Family Ski Weekend at Stratton Mountain Resort with MomTrends
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Once the holiday season is behind us and the new year begins, the first thing we are itching to do is hit the slopes! My family loves to ski and have been ripping up the first tracks (ski lingo for skiing on the fresh morning snow) since they were still in nursery school. Luckily, this year we were invited to attend the MomTrends 4th annual Family Ski Event at the beautiful and popular Stratton Mountain Resort!!
Lucky us, right?!! This was our first visit to Stratton as a family of five, previously we attended pre-kids, and I have to go on the record saying this was our best ski vacation ever! And I’ll tell you why…
From the picturesque mountain view drive, which took us about 4 hours from NYC to Stratton (approximately 170 miles)… to the family friendly resort, which was conveniently located across the street from the ski mountain… to the shopping village and slopes, what more could you want! Wait, I forgot to mention après-ski at all the local restaurants! Yes, there is live music and tons of fun. It was everything you could imaging and more.
We forgot how easy and close the drive to Vermont is from New York City and how lucky we are to have such an amazing resort and ski mountain within driving distance. It truly is spectacular. Stratton is in Southern Vermont so the drive is super easy! I learned to ski in Vermont and went up quite a bit in my college years. Roadtrips were much easier back then I must admit. There weren’t as many frequent stops and the conversations definitely sounded a lot different than now but as we headed out on this adventure as a family of 5, we were stoked! We left on Friday late afternoon and stopped once for dinner along the way. As you can see Brent got comfy in his pajamas… It was Friday so the kids were all tired from the long week and eager to sit and relax anyway which really made this trip enjoyable. They popped on a movie and we played a few games and then we were there!
Upon arrival to the Black Bear Lodge, we were greeted with a friendly welcome and a lovely gift bag! Check out all the goodies inside. Thank you for just a warm welcome. And best part was even though we arrived late in the evening, we got to wake-up in Vermont! Look at Brent’s face when he discovered the snow outside!
Stratton is a fabulous resort for all age ranges and abilities. The kids needed a refresher since it was there first time on skis in a while. Luckily Stratton’s Ski Club offers lessons for all levels which is perfect for big families like mine. Even Brent got to practice getting on his ski boots and skis! Then loved playing in the snow. They are all at their own levels and Stratton’s coaches made sure to accommodate that. Mini Cub starts at age 3 and go up to 12 with Little Cub and Big Cub lessons. They also have adult lessons which I am looking forward to our next trip so I can take a snowboarding lesson!
Mom tip!! All lessons need to be booked in advance because space is limited and fills quickly. So book early by calling 1-800-STRATTON or clicking here. Brinkley and Brycen did a half day group lesson and had so much fun. They loved their coach and got the kinks out quickly on the magic carpet bunny slopes (there are two one mini one and one large one) which gave them the confidence to get right up there on the lifts!
There was just so much to see and do aside from skiing and snowboarding. The Village is located just off the base of the mountain so whether you need a break from the snow or just there for the views, there is something for everyone. Brent needed a break after his lesson so I decided to take him for a little walk. We grabbed a snack at one of the restaurants, I picked up some souvenirs (did you know Vermont has amazing maple syrup?) and then headed over for a sweet treat by the bon fire. There is daily roasting marshmallows and hot cocoa in the afternoon! How fun is that?!
As soon as everyone finished their last run of the day, we quickly stored our ski rentals and boots for the next day at the rental counter and hopped on the shuttle back to Black Bear Lodge. By the way, renting gear for a family of five may sound like a nightmare but it was super easy. Click here to get your rentals in advance! Don’t deal with the wait and the fuss. Look how cute Brent’s skis were!
This is us on the shuttle! There was never a wait and was only about a 2 min drive across the street from the mountain to the resort. There are even places to stay right there in the village. Black Bear Lodge really was fun, has a delicious restaurant on site (no room service or coffee maker though), game room for the kids and a hot-tub and sauna. They also serve breakfast every morning and the coffee and muffins hit the spot.
Brinkley and I were looking for some relaxing girl time after our ski filled day so we grabbed our suits and headed to the hot-tub and sauna to unwind. The boys wanted to more action and went to check out the snow tubing! There are so many great activities which made for a wonderful weekend away! Plus it is a fun place to visit with friends and family like we did. Next time we can’t wait to check out cross country skiing, the fitness center and salt water pool which is just down the road and I heard was awesome. Also, if you are in need of some more TLC, there is a Day Spa, click here to book your massage or custom treatment now.
Overall Perks:
Convince to NYC
Short lift lines
Easy gear rental and storage
Lodging close to the mountain
Helpful and trained staff
Shopping village
Numerous restaurants
Kid friendly!
Something for everyone and every level (*even those non-skiers! aka the Spa!)
*Special thanks to Mom Trends & Stratton for this wonderful adventure!