Travel Eye on Stowe (Vermont, USA)

Write a review or view peoples experiences in Stowe.	Hotels in Stowe	Flights	Car Hire/Rental

Want to contribute to the writings of this travel guide? If so, Click here

Overview:

Stowe is one of the most highly regarded of the East Coast resorts and this is mainly due to the attractive 18th century New England town. It is a favourite venue for the richer city-dwellers, who like to pop up for a few days at a time (this can create weekend queues). As a holiday destination, the skier is most suited to this venue. However, the small scale of the ski domain can be covered in a short stay. The 2 mountains, Spruce Peak and Mount Mansfield, have some good but limited terrain for experts (the 'Front Four' are truly awesome), tree-lined cruising for intermediates and superb tuition and slopes for beginners. Boarders are very much in evidence at Stowe. The snow record is better than other Eastern resorts and the snowmaking facilities are excellent.

There is some piste-side accommodation, but most stay a few miles away in Stowe. This demands a short journey each day that can be slow when the traffic builds up. Ambience is Stowe's major selling point and there are plenty of shops and restaurants set in traditional New England buildings. Après-ski is largely well-mannered, as befits its clientele. Stowe is 330km from Boston and 140km from Montreal.

There are over 65 properties, ranging from budget motels, friendly, often historic inns and B&B lodges to several modern, self-contained resort-style complexes with a comprehensive range of leisure and sports facilities catering for year-round visitors.

Caters for middle- to upmarket skiers, summer hikers, golfers and touring parties. A favourite with E-coast Americans, a smattering of Europeans (chiefly British) and Japanese.

Locality:

Stowe is located in the NE United States, in the N-central part of the state of Vermont (Roughly 200 mls NW of Boston and its international airport, 40 mls E of Burlington's regional airport). It is set in a broad, fertile valley, with the Green Mountains to the W and the Worcester Range to the E. The resort's ski-area is about 8 mls away, at the foot of Mt Mansfield, Vermont's highest peak.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

Skiing - Night skiing.

Snowboarding - Snowparks: 3, Halfpipes: 1, Boarding on all pistes:

Other Snow Sports - Cross country: 150km, Cross country equipment available, Snow shoeing, Telemark, Telemark equipment available, Sleigh rides, Skidoos:

Daytime offers a lot of winter activities including extensive downhill skiing and snowboarding on Mt Mansfield and gentler Spruce Peak, miles of cross-country trails from 4 interconnected centres, snow-shoeing, sleigh rides, snowmobiling and ice-skating. There is also swimming at public pool. And for a bit of culture the Stowe Winter Carnival which is held in January.

In the summertime you will find hiking, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, horse riding, mountain biking, golf (4 courses within a 10-ml radius), tennis. There is the balloon festival in July, also regular Von Trapp open-air concerts.

The nightlife although certainly not riotous and perhaps not the best option for the younger crowd, there is a good choice of lively bars, European-style pubs and restaurants along the main street and dotted along the mountain road towards the ski-area.

There are several dozen restaurants, snack bars and cafes in the resort centre, along either side of the road to the ski-slopes and within most hotels and resort complexes. Choice of cuisine, from the mundane to the sophisticated, and including typical button-popping America steaks, chicken and seafood, Mexican, Italian, French, Chinese, Thai and 1 or 2 international fast-food establishments.