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Blurry picture taken from my phone of the view of the mountain from the hotel
All the snow we’ve gotten here in Boston today has been making me think about snowboarding, and my recent trip to Vermont. The weekend before Christmas, we went up to Killington for a few nights. Like last year, I purchased the K55 lift tickets in October to save around $30 each. At that time, Boston hadn’t gotten any snow yet, so it was nice to be up in a winter wonderland. It snowed at least a little bit everyday that we were there.
Like last year, we stayed in the Killington Grand Resort because we had really been happy with the hotel. It’s a little pricey, but I still think that the perks are worth it. It also helped that we were there for a weekend early in the season. The price must have gone up another $100 or so per night by now.
I’m all about saving money when I travel. But even I think it’s nice to splurge every once and a while. Why?
1. The Killington Grand is right at the base of the mountain. You can’t get any closer. It’s literally a one minute walk over the bridge to get to one of the lifts.
2. Free breakfast. And it’s not just muffins and coffee either. I mean a free buffet with eggs, bacon, sausage, waffles, pancakes, french toast, pastries, bagels, and more. What’s better way to start a strenuous day of skiing than a good breakfast? It’s the best time to indulge because you have the next 6 hours on the mountain to burn it off!
3. The pool! The pool is probably my favorite part. I love being able to swim outside in a warm heated pool, while watching it snow, and then jump into the hot tub next to it. The pool’s even better because it starts inside and continues into the outside. Definitely the perfect way to relax your muscles after a hard day on the mountain.
4. Comfortable rooms. You know if you’re paying extra to stay at a resort at the base of a mountain, you’ll end up with comfortable rooms and beds. You won’t be stuck with some cardboard mattress that you might get at the nearest motel.
5. The soft robes that come in the comfortable rooms.
6. Starbucks drinks and mini Ben & Jerry’s ice cream cups in the gift shop. You know I have to feed my addictions even while I’m away.
7. The elegant Christmas trees and decorations that they have up during the holidays, as well as the multiple fire places. It really makes you feel like you could be living in a Christmas song.
8. The sauna. Another great way to relax after skiing.
9. Free wifi. Most hotels have this, but during this particular trip the wifi really helped me out. I had something I had to get done for work the night that we got up there, and was able to complete it quickly and easily.
10. Regular resort amenities. Not that I used them, but it was nice to know that the hotel had a gym, a spa, a restaurant, etc. Just in case.
Stay tuned for what you can’t miss and what to skip during your stay in Killington, Vermont!
Trail map from killington.com
Remember those $50 Killington lift tickets I wrote about a few months ago? Well, I finally got to use them. I went to Killington for two nights earlier this week. We stayed at the Killington Grand Resort, which was about a 2 minute walk from the mountain and had a wonderful time. Unfortunately, my camera was STOLEN during our little getaway, and as a result, I can’t post any of the pictures we took. I’ll break my review down into separate parts: the hotel, Pico Mountain, Killington, and Restaurants.
Hotel: Killington Grand Resort
A little on the pricey side, especially for someone like me with limited funds, the Killington Grand Resort is perfect for a short trip splurge. I would have loved to stay longer, but two nights was all we could afford. I had never been to Killington before, so it was great to stay at a hotel that was literally a 2 minute walk from the Snowshed lift and lodge.
Even though we were there after New Years, they still had their Christmas trees and lights up, which gave it a wintery, festive feel. They had an outdoor heated pool and two hot tubs. I’d never been swimming outside in the winter, so it was a nice experience, and the hot tubs felt great after a long day skiing.
murphy bed (not in our room) from murphybedpros.com
Our room was nice. I booked the cheapest room, which happened to be a studio suite with a queen murphy bed. I had no idea what a murphy bed was, so I was surprised to find out that it was a bed that folded up into the wall. We also had a kitchen, which would have been helpful for a longer stay, a dining table, a couch, and a large chair.
The only negative part of the room was the bathroom- the shower had no water pressure and the toilet kept on deciding not to flush. Not because it was clogged, it just didn’t want to flush.
One of my favorite parts was the free breakfast served every morning in one of the conference rooms. I love free food! It wasn’t just your typical muffin and bagel breakfast. They had all that plus eggs, bacon sausage, home fries, pancakes, waffles, crepes, juice, and coffee. It was the perfect way to start a long day at the mountain. Because of the huge breakfast we were able to stay on the mountain longer before heading in for lunch. All in all, I really enjoyed my stay that the hotel and would definitely return.
Pico
For Christmas, my aunt and uncle who love to ski gave me two lift tickets to Pico. I’d never been there before, and it was a lot of fun. We went on a Monday, and it was completely empty. There were no lines for the chairlifts, and the conditions were great. I stuck mostly to the blue squares, but it seemed like there were trails for skiers and snowboarders of all levels.
Killington
Compared to Pico, Killington is a huge monster. I’m used to Wachusett, which is tiny, and Mount Snow, which I thought was a pretty decently sized mountain, but Killington is MASSIVE. We took this one trail, Great Eastern. It seemed to take forever to get down. It literally went on for miles. We had a lot of fun at Killington, but the conditions weren’t as great as Pico. I guess it’s harder to groom a mountain that big. There were a lot of icy patches, but nothing too horrible.
