5 Tips For A November Family Trip To Stowe And Lake Placid, Before The Ski Crowds Show Up
The Paine family in Morrisville, Vermont, has been growing Christmas trees for more than 60 years. Pick one out and they’ll cut it down, wrap it up, and load it onto your car for the ride home. Bring a tape measure, because an eight-footer looks a lot smaller in the field than it does in your living room.
This is November, when Stowe and Lake Placid, New York, two and a half hours apart by car, belong to the people who live there. The leaves are down, the tour buses are gone and the lifts at Stowe and Whiteface won’t spin for a few more weeks. Rates are lower and the holiday lights are going up, so it’s the perfect time for a getaway built around a month most families skip.
Walk Off The Pie On Easy Trails
The Stowe Recreation Path, which starts right behind Topnotch Resort, is a favorite with residents and guests, who enjoy walking and biking the 5.3 mile paved trail. It’s mostly flat, so little legs, wagons, bikes, and strollers can easily handle it. The trail winds past meadows and woods, over arched wooden bridges and along the river before ending in Stowe Village, which means lunch and some shopping. Mountain Ops Outdoor Gear, located at Topnotch, offers bike and helmet rentals for last minute plans.
In Lake Placid, the paved 2.7-mile loop around Mirror Lake is right across the street from High Peaks Resort. The loop provides a perfect opportunity to get outside and enjoy the mountain air, while still being in close proximity to the amenities that Lake Placid has to offer. Older kids (and adults) with energy to burn can pick up the Adirondack Rail Trail, a historic railway corridor that was recently transformed into a multi-use pathway stretching over 34 miles from Lake Placid to Tupper Lake.
Ride The Ferry Between Two States
The ferry between Charlotte, Vermont and Essex, New York has some of the best views on Lake Champlain. The 30-minute boat ride runs year-round weather permitting, with the Green Mountains on one side and the Adirondacks on the other. Kids tend to think a car on a boat is the best part of the trip, anyway.
On the New York side, make a detour to Ausable Chasm. From Nov. 19 to Jan. 10, the Festival of Lights, a half-mile, self-guided celebration of nature and light, runs Thursday through Sunday evenings.
Let Someone Else Cook Thanksgiving
Topnotch Resort will serve Thanksgiving dinner at Flannel, with seatings at 1, 4 and 7 p.m. The menu includes Misty Knoll turkey, slow-roasted prime rib with au jus, stuffed acorn squash, a selection of appetizers (soup, salad and cheese), family-style sides like mashed potatoes, sweet potato souffle, cranberry sauce and roasted brussel sprouts, and pumpkin pie, pecan tartlet and apple galette for dessert. Price is $95 for adults, $50 for children 10 and under, plus tax and gratuity.
In Lake Placid, High Peaks’ Thanksgiving dinner buffet features turkey, ham, salmon and all the sides your family expects, no kitchen cleanup required. Price is $86 per adult, $34 per child 6 to 12, children 5 and under free, plus tax and gratuity.
Cut Your Own Christmas Tree
At Topnotch Resort, Thanksgiving weekend can cover both the turkey and the tree. The O’Christmas Tree Package (for bookings between Nov. 14–Dec. 26, two-night minimum) pairs a stay with a trip to Paine’s Tree Farm to pick out a 6- or 8-foot tree to take home, plus a keepsake ornament from the farm. Rates start at $284 per night, including fees + tree, before tax. After, relax in the indoor and outdoor heated pools and Jacuzzis, and enjoy a leisurely dinner at The Roost (if you still have room for more food!).
Grab The Deals Before Winter Pricing Kicks In
High Peaks Resort’s Countdown to Winter Package locks in the best rates of the season. Book now through Nov. 16 (for stays through March 31) and save up to 20%. Stays include complimentary snowshoe rentals, admission to the Whiteface Club & Resort Nordic Center for cross-country skiing, a welcome beverage upon arrival, morning coffee and afternoon refreshments in the lobby, and Saturday yoga classes. Rates start at $122 per night including fees before tax.
By mid-December, both towns will belong to the skiers again. Come now, while the trails are quiet, dinner reservations are easy to get and the biggest decision of the day is six feet or eight.