Philadelphia Magazine
Made-to-Order Weekend: Just Breathe
Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa, Stowe, VT
By Erica Levi
- An au naturel kneading at Stoweflake Mountain. / Photo courtesy of the resort
Two and a half months from walking down the aisle, fatigued by tax law (him) and wedding planning (me) and in serious need of being out of cell-phone range of my mother, we thought some fresh mountain air might do us good. Quiet roads from Burlington airport led us to the Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa, nestled near the base of Vermont’s highest peak, Mount Mansfield. The resort’s 50,000-square-foot spa with aqua solarium, hydrotherapy waterfalls and mineral soaking pool instantly appealed to my frayed nerves. Snowshoes and the great outdoors beckoned my fiancé. Compromise ensued, and ultimately, our dual focus (hearty activity followed by hedonistic relaxation) provided just the needed tonic.
Digs: More standard hotel than country inn, but rooms (from $220 a night) are comfortable and spacious, with some beautiful views of the mountains and Stoweflake’s meditative garden. Most have fireplaces, and many feature Jacuzzis.
Eat: Charlie B’s Pub (the more casual of two on-site restaurants) features spa cuisine as well as heartier selections — winter squash strudel, grilled double lamb chops, Maple Leaf Farm duck breast — that are ideal if you’ve worked up an appetite outdoors (dinner for two, about $40).
Do: Start by meeting with on-site fitness director Chad Couto to design your outing. We chose snowshoeing, and Couto took us through a network of trails that snaked alongside babbling brooks and snow-painted trees. Later, head to the spa for a Vermont maple sugar body polish and herbal deep-cleansing facial.
And: For more serious Zen, stroll the on-site labyrinth.
Travel time: A two-hour flight from Center City to Burlington, then a one-hour drive.
Digs: More standard hotel than country inn, but rooms (from $220 a night) are comfortable and spacious, with some beautiful views of the mountains and Stoweflake’s meditative garden. Most have fireplaces, and many feature Jacuzzis.
Eat: Charlie B’s Pub (the more casual of two on-site restaurants) features spa cuisine as well as heartier selections — winter squash strudel, grilled double lamb chops, Maple Leaf Farm duck breast — that are ideal if you’ve worked up an appetite outdoors (dinner for two, about $40).
Do: Start by meeting with on-site fitness director Chad Couto to design your outing. We chose snowshoeing, and Couto took us through a network of trails that snaked alongside babbling brooks and snow-painted trees. Later, head to the spa for a Vermont maple sugar body polish and herbal deep-cleansing facial.
And: For more serious Zen, stroll the on-site labyrinth.
Travel time: A two-hour flight from Center City to Burlington, then a one-hour drive.
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