Our Weekend at The Trapp Family Lodge

A few weeks before my birthday Alex asked me what I wanted as a present. And it’s not that I couldn’t think of anything, but I couldn’t think of anything that I really wanted. Was it a new purse or a tattoo? No, I have so many purses and I’m still designing my next tattoo. And then I thought about how much I’d love to take a trip and spend some time together as a family. So we decided to take our first family vacation … ever. And inspired by my recent reminiscing of my trip to Salzburg, I decided what better place to go than the mountains! Here are all the details about our weekend at The Trapp Family Lodge.

The original Trapp Family Lodge was opened in 1950 in Stowe, Vermont by the Trapp Family Singers after escaping the Nazi take over of Salzburg, Austria during World War II. What started as a 300-acre working farm where the family welcomed guests into their home, morphed into over 2,500 acres of farming, skiing, a beer hall, a winery and several guest houses. Now the Trapp Family Lodge is a four-season resort that specializes in European-style accommodations and cuisine where you can hike, snowshoe or get a massage all while enjoying a beautiful view of the Vermont mountains. What we quickly found is that this resort really has something for the whole family!

Accommodations

We stayed in the main lodge which was rebuilt after a fire consumed the original home in the 1980s. I loved how our third-floor room had a balcony overlooking the beautiful mountain range. The first morning we were there we got up early to watch the sunrise and it was absolute magic. The second morning we awoke to find we were actually above the clouds and even though it was grey and rainy, it was still amazing to see. The design of the dark furniture is very reminiscent of Austria and there are pictures throughout the lodge of the Trapp family throughout the years. It felt like we were immersed in the family’s history during our stay and I loved being a part of it.

The beds were extremely comfortable and I loved that there were extra pillows in the closet. So many times I stay at hotels where they only give you one pillow and I have to call down for another one. The rooms and linens were very clean as were the bathrooms which looked to have been updated recently. And the branded toiletries were not just generic soaps and moisturizers, they were high quality and we may have taken home what we didn’t open during our trip.

Though the TVs didn’t have Netflix or any other streaming services, there was a channel guide and several stations with something for everyone. Arielle enjoyed watching Paw Patrol in the mornings and we enjoyed The Da Vinci Code at night.

While we couldn’t hear what was going on in the room next to us (my mom and Arielle were staying there), the first night there was a wedding party staying in our wing and we could hear them coming back late at night. The next night they had already checked out and all was quiet in the halls. Because Arielle still isn’t in a big girl bed yet, they brought up a crip to my Mom’s room and she was very comfortable.

To stay in a Deluxe King room with breakfast included cost us about $400 a night, including the $35 per person per day resort fee. The Lodge also offers larger rooms and suites as well as villas and timeshare opportunities.

Dining

I am not a “foodie” but I have to say everything tasted amazing during our stay. My one complaint is that they didn’t have room service and if you didn’t have reservations for the main dining room or the Bierhall there was nowhere to have a meal on the property for dinner since the Kaffehaus closed at 4 p.m. However, they were upfront with us that with the pandemic they have had to reduce their staffing and I completely understand this difficult situation.

What is fantastic about the Lodge is all of the food is incredibly fresh and much of it is grown and made on the property. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Main Dining Room

I would highly suggest the “A Few of My Favorite Things” room package when you book because it includes a breakfast buffet in the main dining room. And when I say “breakfast buffet” I really mean a full breakfast. Each morning they had two types of eggs, an assortment of fresh fruit and spreads, yogurt, porridge with various toppings, breakfast potatoes, bacon and sausage, homemade pastries and bread, as well as pancakes, Belgian waffles, and French toast, served with their very own warmed Trapp Family maple syrup. I haven’t eaten that much in forever! The buffet also included a non-alcoholic beverage and was served from 7:30 am to 10:30 am. Reminder, even for breakfast you have to make reservations either through the restaurant or online via OpenTable.

Not only were we celebrating my birthday during this trip, but we were also there for our anniversary. For our first evening there, Alex and I enjoyed dinner al fresco and it was lovely. Again, the food was delicious, and I am very picky about my macaroni and cheese, as were the cocktails.

