Guest Guide — Stowe Refuge

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Welcome

✦ Stowe, Vermont

Welcome to Stowe Refuge

Your basecamp from which to explore Stowe and beyond! Indy and I are so happy to host you and hope that you'll find our home has everything you need to adventure, relax, and reconnect. We want you to have an impeccable stay, so please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions!

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2 Beds

Sleeps 6

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Stowe, VT

Pucker Street

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Fireplace

Electric

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Fenced Yard

Private + Fire Pit

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Fitness Area

Treadmill + Weights

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Workspace

Dedicated Desk

📍 Location

About the Neighborhood

Stowe Refuge is located just north of downtown Stowe. We're only a few minutes to main street and about 15 minutes to Stowe Mountain Resort. Be sure to check out some of our favorite eats and activities on the map!

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Check-in & Out

Codes, parking, departure

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WiFi & Tech

Network, TV, fireplace

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Eats & Activities

Indy's local favorites

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Map

All spots pinned

✦ A Note from Jeff & Indy

My dog, Indy, and I want to thank you for choosing to stay with us — we're glad to have you here! Indy moved from Texas to Vermont as a pup, but quickly learned to love playing in the snow. Together, Indy and I have an insatiable appetite for exploring and activity — even when we're tired we can always find the energy for "one more run." Let us know if you need any recommendations!

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Check-in & Check-out

Quick Reference
Check-in
3:00 PM
Check-out
11:00 AM

Arrival

Getting In

Step 1 — Door code

The door code is the last 4 digits of your phone number. Smart lock — no key needed!

Step 2 — Locking up

To lock the door, make sure it's fully closed and press the lock button. Jeff can also lock and unlock remotely if you have any issues.

Need help?

Send Jeff a message on Airbnb — he lives on-site and is happy to help.

Parking

Where to Park

Please use the 2–3 spots right in front of the door first. If you need additional spaces, you can park to the right of the garage. Please park tightly and be conscious of other cars.

Departure

Before You Leave

✓ Leave all towels on the bathroom floor
✓ Run the dishwasher with any dirty dishes
✓ Bring trash to the trash enclosure (summer) to the right of the building, or to the trash cans on the driveway (winter)
✓ Lock all doors and windows
✓ Message Jeff if you have any questions — hope you enjoyed your stay!

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WiFi & Tech

Internet Access

Connect & Settle In

Network Stowe Refuge

Password Skimore123

TV

Living Room TV

Use the smaller white remote to control the TV. Netflix is provided — feel free to log in to any of your own accounts too.

Electric Fireplace

Downstairs Fireplace

Use the larger white remote to control the electric fireplace. Note: please do not use the upstairs fireplace.

Thermostats

Two Zones

One thermostat is to the left of the shelving (with your back to the large TV). A second is upstairs on the right at the end of the hallway before the larger bedroom.

Lights & Lamps

Good to Know

Tap the base of the small black lamps to turn them on. Note that not all light switches control overhead lights — some may appear to not work.

Entertainment

Record Player, Games & Speakers

The record player, board games, books, and speakers are all yours to enjoy! Please put all game pieces back when you're done — Battleship has a lot of little pieces, so be careful when you open it.

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Amenities

Please enjoy a rotating selection of Indy's favorite candies in the bowl under the mirror.

Fitness

Stay Active

Treadmill — always use the safety clip (must be magnetically connected to start)
Yoga mat & weights available for your use

Outdoor Fire Pit

Evening Fires

Firewood is on the patio and there's a lighter in the kitchen drawer next to the oven. Perfect for a Vermont evening.

Grill

BBQ

You're welcome to use the grill — just be sure to shut off the propane when you're done.

Front Yard

Your Private Space

The front yard is your private space — feel free to play games, lounge, or have dinner and drinks outside. Please do not use the backyard behind the garages as that is reserved for other apartments.

Supplies

Where Things Are

✓ Vacuum, broom & cleaning supplies — front hall closet on the left as you walk in
✓ Extra towels, pillows & linens — small closet next to the upstairs bathroom
✓ Boot trays next to the white hall tree — please keep shoes & boots in the entryway

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House Rules

"This place is the perfect location for all my favorite activities, and it's such a cozy spot to curl up in when you're tired after a long day." — Indy 🐾

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Quiet Hours: 10pm – 7amPlease be respectful of neighbors during quiet hours.

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No Smoking or VapingNo smoking or vaping anywhere on the property.

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No Parties or EventsRegistered guests only. Maximum occupancy of 6.

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No PetsIndy appreciates your understanding (he has the market cornered).

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Downstairs Fireplace OnlyPlease do not use the upstairs fireplace. The electric fireplace downstairs is ready to go.

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Shoes in the EntrywayPlease limit shoes, boots, skis, and bikes to the tiled entryway area.

