Stowe is essentially a small 200-year-old New England town located in north -central Vermont with two major ski mountain areas: Stowe and Smugglers' Notch. Stowe has a reputation as a big resort, but it still manages to avoid the condo-mania and snobbishness of other ski areas. Many hotels and lodges are situated around the slopes, but there are also many smaller inns that add to Stowe's charm. It is recognized as a very relaxing place to visit. The town itself is seven miles away from the mountains.

Winter Activities

Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak offer skiers 2,360 vertical feet and 378 skiable acres. Some of the most difficult and steepest runs in the nation are located here. Moguls and ice are in liberal supply and challenge even the most expert skier. Mount Mansfield is the home of the fabled "Front Four," a set of very demanding trails. Four cross-country centers offer 150 kilometers of interconnected skiing, the largest in the east. The Catamount cross-country ski trail, which runs the entire length of Vermont, also cuts through the area. Smugglers' Notch, with Morse, Madonna, and Sterling Mountains, has 239 skiable acres on fifty-six trails. There are thirty-two kilometers of Nordic tracks.

Planned events are abundant during the winter months at Stowe. The big winter attraction is the Stowe Winter Carnival, held the third week in January, which features an ice sculpture competition, a mountain torchlight parade, downhill and cross-country ski races, Las Vegas-style gambling, a snow golf competition, and many other zany events that the people of Stowe create. Another week-long event is College Week in early January, during which pizza parties, apr�s-ski get-togethers, and college fun races are scheduled. Other winter events include the Skiing Singles Week and Stowefest in December, which features free rental of all the newest ski equipment from over sixty manufacturers. You can also visit the Trapp Family Lodge of Sound of Music fame.

Summer Activities

Summer activities at Stowe include hiking the trails in the area, bicycling the backroads, fishing for trout, salmon, and northern pike in the lakes, streams, and rivers, and swimming at lakes Eden and Elmore. There is horseback riding in the Green Mountain National Forest, (802) 773-0300, moonlight canoeing on the scenic Winooski River, and even sunset llama trekking. At the resort there are swimming pools, tennis courts, a water slide, and jogging trails.

For great sightseeing, take a ferry across beautiful Lake Champlain. Another attraction near Stowe is the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory in Waterbury, Vermont. The factory offers tours every thirty minutes, complete with ice-cream samples. Ben & Jerry's also sponsors the One World/One Heart Music Festival in late June, and a hot-air balloon festival on July 4. There are also antique car shows and craft festivals.

If you like fun then look into music festival jobs using our Events section.

Apr�s-ski

There are plenty of clubs and watering holes to satisfy the crowds. Rock 'n' roll and college-age crowds are found at the the Rusty Nail or check out The Matterhorn. A slightly older crowd hangs out at B.K. Clarke's. It is difficult to bar-hop here without a car, because the bars and restaurants are along the strip from the mountain village to the town center. Stowe is famous for its upscale and gourmet meals, but several of its fifty-one restaurants offer an affordable alternative.

Transportation

Stowe is located a few miles north of Waterbury off I-89, and Smugglers' Notch is a few miles further off Route 108. The closest airport to both resorts is in Burlington, which is about forty-five minutes away from Stowe and has many daily flights. Car rentals are available at the airport through all the major companies.

The area's lodges, restaurants, and amenities are spread out, so a car is definitely an asset in Stowe. However, you won't be stuck without one, as the shuttle bus service runs through town until 10pm.

Housing

Local housing is available, so check the classifieds in the town paper for rental options and call area real estate agencies, too.

Employment

The service industry accounts for about 44 percent of the average yearly employment in Lamoille County. There are many opportunities for seasonal employment and over half of the labor force is age twenty-two to thirty-nine. Read the following listings for details on seasonal employment within the resorts.

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