WHERE TO STAY | MY GUIDE TO STOWE, VERMONT: TRAPP FAMILY LODGE

When Ryan and I first decided to move in together I wanted to find the perfect mix of city and country. Stowe, Vermont was THE PLACE and we rented our first apartment there. Now, nearly five years later, we are blessed to call this area our home and we absolutely LOVE it. Stowe is the PERFECT location for your winter getaway and there are so many reasons why! Not only is it the alpine Ski Capital of the East, but it also is a great place to get active with dogsledding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and sleigh rides. And if NONE of those things sound up your alley, you can always shop or enjoy the delicious food!

One of my favorite places to stay in Stowe, Vermont is Trapp Family Lodge. If the name rings a bell to you it's because the Trapp Family Lodge was started by the von Trapp family - YES the same one from the Sound of Music! The family settled on a farm in Stowe in the 1940s that reminded them of the beautiful mountain views they had when in Austria. If you'd like a little history lesson ... Maria started working for the von Trapps in 1926, they fled Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938 and finally landed on the property that is now the Trapp Family Lodge in 1942. We learned so much about the family when we toured the property and it was really interesting to see how much they had to go through in order to make a better life for themselves in America after escaping the Nazis. Did you know that when Johannes von Trapp oversaw the opening of the Cross Country Ski Center in 1968 it was the first of its kind in the U.S.? Amazing!

The property is absolutely beautiful and has been built up over the past 70 plus years, even more so after a tragic fire burnt down the original Old Lodge in 1980. Since then, they have built chalet guest houses, new lodges, a fitness center, guest villas, mountain bike trails, a brewery and more! Even though we only stayed for one night we got to experience a lot of it! We arrived Monday morning after the huge blizzard that hit the northeast - it was definitely the perfect time as we basically had the whole lodge to ourselves and amazing snow conditions! We were given a beautiful room overlooking the stunning mountain views and immediately felt at home. Oh and did I mention Trapp Family Lodge is dog-friendly!? I love bringing Oscar with us on trips so it was such a treat! They even gave him a fluffy dog bed, special Trapp Family Lodge treats and his own dog bowls!!!

The first thing we did after checking in was stop at the Lounge for some traditional appetizers. The Austrian Pretzels came with a von Trapp Farmstead Oma Vienna Lager dip that was absolutely delicious! We also ordered the Warm Sheep Cream Cheese that was topped with the Trapp Lodge Farm Garden Pepper Jelly and Arugula and served with perfectly grilled bread. That definitely put us in the mood for some exploring! Here are some pictures of how beautiful the grounds looked covered in snow! There's one moment where it actually looked AND felt like we were in a snow globe!

For dinner we decided to check out the von Trapp Brewing Bierhall restaurant for some dinner and beer tasting. We decided to get a flight of beers and chose the Helles, Pilsner, Weissbier and Resilience. I was super excited when I learned that the Resilience beer helps support those affected by the Camp Fire in Butte County, California. It's always great to know that you are supporting a good cause! If you've ever gone to dinner with Ryan you'd know that he can't turn down a cheese platter so we snacked on the Austrian Style Cured Sausages and Local Cheese Platter while we sampled our beverages. For dinner we followed the recommendations of our waiter and they did not disappoint! I had the Bratwurst, Knackwurst and Bauernwurst with beer mustard, sauerkraut mashed potatoes and braised cabbage - YUM! It was absolutely DELICIOUS! Ryan's meal was also amazing - chicken and beef kebabs with a lemon garlic dill yogurt sauce!

After dinner we decided the best way to end the night was to take a dip in the outdoor hot tub. Did I mention that it was -23 degrees outside! Even though it was cold it was such a relaxing experience. Ryan even joined the other daredevils and did some snow angels in the snow pile before jumping in! As the night winded down we headed back to our room so we could get an early start Tuesday morning.

We got up bright and early to visit The Kaffeehaus Bakery & Deli before heading to the Outdoor Center for a snowshoe hike. The Kaffeehaus was filled with Austrian pastries and desserts, all made under the direction of Bavarian Baker, Maurizio Odermatt. They also had authentic Austrian coffee, breakfast and lunch options... and, or course, more PRETZELS! We had the most delicious Apple Danish while staring out at the perfect views of Stowe. Then it was time to head on our snowshoe hike to the Chapel, a von Trapp landmark built by Werner von Trapp and other family members. The von Trapp family backcountry is truly beautiful and well worth the steep hikes. When we reached the Chapel we wrote down our prayers and placed them in the small wooden prayer box before taking the journey back down the mountain and heading to the spa! We each got full body massages which was perfect after such a strenuous workout! Then we enjoyed the hot tub and sauna once more before heading home.

If you're ever in Stowe you should definitely head over to Trapp Family Lodge and experience it for yourself - we truly enjoyed "a little of Austria, a lot of Vermont!" Thank you so much to the Trapp Family Lodge for having us as your guests! In my next post I will tell you guys a little bit more about what we did outside of the resort, so stay tuned for my recommendations!

xoxo. Alexandra

Our stay at Trapp Family Lodge was comped in exchange for the blog and social media coverage we provided for the resort. However I am not being compensated for this post. Thank you to Trapp Family Lodge for hosting us!

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