People who know me, or have been reading my blog, know that travel planning is one of my favorite things to do. However, for this trip, all the credit goes to my friend Jill. She crafted an amazing itinerary filled with as many “Vermonty” things as we could fit into two days in the Green Mountain State. It is a high compliment coming from an incessant trip planner like me that I was able to just go along for the ride, both literally and figuratively!

Our weekend started bright and early on Saturday morning when Jill picked me up in her convertible – the perfect road tripping car. Alas, Mother Nature did not cooperate with us this weekend. It was a bit too chilly and rainy to put the top down. And when I say “a little rainy,” I mean it was a torrential downpour for the entire first leg of the trip.

Stop #1: Hanover, New Hampshire

The first stop on Jill’s itinerary was for lunch at one of my favorite places in Vermont, the Simon Pearce Restaurant in Quechee. My one requested addition to the itinerary was to first stop at my alma mater, Dartmouth College, on the way since it is only a 20-minute drive to Simon Pearce! Luckily, the rain had stopped by the time we pulled into the Dartmouth campus. We did a quick driving tour and then popped into a few stores on Main Street before heading onto lunch in Quechee.

Stop #2: Quechee, Vermont

The Simon Pearce Restaurant is set in an idyllic location overlooking the Ottauquechee River waterfall and a quintessential covered bridge (a classic Vermont staple). Travel and Leisure magazine has called the Mill at Simon Pearce one of “America’s Most Romantic Restaurants.” It has also been bestowed the “Best of Award of Excellence” by Wine Spectator.

The farm-to-table restaurant is reason enough to visit Simon Pearce. However, they are actually more famous for their gorgeous, handmade glassware and pottery. After lunch, we headed to the downstairs workshop to watch the glassblowers in action.

Here we saw them make the very items sold in the shop above, and all across the country. You can see the entire process from start to finish. First, the rocks are melted into globs of fiery molten. These are then expertly blown into various shapes by the glassblowers. And, finally, they are smoothed and perfected into beautiful masterpieces.

Fun Fact #1: I bought a glass table lamp from Simon Pearce as a present to myself on the 1-year anniversary of buying my first home!

Stop #3: Waitsfield, Vermont

After our classy lunch, we got into the fun part of the trip – touring different craft breweries in the Burlington, Vermont area! Our first stop was at Lawson’s Finest Liquids in Waitsfield, Vermont. We happened to be there during their 11^th-anniversary celebration so there was a festive vibe in the taproom and a band playing music in a tent set up outside. We also took advantage of the free brewery tours and vintage beer tasting! They had the most amazing-looking homemade “everything” pretzels (like an everything bagel but a pretzel) but we were too full from lunch. I’ll have to try one on my next trip back!

Stop #4: Williston, Vermont

Next on our itinerary was a stop at Burlington Beer Company in Williston, Vermont. Whereas Lawson’s taproom had a Vermont ski lodge feel to it, BBC’s taproom was much more industrial. It is literally located in a nondescript industrial park so I guess that makes sense! It was fun to experience two breweries with totally different vibes. My favorite thing about BBC, however, was not the beer (although that was good, too, if you like IPAs). No, my favorite part was the fact that it was dog friendly!

Fun Fact #2: I am OBSESSED with all dogs but especially with Golden Retrievers. This puppy didn’t stand a chance of avoiding me. 

Stop #5: Burlington, Vermont

Stop #5a: Hotel Vermont

After two brewery stops, we decided it would be the most responsible idea to drop the car off before continuing on the brewery tour. We checked into Hotel Vermont, our accommodations for the night, and the impetus for this road trip. The hotel describes itself as rustic and modern and I would agree that they achieved this aesthetic. The rooms were relatively simple but also luxurious. I know that doesn’t make sense so you’ll just have to trust me on this one that it is true. They have an awesome help-yourself coffee and tea bar on every floor, complimentary bikes, and a beer concierge. Oh, and did I mention they are dog-friendly?!

Stop #5b: Foam Brewers

After freshening up, we walked a short distance to Foam Brewers, which is ideally located on the waterfront of Lake Champlain. Coincidentally, Foam Brewers was also celebrating an anniversary (their 3rd). There was a good crowd, a food truck outside, and live music. Although I think those three things are probably there on regular nights as well!

Stop #5c: Farmhouse Tap & Grill

Next, we stopped for a beverage at a Burlington favorite, the Farmhouse Tap & Grill. I had stopped here for lunch on my way to go skiing in Québec in January. This time, however, Jill clued me in on the “secret” bar downstairs. I don’t think you’d know it was there if you weren’t looking for it. The restaurant describes what is known as The Parlor as “a subterranean speakeasy with a cult following” and the description seemed apt. After a beer by the fireplace, we took a stroll down the famed pedestrian-only Church Street, and then it was time for dinner.

