Christina & Scott
Things To Do
Breweries in Stowe
The Alchemist (famous Heady Topper): https://alchemistbeer.com/ Von Trapp Brewing: http://www.vontrappbrewing.com/ Idletyme Brewing Company: https://idletymebrewing.com/ Stowe Cider: https://www.stowecider.com/ Four Points will do guided tours if you want to see more than one spot and with a designated driver: http://4pointsvt.com/brewery-tours/
Cross Country Skiing
Stowehof, Edson Hill, and Trapp Family Lodge all have great options for Cross Country Skiing. Directly adjoining the Stowehof are the Wiessner Woods. Follow the Catamount Trail as it meanders through the Hemlock forest passing by the Gnome Home on the way to the Halvorsen's sugar house.
Dog Sledding
Umiak Outdoor Outfitters offers a 2 hour dogsled experience and a thirty-minute evening dogsled ride in Stowe.
Sleigh Rides
Sleigh rides are offered from the Trapp Family Lodge!
Check out Burlington before driving to Stowe!
Walk down Church Street and stop into some restaurants, bars, and shops! Check out the beautiful views of Lake Champlain! Visit some awesome breweries: Magic Hat, Switchback, Zero Gravity, Citizen Cider, and more!
Ice Skating (at Stowe Mountain Resort)
Right at the bottom of the mountain where people will be skiing and snowboarding is an ice skating rink! Its located just steps from the Spruce Camp Base Lodge and is free to use and open to the public. Ice rink is open daily, 12pm-9pm. (Skates, helmets, and wrist guards can all be rented)
Snowmobiling
Snowmobiles can be rented at Snowmobile Vermont: https://www.snowmobilevermont.com/
Spa
The spas at Stowe Mountain Lodge and Topnotch are highly recommended. https://www.destinationhotels.com/stowe-mountain-lodge/spa http://www.topnotchresort.com/stowe-vermont-spa/
Snowshoeing
Guided tour from Trapp Family Lodge: https://www.trappfamily.com/skiing-snowshoeing.htm Moonlight Cabin Snowshoe (https://www.umiak.com/moonlight-cabin-tour): you will be instructed on using snowshoes, then led to a hidden sugarhouse in the woods by the light of the moon or a headlamp. There, you will enjoy a toasty fire, Cabot cheese, crackers and hot, mulled Cold Hollow apple cider (and can bring your own wine!) Snowshoe + Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream (https://www.umiak.com/snowshoe--ice-cream-too): Enjoy a guided 30 minute snowshoe tour in the woodlands behind the Ben & Jerrys factory. The terrain is easy, but varied and fun. Finish your visit with a factory tour to learn how Vermont's Finest Ice Cream is made and enjoy a sample. Bring your own and enjoy the Wiessner Woods! Directly adjoining The Stowehof this is open to the public for pedestrian recreational use including hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing and dog walking.
Restaurant & Food Recommendations
Places We've Been: Idletyme Brewing Company (1859 Mountain Road): craft beer, American comfort food Piecasso Pizzeria (1899 Mountain Road): pizza! The Bench (492 Mountain Road): wood-fired pizzas, American comfort food Edson Hill (1500 Edson Hill Road): fine dining Edelweiss Mountain Deli (2251 Mountain Rd): pick up a breakfast or deli sandwich McCarthy's (454 Mountain Road ): casual breakfast Harvest Market (1031 Mountain Road): coffee, specialty food market Place we have not been but have heard are good: Flannel (4000 Mountain Road) Cork Wine Bar & Market (35 School Street) Plate (91 Main Street) Picnic Social (433 Mountain Road) Blue Donkey (1669 Mountain Road) Doc Ponds (294 Mountain Road)
Food & Drink Sampling (outside of Stowe)
Green Mountain Distillers: http://greendistillers.com/ Boyden Valley Winery & Spirits: https://boydenvalley.com/ Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream: http://www.benjerry.com/waterbury Lake Champlain Chocolates: http://www.lakechamplainchocolates.com/blog/waterbury-store/ Cabot Cheese: https://www.cabotcheese.coop/cabot-farmers-store Cold Hollow Cider Mill: http://www.coldhollow.com/
Ski & Snowboard
Scott and I will be skiing and snowboarding together on Friday. We may hit the slopes for a bit on Thursday, as well, and several people will probably go Saturday and Sunday depending on their schedules! For those of you who ski often, Stowe was just bought by Vail, therefore is on the Epic Ski Pass! (other mountains include Vail, Beaver Creek, Whistler, Heavenly, Park City, Breckenridge, etc.). For those of who you are not on the Epic pass, we highly recommend you buy your passes online vs. in person in order to get a discount. This can be done on Stowe's website (https://www.stowe.com/ski-ride/lift/) or through a site like Liftopia (https://www.liftopia.com/)
Fat Biking
Fat biking, a recent innovation in bicycle technology, is a fantastic way to get your bike fix during the winter. With wider-than-normal tires, fat bikes cruise smoothly over snow and ice and are fun to ride any time of the year. The following shops have fat bikes available for rent: AJ’s Ski & Sports Mansfield Cycles at Mountain Ops
Ice Fishing
There are many ponds and lakes which offer excellent ice fishing. Check out one of Fly Rod Shop's ice fishing tours or the special ice fishing program this winter at Catamount Fishing Adventures. http://www.flyrodshop.com/ http://catamountfishing.com/