I know it is practically the end of ski season, but I wanted to share a travel guide for Stratton, Vermont. After visiting Stratton over the last five years, I can’t believe I haven’t written a travel guide before now. If you aren’t familiar with Stratton, it is about 4 hours away from New York City and is a 5-star ski resort. If you are a long-time reader you know that most of my travel photos are iPhone photos because when I travel I’m very busy enjoying time with friends and family and unplugging a bit.
I have been skiing for YEARS, but this year I really fell in love with the sport. I explored new mountains (see here for my travel guide on Breckenridge, Colorado), I challenged myself with new terrain and I shared my love of the sport with my family and friends. I consider Stratton my home mountain (kinda like your home field if you ever played sports), so I’m super comfortable on the mountain and out on the town and very excited to share this guide with you! Enjoy!
Where To Stay
I honestly can’t give you the best recommendation on this one because I always stay at my parents house, which is about 5ish minutes away from the mountain. However, we used to rent a condo in the Solstice development. which was adorable and totally worth it. If you visit in the heart of the season (January/February) it is likely that your condo will be ski on/ski off. A few years back, some of my friends stayed at the Black Bear Lodge and raved about their accommodations. They were super close to the mountain and the resort provided frequent transportation to and from the village (even after hours!). No matter where you stay, you’ll want a few staples– 1) easy transportation to and from the mountain, 2) A kitchen. Skiing is tiring and you’re not always going to want to go out to dinner. Having a little stove and oven is great for a quick breakfast or a small dinner. And 3) A hot tub! If you can splurge a little, go for the resort with a spa/jacuzzi. It feels amazing after a full-day of skiing.
What To Do
The obvious answer here is skiing and snowboarding, but there is so much more Stratton has to offer. From shopping in the quintessential village to snowshoeing to ice skating, everything you could possibly want to do in winter, Stratton has it! In all seriousness, this is one of my favorite mountains that I’ve ever skied because of how diverse their trails are. If you want to play it easy, there are green beginner mountains (Easy Street/Mike’s Way) from the summit. If you want a challenge, you can ski blue or black wooded trails. They truly have something for everyone. This past weekend, I traveled up to Stratton with a few friends. A few who have skied one or twice and a few who have never done so in their life. They were able to take a few lessons, try out the bunny hills and by the end of the day we were all skiing the same trails.
This weekend I also went snowshoeing for the first time! I was so pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. At first I was afraid that it would be A) boring and B) way too hard, but it was actually super fun. You can pick between challenging and easy trails depending on what you are up for, but overall it was both a great workout and an opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors!
What To Eat & Drink
My favorite topic to talk about! In addition to my go-to bloody marys throughout the day (at Benedict’s, Grizzly’s, mid-mountain, etc.), I’ve definitely found a few go-to restaurants that I must visit anytime I’m in Stratton. For breakfast, I’ll usually grab something at home, but if you are having a late start or if you are taking the day off from skiing you NEED to go to Benedict’s for Brunch. Obviously, get the eggs Benedict, but Tom also loves the breakfast burger! For lunch, whether you are skiing or taking it easy, go to Grizzly’s. It has that iconic lodge-feeling to it and a some fun live music to spice up your day a little bit. I usually like to order a bunch of apps (loaded pirogies!) and share with my friends. Lastly, for dinner my FAVORITES are either Mulligans or The Chop House. Mulligans is a causal dining experience that is great if you are going with a big group and The Chop House is about 45 minutes away, but is a bit of a more high-end dining experience. The Chop House is seriously just as good as any 5-start NYC steak house.
Lastly, my favorite part of skiing is the aprés ski! This is the drinking that goes on immediately after you come off the mountain. A lot of people prefer Grizzly’s for aprés ski because of the live music and exciting atmosphere, but I personally find it too crowded. Especially if you’ve been skiing all day and need to chill out a bit. My go-to aprés ski spot is Bar 802. There a few cozy couches to crash on, DELICIOUS drinks (I usually go for a Moscow Mule) and a more intimate feeling to the place.
I can’t believe the season is already coming to a close, but with this week’s blizzard creeping up on us, there may still be time to sneak in a few more weekends in Stratton!
