Stowe Inn in Stowe Vermont
Do you worry about finding a room during your fall foliage vacation?
Remember!
- The cheapest places are not always the best
- Driving forever to find a hotel is not the wisest plan
- Sometimes the big tourist towns have gems worth finding
In a comment, Misty asked me where I would recommend finding a room for her fall foliage vacation. This is a tough one for me since over the past decade, I wouldn’t normally stay overnight.
But as I get older, I’m not as interested in driving from Salem all the way up to the NEK (Northeast Kingdom) of Vermont and then back to Salem. This is a minimum of 8-9 hours *if I don’t stop* and where is the fun in that?
So, when I go out on a long drive it will usually turn into an overnight trip. I usually spend the early morning to the mid-afternoon driving as far north as I need to be and then I start looking to find a place to stay. I rarely make reservations when I’m on the road by myself but if this is a family vacation for Lisa and me then we do make reservations.
She likes a clean room and amenities. Balcony with comfortable chairs overlooking the mountains or open the door and walk on the beach. I’m a guy so I can make do with just a clean room, a hot shower, cable TV, and WiFi.
I usually use my Hotels.com app on the side-bar of this article (below the article if you are on mobile.
Lessons to live by…
Lesson #1 – The cheapest places are not always the best
During this October drive, I was heading up into Vermont and I arrived in Stowe and I photographed the Stowe church on the hill. Then I wanted to see Smuggler’s Notch and after that, I got to the top (almost 6 PM) I pulled over and parked (to use my cellphone and my thrifty lodging webpage). I identified a place down the road. (*Note, I could have gone back to the places it suggested in the resort but some were $200+ and I quit after the first few)
So with my choice between below in Smugglers Notch (Of course “I know” those places will be sooo much money) and ahead of me was a place at $79. So I decided to go to the cheaper place. (how bad could it be?) The sun is going down fast and I get there in the dark.
As I sit in the parking lot I observe that the place should have been named the Bates Motel (zero curb appeal). I decide to not go in and see if Norman Bates or Marion Crane is there and I will see what other accommodations are down the road.
Lesson number 2 – A hotel in the hand is worth more than the promise of one down the road…
For the next 2 plus hours, I drove (not finding a single hotel) until I ended up circling back around to the outskirts of Stowe.
I’ve been driving all day and I’m really beat and don’t care how much I have to pay for finding a room and I figure I’m in Stowe and will pay $$$$.
So I again check my thrifty lodging page and I go down the list $240, $300, $97… Wait? $97.00! IN STOWE?? (prices change daily and I think the later you look the better the prices)
The Stowe Inn
I drove through town looking for what must be a run-down motel. Nope wrong again… (note* remember to kick myself later), because I drove right by the Stowe Inn and I would never suggest this place because it “looks” expensive. Cleanroom, check. Hot water, check. Cable TV, check. WiFi, check. I crawl into bed after a sandwich from the gas station and I’m dead to the world from all the driving today. The following pictures are from before crawling into bed and the next morning.
Ok, let’s do a recap…
I drove all day (4 AM start) and into the night (almost 9 PM). I didn’t want to spend $$$$ in Stowe since “I know” how expensive it will be. Only to find out, I could have stopped at 6 PM and paid $97 (maybe it was higher at 6 and dropped at 9om). Shows what I know!
So, don’t count someplace out just because it’s got an expensive reputation… Ok, they earn those Reputations for the most part but deals can be found and the hotel I stayed at was very nice, clean, and quiet.
Jeff Foliage Folger
Autumn is a state of mind more than a time of year – Jeff Foliage
- Visit my Fine Art America Gallery
- Visit my Amazon store to pick up New England-related materials
- Visit my Pictorem Gallery (Free shipping in the US and Canada)
- My Facebook foliage page
- Threads.net/@Jeff_Foliage
- Follow our new Fall Foliage FB Group!
- You can visit Lisa’s Artist Facebook Page by clicking here
Jeff, for those who want to hit the Lupines in May/June at Sugar Hill, there are some quite reasonable motels in Littleton. (Clearly they must be just as good in foliage season! 🙂 )
Thanks Nancy, lots of places to stay in Littleton but I try to stay away from tourist areas like that. But if you have stayed at a place and wanted to rate it, I’d love to hear about it…
Jeff, great ideas,One place I can recommend is the White Mountain Hotel and Cabins in Woodstock, next door too Clark’s Trading Post. Great staff and the rooms are nice and clean, with wi-fi, heat, ac and in room coffee. They don’t have the rates posted for the Fall but Spring/Summer rates are weekend $75-$99.
they have an inground pool in the back towards the river? I think we stayed there with the grand kids…. If that is the place I’m think of there is an old diner down the road that has great breakfast french toast. Thanks! I’ll add your place later.