We have many pamphlets and tourism books at the house. There is also a chamber of commerce in town to give you additional ideas. It is located near Archie’s (on route 103) in town. They are REALLY helpful! You can call them at 866-216-8722. Their website is: http://www.okemovalleyvt.org/
During the summer, the Jackson Gore has a Summer Friday Concert Series, and the base lodge runs canoeing trips to the Connecticut River, kayaking and rock climbing excursions and more.
Summer: Go to Camp Plymouth State Park on Echo Lake and enjoy lakeside barbequeing, fishing, swimming, canoeing and more. This park is equipped with a snack bar (extremely reasonable prices for lunch/snacks), nice clean bathrooms, a playground, net for volleyball or badmitton, horseshoes, and dropped in a beautiful lake/mountain view setting.
Summer: Go to the action park (aka “Thrill Zone”) at Bromley. Deval Karts, which are cars that you can drive down the mountain via a dirt road, were particularly popular with our 13-year-old. They also have alpine slides, miniature golf, other rides for smaller kids, and a bar for parents to enjoy out in the open air!
Summer: Swimming at the Waterfall (Buttermilk Falls is about 2 mi from our house) is a must!! You can jump off the rocks into a cool pool of water; swim around the various fresh water pools.
Okemo just built brand new public pool, health facilities and ice skating rink facilities open in 2006/2007. Skates can be rented there, and they play music as well. Check with Jackson Gore for open skating times. These are just 2.5 miles from our house at the Jackson Gore base.
Visit Woodstock, an old Federalist Town with great little shops along the main avenue. Have lunch or dinner at the Woodstock Inn.
Stop by Queechee Gorge, which is breathtaking. Be sure to hike down the Gorge and bring your bathing suit; there is fresh mountain water and some small rapids below. See tourist books at the house for directions and attractions.
Go to the Long Trail Ale Brewing Company for a Pollenator or Double-Bag along with their simple but awesome appetizers. Enjoy outdoors on a large deck while sitting in Adirondack chairs, overlooking a brook.
Antiquing; there are tons of places around town.
Our favorite shop is Sport’s Odyssey. Their prices are reasonable (especially during the October tent sale) and they provide great advice. If you need ski boots, ask for Nick, who is a boot fitting expert; he guarantees his fit and will surely sell you the right pair. The store is large and they have much variety. They also rent mountain bikes for $15/day, which is much cheaper than bike rental at Killington.
Our favorite restaurant is Archie’s (on route 103, same shopping mall as the Chamber of Commerce). They have the best steak, wings and salad bar around! For slightly higher end, try the Echo Lake Inn, which has lots of old world Victorian charm (left onto Route 103, then right onto Route 100 North…go 4 miles to Tyson and Echo lake Inn is on your left). One of the nicer restaurants in the area is the Woodstock Inn (about 40 min away; consult the tourist book in the house for directions or call them at 800-448-7900). For (very) casual dining, our absolute favorite local bar food place is The Loft Tavern, which is the red barn-like building just below the base of Okemo; if you plan to eat dinner there, get a table on the 2nd floor, which is close to the video games in the loft area above (great for kids); they have great nachos, burgers, fish platter specials and wings (left off Edelweiss, right onto Upper Crossroad, pass Base Lodge on left and Loft is the red barn just after it). Another favorite is Willie Dunn’s Grille, which is at the Okemo Valley Golf Club (they have outdoor barbecues). DJ’s (make right on 103; it is in town on the right) is also excellent and a good bargain. For faster food, having pizza at Goodman’s American Pie is a must; you have not had pizza like this before (or in a long time) (make right on 103; it is after DJs just at the edge of the busy part of town). Also try Tacos Tacos for good, quick Mexican food (burritos are nicely stuffed & garnished).
Summer: The Jackson Gore base lodge offers day trips leaving from its premises, offered by a local company. They have something going on each day of the week, including canoeing down the Connecticut River, whitewater rafting, rock climbing and more. Contact them for a schedule at 802-228-1859.
Summer: Go swimming at some of the Northern Waterfalls which are even more impressive than the one by our house. This is a good thing to do on the way back from Ben & Jerry’s (located off route 89 in Waterbury; take 91 to 89), the Cabot Cheese outlet, Vermont TeddyBear “Make your own bear” store and the Cider Mill, which are located 2 hours from the house and within 5 minutes of one another. Bartlett Falls, which have a large swimming hole and a 28-foot jump, are about 45 minutes south of Ben and Jerry’s is just 2 miles east of Bristol (just west of Lincoln Gap).
The falls from the Mad River are on Route 100 just south of the Town of Warren (there is a parking area on the side of the road, and the falls are a short walk back into the woods; as you travel after the Town of Warren you will see many cars parked where the falls are). Both Falls are exquisite and worth the trip!
Summer/Fall: Go Mountain Biking at Killington; this is a blast! They also have rock climbing, some water sports, etc. In the Fall, be sure to take a Gondola ride to the top of the mountain to view the gorgeous foliage that abounds in late September/early October. Summer/Fall: Drive or hike up the Mountain Road to the top of Okemo. There are several scenic overlooks on the way up.
Summer/Fall: Go golfing at Okemo Valley; the course is spectacular! They are the only golf school in the country to feature the patented PowerLINK 3-D System that uses biomechanical research technology to objectively evaluate a golfers game. See http://www.okemo.com/summer/index.html for more info.
Fall: Go to the lakes for the day and enjoy the reflection of the spectacular foliage! Lakes Echo, Amherst and Rescue are beautiful and just 5 minutes away. The view is set between the mountains and is beautiful. There is a boat launch right across the lake if you want to bring your own canoe or Kyak; you can rent these items at Hawk Mountain.
Saving $$ Skiing @Okemo: Here is a great tip: you can “try before you buy” at Okemo for the first hour of operation each day (9am-10am midweek, 8am-9am weekend/holiday); they often start the lifts even earlier on the weekend (7:30am), which can enable you to have lots of early morning, crowd-free runs. Consider buying a flex card if you are skiing midweek; it costs about $89 and saves you 50% midweek and 25% on weekends and holidays for the whole season. Finally, check their website at http://www.okemo.com/rates/specials.html for coupons (especially $15 off in March/April); they almost always have some out there you can print.
Other Skiing: We are in the heart of ski country. While we think Okemo is the best in terms of ski conditions, fun terrain and a well-run mountain, there are other choices. At the house, we have directions to Killington (30 min), Stratton/Bromley (30 min.), Ascutney (30 min.), Mad River Glen (90 min), Mount Snow, Stowe (2 hours) and others.
Sleigh Riding and Ice Skating: If you make a left out of Edelweiss and follow West Hill down about ½ way, you will see the Ludlow recreational center on the right (which has an ice skating rink, sleigh riding hill, and large pond). The rink is lighted at night. The sleigh riding hill, located just above the rink, is fantastic!! It is actually groomed and a very popular destination. While they don’t rent skates, they do provide sled rentals. Note that there is a cost (about $2 for kids and $5 for adults) to use the recreational center. nterest!
