The Hills are Alive

Edelweiss, So Long, Farewell, My Favorite Things, I sang them all on our journey through Stowe, Vermont. One of the highlights of going to Stowe for me truly was visiting the Trapp Family Lodge. We missed touring Salzburg on our way from Vienna to Lake Lucerne, the one regret I have about that gorgeous wintry trip, and I hoped a visit to the Trapp Family Lodge would somewhat make up for it until I can get to my much-loved Austria again.

In reality, Stowe and the surrounding areas do bear quite a resemblance to Austria and Germany. Views for as far as the eye can see, snow dusted mountains, Alpine architecture, Christmas cheer, and plumes of smoke curling out of the chimneys of cozy homes all reminded me of that trip and seriously put us in the holiday spirit.

We drove up to the Trapp Family Lodge hoping to do some cross country skiing. To our dismay, due to lack of snow, the trails were closed. We will return to ski and to take a sleigh ride next year! Instead of spending time in the freezing cold outdoors, we decided to wander the lodge a bit.

The inside of the lodge is charming, with photos of the real von Trapp family displayed throughout. You have likely seen the Sound of Music; if you don’t want to be disappointed, don’t look up the real history of the von Trapps. While there are many similarities, there are also, of course, differences from the beloved movie, and that kind of disappointed me. Hey, that’s not Julie Andrews!

Still, it’s a lovely place to visit, and the family has an interesting history. The way they have settled a large portion of the Stowe area is quite impressive as well!

After spending some time looking around the lodge, we drove down the mountain to the brewery and cafe also housed on the property. I had read that the von Trapp family made beer, and being a lover of Austrian beer (and wine!), I was excited to try it out.

We first tried a sampler and then shared two steins, one of the Vienna Amber and one of the Dunkel Lager. Always a fan of dark beer, I loved the Dunkel Lager the best. While the beer featured some chocolate and coffee flavors, it was also refreshing and not heavy at all. Drinking this beer, in the beautiful surroundings, made me want to return to some of the fun bars we visited in Vienna.

Visiting the Trapp Family Lodge was a blast from my childhood past, with its Sound of Music connection, and a delight for my adult self, reminding me of other places I have visited and things I have tried. While I likely wouldn’t stay at the lodge (it was very family friendly, and we tend to not frequent kid-laden places), I would definitely return for more of their beer and of course to take advantage of the acres of countryside they have for winter and summer sports. It was simply gorgeous.

Have you seen The Sound of Music? Do you have a favorite song?