Bierhall

The Bierhall and the von Trapp Brewery is the family’s newest venture and while I’m no beer drinker I know a good brew when I taste it. I enjoyed a small glass of their Vienna lager with my black bean burger and side of spatzl at the Bierhall, a sleek, modern beer hall right at the edge of the property. Alex, who I would consider a beer expert, liked the brews so much we ended up bringing some home. You can order their beer and wines throughout the property but I would highly suggest a visit to the Bierhall. Just remember to grab a reservation!

Kaffehaus

The Kaffehaus is a veritable smorgasbord of delicious pastries and coffee. I love a good hot chocolate and they delivered. You can also grab premade sandwiches and tons of snack food as well as giftware. We tried the maple cheesecake, the Linzer torte, and the coffee roll with cream cheese frosting, and all three were to die for.

This is also where they hold their s’mores campfire night where guests gather to enjoy complimentary s’mores and listen to campfire songs. Arielle isn’t quite into s’mores yet but she did have part of a Hershey bar and loved hearing some of her favorite songs.

The Wine Cellar & Slayton Pasture Cabin

We did not visit the wine cellar during our visit but I did bring home a bottle of their Pinot Noir and I am excited to try it. Prior to COVID, the Lodge offered wine tastings and a tour of the cellar so I’m hoping that sometime in the future I can check that out.

Slayton Pasture Cabin is only open in winter and is located three miles up the mountain from the lodge. While it’s advertised as a place for skiers to grab a hot cup of soup or hot chocolate while warming up by the fire in between trips down the mountain, I would like to visit it some time even though I am no skier. It’s just so picturesque and quaint!

Activities and Amenities

The Trapp Family Lodge isn’t just a place to stay. It is a real destination. On the property you’ll be able to play golf, disc golf, take a sleigh or carriage ride, get your savasana on with yoga lessons that they hold outdoors on clear summer days, indoor and outdoor heated pools, a hot tub and a spa. We had hoped to try the disc golf course but it was raining. Next time I will definitely indulge in a massage at the spa. They also offer several tours and certain ones, like the Meet the Cows tour, Maple Sugaring tour and the von Trapp Family History tour are included in your resort fee.

Meet the Cows Tour

If it had made sense to start my review of our weekend at the Trapp Family Lodge with information on this tour I would have because this was an experience to say the least. While they tell you to wear “proper footwear and weather-appropriate clothing,” I think they need to be a bit more specific. As someone who has never been in a cow pasture, and I doubt I was in the minority in our group, I showed up wearing sneakers and jeans. This was not the appropriate footwear and I was very lucky that I did not lose a shoe in the mud (unlike one of our fellow tourists). You need pants that won’t mind getting dirty and some knee-high rain boots or work boots. Do not wear anything that you care about. You will regret it. I’m speaking from experience.

Our guide, who went by Poach, was very honest with us from the beginning of the tour that we would get dirty and it would be a tough hike to get to their herd of Scottish Highlander cattle, but I was already there and had nothing else that would have fit the bill. So off I went through the pasture in my rose gold and white Michael Kors sneakers that I am still scrubbing.

Despite all of this, I am glad that I went because it was something I’ve never done before and I am always up for a new experience. During our hike, Poach taught us what “grass-fed” really means and why you get your meat so cheap when you buy it at a large grocery store. Needless to say, it may be a bit much for any vegans on the trip as it was somewhat hard for me to hear and I haven’t had meat in ten years.

But we also got to meet the cutest little calf that had been abandoned by its mother and was being bottle-fed by Poach and Lynn von Trapp. Arielle loved getting to pet Brownie and when the four-month calf walked away Arielle cried because she thought she had found a brand new friend. We’ve exposed Arielle to a mostly pescetarian diet so I didn’t have the heart to explain to her what purpose these animals will eventually fulfill. We will cross that bridge when we get to it.

Maple Sugaring Tour

The Maple Sugaring tour allows guests the learn about how pure Vermont maple syrup is made using the “old-fashioned” way. You get to check out the Lodge’s sugarhouse and take a hike around the property as well as sample some of the maple treats they produce! We had booked this tour prior to our trip but because it was raining we decided to skip it so it’s on my to-do list for our next time.

