One of the most beloved movies of all time, “The Sound of Music” starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer came out in 1965 but is still a belo
Based on the memoir “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers” by Maria von Trapp, the movie was based on a real life family. And you can hang with decedents of the Trapp family at the Trapp Family Lodge and resort in Stowe, Vermont.
What is the sequel to the movie “The Sound of Music”? The Trapp Family comes to America, tours as a singing group. After living for a short time in Merion, Pennsylvania, where they welcomed their youngest child, Johannes, the family dicovered the mountains of Vermont that reminded them of Austria and they settled in Stowe, Vermont, in 1941. They purchased a 660-acre (270 ha) farm in 1942 and converted it into the Trapp Family Lodge.
In the video above, see if you can spot the maple sap lines along the trails leading down to the Trapp Maple Sugaring House where the sap is boiled down to syrup.
Today the Trapp Family Lodge is a full resort with an Austrian flair. Accommodations from Villas to condos to a hotel with activities from hiking, spa, horse-drawn sleigh rides, Austrian Tea House and even a craft beer brewery and pub.
In the 60’s, fresh from college skiing at Dartmouth, Johannes Trapp is credited with starting the first Nordic ski center in the USA. Today the cross-country skiing facilities at Trapp Family Lodge have been ranked in the top 50 Nordic ski centers in the country.
Trapp Family Lodge features over 37 miles of groomed trails and 62 miles of backcountry trails suitable for cross-country skiers of all ages and abilities. They even have some snow making on the race trails. You can rent equipment at the resort’s Nordic Center, which includes a retail shop, and take a exhilarating trip to Slayton Pasture Cabin where you can warm up on the hearth of a roaring fireplace and replenish your energy with homemade soup, sandwiches, and hot chocolate.
The journey to Slayton Pasture Cabin may be long, but it’s worth it. You’ll know the minute you walk in.
This rustic and cozy log cabin is the perfect rendezvous spot for lunch with family and friends. Take a seat by the hearth of our roaring fireplace and savor some homemade soups and sandwiches.
Then enjoy a hot chocolate, which is the perfect way to warm up after a long day of skiing. Slayton Pasture Cabin is open from 10:00AM-3:00PM daily during the winter months.
We recently took a trip up to Stowe and the Trapp Family Lodge. Its just over an hour up Rt 89 from the Upper Valley to Stowe. An exit at Waterbury with all of its foodie attractions including the Ben and Jerry’s Factory, Cabot Cheese outlet, Lake Champlain Chocolates and the Cider House.
At Stowe we paid our $25 per person trail fee and set off for the Slayer Cabin which makes a great halfway point on a loop up and down the mountain. Its a tough climb all the way up to the cabin but homemade soup ($13 for two smalls and a large bowl for the teenager), outhouses and a warm fire makes a nice stop.
In the winter of 1968, the Trapp Family Lodge Cross-Country Ski Center opened as the first full service center of its kind in North America. With success came longer trails and construction of the Slayton Pasture Cabin (built in 1971) as a destination lunch and warming facility. Today, the Slayton Pasture Cabin serves soups and sandwiches next to a roaring hearth to guests who are ready and eager to make the 10 kilometer round excursion. For many skiers and hikers, the iconic Cabin represents a special achievement while providing an intimate glimpse into the past of Vermont ski history.
Unfortunately the recent weather – dump of snow and then a couple of warm days followed by cold nights – left the Haul Road trail on the way down rather icy. I ended up walking down a few sections because the trail was shear ice. But over all we always enjoy our trips to this beautiful piece of property in the mountains of Stowe, Vermont.
On the way home who could pass up an opportunity to visit Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream factory in Waterbury, Vermont?