Stop #5d: Hen of The Wood

Our hotel was conveniently located next to one of the most highly-acclaimed restaurants in town, Hen of the Wood. We had stopped in earlier to put our name on the list for bar seating later in the night. And as luck would have it, it was Restaurant Week in Burlington! So we got to enjoy a spectacular meal for half the normal price. We started with a cheese course, then I had a scallop appetizer, and finished with the rib-eye steak. We definitely didn’t have room for dessert and actually couldn’t even finish our beers with dinner. I guess that is a sign of a good night!

Stop #5e: Penny Cluse Cafe

The next morning we headed to brunch at another local favorite, the Penny Cluse Cafe. Knowing there would be a wait for a table, we put our names on the list and then strolled around Church Street in the daylight, popping into a few stores. Then it was back to the cafe for a brunch that met all expectations I had about this place. It had come highly recommended by many friends!

Stop #6: St. Albans, Vermont

Next on the itinerary was what could quite possibly be the most “Vermonty” thing possible – we drove to St. Albans to check out the 53^rd annual Vermont Maple Festival! The festival is held every year during the last weekend of April. St. Albans is a small town (although they call themselves a city) near the Canadian border. Main Street looks like a movie set and the townspeople have a penchant for all things maple. I’m talking fresh maple syrup, maple milkshakes, maple cotton candy, maple donuts, maple creemees, Sugar on Snow (which I had for the first time on my trip to Québec over New Year’s Eve!). They have a saying that the maple syrup harvest in the Spring is the “reason for the season” – how adorable is that?!

Stop #7: Shelburne, Vermont

But the weekend fun didn’t end after the Maple Festival. The next stop on our road trip was to Shelburne Farms in (you guessed it) Shelburne, Vermont. Shelburne Farms is actually a non-profit educational organization that has all sorts of programs about sustainability and farming. We were there just before the start of the season so not much was open except for a bakery where we were able to buy some delicious homemade bread!

At this point in the weekend, the sun had come out so we took a nice long stroll on the walking trails that wind through the farm property. Then we drove through the farm grounds to the storied Inn at Shelburne Farms, on the banks of Lake Champlain. The inn looks like it comes straight out of the Gatsby Era. This makes sense since it was the country home of a member of the Vanderbilt family! We had hoped to have a drink at the inn but it didn’t open for the season for a few more weeks. A good excuse to make a return trip!

Stop #8: Middlebury, Vermont

Our last stop on a jam-packed itinerary was at Jill’s alma mater, Middlebury College. Jill gave me a quick tour of the campus and then we grabbed sandwiches from Noonie’s for the ride home. I love how we started and finished our weekend with a trip down memory lane at each of our old stomping grounds.

I honestly don’t know how we fit so many things into this weekend, and yet were never rushed. It seemed much longer than a weekend normally does and Friday felt like a distant memory by the time we made our way back to Boston on Sunday night. Kudos to Jill for planning the perfect Vermont weekend getaway!

Which of the stops on our itinerary would you most like to visit?

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Le Massif De Charlevoix, Québec

The Northeast had an epic start to the winter with powder for days in November and early December. However, due to some family commitments and the holidays, I wasn’t able to finagle a trip to the mountains until I headed to Québec City in Canada over New Year’s Eve weekend. I took a trip with the Boston Ski & Sports Club to Le Massif de Charlevoix, about an hour outside of Québec City. So I was able to sneak in one day on the slopes on December 31st before the ball dropped at midnight.

There are a few unique features of Le Massif de Charlevoix which make it unlike any other mountain I have skied before. First, the set-up of the resort is such that the main parking area and lodge are at the summit of the mountain, instead of the base. Once you park and grab your lift ticket, you can just ski right down the mountain and then hop on the gondola for a ride back up. Second, the St. Lawrence River runs right along the bottom edge of Le Massif, so you get gorgeous views of the ice-capped river as you ski down the mountain.

Mont Tremblant, Québec

Coincidentally, I headed back up to Canada for another ski trip a scant 2 weeks later. The NYE Québec City trip came together at the last minute, but I had actually made plans months before to go to Mont Tremblant with a group of girlfriends. Last year, we went to Montreal for a long weekend and took a day trip to Mont Tremblant. We decided that one day in sub-zero temps (seriously, the temp was -15°F) was just not enough. So, this year we decided to spend the weekend in the picture-perfect, brilliantly colored village. Ok, maybe the real reason for the extended stay was so that we didn’t have to leave the raucous après ski party at Le P’tit Caribou!