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Report Any Damage ASAPIt's always easier to fix sooner rather than later — no judgment, just let Jeff know.

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Eats & Activities

☕ Breakfast

Breakfast Recommendations

☕

The RoasteryHard to beat the convenience (across the street from here) and quality. This is a super small coffee shop, so don't expect to sit down and hang out, but they have some of the best coffee in town and some small bakery items.

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Butler's PantryBest sit-down breakfast in Stowe and only a minute or two from here. The biscuit french toast is a must try. Butler's Pantry can get crazy busy — I'd highly recommend joining the waitlist on Yelp before you drive over there.

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Woodland CafeThis is the local's coffee stop. Not as good coffee as The Roastery (don't say I said that) but an impressive selection of pastries and a decent seating area.

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Round HearthOne of my favorite ski routines is waking up super early to ski, taking a run or two and sitting around the indoor fire pit here drinking bottomless coffee. Their food is decent but can take a little long when they're busy.

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Cold Hollow Cider Mill CafeYou can't leave without stopping here for cider, donuts and a creemee, but they have some great breakfast options too. For breakfast I always get an egg sandwich on a cheddar biscuit with either maple mayo or cider jam. It's about 15 minutes away.

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Trapp Family LodgeSkip their big breakfast buffet and opt for the Kaffehaus. Great place to sit outside in the summer.

🥙 Lunch

Lunch Recommendations

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PiecassoI almost exclusively go here for their slice special — 2 slices and a soda for $8.50. Quick, cheap way to fuel up and keep moving.

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AladdinHonestly some of the best falafel I've had outside of the Middle East. They're only open for lunch and sometimes they look closed when they're open.

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Ranch CampGreat vibes, bowls, and burritos here. I always get the crunchwrap here. It's a lot of food, but they do a really good job with it. There's a bike shop here as well and it's right next to Cady Hill, which is one of the most popular mountain bike trail networks in Vermont.

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Avocado PitQuick and easy burrito spot with online ordering. Only a few minutes from home and they have a separate takeout window. I get this a lot when I work from home because it's really convenient. Better burritos than Ranch Camp, but if I'm really hungry I'll usually opt for the Ranch Camp crunchwrap.

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Green GoddessA little more low key than some of the other options, but they have great smoothies, salads, and sandwiches.

🍽️ Dinner

Dinner Recommendations

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Doc PondsUpscale bar bites (like many other places in Stowe) but the food is actually good and you can usually join their waitlist on Yelp so you don't have to wait around. They typically have a good food and drink special every night. Docs is expensive for a bar, but not as expensive as a nice restaurant.

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BenchWide variety of different upscale bar bites with pizza, a great veggie burger, long beer list, and a killer skillet cookie. This place will get packed if it's busy and they shut off takeout orders after ~6pm. Bench is pretty reasonably priced.

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American FlatbreadVery inventive pizzas (especially their phenomenal specials) and lots of seating for busy nights. Flatbread is pretty reasonably priced.

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Shakedown StreetThis is Stowe Cider's BBQ restaurant. They have a fun atmosphere, often have live music, and a great selection of hard cider. The BBQ isn't bad for Vermont. Shakedown Street is pretty reasonably priced to a little expensive.

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Salt and RindSeafood focused restaurant in downtown Waterbury (15-20 mins away). Unique cocktails and very lively vibes. Pretty small place. It's a little expensive but the food and drinks are good.

⭐ Special Occasions

Worth the Splurge

These are all relatively expensive, but have great food. Most probably need reservations to get a table.

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Edson HillStowe's best restaurant in a cozy setting on beautiful grounds. Reservations are pretty much a necessity, but they do have a tavern with a bar that's first come, first served.

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GallusThis is in Waterbury (~15-20 minutes south on 100). Excellent homemade pastas in an old mill building. Great setting on a river with rotating unique pasta shapes and sauces.

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Hen of the WoodAlso 15-20 mins away in Waterbury, but this is right downtown. One of the better known restaurants in Vermont. Recently renovated space, great cocktails, ever-changing menu, and local cheese. They usually have a mushroom toast, which I love.

🍹 Bars

Bars

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ApresBest cocktails (not to be confused with apres only).

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Burt'sBest place to see someone who actually lives here.

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MatterhornThe classic Stowe apres ski bar.

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Alfie'sBest place to accidentally go to a rave.

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Whistlepig Pavilion at Spruce PeakBest upscale apres ski that's actually good.

⛷️ Winter

Winter Activities

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Downhill SkiingStowe is an awesome place to ski and really has something for everyone. Spruce Peak has a variety of beginner terrain, shorter lines, and an upscale base village. The Forerunner quad accesses some of the most challenging terrain on the east coast and the Gondola has everything in between. Be aware that on Friday–Sunday and holidays parking is $30/day at the resort unless you take the shuttle from Toll House or the Cross Country Center. Without traffic we are about 12-15 minutes from the ski area, but on busy days that can take over an hour.

