Great skiing getaway at the very start of the season--no crowds, peaceful, upscale town.
by Suzannecat on January 5, 2004
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.${QuickSuggestions} We went just slightly before ski season officially started - the weather was great, there was snow enough for quite a few ski lifts to be open, and the town was almost empty. No waits on lift lines or at restaurants.${BestWay} 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 better if it snows - the area is hilly and snow accumulates fast.
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 lug strollers, etc. The units, however, were fine inside, with well-stocked kitchens, good appliances and linens, two TVs, and a fireplace. They're not luxurious or new looking, but they were truly ok. There's a nice indoor pool area. We paid $10/wk extra and rented a highchair. Laundry facilities were very limited (bad when everyone has wet, dirty ski clothes at the same time). There's not a lot to do at the resort itself, but the area is great. Unit Type: 2 Bedroom Activities: Fair Amenities: Fair Unit Satisfaction: Fair Family Friendliness: Fair Service: Fair
The units, however, were fine inside, with well-stocked kitchens, good appliances and linens, two TVs, and a fireplace. They're not luxurious or new looking, but they were truly ok. There's a nice indoor pool area. We paid $10/wk extra and rented a highchair. Laundry facilities were very limited (bad when everyone has wet, dirty ski clothes at the same time). There's not a lot to do at the resort itself, but the area is great.
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. They even had a Swiss Fendant wine (very hard to find) by the glass. Children's menu and very child-friendly staff (but hot oil and skewers keep you on your toes with your kids). We went just before the season officially started and during a snowstorm, and the restaurant was almost empty. In season, they said waits can be very long, and I don't think they take reservations.
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.
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.
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.
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 Vermont delicacies. I didn't take the kids here, but probably could have in retrospect. It wasn't as fancy as the dinner restaurant at the lodge.
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.
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 and three chair lifts. Plus, the mountain is minutes from Mt. Mansfield for more difficult skiing, so you can use the childcare and ski school facilities here and ski there easily. It is a bit pricy, as skiing goes, and the lodge needs updating (they're just starting to do just that, I hear), but the area is lovely. I really recommend going just before the season gets going - i.e., early December.
http://www.igougo.com/journal-j27987-Stowe-Stowe-_the_Alps_in_Vermont.html
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