Stowe, VT Attractions
Stowe, VT Attractions
 | Ben & Jerry's Factory Route 100 Waterbury, VT • 802-882-1240 Get the scoop on the whole ice-cream making process from cow to carton at the Ben & Jerry's factory in nearby Waterbury, Vt. A short slide show tells how Ben and Jerry completed a $5 correspondence course from Penn State University on ice-cream making to become manufacturers of America's No. 1 ice-cream flavor -- chocolate chip cookie dough. Then take a behind the scenes tour of the plant and watch workers churn out ice cream to the beat of rock-and-roll music. If each one of the employees on the tour seems happy, they should be. Every Ben & Jerry's worker goes home with three free pints of ice cream a day! Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Cross-Country Skiing Stowe, VT With more than 400 kilometers of interconnected ski trails, the area around Stowe is the premier cross-country skiing destination in the northeast. Four of the top ski touring centers in New England are linked together, including Trapp Family Lodge, made famous by Maria von Trapp, whose family inspired "The Sound of Music." The others are the Mount Mansfield Ski Touring Center, Edson Hill Nordic Center and Topnotch Touring Center. The centers connect via some of the most challenging backcountry ski runs available, grueling uphill and exhilarating downhill runs for skilled skiers only. They include the Bruce and Teardrop trails, two of the earliest downhill trails in the country cut by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the early 30s. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Hike Mount Mansfield Stowe, VT There are numerous approaches up Mount Mansfield. The Long Trail meanders southwest from State Route 108 to Taft Lodge and the summit. A toll road leaves you at the Nose of the mountain (4,062 feet) where you can then take a 1.4-mile walk on the Long Trail heading east to the Chin or summit (4,393 feet). A gondola ride leaves you even closer to the summit on the same stretch of the Long Trail. However, my favorite hike up the mountain is from the south, up the Laura Cowles Trail and down the Sunset Ridge Trail. The hike starts at the Underhill State Park Ranger Station. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Paddle the Lamoille River Stowe, VT To truly appreciate the bucolic terrain of Vermont, grab a canoe and take a leisurely paddle down this winding river. Cows graze at the water's edge and families of ducks swim by. Tall fields of corn fringe the river, surrounded by the foothills of the Green Mountains. Everywhere is farmland with the smell of manure permeating the air just in case you forgot where you were for the moment. Best For: Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Stowe Mountain Resort 5781 Mountain Road Stowe , VT • 802-253-3000 Start your day at the new base lodge and expanded skiing terrain of Spruce Peak, across the road from Mt. Mansfield. Side Street, off of the Sunny Spruce Quad, is good little warm up. Then try Upper Main Street or head to the far eastern perimeter of Spruce to sample a personal favorite, Sterling, a sweet run immersed in the pines, especially after a good snowfall. The Over Easy Gondola crosses Mountain Road, leaving you at Mansfield. Try Upper and Lower Perry Merrill and Upper Lord and Lord to Standard, all classic blues. Advanced skiers might want to tackle the infamous Front Four, double-diamond beauties that will instill fear in most skiers. Drop off kids, aged 13 months to 3 years, at Spruce Peak's Cubs Day Care. Three year-olds can also sign up for a two-hour private lesson and opt to spend the rest of the day at Cubs. Children 4 to 14 can take private lessons, half-day, or full-day outings with qualified instructors. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
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