Vermont Travel Notes

This week brings the opening of the Alpine Slide (shown above), Bungee Trampolines, and new Inflatable Obstacle Course at the Spruce Peak section of the Stowe ski area.

The Alpine Slide is a lot of fun for children and adults. You ride a ski chair lift to the top of a large hill and then ride plastic carts on wheels down a fiberglass track. You can control the speed with a hand lever. I think the minimum age might be seven years old. Younger children can ride with adults.

The Bungee Trampoline was popular when it debuted last summer and it will reopen June 26. The inflatable obstacle course is new this year.

Also open for the summer is the Auto Toll Road. It is about a 20 minute drive to the top of Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak. You can hike along the mountain ridge on the Long Trail. The views from the ridges atop Mansfield across to Smuggler’s Notch are wonderful. At one point on the trail ("Frenchman's Pile" - literally a pile of rocks) there is a 360 degree view including the Adirondacks in New York, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Burlington and Lake Champlain. If my memory is correct, it's just a 10 or 15 minute hike from the Toll Road upper parking lot to Frenchman's Pile. No, I don't know why it is called that but you can ask the Park Ranger at the station. If you get the answer, please post it in the Comments section below.

The ski gondola which goes nearly to the top of Mt. Mansfield will open June 30. There is a restaurant at the top of the gondola run and it offers great views.

The Stowe ski area is about 15 miles from our inn.

If you are planning a family vacation, you might be interested in the Family Package we put together which includes a ride on the Alpine Slide along with other fun activities.

(c) Jeff Connor 2006 Grunberg Haus LLC