This post is part of a hosted stay in Vermont. All opinions and writing are my own.
The second stop on our trip to Vermont was Stowe. Stowe is my absolute FAVORITE town in Vermont, and I couldn’t wait to get back there! My husband spent a winter skiing there before we were married, and I used to go up to visit quite a bit. Since then, we’ve made a number of trips back during the winter and summer.
One of the things I love most about Stowe (in addition to its tremendous natural beauty and great skiing!) is that there are a ton of different outside activities, shops and restaurants to experience when you visit. On this trip to Stowe, we stayed at the Sun & Ski Inn and Suites (right on Mountain Road).
Sun & Ski Inn and Suites
We had a very enjoyable stay at the newly renovated Sun & Ski Inn and Suites. Conveniently located right on Mountain Road, the Sun & Ski has a great indoor pool and there is a brand-new bowling alley (Stowe Bowl) adjacent to the building.
The main building is brand new, and we got to stay in one of the deluxe suites. It was BEAUTIFUL– complete with a gas fireplace, pull-out couch and a kitchenette! It was perfect for our family. Since the kids are always eating, it’s so nice to have a small kitchen in the room. The suite was spacious enough for all of us and a great deal for families.
You can view more information on the accommodations HERE. They also have a number of combinations that include bowling and miniature golf at the park right in front of the Sun & Ski.
The front desk was extremely friendly and helpful, ready to help us with whatever we needed. When you stay at the Sun & Ski, you can enjoy an expanded continental breakfast including traditional fare and a daily special treat like stuffed pancakes. If you visit, don’t miss the homemade maple granola–it’s delicious! Throughout the day you can also enjoy coffee or lemonade and cookies in the lobby.
There’s plenty to do right near the hotel, including bowling, mini golf, biking, relaxing in the pool or just reading a book in the hammock out back. They have a great lending library right off the lobby if you forget to bring a book. Along with books, you will find a fireplace and family games you can play at the large table in the room.
The Sun & Ski Inn and Suites is a great place to stay for families, and I think it’s at a great price point for the surrounding area.
Ben & Jerry’s Factory Tour
When you get off 89, before entering Stowe, you will pass through the town of Waterbury and right by the Ben & Jerry’s Factory. If you love Ben & Jerry’s (who doesn’t?!), this is a must-see. You can take a brief tour of the factory and see the ice cream being produced and packaged on the lines. When you finish the tour, you can sample a Ben & Jerry’s flavor. The tour guides are always funny and the kids loved it too!
On your way out (or in), you can grab a cone or sundae at the Scoop Shop and pick up cute merchandise in the gift shop. When you leave, don’t forget to stop by the Flavor Graveyard to visit the tombstones of retired Ben & Jerry’s flavors! They also have a cute little playground for kids to get the sugar energy out!
For more information on the Ben & Jerry’s Factory Tour, click HERE.
Stowe Mountain Resort Adventure Center
Stowe Mountain Resort Adventure Center offers many different activities for you to do in the spring, summer and fall months. The boys aren’t quite old enough to the Zip Tour Adventure, and only the 8 year-old was old enough for the Treetop Adventure, so we decided to do indoor rock climbing at Stowe Rocks instead! I’m glad we did– the boys and I had a blast!
There are two areas to climb: the Program Wall (for beginner levels) and the Elephant Tower (for more advanced climbers). With 8 manual belay and 8 TruBlue Auto-Belay stations, there are 16 different areas to practice your climbing techniques. If you want to work on bouldering, there is a 12’ high bouldering wall.
We were all sufficiently worn out after an hour and a half of rock climbing, and I can’t wait to go again! It was my first time climbing, and I think I’m hooked! 🙂 Click HERE for more info on the Stowe Mountain Resort Adventure Center activities. I can’t wait to go back and do the Zip Tour adventure– it looked UNREAL (we checked it out at the top of the mountain!).
After hanging out at Stowe Rocks, we took a gondola ride up to the top of the mountain to do a bit of hiking and check out the gorgeous view! You can even have lunch up there at the Cliff House Restaurant. We took a sneak peek at the ZipTour Adventure take-off platform, and I’m dying to go back and try it out! After a trip to the summit, we had a delicious lunch back at Spruce Peak at The Pantry before heading back to the Sun & Ski.
We had a wonderful time at the Sun & Ski Inn and Suites and all of the other places we visited in Stowe, and we can’t wait to go back!
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