The waterfall’s thunderous rhythm had a hypnotic effect. Dressed in bathing suits and flip flops, we arranged fluffy towels on chaise lounges as the bright sunlight shone upon us. It was a welcome escape from winter’s chill.
Yet my family and I weren’t at a tropical destination. We were at Topnotch, a spa and resort in one of America’s most quintessential ski towns.
The guests were an eclectic mix of families, couples feting a special occasion, and ladies on a spa getaway. I chatted with a group of businessmen on retreat, who came to snowmobile in the Vermont forest. Indeed, an array of recreation was on offer—snow sports, tennis, and river views from the Stowe Recreation Path, which starts on the property and winds 5.3 miles through the valley into town.
Indoor Oasis
Adjacent to the treatment rooms is a pool, hot tub, and pair of saunas. White Greek columns adorn the pool room, which is constructed of marble and stone.
Following a morning of outdoor activities, we savored the afternoon in the spa. My wife floated over after her massage wearing a white terrycloth robe and slippers. The cathartic expression on her face was priceless. She hadn’t looked this relaxed in months.
With the transition from dusk to full darkness of night, the change of light source altered the perspective through the wood-framed windows and skylights from mountainous views to a room full of mirrors.
Frequently, we positioned our shoulders under the waterfall for an invigorating hydromassage. We then cycled between the steam room, cedar sauna, shower, pool, and then back again to the hot tub. We repeated the process until our muscles were as relaxed as putty, our fingers were pruney, and our stomachs informed us it was time to return to our cozy room to dress for dinner.
Both the town of Stowe and the ski resort offer great dining, though succumbing to the on-property gravity is easy because of Topnotch’s lobby bar and restaurant, The Roost.
Coffee, breakfast, and newspapers beckon in the morning with views through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the sun’s first rays. On clear days, the reflection off the snow creates an undulating alpenglow of colors.
In the evening, the fireplace, ambient lighting, and music invite you to settle in.
The cuisine ranges from healthy fare to hearty dining with local cheeses, decadent burgers, and famed microbrews on tap. I feasted on the chili-coffee-rubbed ribeye steak with potato au gratin and fried Brussels.
We chose a table next to the fireplace, and between courses, my kids and I made work of the shuffleboard table, the Roost’s central feature that connects the bar to the dining room. At the end of our meal, a group of young men arrived, eyeing the shuffleboard we occupied, patiently waiting their turn. I projected my voice across the room to my son.
“Sudden death—whoever scores higher on this last shot wins.”
On my announcement, the group in waiting, the bar folk, and the staff all looked on with interest. Sensing their curious eyeballs, I shuffled my disc conservatively down the table’s center and scored one point.
The pressure then shifted to my 9-year-old. He needed one point to tie and a two- or three-point score to win.
Unfazed, he stroked his shot with velocity. His disc entered scoring position on my side of the shuffleboard. It started to slow down, and then stopped right at the back edge without falling off for a three-point score!
The bar patrons roared with delight as the baby-faced kid defeated his old man in front of the whole restaurant. They urged him to run through the bar to accept their high-fives—an invitation he gladly obliged. I was both embarrassed and proud as I congratulated him with a hug.
We then yielded the shuffleboard and put on our coats. Our waitress gave us a generous smores kit that we carried through the back door along a short path into the night’s sobering chill. Soon we entered a glowing sphere of warmth emitted from the patio’s wood-burning fire pit, and we roasted our marshmallows with glee. Our mouths fell under the spell of gooey smores goodness.
Exploring Stowe
Topnotch is situated between the skiing at Stowe Mountain Resort and the shopping, dining, and culture on the town’s Main Street.After consulting the friendly concierge, we decided to go ice skating at the resort. We strolled through Stowe’s modern base village with its cutesy shops, hotel, and restaurants. Then we skated around the outdoor rink, which is situated in the village square, like Rockefeller Center’s rink backdropped by jagged peaks instead of midtown New York.
The mountain views of Mount Mansfield from the resort village are among the most breathtaking east of the Mississippi, rising to the highest point in Vermont at 4,395 feet.
The summit’s craggy ridgeline is said to resemble a man’s face, with a discernible forehead, nose, lips, chin, and Adam’s apple. Along the side is “The Notch,” Route 108, a steep mountain pass only open to vehicles in the warmer months that connects the resorts of Stowe and Smugglers Notch.
