Summer in Vermont

Most memorable was the beautiful scenery, mountains, fresh air, clean environment. Summer is a great time to visit since it is not crowded.

Lots of outdoor activities to do locally--tennis, golf, hiking, gondola rides to top of mountain with choice of riding back down, hiking down or mountain biking. Exceptional, helpful staff at Killington activity center to describe options, help with selection of trails, assist novices in preparing to mountain bike, etc. Water slide in this facility as well. PICo Activity Center a few miles down the road had an Alpine slide that was very enjoyable. Also locally, at Mountain Top, the horseback riding experience was very nice. Beautiful setting in the mountains with basic guided rides for one hour to full day sessions on learning horseback riding.

Great day trips--45 minutes to Woodstock -very quaint town and Queechee Gorge with optional hiking to bottom of gorge. Near Woodstock was a free and very interesting tour of farm making maple syrup and cheese--SugarBush Farm.

Ride up Route 100 to Ben and Jerry's factory tour and Stowe 1 1/2 hour drive on very scenic road with clear streams, river, water fall and small towns along the way. Warren has a great general store with fresh baked goods and sandwiches--deck overlooks the Mad River. Stowe is another beautiful part of Vermont. We visited the Von Trapp Family Inn (Sound of Music)--not touristy, just lots of charm. The restaurant at the Inn requires reservations but is exceptional. The Austrian Tearoom on the complex is open for lunch and is very good.

Another longer excursion of 2 1/2 hours was up Route 7 to the Lake Champlain area. We went to see the Lippinzaner Stallions perform on one of the Islands. The show was good but the added benefit was seeing this very picturesque area. We stopped at the Vermont Teddy Bear factory on the way up--nice tour and had dinner in Burlington Vermont, a beautiful town worth going back to for a second visit in the future. College town, hilly but right on the lake.

Would have liked to spend more time visiting the numerous shops, antique stores and art galleries that are found in all parts of the state.

Quick Tips:

We had great weather most of our stay. Watch the weather to plan suitable activities. Take advantage of nice clear days to go to the top of the mountain. Consider activity pass if you plan to use the Killington and PICO centers more than ad day or two. We did better with purchasing tickets for the specific activites we wanted to do and not getting the pass.

Best Way To Get Around:

Must have a car unless you never leave the resort.

We were in a one-bedroom, very clean, nicely decorated unit with a pullout couch in the living room for our daughter. Kitchen was small but well equipped and included stove, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, all utensils, dishes, coffee maker, etc. There was daily maid service (unusual for a timeshare) and coffee, dishwashing detergents were supplied by the resort. The living room and bedroom had TVs. The bedroom was large with king-sized bed, but we missed our home mattress. The bathroom was large and had a double sink, but basic otherwise. The balcony was nice with great views.

It was nice having everything in one building...restaurant, fitness center, pool, etc. Staff was great. Overall, we really liked the accommodations.

Best Things Nearby:
Beautiful scenery; hiking in mountains, gondola rides; mountain biking, golfing; day trips to quaint Vermont villages

Best Things About the Resort:
Great fitness center, steam room, sauna, heated pool with two hot tubs; beautiful setting with mountains all around; newly decorated-Vermont style; friendliness of staff; nice restaurant

Resort Experience:
Resort was in a quiet, scenic area, good for relaxing and outdoor activities; nearby (within a few minutes) were numerous quality restaurants. Vermont is a beautiful state, no litter, no billboards, very appealing. In the summer, we were able to enjoy lots of nice weather (warm and sunny, but not too hot and humid), clean fresh air and easy access to a variety of activities from hiking, horseback riding, swimming, golfing to touring villages, taking tours (Ben and Jerry's, Teddy Bear factory, maple syrup, etc.) Lots of quaint shops and antique stores. It was a great vacation.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Excellent

This was the best restaurant we dined at during our stay in Killington. This was surprising, because we thought it would only cater to families and serve traditional American food. The quality of each of our meals was exceptional... great bread and salads. Nice variety in menu, nothing standard. Fish, steak, pasta dishes, creatively prepared and nicely presented with fresh vegetables. Great desserts and very friendly service. Interesting atmosphere--there really is a caboose.

Very conveniently located in hotel. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Pub food as well as full menu. Nice atmosphere and selections for couples and families. Some nights there are special themes-- i.e., lobster night. Quality and variety of selections was very good. Early bird special until 6:30 -- 20% off.

The outside appearance was the draw... large mill on a small lake with flower boxes around the outside eating area, nicely lighted at night, all very charming.

The daily specials were a little pricier than we expected and what we experienced at other local restaurants--$20-$30 range. But good variety and less costly on regular menu...steak, seafood, turkey dinners, lamb, etc. Nice salad. Good overall.

Restaurant is being remodeled, hopefully decor will be as well. Menu consists of American-Italian dishes that are primarily some sort of pasta with tomato sauce--eggplant parm., chicken parm., etc. Large portions. Not light eating... Salads were OK