*Stowe Mountain Lodge in Vermont

“A Lodge to Visit”

There are a great many ski lodges in the world, with a varying selection of mountains for any skier or snowboarder. But, not all of them will envelop you in wonder. The Stowe Mountain Lodge is indeed one of those places.

I love skiing, even though I am not the greatest at it. In my twelve years of life, I have been skiing about three times, and each trip has gotten better and better. So, when my father said that we were going on a ski trip over the 2014-2015 new year, you could only imagine how excited I was. When the day of the trip came, the roughly 7 hour ride seemed even longer than 7 hours, but it was worth it.

As we pulled into the circular driveway, the lodge towered over us in grandeur. Honey-yellow light seeped from the windows, glowing against the plum sky. It was a sight to behold. We went inside to be greeted by a poinsettia tree resembling a large pine. The walls were speckled with decor, the air laced with music, and the fireplaces burning bright. The decor was very rustic and homey, making you feel comfortable yet luxurious. The holiday rush was present, its participants occupying almost every chair and couch in the two-story lobby.

There is an extensive list of noteworthy pros that I would list: the wonderful atmosphere and decor, the location, and all the little amenities. I have already explained the decor and whimsical air to the place, but the location was also fabulous. There was a town not far from the lodge, so you could stop by for coffee or a meal and maybe some shopping. The mountains, though, were by far the most delightful view. Whether it be in sunlight, moonlight, or no light, they seemed to hold themselves with kingly attitude. The lodge also had many things to occupy yourself with and make your stay more relaxing - including two restaurants, “Solstice” and “Hourglass”, two spas (one for children and the other adults), a car valet, ski valet, and a heated pool plus two hot tubs, which were perfectly heated so that steam billowed into the air in tremendous clouds. Though I did not visit either spa, I did do some window-shopping in a store that sold a menagerie of balms, lotions, oils, and other things that were used in the spa.

Though, as we all are aware, nothing is perfect. The two biggest problems I had were the fact that things were under-organized and overpriced. Whether it be from the hoards of people or something else, the staff did take a while to get things together, like the car valet getting your car. The ski valet also had trouble keeping track of skis, poles, and snowboards, so I would suggest putting a name tag on them. The food and other things, like rentals, were expensive, resulting in my brother and I getting our supplies from a different shop and mostly going somewhere else for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

I would give this lodge a 4 out of 5 stars. Though I am a patient person, the excessive waiting time for skis and our car was enough to annoy me. The lodge’s restaurants were good (I am not a restaurant connoisseur), but also expensive. However, I cannot stress this enough - the location of the lodge, being a ski-on ski-off resort, the decor, and the things to do made up for the cons. This was my most memorable trip, and not in a bad way. I would love to go back a second time.