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Backcountry SkiingSterling Forest and Nebraska Valley both have great gladed areas for backcountry skiing. You can also skin up the resort in the morning and evening. MountainOps has backcountry ski rentals. Your host is an avid backcountry skier, so send me a message for some more detailed information.

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Nordic SkiingTrapp Family Lodge is about 10 minutes away and has pretty extensive nordic ski trails. They have an outdoor center that offers lessons and rentals. If you're up for it, there's a ~rustic~ cabin that's a few mile ski from the outdoor center offering hot food and drinks in the winter. It's usually open until 3pm.

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SnowshoeingTrapp Family Lodge also has snowshoe trails and snowshoes for rent at the outdoor center. Ranch Camp often has free snowshoes available for use in Cady Hill, which is a ~300 acre trail network right in the center of town. The Green Mountain Club in Waterbury on Route 100 will have great recommendations for winter hikes and snowshoes as well.

☀️ Summer

Summer Activities

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Running and WalkingThe Stowe rec path is about 5 miles long and winds through town with lots of shops, restaurants, and bars right on the route. It starts from the church in town and ends at Brook Road and is paved the whole way. You can also rent bikes at AJs or Mountain Ops for rec path cruising. Can get pretty busy during the day on a weekend.

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Mountain BikingStowe Trails Partnership maintains trails in Cady Hill, Adams Camp, and Sterling Forest — all in Stowe. Cady Hill offers the most popular flow trails in Vermont, Adams Camp has more hand-built trails, and Sterling has a more remote feel. Stowetrails.org has lots more information. Ranch Camp has bike rentals that you can reserve online. Your host is an avid mountain biker, so send me a message for some more detailed information.

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HikingThere's lots of great hiking all around Stowe. The Green Mountain Club on Route 100 in Waterbury will be able to provide lots of recommendations, and the app Alltrails also has good suggestions. Mount Mansfield offers a variety of pretty strenuous trails and loops with great views at the summit. Moss Glen Falls is a quick hike to a beautiful waterfall and Sunset Rock is another short hike with a great view.

🌧️ Rainy Day

Rainy Day

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Ski MuseumStowe has more ski history than you ever expected, and much of it is on display at the ski museum 5 minutes away at the intersection of Route 100 and Mountain Road.

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Cold Hollow Cider MillGreat place to faff around with fresh cider donuts, maple creemees, and cider samples. You will thank me for recommending their crushee (maple creemee - cider slushy mix) with a cider donut. I love shortbread, so the maple shortbread is another favorite of mine. They also have a hard cider tasting room.

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Church StreetAbout 45 minutes from here is a pedestrian-only street in the heart of Burlington with great shops and restaurants.

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Brewery HoppingThere are too many good breweries to visit within an hour of here. Some of my favorites are (in no particular order): The Alchemist (Stowe), Ten Bends (Hyde Park), Foam (Burlington), Four Quarters (Winooski).

💎 Hidden Gems

Not in Your Guidebook

Vermont has so much to offer outside of Google's top 10 things to do in Stowe. Below are some of the hidden gem restaurants, bars and activities. Most of these aren't fancy and aren't in Stowe, but are so worth visiting.

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Craftsbury Outdoor CenterNon-profit nordic ski, mountain bike, and rowing facility in Craftsbury. I mostly go here to ski in the winter. Extensive and beautiful trail network that's a little flatter than Trapps and not as touristy. If it's open, skiing on the lake is really cool!

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Craftsbury GennyWhile you're in Craftsbury for the outdoor center, stop at the Genny, which is a classic Vermont general store.

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The Village DinerIf you're going to Craftsbury to visit the Genny and ski at the outdoor center, you might as well stop for breakfast at the Village Diner in Hardwick. The hashes are the best thing on the menu, but the pancakes are great too. You'll probably get a look when you walk in because they don't recognize you, but it's ok because I do too.

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The Lamoille Valley Rail TrailA gravel rail trail that's somewhere around 100 miles long and goes from Danville to Swanton. You can hop on at the Oxbow Park in downtown Morrisville and bike, walk, or run for many miles. It's pretty flat and I think going East from Morrisville towards Hardwick is one of the most beautiful stretches.

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ElmoreThe Elmore Store is a great old general store that was just renovated and has surprisingly good food. It's right on Lake Elmore which has a beach in the summer and ice skating (if conditions are safe) in the winter. You can hike up Mount Elmore and take in a phenomenal 360-degree view from a fire tower. There's a small fee to enter the state park.

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Farmers MarketsCheck out the Burlington or Montpelier farmers markets. Stowe is great but can be a bit touristy and both the Burlington and Montpelier markets are in more walkable areas.

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