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Vermont Winter Wonderland:
A Great Ski Vacation for the Non-Skier
by
Teresa Thompson
I don’t like to ski, but I love
to go skiing. Let me explain. Every winter I make the obligatory pilgrimage to
Vermont’s picturesque Green Mountains to satisfy my husband’s basic need to
strap a snowboard onto his feet and pummel down steep terrain. But I have my own
agenda. After many ski trips, I’ve finally figured out that for various reasons,
I don’t like to ski—I just don’t enjoy the sport—and I accept it. My husband
accepts it. My friends, whom accompany us every year, accept it. So, while
everyone’s off doing their thing on the big mountain, I sadly sit alone. Well,
not quite.
 My friend Glenn, who is a ski
instructor at Killington, Vermont, once said to me, “Every skier finds their
home.” And he’s right. After making numerous trips to Hunter, Killington, Stowe,
and several other East coast ski destinations, my friends and I have found our
home at Stratton Mountain, Vermont. I will not consider going anywhere else, and
there’s a reason why. While my friends are out there having the time of their
lives, I am indoors, warming myself at the shopping outlets, in my favorite
bookstore or at the spa. You see, there’s so much more to do at Stratton than
just go skiing. That’s why I love it, and why I won’t travel to another mountain
peak.
Stratton Mountain sits just two
and a half hours northeast of our home in the Hudson Valley. Easy access for a
long weekend or even an overnight, if that’s all you can manage. Stratton’s ski
area sits just above the quaint town of Manchester, a small community teeming
with excellent restaurants, cozy B&Bs, fabulous outlet shopping, and so much
more. But there’s a lot to do at Stratton, too.
Our annual trip consists of
renting a two-bedroom condo at Stratton’s Long Trail House, which is located
directly across the street from the mountain and it’s accompanying little ski
village. It’s a fantastic location, and you can walk to everything—bars, shops,
restaurants, night life, and, oh yeah, the ski lifts, too. Long Trail House has
lots of amenities—two outdoor hot tubs, a heated outdoor pool, sauna, daily
housekeeping services, a concierge. Our condo rental sleeps eight, and costs
around $240 per night. Less expensive accommodations can be had for as little as
$59 per night in various other condo complexes (farther from the ski lifts), or
at the Liftline Lodge, a small hotel.
Stratton’s village has lots to
offer—a spa, candy shop, art gallery, gourmet deli, various ski-supply stores,
and several good restaurants. Mulligan’s is one of our favorite haunts, it
serves juicy burgers, soups, salads, fajitas, steaks and more. They have a nice
bar with great after-ski (the lifts close at 4pm) specials. Another mountain top
favorite is Mulberry Street, a good pizza/pasta joint with a large salad bar.
For an extra special treat, you can sign up for one of Stratton’s “Snow Cat
Dinners”. An actual Snow Cat (a large machine used to groom the snow trails)
will pick you up at the base lodge and take you a mountain-top restaurant where
you will be served a fine dinner.
I like the food at Stratton, but
for the real deal, you have to go into Manchester, a short ten minute drive down
the mountain. Here, you will find superb dining in all forms. A great lunch spot
is the Little Rooster, a tiny place that serves up tasty crab cakes, panini and
Thai chicken salads. For dinner, try The Perfect Wife, Mistral’s at Toll Gate,
Ye Olde Tavern or the Marsh Tavern, located at Southern Vermont’s most
prestigious resort, The Equinox. The restaurant selections are endless, and all
of them great. We’ve been going up to Stratton for years now, and we’ve yet to
sample all of the wonderful eateries.
Another endless thing about
Manchester: the shopping. Quaint boutiques and little shops, plus factory
outlets of all shapes and sizes. Ralph Lauren, Coach, Gap, J. Crew, Carter’s,
Burberry, Liz Claiborne, Mikasa,
Bose, Timberland, Levis, and Garnet Hill, just to name a few. Great bargains
are yours for the taking! You might think that Manchester is just another
strip-mall type of town with all these stores simply plucked in a row, but it’s
not. Somehow, all of these shops and outlets just blend into the landscape of
the village, making it seem all the more quaint. One of my favorite places
inManchester is Northshire Bookstore, a large, independent bookseller which is
consistently voted “Best Bookstore in New England.” You can browse its three,
well-stocked floors for hours, and children will love the huge department
devoted entirely to them. Northshire’s Spiral Press Café also has some of the
best food in town. When I was there last weekend, I told one of the clerks I was
from New Paltz, and she replied, “Oh, I was sorry to hear that you lost your
bookstore.” Even two and a half hours away, they had heard about the demise of
our beloved Ariel!
On my non-skiing ski vacation, I
always devote one day to go and visit a spa. And there are several excellent
ones in the area. The Spa at Stratton is located right in the Stratton Village,
and offers a variety of massages, facials and body treatments. Equally as
fabulous is the Avanyu Spa at the Equinox Resort in Manchester. Here you can
relax in your robe by the fire while awaiting such massage treatments as
“Rolling Thunder” or “Dancing Wind”.
There’s lots of other activities
to be had at Stratton, I just don’t have time to do them—ice-skating, snow
mobiling, snow tubing, dog-sled tours, etc. While others may go to this mountain
for its great skiing, I go for it’s great shopping, sleeping and spa-ing.
Combine all that with fabulous food and the occasional hot tub soak, and I’m
good to go! I used to dread our winter vacation, knowing I’d have to force
myself on skis, go up the lift, be cold, fall down, but not anymore. I don’t
even go near the ski lift now…why bother?
Call 1-800-Stratton for more
info. Great Websites To Visit Before Heading To Southern Vermont/Stratton:
www.stratton.com
www.spaatstratton.com
www.equinoxresort.com
www.northshire.com
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