# Stowe, 7/13/08



## billski (Jul 13, 2008)

Ski Resort espionage.  Well, I went over to view the brave new world at Spruce.  No real surprises, but I learned a few things.
a) They have a 10-year building plan.
b) NONE of the million dollar+ cottages that have been sold had a single car or resident present.  Plus, they have their own chairlift....
c) there is a multi-bay loading dock (tractor-trailer sized) underneath the Over Easy lift, mostly protected from the weather.
d) the new base lodge is really quite nice.  everything is pretty much at-grade, the lift, the lodge, and over easy.  Pretty convenient.  Expected to be open this winter season.

I've attached some photos, they describe it all.

BUT here is the news that absolutely flabbergasted me.  THEY PAVED THE ENTIRE MANSFIELD PARKING LOT!!!!   I couldn't believe it.  I just couldn't believe it!


Photos

New Lodge





Hotel to the L, Lodge to the R.








Back of hotel, facing Spruce.  Footings in foreground for stand-along shops.  Over easy in distance, new lodge to your right.  Mani in the distance.






Lift to the "cottages" and all the temporary buildings in the foreground.





The hotel front.  Open for business.





I can't believe it, I just can't believe it.  Mansfield parking lot.  Mani is on or your right, Mani lodge is in distance.  over easy transfer lift pole is in foreground.


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## Zand (Jul 13, 2008)

In March I left with my ski pants covered in mud from the knees down thanks to the awful parking lot. Goodbye to that haha.


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## deadheadskier (Jul 14, 2008)

Man,

Nice to see that they're doing something to accommodate us tail gaters :lol:


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## Warp Daddy (Jul 14, 2008)

H'mm no more mud bogging in the spring-------------------------------but Brats on the Barbie  its Beach Ball time !


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Jul 14, 2008)

Nice pictures...and I'm glad the mani lot is paved..


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## ERJ-145CA (Jul 14, 2008)

I'm about 30 minutes from Stowe right now, wish it was winter.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Jul 15, 2008)

ERJ-145CA said:


> I'm about 30 minutes from Stowe right now, wish it was winter.



Where in VT are you?


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## deadheadskier (Jul 15, 2008)

I will say that the Lodge kinda looks like a GIANT Trapp Family Lodge


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## billski (Jul 15, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> I will say that the Lodge kinda looks like a GIANT Trapp Family Lodge


It's the MOTHERSHIP....


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## billski (Jul 15, 2008)

Stowe tips the scales again
Alpine slide
$19 stowe
$10 kmart
$11 bromley, park city
$15 Attitash, jackson hole

golf
$150 Stowe
$90 Bush


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Jul 15, 2008)

It reminds me of The Wilderness Lodge at Disney World..Alot nicer than the Barre Comfort Inn I stay at when I'm on business in Vermont..lol


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## ERJ-145CA (Jul 15, 2008)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> Where in VT are you?



Burlington area, I think the hotel is in Colchester.  I'm leaving in a couple of hours.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Jul 15, 2008)

ERJ-145CA said:


> Burlington area, I think the hoter is in Colchester.  I'm leaving in a couple of hours.



Hampton Inn?


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## ERJ-145CA (Jul 16, 2008)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> Hampton Inn?



That's where I was, now I'm in Tysons Corner, Virginia.


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## WJenness (Jul 16, 2008)

ERJ-145CA said:


> That's where I was, now I'm in Tysons Corner, Virginia.



How often are you home vs. in some other city for the night?

-w


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Jul 16, 2008)

ERJ-145CA said:


> That's where I was, now I'm in Tysons Corner, Virginia.



Wow you get around...


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## ERJ-145CA (Jul 16, 2008)

WJenness said:


> How often are you home vs. in some other city for the night?
> 
> -w



I'm usually home 4 nights a week, gone for 3.


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## ComeBackMudPuddles (Jul 23, 2008)

Is there a _single_ element of the design that says "Vermont"?

:flame:

Just terrible.

And paving the lot isn't exactly environmentally friendly, either....


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## billski (Jul 23, 2008)

Well, if they had painted the buildings with forest green trim I might give it a "1" on a scale of 1/low-10/high authenticity.  The architecture reminds me of mid West ski resorts.  Only the "old" stuff on Mani keeps the old feel.  My good ski bud who is an architect designed the gondi building to resemble a VT barn, but that's about 20 years ago.

Don't we even get a fake covered bridge?


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Jul 23, 2008)

ComeBackMudPuddles said:


> Is there a _single_ element of the design that says "Vermont"?
> 
> :flame:
> 
> ...



Vermont resorts are pretty much faux European..generally...the worst is Claybrook at Sugarbush..wow is that an eyesore..lol..it looks like something at Disney World..


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## billski (Jul 23, 2008)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> Vermont resorts are pretty much faux European..generally...the worst is Claybrook at Sugarbush..wow is that an eyesore..lol..it looks like something at Disney World..



....and they keep coming.....


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## from_the_NEK (Jul 29, 2008)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> Vermont resorts are pretty much faux European..generally...the worst is Claybrook at Sugarbush..wow is that an eyesore..lol..it looks like something at Disney World..



The thing is Vermont doesn't really have a distinict architecture. Farms and farm houses are about it. And those buildings don't upscale well to the size of a major ski resort lodge. In my opinion trying to make Claybrook "Look" like a barn and silo was clever but cheesy at the same time. I give them credit for trying but barns don't typically have so many windows, balconies and such as it kind of looks silly (however, i can live with it). But it is definitely NOT faux Euro. 

The Stowe development looks much like  an Americanized overgrown Swiss Chalet (as someone mentioned the Trapp Lodge on steroids). It is still way better than this slice of Disneyland... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





It will be interesting to see how the planned renovations/new development at Jay and Burke turns out. 
At Jay, it looks like they are trying to mave away from the Faux Euro look with the Tram lodge renovations. Maybe they can find their own look that combines cues from Vermont and Quebec (without painting the roof *RED* of course  ). 

No one knows what the Ginn Company has in store for the "Bridgemor" Lodge. Hopefully they won't go over the top with it but when they build stuff like this... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




...who knows.


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