Bluebird Tälta Lodge

Worth getting out of bed for

Bluebird Tälta Lodge is surrounded by thickets of trees, a landscape which looks like a pencil drawing in the winter snow, but explodes into painterly color come fall. It’s a hideaway – or more accurately, ‘place to sleep after being outside all day’ – for all seasons, with its own biking pump track and a hot tub you could even wallow in when icy. When the famous Green Mountains are more white, head to Stowe Mountain Resort, where alpine skiing first came to Vermont, less than a 10-minute drive away. In winter it’s the place for skiing and snowboarding, with instructors and runs for all abilities, but there are other-weather activities: the climbing wall at Stowe Rocks; summiting Mount Mansfield; hikes along the Sterling Pond Trail, Haselton Trail, the Mansfield ridgeline, and the adrenaline-needing Cliff Trail; scaling sheer faces with Sunrise Mountain Guides; taking in the scenery from the gondola SkyRide (with a waffle at the summit to celebrate); or follow the zigs and zags of the Auto Toll Road (first built up the mountain in 1923), for panoramas of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. In the opposite direction, Stowe is also less than a 10-minute drive. Start by the long white spire of the community church; pick up folk art, handmade ceramics and jewellery at Remarkable Things at Stowe Craft; fudge, maple candy so sweet you might hallucinate, and paper bags full of retro sweets from the jars at Stowe Mercantile; and curl up in Stowe Free Library’s gazebo with one of their many tomes. On Main Street there’s the Vermont Ski and Snow Museum for a slalom into the town’s ski history; and see its artistic side at the West Branch Gallery and Sculpture Park, and contemporary arts center the Current. Itching to get back out there? There’s still the Stowe Recreation Path which you can step onto direct from the hotel; canoeing, kayaking or SUP-ing up the Winooski River or Waterbury Reservoir; fly-fishing; go along the Mad River to bathe in popular swimming spot Warren Falls; pound trails through Smugglers’ Notch State Park; ride a horse, zip-wire, mountain bike, or dog sled… After all that, you deserve a little treat – take the Wonka-esque tour of the Ben & Jerry’s factory (yes, there are tastings), to pay your respects at the flavor graveyard, and see new favorites get made. Swing by Burlington to see the world’s tallest filing cabinet (because, why not?) and it’s not ‘FA, a long, long way to run’ to see the (Von) Trapp Family Lodge (now a resort, but where the famous, fleeing Austrians are buried) but it is fun to trek there on snowshoes. 

Local restaurants

There’s no restaurant at the lodge, so you’ll need to fend for yourselves, by which we mean, pop into Stowe. The Bistro at 10 Acres has a terrace with expansive views (in summer), and its 19th-century dining room is an equally appealing proposition in winter, for cider-glazed pork ribeye with smoked polenta, chicken in the house’s maple-bourbon glaze and Vermont-cheese platters. Idletyme Brewing Company is the ideal place for, well, idling away the afternoon over fried pickles and cheddar fritters, stacked sandwiches and burgers, and mac and cheese many ways, plus colorful flights of home-brewed beers. Edson Hill is on the fancier end of food, with a stylish white-walled, stone-floored dining room, superlative views: on the menu are watermelon gazpacho with Maple Farms feta and candied jalapeño; duck prosciutto with herby ham and toasted parmesan; truffle tagliatelle and Maine lobster rolls. 

Local cafés

Lodge guests get a discount at the Round Hearth Café, just a short stroll away, a quaint spot admired for its grilled sandwiches (hot pastrami with caramelized onions and gouda, balsamic blueberries and brie…), with its own antique store and a large indoor fire pit. And, Vermont has many sweet spots to hit, including Cold Hollow Cider Mill for cider both soft and hard, and cider doughnuts freshly fried, fudge, biscuits, scones, and ‘just like mom’s’ apple pie; and Nebraska Knoll Sugar Farm, for jugs of homemade maple syrup and maple candies. 

Local bars

Cork Wine Bar specializes in natural and biodynamic bottles, and holds regular tasting sessions (alfresco in summer). However, Stowe’s speciality lies in brewing, and there’s quite the beer crawl ahead of you. The Alchemist makes cult can Heady Topper as well as popular Focal Banger IPA; the Von Trapp Brewery & Bierhall will have you slapping your lederhosen in glee after a few lagers; Burlington Beer Company has a wide, refreshing range (including goses and stouts) in cool-looking cans; and Long Tail Brewing Co has small to large batches covering fruity wheat beers, summery ales, juicy IPAs and even CBD-infused seltzers.