Von Trapp Family History Tour

I’m not going to lie, the reason I booked this tour was because of the promise that you get to meet a real von Trapp. I’m a total fangirl for anything to do with the Sound of Music. And we did get to meet Sam von Trapp, the grandson of Maria and Georg von Trapp and son of Johannes von Trapp. But even as someone who prides themselves on knowing every word of every song in the musical, I learned so much during this tour of the lodge.

Bob, our guide, was a Stowe native and had known Maria when he was a little boy. He went over the von Trapp family tree, the Captain’s first wife and how she had passed, how Maria had come to teach the children and the inevitable marriage between the former postulant and the Baron. We were then showed a documentary of Maria’s last trip to Salzburg before her death in 1987 where we heard straight from her about her life and journey.

Then we were treated to a question and answer session with Sam and he was so insightful about the family’s history, the lodge and the von Trapp legacy. I asked him what he believed Maria would want the legacy of the von Trapp family to be and he was very deliberate with his answer: inclusion and acceptance. I believe that that comes from Maria and the Baron feeling cast out by their hometown during World War II and then being welcomed in the U.S.

Coincidentally, Adventures by Disney were on-site filming for their upcoming partnership with the Lodge for their latest adventurous offering. So they ended up grabbing some footage of the tour and the Q&A session and you can bet that I’ll be checking that video out when it’s released!

After the tour was over, Sam sat down and signed books for anyone who wanted, personalizing them to the recipient. I had him sign a book for Arielle that has the lyrics for “A Few of My Favorite Things” and he was really good with her. This experience and learning more about the family really made the trip so special!

Hiking Trails

Throughout the property are hiking trails that lead to several different sites like the chapel which was built by Werner von Trapp to fulfill a promise he made to God when he survived a terrible attack in World War II. He and his brother, Rupert von Trapp both served in the war for the United States, fighting against their former countrymen. It took Werner 40 years to build the chapel and he would not accept help for his important task.

On our first morning there we took an early morning hike to the chapel. I was not wearing the right shoes or clothes (as you can see) but the climb up the steep hill was worth it because it was just so peaceful and pretty up there. Sam von Trapp told us during the Family tour that his aunt, Rosemarie, collects prayers left at the chapel and she has her prayer group remember them at the Stowe Community Church.

COVID Procedures

The pandemic is making everything just a bit harder on travelers and businesses, but I believe that the Trapp Family Lodge is learning and adjusting well to this new normal. Most employees, and all the staff in the dining areas, wore masks and guests were required to wear them if they were unvaccinated. We were told to bring our vaccination cards but were never asked to show them. Because Arielle is obviously unvaccinated due to her age, we were very careful about social distancing and everyone was respectful of our space.

Because they had a smaller staff than normal and to help with social distancing, reservations are required for all meals at the main dining room and the Bierhall. Depending on how busy they are, you may be able to grab lunch at the Lounge (an offshoot of the main dining room) and they have tea time daily. They’ve also put wine tastings and some of their kids’ activities on hold and have temporarily closed the sauna and rock climbing wall.

It’s obvious that they are taking the pandemic seriously while trying to maintain their business and their guests’ safety.

The Final Verdict

I can’t wait to go back! As someone who usually travels to cities, I was concerned that we wouldn’t have enough fun stuff to do during our trip. But we ended up not having enough time to enjoy everything that the Trapp Family Lodge had to offer. We kept talking about what we wanted to do during our next visit to this idyllic and quaint destination.

So while rooms may seem slightly more expensive than other resorts in the Stowe, VT area, you get more for your money with all of the activities and amenities right on the property. You also get a story of survival, family and the power of love as you learn about the von Trapps. What I also loved is how so much of the food is grown and made right there and how you really feel like you’re apart of the family. While I thought a von Trapp sighting would be hard to achieve, we ended up seeing more than one family member multiple times. And yes, I fangirled everytime.

Now the Trapp Family Lodge will always have a special place in our hearts because we had such an amazing time there on our very first family vacation.

I’ll be sharing a reel with some video of our trip on Instagram. And don’t forget to read my tips for how to pack for a weekend away with a toddler, as well as what to wear on a summer road trip!