Our Weekend Getaway To Stratton, Vermont

As you may have noticed from Instagram, we spent a long weekend in Stratton, Vermont last month. I had honestly been dreading the trip for two reasons. 1) It was going to be freezing. (Actually, way below freezing. And 2) I'm not a skiier and was worried I would be bored. But we had a great time! Here's a little recap.

We stayed in a private Airbnb home that we "won" as part of our kids' school auction. It wasn't super fancy, but it was comfy and warm (thank god) and cabin-y (so it felt very "Vermont"), and the location was great.

After a four-hour drive, we got there late on a Thursday night. It was about five degrees by the time we got there and the kids were exhausted and soon passed out in their bunk beds. The next morning, we woke up, and drove to the mountain for 9am ski lessons for the kids. It was freezing. I mean, really, really freezing. Negative three when we got out of the car. I was wearing regular knit gloves and after just a couple of minutes outside, I thought some of my fingers were going to fall off. 

It was way colder than my kids were expecting--and, really, way colder than they had ever felt in their lives--and they were not having it. There was a lot of tears and my son was refusing to go skiing. (My daughter had been many times before and loved skiing, but this was going to be my son's second time. And even though both of them were wearing about a million layers, they were very rattled by the temperature.) 

Finally, after some convincing from his instructor (thank you, Branco!), we got my son out there. So with my kids and husband in three hour lessons (!), I headed to the Stratton Village Day Spa for a deep tissue massage. And it was so good. Honestly, one of the best massages I've had in years! My therapist was Dani and she was amazing. I basically floated out of there. I then headed to the lodge to read and watch my iPad until everyone was done skiing. 

At noon, we picked up the kids, grabbed lunch, and then headed back to our cabin to relax. Then, we basically repeated this exact routine for the next two days (when it warmed up to a balmy 10 and 20 degrees, respectively). All in all, it was a great, quick trip! My kids and husband loved the skiing; I loved the relaxing and the precious alone time. We all wish it would have been a little warmer, but after that intial shock--and with plenty of layers--it wasn't that bad.

Here's a little more Stratton, Vermont info if you're interested:

Where it is: Stratton is a four-hour drive from New York City; just under three from Boston.

Where to stay: There are tons of condos on Stratton mountain, and that definitely makes it convenient, but I wouldn't say it's a must to stay there. We stayed in the town of Jamaica, which was at the base of the mountain. (There are lots of Airbnb options there.) It took just ten minutes to drive to the lodge each morning. 

The basics: The smartest thing we did was make it a three-day weekend-trip, because Friday was so much calmer there. Saturday was packed--with ridiculous lines for the lifts--so if you can make it there on a weekday, do it. (Sunday happened to be much less busy for us, too, but that might have been because it was Superbowl Sunday!)

Kids: Stratton is a great place for kids. They can do group lessons or privates (we did privates and the instructors were amazing. I mean, the guy who managed to get my stubborn five-year-old to love skiing almost immediately is pretty much a saint in my book.). There is also a childcare facility right in the village where your non-skiing kids can spend the day. (We never used the childcare, but we heard from others that it was really good. Apparently it does book up though, so look into early!) I also loved that every restaurant was very kid-friendly, had a good children's menu, etc. 

Where to eat:

Mulligan's: We ate lunch here our first day. It's a huge pub/restaurant right in the village with a gigantic menu and plenty of options for kids. I had the Vermont apple grilled cheese, which was so yummy (Cabot cheddar, Granny Smith apples, bacon, and maple syrup!). They even had delicious soft-serve for dessert. 

The Fire Tower Restaurant and Tavern: Ate lunch here on our last day. It came highly recommended and it was good though I thought the menu was a little too limited. I had one of the "small plates" for my lunch and it was really yummy: the "Local Bowl," which consisted of spaetzle, sausage, parmesan, greens, and a garlic white wine sauce. Located in the village.

Honeypie: Adorable restaurant serving burgers, sandwiches, sausages, and milkshakes and located in an old, refurbished gas station. We ordered takeout one night from here for dinner. 

Coyote: I got a delicious latte from this tiny espresso bar in the village every morning. They also have a couple of homemade treats and baked goods like cinnamon rolls (yum), energy bites, and more. 

Have you guys ever been to Stratton? Anything you love there that I missed? And if you haven't been to Stratton, where is your favorite place to go on a ski vacation with kids?