I went on a gondola for the first time, which got us out of the cold for a while. I enjoyed the ride up the mountain much more than I usually do on a regular lift!
Unfortunately, my camera was stolen at the Snowshed lodge, and I was knocked down on one of the trails by another snowboarder and fell pretty badly. Other than those two mishaps, we had a great day.
Dining: Lookout Tavern
The first night, we went to dinner at the Lookout Tavern. The atmosphere was very casual, and the food was great. They had traditional pub food like wings, burgers, sandwiches, and salad, as well as other entrees. I got fajitas, which I get pretty much everywhere they serve them, and they were some of the best I’ve had. In addition to the regular sour cream, salsa, guacamole, lettuce, and tomato on the side, they also had jalapenos! The perfect way to add a little spice to my meal. Greg got some type of steak with marsala sauce and mushrooms, which he enjoyed. The prices were average.
Wobbly Barn Steakhouse
The second night, we decided to splurge a little on a nice dinner. Plus we got two $5.00 coupons. The meals were expensive, but decently good. I got their pasta of the day: Chicken Marsala, and Greg got Prime Rib. He said his meal wasn’t anything too special, wasn’t seasoned well, and wasn’t worth the $30 plus that it cost. Mine was decent enough.
The best part of the meal was the salad, soup, and bread bar that was included with our meal. The salad bar had lots of options and everything was tasty and fresh. Their bread was also amazing.
We decided on a slice of cheesecake for dessert, and it was so rich and creamy that the two of us could barely finish it. Usually I love flavored cheesecakes from the Cheesecake Factory, but this plain cheesecake with a sugary, walnut crust was delicious.
Well, now that I’ve written way too much, I guess I’m done. My mini winter vacation was great. No, I wasn’t laying on the beach like I was in Cancun exactly a year ago, but it still was a fun and relaxing trip.
Wachusett Mountain
Now that winter has hit us with snow and freezing temperatures, and Christmas is just around the corner (tomorrow!), I’m trying to have some fun in the snow before I get too sick of it. Sledding and ice skating are great, but snowboarding has always been my favorite. I skied when I was younger, but started snowboarding about 5 years ago.
If you live in or around Boston, you may think you need to go to Vermont or New Hampshire for a good day of skiing. That involves waking up at 6 am, packing the car, driving for at least 2.5 hours, spending close to $80 on a lift ticket, $20 on some unhealthy lunch and a hot chocolate, and possibly spending even more money on a hotel room.
Yes, the mountains in Vermont and New Hampshire are great. I love making the trek to Mount Snow, but as a poor college student, I really can’t afford spending $75 on a lift ticket (weekend price; they’re $69 during the week) very often. Also, between classes, interning, and working, it’s difficult to find the time to make the trip.
The perfect, affordable alternative: Wachusett! Located in Princeton, MA, it’s only about an hour from Boston. Week night lift tickets are only $39 for skiing or snowboarding between 4 and 10 pm. Not too bad. I don’t feel like I need to stay on the mountain for 8 hours to get my money’s worth. The mountain’s small, but they have enough trails to keep you busy for a few hours. They also have a park with jumps, rails, etc for those who are feeling adventurous.
I went tonight, and the conditions were pretty good. None of the trails were too icy. I really enjoy Ralph’s Run, even though it’s a beginner’s trail, Smith, and Conifer.
Like any mountain, their food is overpriced, but my broccoli soup in a bread bowl was filling and cost about $7.00. Overall it was a fun time. In high school, when I lived about 20 minutes away from Wachusett, I would always get a season pass. I think it was around $200 something for weekdays and any night. It’s a pretty good deal for people who live close by and love to ski or snowboard. I definitely recommend that you spend an evening skiing or snowboarding at Wachusett.
from killington.com
Now that the temperature’s close to freezing and you can see you breath when you walk outside, it’s time to start thinking about winter. New England is quickly racing through fall, on the fast track to freezing temperatures, long nights, and snow. And with that snow, comes everyone’s favorite winter sports: skiing and snowboarding. I’ve been doing one or the other since I was about 3 years old, but currently I’m into snowboarding, and I have been for the past 5 years.
Usually, I just go to Wachusett because it’s close and cheap. During high school, I always had a seasons pass there. My family also really enjoys Mount Snow, so I usually go there once or twice a year. I’ve never been Killington before, though. So, I was super excited when I saw an advertisement for their K50 $50 lift ticket deal.
Basically, you can purchase up to 4 lift tickets at $50 each for use this season. There are a few blackout dates during school vacations, but that’s it. You can save $25ish on each ticket, which is great. I would have paid about $50 to snowboard at Wachusett, so it’ll be great to go to a much larger mountain that I’ve never been to before for the same price. Unfortunately the deal ends today, so you have to hurry if you want to ski or snowboard at one of New England’s best mountains for $50. I can’t wait.
