Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1322707
98 WHETHER IT'S A DELICATE DUSTING OF FLAKES, AUTUMN'S VIBRANT PALETTE, or the verdant vistas that give the Green Mountain State its name, the metamorphosing beauty of our treks to Vermont have never failed to take our breath away. But this is the first time my husband Dave and I have taken our infant on the road, and our first vacation since being on Zoom calls nearly 24/7 since spring. Would our sweet baby James sleep through the night away from his crib, we wondered? Would we have separation anxiety from leaving the laptops at home for a few days? As the miles fly by and stunning mountainscapes come into focus, cell service on the two-lane highway fades. is is the beginning of the type of quiet getaway we prefer—one that's less about sarongs and sand versus putting on roof racks and snow tires. With a baby, we knew skiing would be impossible, but that can't squelch the allure of a cozy fairisle sweater, artisanal eats, and soft adventure. We threw our hiking boots (and booties) in the car and headed to dreamy Stowe. TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT, BY JESSE SCHLOFF/COURTESY OF STOWE MOUNTAIN RESORT (TOP AND OPPOSITE PAGE TOP) Topnotch Resort is nestled in the foothills of Mount Mansfield and offers a plethora of outdoor winter activities. S T O W E A W A Y CHILL OUT ON A WINTRY VERMONT VACATION. BY CARLEY THORNELL ere's no need to worry about all the modern accoutrements like cell service once you get to Topnotch Resort, a more intimate alpine experi- ence than some of the region's 300-room-plus mega ski campuses. Nestled in a 120-acre wood- ed glade at the foothills of Mount Mansfield—the state's highest peak—the 68-room property is just the right combination of rustic relaxa- tion and refinement. But before we were able to admire the impressive facade, accessed via a storybook winding path, we were already put into holiday mode thanks to the white draft horses and bright-red sleighs just across the way. e gentle giants are part of the resort's equestrian center, which offers trail rides, carriage rides, and winter sleigh extravaganzas complete with jingle bells and snuggly blankets. We put the corralled pony rides on our family to-do list for next year (once James can walk) and went to settle in. It didn't take the baby long to settle into an executive king room in a secluded nook of the top floor, where a separate living room has a fridge for bottles—what would have been bub- bly bottles in a former lifetime. A pullout couch and plenty of space meant room for his crib and crawling, but is also the ideal choice for skiers to keep their gear separated from sleeping quarters. We wanted to heed the call of the wilderness as quickly as we could with diminishing daylight hours so took one of the resort's handy local activity planners and headed for an experience