Summer Guide to Stowe, Vermont
As my fellow travelers can understand, booking a ridiculously cheap flight to anywhere over the last few months has been seriously tempting. But, knowing it’s still not ‘the right time to fly,’ never have I ever been more thankful to live in New England. New Englanders can hit five different states with beaches, lakes, and mountains, all within a two-hour drive. When it comes to accessible geography, we’ve got it made.
Over the years I’ve spent a good chunk of time bopping around the lakes and mountains of New Hampshire, and have more recently started dabbling in the beaches, state parks, and restaurants of Maine’s amazing coast. Vermont being a bit farther to get to however, just hasn’t received as much attention and exploration. In lieu of being able to hop on a plane, I felt it was about time we reunited and became better acquainted, starting with a four-day trip to Stowe.
…Safe to say that somewhere between the incredible dining and endless natural beauty, I fell in love. Here’s the scoop on what to know before your trip, the best restaurants that are open for business, and must-do activities when visiting Stowe this summer.
Know Before You Go
Check Your Health. Seems obvious, but first things first remember we are still in a pandemic. If you or anyone in your party feel remotely ill, do not risk spreading Covid-19 to the good people of Vermont.
Pack a Cooler. A lot of hotels have stopped offering things like water and morning coffee due to health concerns around Covid-19. And keep in mind not all Vermont hotels have fridges. We packed a cooler with the essentials–water, wine, beer, snacks–which was great to have on-hand in our hotel room. If you’re planning to engage in some outdoor activities, bring a couple of gallon jugs and reusable water bottles that you can refill. It’s easy to get dehydrated at high altitudes in the daytime heat, surrounded by breweries.
Bring the Summer Essentials. We didn’t see a single cloud in the sky the four days we spent in Vermont. And all that nature can come with some annoying bugs. Don’t forget to pack that sunscreen, bug spray, and even cortisone cream if like me, you’re also a prime target for mosquitos.
Make Reservations. Right now most restaurants and breweries are reservation only, and with the ever-changing pandemic, openings and closings can fluctuate day-to-day. Before your trip, check that the places you plan to visit are in fact open and taking reservations, and get your name in before they reach capacity. Given most places are only offering patio seating, dinners in particular can book up fast, so I recommend doing this about a week in advance.
Where to Stay
Right now you have the option to stay in either a hotel/inn/bed & breakfast, or an Airbnb/VRBO depending on your comfort level. Anticipating a potential heat wave during our stay (some days peaked above 90 degrees), my must-have for our trip was an outdoor pool. This is how I ended up finding and booking the wonderful Stowehof.
Lodging at The Stowehof
We 100% enjoyed our time at this 26-acre property and would absolutely stay again, regardless of the season. Here are a few reasons to consider making your reservation at this rustic hotel:
Access to a beautiful outdoor patio with a pool overlooking stellar mountain views.
Super clean and spacious rooms, all at a very reasonable price. Some of the resorts/local inns can be VERY pricey, and I always prefer to save that additional $100/night for more food. For a little extra you can get a room facing the pool and mountains—well worth it.
At night their patio transforms into a night time oasis. They even get an outdoor bonfire roaring on certain days. Definitely recommend bringing a blanket from home, speaker, and your drink of choice and doing some stargazing by the pool.
Their on-site bar, The Fritz Bar & Restaurant, just newly opened Thursday through Sunday, 1-8pm. Best part is you can enjoy your food/drinks right on the patio. Had we been there during their open times we definitely would have checked it out.
What To Do in Stowe
Chase Waterfalls
The most magical thing Vermont has to offer in the summer are its waterfalls. These deep gorges with crystal clear water really teleport you right out of reality and into a Disney-like fantasy. For my non-hikers, fear not. There’s very minimal hiking required to get to these areas. It’s easy to spend several hours just camping out, so grab a towel, put on your bathing suit, and pack some snacks (and even a few beers) for the journey.
Moss Glenn Falls // Fun fact: Vermont is full of butterflies, so much so that I’ve dubbed them the “state bird.” Moss Glenn Falls in particular is where I saw more butterflies than I’ve ever seen in my whole life. We arrived at these falls on a Tuesday around 2pm so it was more on the quiet side and extra peaceful. I suggest going here during the warmest hours of the day (early afternoon) so you can suck it up and step into that icy mountain water.
