Stowe Information

Apres-ski

Stowe's pedestrian plaza at Spruce Peak is a lively après-ski hub with shopping, dining, interactive ice-carving and igloo building, as well as live music and campfires with outdoor seating.

Among the long-established watering holes for animated après-ski in Stowe is The Rusty Nail Bar & Grille (tel: +1 802 253 6245; www.rustynailvt.com), a lively nightspot with big-screen TVs and late-night music. The Hourglass Bar in Stowe Mountain Lodge is a classier affair, serving regional microbrew beers, designer cocktails and rare wines by the glass.

Harrison's Restaurant and Bar on Main Street (tel: +1 802 253 7773; www.harrisonsstowe.com) is another very popular choice, where a crackling open fire produces an intimate and sociable atmosphere.

Eating out

With more than 60 places to eat in Stowe, and tough competition between establishments, visitors can expect high quality, varied fare when visiting the resort.

Many in-the-know visitors start their day at McCarthy's (tel: +1 802 253 8626; www.mccarthysrestaurantstowe.com), which has built a reputation for its spectacular breakfasts (the pancakes are a must!), and is also popular for lunches, serving up classic American grub. The central Café on Main (tel: +1 802 253 0077; www.cafeonmainvt.com) is another popular lunch option, offering great hot soups, sandwiches and salads.

The wonderfully-named Piecasso Pizzeria & Lounge (18022534411; www.piecasso.com) has been voted one of the best pizzerias in America. It's often busy but generally regarded as worth waiting for if you need to queue for a table as the food, atmosphere and service are all, usually, excellent.

For fine dining, one of the best options is the gourmet Solstice Restaurant in Stowe Mountain Lodge (tel: +1 802 760 4735). This eatery serves delicious seasonal cuisine, including salmon, lobster and chicken, all sourced from local farmers. The accompanying wine is acquired from boutique wineries, when possible.

Resort Information

Beyond the slopes

Stowe is a year-round resort and as such offers a range of activities on the mountain, in the base area and in the village – besides simply careering down the mountain on skis or a snowboard. Tobogganing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and dog sledding tours are just some of the options on the snow.

Guests who like to relax with some water-based fun are spoilt for choice, with the numerous heated pools and spas in the area. The majority of these can be found in individual hotels such as the Stoweflake Mountain Resort (tel: +1 800 253 2232; www.stoweflake.com) and Stowe Mountain Lodge (tel: +1 802 253 3560; www.stowemountainlodge.com).

Those looking for a touch of culture should head to the Spruce Peak Arts Center (tel: +1 802 760 4634; www.sprucepeakarts.org), where a wide range of performances are staged throughout the year.

Family fun

There's everything a family needs at Stowe, from day care facilities to night-time activities.

Care for children from the age of just six weeks is available at Cubs Daycare (tel: +1 802 253 4754) at the Spruce base area.

Children aged from three to 12 years are able to ski with the resort ski school's tailored lessons, with different groupings depending on the age group.

There are dozens of family-friendly places in which to stay or to grab some food. In the village, make sure to take a look in The Depot Street Malt Shop (57 Depot Street), a 1950s-style ice cream café serving sundaes and cones.

Retail therapy

Chain stores are practically non-existent here, but the 70 or so independent art galleries and boutique shops in Stowe make the resort something of a shoppers' paradise.

In fact, many visitors here do little more than spend their days wandering around the various retailers looking for that unique gift or clothing item to take home, such as blown glass or pottery items from Simon Pearce (tel: +1 800 774 5277; www.simonpearce.com) in Stowe Mountain Lodge.

Splashing out

Peace Pups Dog-Sledding (tel: +1 802 888 7733; www.peacepupsdogsledding.com) offers evening dog sledding tours in the ski region, which involves touring the wider area pulled by an enthusiastic team of Siberian huskies. Discounts are offered to guests staying in Stowe resort's accommodation.

Hotels

There is a massive choice of 3- and 4-star hotels in Stowe, a small, pretty, chocolate-box town of New England clapboard buildings. There is also a reasonable range of apartments. Most of the accommodation in Stowe is situated on the road between the town and the slopes.

Luxury

Moderate

Cheap