just past Gracie’s Restaurant. You can find many pamphlets including local events. I will never forget the hot air balloon festival!

Visit the web, especially Stowe’s official website.

Best Way To Get Around:

While waiting for our food, I gazed at the décor of the restaurant. We were seated in a very large booth which I enjoyed since we were not cramped at all. The benches have very high backs, which certainly is great for romantic settings. Unlike some benches, these benches included very thick cushions, which made for great comfort! There is a lot of wood molding around the room, which adds to the richness of the décor. There also are many prints to look at. Very enjoyable scenery!

The food was delicious. I ordered ribs, which were so tender that I did not need a knife! My husband also enjoyed his classic turkey dinner with all of the fixings. We also enjoyed the chocolate crepes for desert. Dinner for two, including wine and dessert, tax and tip was $63. Click here to see the complete menu. .

Even though the restaurant is new, I thought I recognized some of the interior from a prior visit. We talked to the manager and he confirmed that indeed some of the restaurant interior was from the previous restaurant, Edelweiss.

This is a relatively new restaurant and hopefully it will be around as long as the previous restaurant.

What is a Dutch pancake? We found out a Dutch pancake has a special recipe than the recipes you may use at home. In addition, the pancakes are prepared in a Dutch skillet. Each pancake is large since the size of the skillet is 12 inches in diameter. Of course, you could order “plain” Dutch pancakes, but most people will spend quite a long time looking over the menu to decide which ingredients to add. I, of course, knew from the beginning chocolate would be one of my extra ingredients. For less than $9, I got the most delicious banana chocolate pancake! My husband was just as happy with his apple blueberry pancake.

After eating at the Dutch Pancake Café, I can understand why the breakfast was reviewed by the New York Times as "the world's most decadent breakfast". Make sure you take some time to stop in for a great breakfast.

Click here to see a sample menu .
Click here to see a picture and some other information .

Yet, once on the path, you are secluded from the busy highway (most of the time) as the pathway winds through scenic woods. It is so peaceful along the path since there are woods, wild flowers, and park-like settings along the streams with benches for resting, rustic bridges, and great views of the mountain areas. The pathway has certainly been improved in the last 20 years since I first used the rec path. In fact, the pathway is now 5.5 miles each way (about double the original length). I believe some improvements are from the generous contributions from the Stowe Land Trust.

One final plus for this path for runners training for a race: the paved path is marked every .25 miles, so you can time how fast you are running. In addition, since no motorized vehicles are allowed, you have no gas fumes!

I have included some of my photos but
Click here for a website to see professional photos..
Click here for a map and perspective. .

First up for me is always artsy jewelry stores. This summer I was dismayed to find my all time favorite store had gone out of business but I found two great substitutes. The Stowe Craft Gallery and Vermont Heritage Gifts and Crafts had a very nice selection of jewelry as well as other unusual gifts. Make sure you look at the wonderful kaleidoscopes and outdoor sculptures. Very unusual and very tempting. Yes, I did add to my collection of jewelry with a matching onyx bracelet to match my other onyx jewelry. Both stores are at the corner of 108 and 100 so they are right in the village. And as soon as you are finished shopping, walk across the street to the covered bridge!
Click here for the webpage for Stowe Craft Gallery .

Next up is a stop at the Christmas Loft. I try to find a Stowe related Christmas ornament each time I visit the area. Each one is different and is a nice memory of my vacation week. I also look at the great display of Heritage Village and many times add to my collection!

Right across the street from Christmas Loft is the area called Red Barn shops. I received a wonderful basket of wines, chocolates, and other treats from the Mountain Cheese and Wine shop. I believe they deliver and the baskets make wonderful gifts. Samara’s Card and gift shop has the most unusual children toys and clothes and again, you can find wonderful gifts for birthdays! Even their website is a joy: Click here for their webpage.

After visiting those stores, it is just across the parking lot to the 108 West Shops. Stowe Kitchen Bath & Linens have beautiful placemats, every kitchen gizmo that exists, candles, etc. Another wonderful shop. Visiting their web site will give you a small sample of some of the items found in the store: Click here for the webpage.

In addition, many of the resorts, such as Trapp Family Lodge have gift shops that are fun to browse. I have not even mentioned the clothing stores, the sports related stores, etc. Yes, Stowe has wonderful shops!