The WilloughVale Inn opens for Dinner

One of the great things about being the marketing manager of a resort is I often have to "test the product." After all, I have to know what to market right?

This past weekend my husband and I had the opportunity to stay at the WilloughVale Inn on Lake Willoughby. Though it is only an hours' drive from Stowe, we felt like we were far away from the stresses of everyday life. The WilloughVale is located right on the lake and the scenery is just spectacular!

We stayed in one of the new Lake View Cottages that were built last year. It was so relaxing. It rained most of the weekend and it was a bit chilly for biking and hiking but we managed to have a wonderful time watching movies, eating great food and relaxing in the Jacuzzi tub. The cottages, both lake view and lake side, are fully equipped with all the comforts of home and some have Jacuzzis in the master bedroom, like the one we stayed in.

While we were there the restaurant hadn't yet opened but I did get to sample the food yesterday, before our opening day tonight. Tonight the restaurant opens for the season and is open all weekend. We'll be open for dinner on weekends through the month of May and then opening five days a week in June. You can check the WilloughVale Inn website for details.

I got to sample the new menu yesterday and it was delicious! We had a private tasting that lasted about 2 hours and I ate way too much. My favorite was the stuffed mushrooms and the Italian Weddding Soup to start, pasta pommodore and the salmon en envelope for an entree and then of course the flambee for dessert. Yum. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

This weekend the restaurant opens for business and you're looking for a brunch location for Mother's Day the WilloughVale restaurant is offering a specail Mother's Day Brunch this Sunday from 11-2pm.

Hope to see you out and about!

Everything is coming up roses

We recently wrote about our Maintenance Supervisor, Russell, who not only has worked at the Inn for over 35 years but is also a maker of Vermont's Pure Maple Syrup. It's probably not surprising to know that we use his Maple syrup here at the Green Mountain Inn.

Well I have to tell you that he's not the only talented team member here. We have a plethora of creative staff members who are lucky enough to be able to incorporate their craft into their job here at the Green Mountain Inn.

Many of you may recognize Maria who has been greeting guests at the Inn for many years. Maria is the friendly face you see when checking in at the front desk. She is also the woman behind the scenes creating flower arrangements for many of the Inn's weddings, special events and Country Inn Ceremonies. Maria is one of the many talented floral designers the Green Mountain Inn works with.

As you can probably see from the slide show on the right, her arrangements are thoughtful and elegant. She has been arranging flowers for over 20 years and loves the artistry of it all (you can see her face light up when she talks about it). She particularly loves the beauty and varied colors and texture of the Zinnia as well as the simplicity of the Anemone. What she loves most about creating the floral arrangements is being a part of your special day. Guests from all over the states and Europe have come back to the Green Mountain Inn to celebrate anniversaries and Maria is often called upon to recreate their special bouquet.

Green Mountain Inn is adding an elevator

Spring has sprung here in Vermont. As I write this the sun is shining brightly and it's about 70 degrees out. And though the birds are most likely singing their spring songs, we can't hear much of it over the sweet humming of the Deere, the John Deere tractor, that is. Yes, tractor! If you have passed by the Green Mountain Inn lately you may have noticed the orange fencing surrounding the parking lot and the tractors tractoring behind the Inn. We're not just playing in the dirt, we're installing a new elevator, just for you!

As part of our ongoing capital improvement work, the Green Mountain Inn has begun the installation of a new elevator to the Main Inn. The project began on April 14th and is expected to be completed by July 2008. Though construction is always a bit of an inconvenience, we are excited about the project as it will make the Inn more accessible to our guests. The elevator will service the main dining room, function room, living rooms and 41 guest rooms located in the Main Inn building and Depot building.

If you booked a room between now and then, never fear. We are still operating as usual and all our amenties are still available for our guests including our heated pool and fitness room, massage facilities, Jacuzzi and sauna, Depot shops, afternoon tea and dinner at The Whip.

The project is expected to be completed this summer and we'd love for you to come for a visit!

Green Mountain Music

Spring is my favorite time of year. As I drive to and from the Green Mountain Inn every day, I inhale the sweet smells of sugarhouses where farmers are working diligently to make Vermont’s famous Maple Syrup. And as the snow begins to melt, you can see the daffodils push their way fervently through the earth. Spring (and summer) in Vermont is also when some of the best musicians pass through town. And thanks in part to the Stowe Performing Arts, most of them pass right throught Stowe.

My favorite series that Stowe Performing Arts puts on is the Noon Music in May series, which is a free concert on Wednesdays at noon at the Stowe Community Church on Main Street. It's a perfect opportunity to take a break in the day and enjoy some amazing music. Musicians from all over have played to a dedicated audience and a good time is always had by all.

This year to kick off the series, Pianist, Eugene Barban will be performing on Wednesday, May 7th at noon. The New York Times calls him a "skilled technician with a keen lyrical sense." His repertoire ranges from the Baroque to the Avant-Garde and he has performed for audiences all over the world.

The concert is free and open to the public. And may I recommend lunch at The Whip for a delicious lunch.

Hope to see you there!

Maple Sugaring in Vermont

Vermont is famous for its maple syrup. In fact, Vermont is the largest maple syrup producer in the country. Vermont Maple Syrup is 100% natural and far exceeds the density, purity and quality standards of any maple syrup producing state. In plain English, it's goood!

