Okemo has been a favourite of ours for many years. Take a look at their website.

Keep going until you hit Mont Tremblant in Quebec. It's a blast.

Stowe fits your bill perfectly. The Green Mountain Inn. IF you can get a room.

Many thanks for all the suggestions! Okemo and Stowe both sound like great options -- I think Quebec might be too far for a long-weekend trip.. Can somebody give me a comparison of Okemo and Stowe in terms of skiing and things to do in town & the nearby resorts?

I don't know Okemo. Stowe I know. It's very much a "ski town", but in an almost old-fashioned way, not glitzy. And you said you want to be "in a town with some other activities and nice restaurants", and that IS Stowe! I'm a Californian, have visited Stowe several times, but it's a place I consider really special. Beautiful, unpretentious, cool little shops full of cool stuff, good bookstore, good restaurants, lowkey, just a really very "Vermont" place.

Thanks, Lucie! Can anyone give me a comparison to this with Okemo? Is Okemo, for instance, close to a town with other activities and good restaurants? We don't necessarily need really upscale restaurants -- more just ones with fun atmosphere. It would be great to be in a place with a fun nightlife.

Okemo is the place for you. It is a great mountain for mid-level skiers. Lots of terrain, good ski lessons and not so many experts. It will also be closer for you and a bit warmer. Northern VT where Stowe is usually a few degrees colder in January.

They now have Jackson Village at Okemo with shops and restaurants. There is no night skiing but plenty to do and some outlet shopping nearby.

The town of Ludlow is a typical Vermont town..with antique and gift shops and some very good restaurants.

i used to work about 5 minutes from okemo.

it's close to a nice town. it's 10 minutes from a large ski resort (stratton...owned by the same people who own mont tremblant...intrawest) if you wanted to try some other things the bigger places have to offer.
dog sledding!!!

okemo's a mom and pop resort. everyone's nice. the town nearby has a ton of outlet shopping! decent restaurants...

stowe will have better snow. it's very nice there, as well. bigger and serious snow riders go there. why? simply b/c it snows more there. the terrain is a bit more varied, as well.

if you don't mind the extra few hours...stowe is worth the trip. no outlets, tho!

my personal issue w/ okemo is that their lodging isn't as nice as some of the stuff stowe has. or, stratton, for that matter. i suppose it's just not as new...


here is my suggestion: forgoe okemo for stratton if you don't feel like driving to stowe.
if you can afford the extra few hours of drive time...hit stowe. no outlets...but, the snow is nicer.

I love Killington. There are miles and miles of beginner trails (we stay near the snowshed lodge). There is lots of nightlife and lots of great places to eat...happy hours, live bands, short lift lines....

Stowe! Stowe! Stowe!

In the many years I spent in VT it was well known that central VT (Okemo) was in a snowbelt that northern VT (Stowe) was not in. This is because the colder temperatures in northern VT (noted in my post above) caused it to snow less.

Has this weather pattern changed? Does northern VT get more snow than central VT now?

BTW, I totally agree on the Stratton reco.

Northern Vermont gets more snow, historically always has. Mansfield (Stowe) and Sugarbush/Mad River Glen are often recipients of what is called upslope snow - The storms come across Lake Champlain and the Valley, hit the mountains, and the moisture is released.
Okemo's average snowfall is abut 200 inches. Stowe is 333 inches. Source: www.skivermont.com

Sounds like you would like Killington
the best. 3 dance clubs.. Pickelbarrel ,
Wobbly barn, and Nightspot.
The Grand hotel has an outdoor heated pool.
Have fun!

In my estimation Stowe is the most beautiful ski town in New England with excellent restaurants and many outdoor activities. Ski Magazine rates it number 1 in New England. Stowe has a specific area-Little Spuce- for "low level" skiers that is very pleasant. My husband runs a small ski club that has gone to Stowe over the MLK weekend for a number of years. He has an excellent priced package this year that icludes lodging, full breakfast each day and a three-day lift. The cost is $383/person, double occupancy. Contact me if you are interested.

having skied at many of the vt mountains, okemo is a cruising mt. beginner and mid level ski mt.,

stowe (went once and wasn't
inspired to go back )but it is an ok mtn. IMHO.


