Weekender's Guide: Stowe, Vermont (summer edition)

Stowe is one of those four-season towns that New Englanders keep coming back to. There is something fun to do when the leaves change, when the snow falls, when the flowers bloom and when the summer sun is out. Stowe even made the cut on Travel & Leisure's 11 of the Best Small Towns in America and after a weekend in this mountain town, you will see why. I've been spending time here in the mountains with friends on a girl's getaway, a weekend ski trip with significant others, and now, a summer getaway with my little family and I promise, Stowe is worth the hype. 

Not only was this one of our first family getaways, but this was Adam's first time in northern Vermont (ever) which meant I had a jam-packed weekend planned - Katie Wanders style. I had a fun weekend planned and working around a 4-month old baby and our two dogs gave me a new perspective on travel as a family of 3+. Stowe is a great place to bring the kids and the dogs and we were so thankful for all the dog-friendly patios, budget-friendly lodging options, and opportunities to be outside with our sometimes fussy babe. 

Mount Hunger (nearby Waterbury, Vermont)

Stowe Recreation Path

There is something for everyone in this small mountain town. Active adventurer? There are a lot of great hiking and biking options. Relaxing foodie? You have so many options when it comes to breweries and restaurants and you can spend the weekend eating and drinking your way through town. Bringing the family? Take the kids to one of the swim holes, take a gondola ride up the mountain, and check out the miniature golf course. Whether you are heading up solo or traveling north with a little one or the family dog (or both), this guide is for you. 

Keep on scrolling to see an example of what our weekend in Stowe looked like. You can also make this a "Mix & Match" sort of guide by scrolling to the bottom and picking your kind of weekend from the Eat, Play, Hike, Drink categories at the bottom of the post. 

Winter Weekend in Stowe

The Grandview Barn on Stowe Hollow Road

Mountains or Oceans.... the oh-so-important question asked of many outdoor enthusiasts and single folk swiping on dating profiles.  For a long time, I was a die-hard no questions asked ocean person.   But as time goes by, I can't deny that there's this magnetic pull to the mountains.  And this attraction?  It's pulling me a little harder into the woods than into the water these days.   

The more time I spent on mountains, the more I started to crave the way my calves burned on a hike, the bittersweet feeling of setting up your tent in the dark, and the absolute quiet that comes with being alone on a far away trail.  

These days, I want to be on a peak with my dog, I want to steal sweaty kisses from someone on a summit,  I want to sit on a rock and eat my smooshed sandwich and warming craft beer - items that taste so much better at elevation.   I want to see the view above the treeline and find the nearest brewery once the bags and the dog have been loaded back into the car.  

The more time I spend in the mountains, the more these scales start to shift.  Jagged peaks and densely wooded trails have become just as important to my happiness as a rugged coastline.  

Stowe Gondola, Stowe Mountain Resort

To be fair, I don't need the Rocky Mountains or 14,000 footers to find my footing -  our mountains here in New England are always beautiful, can certainly be challenging, and are often underrated.   Let me camp in the Berkshires, wander in the Whites or hike in the Greens - that always does the trick.

Stowe Pinnacle Hike, Vermont

I love fall and damn do I love Vermont.    So yes, you guessed it, I really really love fall in Vermont.  

There is something about the colors here, the sweeping panoramic views, the green mountains marking the horizon, and of course, the terrific outdoorsy people.  There is so much charm and color wrapped into one beautiful state that it is simply impossible to visit Vermont and not fall in love, especially between the months of September and October.  Its one of those towns you visit and you say "yep, I could live here" and then you spend the next five years looking at real estate listings for properties you can't afford. Guilty as charged. 

Bingham Falls - Stowe, VT

Picture this, a short scenic hike to a beautiful waterfall with an emerald pool in Stowe Vermont.... a swim in the refreshingly cool pool below included.  

Places like this, and mornings like this one, are some of the reasons why New England is such a beautiful part of the planet.  Trying to describe New England to my friends out west was always a challenge.  Sea level is not as inviting to people who strive to conquer Colorado's 14 footers, or people who love to sneak into the backcountry sight unseen for 5 days.  We may not always have those classic deserts, insane summit views, or towering prominent peaks.  BUT, what we do have is amazing bodies of water, ranging from woodsy waterfalls to beach coastlines.  And the green.  Here in New England, there is just so much green... oh how I missed this level of green. 

Stowe Mountain Resort, Vermont

Stowe, I like you.  I like you a lot.  

With so many ski resorts in Vermont, it can be hard to decide where to ski when the Green State of Vermont shifts into a winter wonderland of white.  We have Mount Snow, one of the first mountains as you make your way north into Vermont.  We have huge resorts like Okemo.  We have family friendly like Smugglers Notch.  We have "skiers only" and more rugged terrain like Mad River Glen.  There is also Stratton with its groomed rollers, and Killington with its expansive terrain.  Then we have some of the other guys:  Jay Peak, Sugarbush, Magic Mountain, Bromley, and more.  While Stowe has always been on my list, its high ticket prices and longer drive always turned me off.  When a friend invited me to stay at their condo at the bottom of the mountain, I finally took the chance to ski the famously fun mountain.  I packed up my skis and a cooler of beer and headed North. 

von Trapp Brewing - Stowe, VT

A Beer Flight and Map of the Trap Family Lodge Cross-Country Ski Trails 

Stowe sorta blew my ski socks off.  I feel like every time I go to Vermont, I am taken back by how awesome Vermont is.  Did I really just forget? Did I never fully experience it?  Do I have a new outlook on all things New England?  When I was there in October to bike Kingdom Trails and hike the state's highest peak (Mansfield), I was amazed by how gorgeous the state was.  I also felt a wave of nostalgia to be back in the mountains, a new love affair sprung from my time living in Salt Lake City.  

I have only heard good things about Stowe from friends but truth be told, I was not expecting to be so smitten with this little town so far away from the coast (you know me, coast is king).  This adorable ski town has it all with amazing restaurants, several breweries, the cutest general stores, recreation trails, oh and an awesome ski mountain.  I kept saying over and over "we HAVE to come back in the summer".  I loved that the town and the mountain share the iconic Stowe logo and everywhere you go, you are reminded of where you are from the towns many signs, banners and logos representing the mountain town.  My weekend in Stowe was just one awesome adventure after another, and just what I needed to start off the ski season.  From shopping to skiing to trips to local breweries, Stowe did not disappoint.