Bingham Falls // Bingham falls is a hot spot for locals. We arrived around 1:30pm on a Friday and there were loads of families and newly out of school teens enjoying the many levels of the falls. Fortunately, there’s plenty of space for everyone to sprawl out and enjoy the scenery.
Heads up, it’s entirely possible you will see teens falling from the sky and dropping into the main pool of the falls. Pretty sure this cliff jumping is just a casual Vermont Friday. If you have a daredevil spirit, join suit.
Take a Hike
The Green Mountains offer tons of excellent hiking for all levels, from leisurely nature trails to expert inclines. On a whim (huge mistake) we attempted to conquer Mt. Mansfield, Vermont’s tallest mountain. Oh, and chose Helles Brook Trail, the shortest route with the steepest incline, to get there.
Yes, the view was amazing. However, valuable (and admittedly common sense) lessons were learned that day. Such as never hike on a whim, and only tackle difficult trails if you’re an experienced hiker. Being relatively unprepared, Helles Brook was definitely hell-ish. If you’re not an avid hiker, do your research on AllTrails and intentionally plan out easy/moderate level routes.
Bike Through Town
One of the coolest parts of downtown Stowe is its recreational path that leads into town and passes through many of its breweries and restaurants. Renting a bike means you can cover a lot more ground, stopping for food and drinks along the way. And it’s fun as hell. Check out Pinnacle Ski & Sports—$23/person for a half-day bike rental.
Sip at a Brewery
Not all breweries and cider mills have reopened just yet, the famous Alchemist Brewery being of them. However, openings/closings change day-to-day, so before you go check their websites to see if there’s been any schedule changes. These two breweries were open during our June stay.
Von Trapp Brewing Company // Von Trapp’s rustic, 30,000 sq. ft. brewery set on top of a hill has a steep menu of Austrian-inspired beers, appetizers, and entrees, plus a spacious biergarten. My favorite flights were the Helles, Double India Pale Lager, Kolsh, and Pilsner. I would have tagged on a Bavarian pretzel to our order if we weren’t heading straight to a dinner reservation post-brewery. This video will give you a feel for the scenery.
Idletyme Brewing Company // Idletyme is super conveniently located along the Stowe Recreational bike path making it an ideal stop along your cycling route. Like von Trapp, they also have a full food menu with more upscale pub fare and a big, beautiful patio. You can try all 10 of their beer flights for $25. Steal.
Visit the Ben & Jerry’s Factory
I think it’s written in the rules of ice cream that if you end up near a Ben & Jerry’s factory, you have to go. Their massive Waterbury facility hasn’t yet reopened for factory tours (shucks), but you can walk up to their scoop shop for a cup, cone, shake, or sundae.
While eating your ice cream (if it even lasts that long), stroll through their punny Flavor Graveyard which pays tribute to retired B&J ice creams. Who remembers “Sweddy Balls,” if not as an ice cream flavor, as a classic SNL skit. If B&J lacks anything, it’s not a sense of humor.
Where to Eat
Ok, now for my favorite part of any trip—the food. The Stowe area is a foodie hot spot full of eclectic restaurants. Luckily, most places are newly reopened and have very legit patios for outdoor dining. Here are my top recommendations. And don’t forget to make a reservation by calling in advance or booking online.
Dinner
Michael’s on the Hill // Michael’s small patio only has a few tables so they’re allowing indoor dining at 50% capacity. For the first time since February, dine inside we did. To be totally biased, this place was my absolute favorite meal in Vermont, and even ranks one of my top five best meals of all time. Need I say more? I’ll cherish the incredible flavors of their crispy fried quail, roasted Faroe Island Salmon, and truffled mushroom gnocchi for months to come.
Call (802) 244-7476 to make your reservation.
Hen of the Wood, Waterbury // When I booked this I had no idea that their outdoor patio was a lush garden overlooking a rushing brook. While the ambiance alone is reason enough to visit, their culinary artistry is what seals the deal. Start with the parker house rolls, and if they still have swordfish on the menu, know it was absolutely amazing. I’ll also be trying to replicate their phenomenal “summerthyme” cocktail (Hendrick’s gin, lillet, strawberries, lemon).
Hen is doing some indoor seating, but if you go here, definitely book a table outside for the best view. There’s only three tables on the patio so book your reservation well in advance online.
