Killington, Vermont – In Summer
We decided to take a family road trip to Killington, Vermont in early august was a perfect time to experience this winter resort area in the summertime. The trip did not start out as auspiciously as we would have liked… As with most trips that we take I started with a detailed itinerary of where we would go, what we would do and where we would stay. I pre-booked our Hotel and listed several attractions that we would see. After a pleasant drive from our New Hampshire home through southern Vermont we arrived at Rutland, Vermont our first destination. We found a parking garage near the town center and after several false steps made our way to a closed off street that was set aside for pedestrian traffic. This was a nice albeit small area with several food carts, some sit down restaurants and shops.
The first attraction that we wanted to see was the Wonderfeet Children’s Museum that we were taking Alex to. The “museum” turned out to be a glorified play area for toddlers with some Legos and a couple of toys. Obviously Alex was too old for this so we decided to head to the hotel so we could get some swimming in.
I did not have a lot of time to plan this trip so when I booked our hotel my only priority was that we had a pool for Alex to enjoy. We found our way to the Rodeway Inn in Rutland to check-in. To our dismay the pool was drained and overgrown. After some finagling with Expedia and the hotel manager we were able to cancel our booking and not incur any cancelation fee. It was now my job to find a last minute replacement so as not to completely ruin our trip. We ended up booking North Star Lodge and Resort on the road leading up to the Killington ski area.
The lodge was a little bit tired and dated but had extremely inexpensive summer rates and turned out just right for this trip. One unusual feature for our room on the fourth floor was that the elevator emptied directly into the lounge area also on the fourth floor. During the summer season the lounge was closed but it would have been uncomfortable going through a busy lounge with suitcases or swim clothes if it was open. The rooms were clean with refrigerator and microwave. There was a small game room on the third floor with several old video games (one broken) and an air hockey table.
The pool area was very nice with a heated pool (Outdoors – open all year) and a gas barbeque grill.
We took advantage of this and purchased some meat for dinner by the pool on our second night.
The Mount Killington area itself has numerous summer activities for the entire family. You can purchase an Adventure Center day pass that gives access to activities such as alpine tubing, maze, paintball, zip line and the scenic lift to the summit of Killington Peak.
There is also a golf course available.
The cooler in the Mountains free summer concert series is also held each Saturday afternoon. Numerous events such as mountain bike races or Spartan races are scheduled throughout the summer.
A fun activity for young ones is the Mendon Mini Golf and Snack Bar in nearby Mendon, Vermont. Always fun for the kids and the young at heart Rita and Alex thoroughly enjoyed the 18 holes around and into the water hazards and obstacles.
As I was watching the family play golf I was noticing a steady stream of locals pull up to the snack bar for takeaway. We decided to sample the fare and were pleasantly surprised at the hand cut fries, great burgers and battered seafood.
You cannot go wrong with scenic drives in this area. We had a slightly drizzly day so decided to take a drive into the Green Mountains. The combination of mountain and rural scenery was wonderful with great picture taking opportunities at every turn.
We purposely drove to one covered bridge but saw two more by shear happenstance and all were very photogenic. In the same areas take advantage of iconic Vermont products by taking in the Vermont Marble Museum and visiting a maple syrup or artisan cheese manufacturer.
One must stop in the morning is the Sunup Bakery on the Killington Road. The best scone I ever ate (blueberry) and this is from someone who has eaten scones in England. Unfortunately we stopped here on the morning of our drive home and I will have to wait for a return trip to revisit this taste treat.
This area of Vermont is loaded with attractions. In this general area are sites of historical interest such as Hildene (the home of Robert son of Abraham Lincoln), the Hubbardton and Bennington battlefields, the Bennington Monument and the boyhood home of Calvin Coolidge. There is a Norman Rockwell Museum with many of his Saturday Evening Post covers on display. Nearby national parks; Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historical Park and Augustus Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. Natural areas of interest are the southern tip of Lake Champlain to the west and Quechee Gorge to the east.
Alex had a great birthday and I hope our trip inspires you to visit southern Vermont and the Killington area.
