Stowe, Vermont
Stowe had been on my radar for years after seeing countless pictures of the charming little town on social media. Visitors from all over go to Stowe, Vermont, year-round, particularly in the fall to admire the stunning fall leaves or during Christmas time with the town decked out in lights. We chose to visit during spring break, which was a great decision as it wasn't overcrowded. Although there were plenty of tourists still enjoying the skiing, the overall atmosphere was quite relaxed. The nearest airport to Stowe is Burlington Airport, but we decided to fly into Boston as part of our trip. We absolutely fell in love with Boston and wanted to explore it again while in New England. You can also check out my current blog about our New England adventure to Maine, which includes our time in Boston.
The journey from Boston to Stowe takes approximately three hours. I felt so much excitement as we neared Stowe, which appeared to be a town straight from a fairytale! As soon as we arrived, we were starving and made a stop for an early dinner at a restaurant from my must-try list called The Bench. It was the ideal spot to unwind after a long drive. We immediately ordered the salt and vinegar fries, which were absolutely delicious! The menu features a wide variety of comfort food. I wholeheartedly recommend The Bench for both lunch and dinner. I always conduct thorough research on dining options when we visit a new location, and I’ve compiled a list of excellent farm-to-table restaurants along with those cherished by the locals on our stowe itinerary.
After finishing our meal, we headed to our Airbnb to explore it. One of the things I was most looking forward to in Stowe was our accommodations. I discovered the cutest Airbnb, and this was our first experience staying in one. It was a charming apartment situated above a coffee shop, like something straight out of a storybook! We absolutely adored the Airbnb; it was beautifully designed and incredibly cozy. If you’d like more details about where we stayed, be sure to check out our custom itinerary for Stowe in the store section of our website.
We were only in Stowe for three nights, so I had a packed schedule of adventures planned for us. On our first day, we embarked on a snowshoe tour of a maple syrup farm. We chose to visit Stowe in the spring, as it marks the beginning of the maple sugaring season. During this time, the sugar houses release steam, filling the air with the delightful aroma of sugar! In late March, there’s an event called the “Statewide Maple Open House Weekend,” organized by the Vermont Maple Syrup Makers Association, one of the oldest agricultural organizations in the United States.
we decided on trapp family lodge to do the maple syrup tour. one of the reasons i picked trapp family lodge was because of their amazing history. It’s an Austria-inspired lodge with a rich family history. the trapp family is known from the historical fictional film the sound of music. Baron Georg Von trapp and his wife maria left austria shortly after to escape from nazi germany in 1938 and decided to settle their family in stowe, vermont because it reminded them of austria and felt like home. after baron’s death in 1947 they expanded the home into a 30 room ski lodge. the lodge is still owned and operated by family members of the von trapp family and has a lot of activities to offer including cross-country skiing, mountain biking, tours, restaurants, and gift shops.
I wasn't quite sure what to anticipate from the maple syrup tour, but we were thrilled to learn about the syrup-making process, especially while snowshoeing! We chose an ideal chilly morning for our adventure. The tour involves a one-mile trek through the forest, where we learned all about how maple syrup is produced and the intricate details involved. It concludes with a visit to their sugar house, where they demonstrate how sap is transformed into delicious maple syrup. The highlight? Sampling the syrup at the end!
maple syrup tour by snowshoe
The next day day it was light rain with some snow so we decided to stay in downtown stowe and explore the shops. we woke up early to the smell of fresh baked goodies from the coffee shop below, and went down to grab some coffee and breakfast before starting the day. it was a relaxed day where we stopped by the the gold brook covered bridge which is also known as “emily’s bridge” and the legend is that she was supposed to elope with her love, and when he didn’t show she hung herself under the bridge. it was a creepy rainy morning when we went so it made it extra scary but we did get out of the car and walked the bridge which was super fun and spooky! after the bridge we headed to get some lunch and then went shopping. they have a lot of really good Souvenir shops as well as a lot of really unique shops. shaw’s general store was our favorite store and so much so that we went four times lol! they had a variety of good quality souvenir’s, clothing, and home goods and of course maple syrup products.
Stowe, Vermont downtown
I’ve transformed into quite the adventure enthusiast during our vacations. Although I’ve always been a cautious person and can feel anxious at times, I’ve discovered a love for pushing my limits to truly feel alive! This journey began years ago in Jackson Hole when my family wanted to go white water rafting. Initially, I was reluctant, but when they called me a chicken, I couldn’t back down! I ended up loving it, and since then, I’ve made it a point to try new experiences on every trip.
We saved the most thrilling activity for our last day: snowmobiling! As a Florida girl, I was so nervous about this since I’m not accustomed to snow. My husband and I have never skied and never had a strong desire to, but I realize I need to add it to my list! We had an amazing time snowmobiling, and the scenery through the mountains was simply breathtaking. I was really anxious at first, but once I got the hang of the snowmobile, I had an absolute blast! We followed a fantastic guide throughout the tour, who made sure to check in on everyone regularly.
for those curious about our Stowe, Vermont trip plan, check out our custom curated travel Itinerary templates in pdf format in our store section of our website (sign up for our email list, and receive a free pdf yosemite itinerary template download). additionally you can collaborate with me to create a personalized itinerary exclusively tailored to your vacation.
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Happy Travels!
Mandy