Stowe, Vermont

The weekend following Tremblant, I made the trek up to Stowe, Vermont over the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday weekend. Stowe is one of my favorite mountains on the East Coast. Even though it is on the Epic Pass (I have the Ikon Pass), I try to get up there at least once a season. We totally lucked out with a massive Nor’easter storm that brought in about 18” of fresh powder over the long weekend. We did not luck out with the temps though as the high was -1°F!

While in Stowe, I checked out a few of my favorite haunts, like The Bench and The Rusty Nail. I had been wanting to try Idletyme Brewing Company for a while and I finally made it on this trip. I was expecting it to be sort of a big, bare taproom. But it is actually a really chic restaurant inside and the food was mouth-wateringly good. I’ll definitely be going back next time I’m in Stowe!

Loon, New Hampshire

Next up on the skiing agenda was a girls’ trip to New Hampshire with my Mom, sister, aunt, and cousin. The others don’t ski but I snuck off early Saturday morning to make it in time for first chair at Loon Mountain. Even though the temperatures in Canada and Stowe were more frigid, I actually felt the bitter cold the most at Loon. I seriously thought I had frostbite on my toes. It took about 30 minutes sitting close to the fire for me to actually start to feel my feet again. I called it quits on the early side that day and met up with the fam for a late lunch!

Grandvalira, Andorra

Two weeks later I set off on my most anticipated trip of the season – skiing in Andorra! I know what you’re thinking – where the heck is Andorra?! Well, it is a tiny micro-nation in the Pyrenees mountains in Europe, tucked between Spain and France. I had heard of Andorra before but once I found out that you could ski there, it shot to the top of my bucket list!

This trip was filled with blue skies, sunshine, beautiful views, and champagne. Lots of champagne. Oh, and there was also some skiing mixed in there as well. =) Seriously, this trip ranks up there with one of the best I’ve taken to date. I’m now on a mission to spread the word about this beautiful country that hardly anyone outside of Europe has heard of. On second thought, maybe I should keep this secret to myself. But if you’re curious to know more, check out the detailed recaps I wrote about skiing at Grandvalira and spa-ing (is that a word?) in the capital city of Andorra la Vella.

Park City, Utah

Somehow I was lucky enough to squeeze in another big ski trip this winter – this time out West in Utah! Park City and the surrounding mountains have come to feel a bit like a second home to me. I think this was my 5^th or 6^th time there. Every time I fall more and more in love with the Salt Lake Valley and the Wasatch Mountain range.

Arriving at the SLC airport is a scene like no other. It is overtaken in equal measure by ski bums lugging their equipment and Mormons gathered to welcome their loved ones home from a mission! It is quite the dichotomy. My first trip to Utah in 2008 was my longest. I was there for 10 days, skied 8 of them, but took a 1-day break in the middle. This recent trip was only 8 days long but I skied 7 consecutive days of fresh powder, at 5 different mountains!

You can really make the most of the Ikon pass in Utah since there are 5 nearby mountains on the pass. These include Alta and Snowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon, as well as Brighton and Solitude in Big Cottonwood Canyon. These 4 mountains are about 45 minutes from Park City. The 5^th mountain on the Ikon Pass is Deer Valley Resort, which is right in the heart of Park City. I skied 4 of the 5 mountains on this trip (I didn’t make it to Solitude). I also forked over some cash for a day pass to Park City Mountain Resort (aka The Canyons) to ski one day with some friends who have the Epic Pass. My legs definitely needed a break by the 7th day of skiing in a row!

Snowbird

Alta

Brighton

Deer Valley

The Canyons

Sunday River, Maine

To finish off the season, some friends and I headed up to Sunday River in Maine. They throw a Spring Fest/Parrothead Festival the first weekend in April every year. The conditions were definitely on the slushy side, but that didn’t matter too much since we were eager to partake in the festivities. The resort sets up an outdoor stage with musicians performing throughout the afternoon. And there’s a Tiki Bar serving up classic Painkillers (à la Soggy Dollar on Jost Van Dyke in the BVIs), nutmeg and all. To top it off, some of the girls I met on my trip to Andorra happened to be there, as well as a friend I met on my NYE trip to Le Massif in Québec! Things really came full circle this season.

So, that’s the round-up of my 2019 ski season adventures! I’ve already bought my Ikon Pass for next year and am daydreaming of a trip to Aspen, Taos, or Big Sky. And a repeat trip to Utah, of course. Although, I heard that Squaw Valley is open until July 7^th this season. So I might just have to take a trip to Tahoe in May or June to squeeze in one more ski-venture!

What’s your favorite memory from this ski season?

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