We all remember the joys of watching The Sound of Music as a child and many share that experience now with their own children. Wouldn’t it be magical to live that enchanting life if only for a weekend? It all exists less than 4 hours away from Utica at The Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont. The lodge is still owned and operated by its original owners, the Von Trapp Family who are the inspiration for The Sound of Music. Year round recreational activities make the lodge a perfect family getaway any time of year.The lodge is located on 2400 picturesque acres, features world class restaurants, and nightly entertainment. The resort, most importantly, also offers an abundance of kid friendly activities such as family sing alongs, maple sugaring, music lessons, nature walks, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, skating and hiking. Families can enjoy wagon rides in the summer or sleigh rides in the winter, a favorite of children and parents alike. Can’t you picture your family snuggled under a blanket on a sleigh ride through the Vermont countryside? For added fun, each season the Trapp Family Lodge sponsors special events just for kids through their Mountain Kids Club. Winter activities include a bonfire complete with smores, snow sculpture competitions, and pajama parties. The grounds also feature both an indoor and an outdoor pool, a playground, and pond which will delight any child. Rooms range from $220 in the lodge to $875 for two nights in the guest house. If you never want to leave, you can purchase one of the new 3 bedroom villas available as private residences or as timeshares. The dining room is open for breakfast and dinner daily. For a taste of traditional Austrian fare, try the Austrian Tea Room, open daily from 11:00 AM until 5:00 PM. The Lounge also serves a full menu of lighter choices each night until 11:00 PM. With all of these options, meals will remain easy, leaving you more time to enjoy your family.
If you do decide to take a day trip away from the lodge, there are several choices nearby. Stowe, VT is not only the home of the Von Trapp family but also of world class skiing. Lift tickets for the Stowe Resort can be purchased ahead of time online at www.stowe.com.
If you looking for even more options, take the short drive to Burlington. About 40 miles from Stowe, the Church Street Marketplace is an easy walking neighborhood filled with child friendly shops like Lake Champlain Chocolates, 65 Church Street, where you can watch them make handmade fudge and sample some as well!
Ben and Jerry’s famous ice cream factory is also located just north of Burlington in Waterbury, VT. You can take a 30 minute tour of the factory daily which ends with a free sample of ice cream in the Flavoroom. For more information, visit www.benjerry.com. If a sugar-free tour is more your family’s speed, the Vermont Teddy Bear Company also offers tours everyday, www.vermontteddybear.com. Vermont Teddy Bear is located in Shelburne, less than ten miles from Burlington. After seeing how the bears are made, kids can pick out their own and stuff it themselves. Both tours are free for children under twelve and only two dollars for adults.
A weekend at the Trapp Family Lodge is a perfect getaway into a simpler time before cell phones and Playstations. To start planning your escape, check out the lodge online www.trappfamily.com.
Today’s children are very fond of music, sometimes you can’t even keep track of how often they do it. We bought vintage speakers not long ago, now we entertain the whole family. Vintage because I have such a renovation in the house, so they agreed to them. Now we all dance together and I like the style 🙂