Not unlike most Vermonters, we, at the Green Mountain Inn, are syrup snobs. It would be foolish to serve anything but Vermont Maple Syrup. Especially when one of our own employees makes it!

Russell Allen, our very talented maintenance manager and jack-of-all-trades has been making maple syrup at his sugar house on East Hill in Wolcott, (just a few miles from Stowe, Vermont) for the last 15 years (he's been working at the Inn for the last 35 years).

Each spring he taps the trees by connecting a pipeline to them that leads to a storage tank. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. He produces about 250 gallons of the liquid gold per year. And the Green Mountain Inn is happy to serve it.

Sugaring usually happens in the spring and Mother Nature dictates exactly when. According to Russell, the perfect temperature for sugaring is 40 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 25 degrees at night. As the temps warm up and the trees start to bud that means the season is winding down. When that happens the sap becomes tangy and dark and is the color of molasses’s.

Maple syrup is not just for pancakes. We use our syrup in various recipes in The Whip such as our famous Maple Vinaigrette and our Vermont Maple Pumpkin cheesecake. Click here to see our recipes.

Happy sugaring!

Green Mountain Inn going Green!

With the threat of global warming so prominent in our lives today, more and more businesses are beginning to take action to lessen their environmental impact. In Vermont's lodging industry alone, there are over 40 hotels and resorts officially going green.

The Green Mountain Inn has been part of the State of Vermont Green Hotels Program for several years now and is committed to broadening the program. In an effort to be more environmentally friendly, the Green Mountain Inn is partnering with Michael Waters, from Middlebury College to create a master plan intended to lessen our environmental impact.

Michael has been hired as an intern and will help the Green Mountain Inn develop a mission statement and plan of action. Currently Michael studies architecture at Middlebury and plans to attend architecture school after graduation and focus on sustainable design.

The Green Mountain Inn has various green programs already in place such as the Towel Re-Use program, recycling bins around the resort and a composting program, to name a few. The Inn intends to expand these programs to include a master plan that will change the way the resort does business taking into account how each decision affects the environment.

We'd love to hear your suggestions and/or how you are working to lessen your environmental impact. Feel free to comment in the box below.

Green Mountain Inn going to the dogs!

Hello to our guests, both past, present and future. My name is Emily, and I am in the reservations department here at the Green Mountain Inn. Since I'm on the phone daily speaking to guests about our resort and what packages and activities we offer, I decided I needed to experience some of these activities for myself.

Often I get asked about our Great Outdoors Package which includes lodging, full breakfast, snowshoe rentals, some goodies and a dogsledding tour. So off I went to enjoy the great outdoors! Oops, I mean "research."

I arrived on Sunday at Eden Dog Sledding in Eden Mills, Vermont (not far from Stowe) not really knowing what to expect. I had never done anything like this before. Jim and his staff were amazing and made me feel completely welcome. I was offered hot chocolate as the knowledgeable employees educated me, and other guests, about the breeding and training of the dogs, trail maintenance, the design of the sleds, and more. I might have sat on one of the comfortable couches, but the majority of the seats were already reserved for the dogs! Also, I had the very important job of rubbing ears and bellies of those dogs that had already taken tours out earlier that day.

Next, it was time for me to go to work. Nathan, one of the mushers, demonstrated how to efficiently slip the harness over the dogs' heads. A handy trick, once you see how excited they are at the idea of a run. There was a group preparing for a ride at the same time, and the young girls were having a blast picking out the correct harnesses for each dog. “I get Pancake!” “I get to do Luna’s!”

Once outside, the dogs are clipped in pairs to the rope that pulls the sled. A chorus of barking and howling lets you know that they’re ready to go! The wide smiles on our faces conveyed the same eagerness. I was tucked neatly into the sled, covered by numerous blankets, and we were on our way.

The dogs, as we were told, are driven most by the thrill of the chase. The fact that two sleds were preparing to depart at once made for an exciting atmosphere. As the first sled took off, the dogs attached to my sled were pulling against the anchor. As soon as Jim released the brake and yelled “ha”, we were off. I was amazed how quickly we gained speed. At times, the trails that we were running would converge with the trails the other team had taken.

The first section winds through the woods, up and down hills and past small streams that peek through the snow. It was flurrying lightly and the mountainous scenery was breathtaking. Parts of the trails break out into snowy fields and loop back past the barn.

Jim was a great driver and we had a lovely conversation along the way about the sleds he’s personally designed himself, the miles of trails that he grooms specifically for the dog sledding, and his hopes to expand his business. He’s even begun what he calls “dogsledding-on-wheels,” which is the warm weather version.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was when Jim allowed me a chance to drive the sled. Talk about a rush! The dogs are well trained and respond quickly to each command, which is lucky for me. Jim walked me through using the brake and how to lean into the curves, and then the dogs take care of the rest!

Back at the barn, it was time to reward the dogs for all their hard work. Bowls of water and generous amounts of treats get divided among the teams, and then it’s back inside to the couches for some R & R! During the ride, another employee had walked out to the trails to photograph us as we passed. Jim took me to his office to scan through the pictures, and e-mailed my choices to me before I’d even left.

Thanks to his hospitality, I had a great day out at Eden Dogsledding, and I can’t wait to go back this summer for dogsledding-on-wheels! If anybody has any questions or would like to book a tour, please feel free to call the Green Mountain Inn at 800-253-7302 or 802-253-7301. Jim anticipates being open for rides through April, so sign up today!