It’s a miracle! Last weekend my husband and I celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary. No, that is not the miracle. The miracle is that with all that is going on these days we were actually able to go away for that weekend, just the two of us. We went to Stowe, Vermont, and stayed at the Trapp Family Lodge. If you have no idea who that family is then I will be happy to explain. The Von Trapp Family is the real family from the movie The Sound of Music. This family has quite the story going from Austria and migrating to America. I love watching The Sound of Music so when I found out a couple of years ago that they settled in Vermont and have a family lodge I wanted to go to it. I didn’t know it would take over seven years to get there, but hey better late than never.
Anyway, the Trapp Family Lodge is a beautiful place to visit with the Green Mountains surrounding them. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect, but their place is nice and the rooms are comfortable. Have you ever heard the saying “a room with a view?” That’s exactly what we had, a room with a beautiful view of the mountains. We also had a small balcony with two chairs where we could relax, talk, eat, look at the mountains, and watch the clouds slowly move over the sun as it set.
The food we had on the night of our anniversary was beyond good! We ordered a pretzel with cheese, fruit, and some meat for an appetizer. That appetizer was so delicious I could have had that for my supper and I would have been satisfied.
My main course was a bratwurst in a bun with some potato salad and sauerkraut. That food was so good I ate it ALL!
Dessert for me was a coffee-flavored creme brulée with some espresso. That was one of the best tasting meals I have ever had. I was kind of sorry that the food was all gone. My husband had an apple streusel with his espresso.
The following day we decided to take a walk up to the family chapel. It’s about a ten-minute walk almost completely uphill from the lodge to the woods. To me, this chapel was well worth the walk. I got to see where the Von Trapp family prayed and I got to spend a few minutes taking it all in. In my opinion, it’s about the closest I’m getting to a ruin for this summer.
Like the sign says on the drive to the lodge you get to experience a little of Austria with a lot of Vermont. Another thing that is cool about the place is it’s still run by the Von Trapp Family. Even though Maria Von Trapp and Captain Von Trapp passed away years ago, they still have family running this lodge. I think that is pretty cool.
Since we visited during the time of COVID, there were some extra things to consider. One was that you had to make sure you were allowed to stay there according to the rules of the state of Vermont. If you are worried about social distancing, don’t be. The families who stay there keep their distance just fine and face masks are required when going from your room to the restaurant or where ever you might be heading towards. And the tables in the restaurant and on the outside are at least six feet apart from each other.
Kathleen Smith is an indie author, blogger and she has her own podcast Kathleen’s Korner. You can read or listen about her life in Brooklyn and Upstate NY . You can also either read or listen to her personal story of how she and her husband kept their marriage together through 3 miscarriages in Miscarriages My Story