Over the Wall // This place had me at “Latin-Asian fusion.” They’re currently running with a limited menu that feels anything but limiting if you love tacos. I would even argue these were some of the best tacos I’ve had in New England. Definitely order the street corn, Korean short rib taco, and baja fish taco. They’re also in the process of building an outdoor tiki bar that should be up and running sometime end of July—get your saki game face on.
Call (802) 253-9333 to make a reservation at Over the Wall.
Here are a few dinner runner ups we didn’t get to due to limited time. All have very intriguing menus and solid reputations so worth exploring if you’ve got the bandwidth:
Doc Pond’s // Sister restaurant of Hen of the Wood serving New American fare.
Piecasso // Italian-style pizzeria.
Plate // Californian-inspired restaurant, not yet reopened.
The Roost // New American at the well-known Top Notch Resort.
Brunch
All of these food spots offer some variation of both breakfast and lunch, so combining them together into one very tasty bucket.
Skinny Pancake, Montpelier // Question—why are there not more crepe places on this earth? There isn’t a single thing that doesn’t taste good inside of a crepe. We stopped into Skinny Pancake in Montpelier en route to Stowe (their Stowe location has yet to reopen), and it was a fantastic kickoff to our four-day food journey. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, they’ve got crepes for any craving.
Meatlovers, the Johnny Crepe with braised VT pork, maple bbq sauce, and Cabot cheddar was divine. Oh, and I couldn’t resist their hand-cut skinny fries. Tip: ask for every sauce (including the honey mustard) with your fries. You can make your reservation online here.
PK Coffee // If the words “house-made focaccia” are music to your ears, try a baked egg breakfast sandwich from PK Coffee. I had never having heard of maple milk, but being in Vermont curiously added it to my order—it was like having penuche fudge in milk form, in the best possible way.
At PK Coffee you can either order online in advance here, or walk in and order on site.
Stowe Sandwich Company // Right next to PK Coffee is Stowe’s most popular sandwich shop. There is seriously not a hot or cold sandwich they don’t make. Looooved my tuna melt with local Cabot cheddar, and John rated his BLTT (bacon, lettuce, turkey, and tomato with avocado) the best he’s ever had. I took a heavenly bite and proudly support the claim.
Order online about 15-20 minutes in advance for curbside pickup.
Stowe Bee Bakery // We biked by this spot and quickly stopped for some delicious, fruity breakfast smoothies. These artisans also have some really incredible looking frittatas, breakfast sandwiches and freshly baked goods.
If you can’t order online in advance, they are taking orders right in front of the shop.
Ranch Camp // Bike shop. Bar. Burrito joint. Three things you can only wrap into one at Ranch Camp. Seriously wanted to order everything on their extensive menu, from their party starters to their breakfast and protein bowls, to the burritos and sandwiches. What I can say is their burritos and breakfast bowls were super fresh, super tasty, and definitely worth a visit.
No need to order ahead here, they’re taking orders right on site.
Some additional places to consider checking out if you have the time:
Green Goddess Cafe // Sandwiches, wraps, salads and baked goods made with local ingredients.
The Butchery // Butcher shop with high-quality meats, cheeses, and seafood also serving up an array of deli sandwiches and daily specials.
Groceries
If you need a spot to stock up on snacks or drinks on your way in or out of Stowe, definitely make a pit stop at Commodities Natural Market. As a lover of high-quality grocery stores, I could have easily spent an hour in here sifting through their organic and often local food items.
Commodities sells all the Vermont-brewed beers (we got two 6-packs of von Trapp beers for $9.99 each), meats and cheeses, gourmet chocolates, and even a make-your-own trail mix and spice area. A huge bonus find for me was the Everyday Bliss, coconut-based ice cream… that I probably won’t be able to find again until I go back. Ah to love and lose so fast.
Looking for extra help mapping your trip?
Any time I plan a vacation, I build out an itinerary in Google Sheets with full intention of breaking it here and there. Some call it crazy, I call it organized. To help you get started with your own trip, save this link to my 4-day itinerary.
I hope this gives you a solid place to begin planning your own incredible Stowe vacation. If you do make the trip, tag me on Instagram @sceneoverheard so I can follow your adventure! And as always, if you have any specific questions, don’t hesitate to send me a message.