I like sugarbush but its an hour farther than okemo. you may also want to check out stratton but its south so snow can be a question.

Killington has gone down hill (no pun intended) for the last few years. crowded, EXPENSIVE . I've skied there for about 20 years and no longer spend my ski week there. but i can't deny the skiing is good for midlevel and up. and there are great places to stay. beginners could be intimidated.

Many thanks for all the input! We've decided to try Stowe. Even though it's about an hour and a half farther north than Okemo (does that sound right?), it seems to have great views and perhaps a more authentic New England feel.
Now my next question... We're looking to stay at Ye Olde England Inn. Has anyone stayed here, and if so, do you suggest staying in the main inn or the Bluff suites?
Thank you!

You are going to love Stowe. I'm envious!

Have not stayed at Ye Olde, but walked by it several times. What made you decide to stay there (just curious)?

Hi Lucie,
Thanks again for the advice! We're really excited about the trip. We decided on the Ye Olde England Inne because I read great reviews of the inn on TripAdvisor.com and because its suites were in our price range ($200 - $250/nt).
Kelly

I think Stowe is a great choice. We live in the Burlington area and like to go to Stowe for daytrips. There are great restaurants, cute shops (expensive, but cute), etc. You mentioned that you're low-level skiers, which is about where my husband and I are at, so I wanted to give you one other suggestion, in the event that you don't want to ski Stowe everyday, or decide it's a little too pricey. Try Bolton Valley. That's where we go on our annual we-really-should-get-out-of-the-house-this-winter ski/snowboard trek, the prices are great, and there are a lot of good runs for us novices.

If the desire to explore the area takes you out of Stowe, Montpelier is a cute small town (our capital), Waterbury is nearby and has some great places to eat--the Alchemist for homebrewed beer and awesome food in the evenings, Park Row for amazing sandwiches at lunchtime--and Burlington has a beautiful downtown if you want to venture an hour north on I-89.

Have fun!

You will love Stowe - stay at the Green Mountain Inn!

janiekins, that would definitely be my suggestion, too. Heaven on Earth!

Hi,
Thought I'd write back and let everyone know that we ended up cancelling this ski trip to Vermont after all. While we were very excited about the prospect of spending a weekend in snowy Stowe, we're more than a little concerned we'd be snowless in Stowe -- at least no real snow. The 70-degree temps in Jersey haven't exactly put us in the skiing mood this winter, and Stowe seems to be getting pretty unseasonably warm days as well. It's too bad.
Thanks everyone for the advice -- I hope we can make it there next year (and get some cold weather!)
Best,
Kelly

Kelly-
I grew up skiing in Vermont so while I appreciate your desire to ski there I can totally understand why you would cancel your trip. I'm sorry that's how it worked out for you and your fiance. However, Vermont isn't going anywhere and hopefully next year you will get there.

All I can offer you in terms of advice is at Killington, which is where I grew up skiing. It's a great mountain and I actually learned to ski on Snowshed. We then bought a place and ten years later sold it. It's a wonderful mountain, but after spending a lot of time on the West Coast and in Europe and South America you get spoiled. However, Vermont will always hold a special place in my heart (I also spent 7 years at camp on Lake Fairlee) so please go and enjoy! Good luck and have fun with the wedding planning.

Thanks for sharing your memories, Abby. We definitely want to go. It's more just that we'd rather have memories of a real winter in Vermont skiing rather than one where it's drizzling -- or, worse yet -- raining on the slopes. I, for one, am ready to have a winter again.
Best,
Kelly

a few years later...ever make it to vermont?

Sheesh, I really have to get into the habit of looking at dates. I was about to post on this thread.