Our family spent a beautiful week in the Green Mountains of Vermont. As promised, here is a report on where we stayed, attractions we visited and other activities suitable for Frum and Heimishe families who want to do a family vacation in Vermont.

 

We booked our lodging and vacation rental with the “The Bein Hazmanim Getaway” organized by the Gerstel family of Lakewood, NJ. They organize a Frum Jewish vacation group each July in August in the world famous Killington Ski Resort, nicknamed “the beast of the east, located on the mountain at the base of Killington Peak. For full information on “The Vermont Bein Hazmanim Getaway”, please visit their listing here: http://koshertravelinfo.com/?p=14108.

 

Please note:

This report is in DRAFT mode. I will try to finish it soon, but published it anyway even though it is not yet complete due to request of some of our readers and followers.

The Group

The Bein Hazmanim Getaway managed by the Gerstel family of Lakewood, New Jersey, organizes this group. The Gerstels run a fantastic program.

Lodging

For lodging they spread out the families all over the resort which is huge. This gives you lots of privacy. Most of the homeowners and condo units are empty during this time of the year as the homeowners utilize them mostly during the winter ski season. The Frum families are spread out in at least four different “communities”, each part of the Killington mountain resort. Each little community has its own pools, fitness center, outdoor hot tub, etc. Exact amenities vary by each condo section. More info below under the title “The Resort”.

Shul & Minyan

They rent out a huge hall in quiet part of the resort and provide a “Big Shul” during the week. In a typical day, there are at least 4 Minyunim. Sefurim and Sidurim are provided. During Shabbos, each condo area has their own Minyan so you don’t have to walk far away.

Vacation Program

The Gerstels provide you with a full range of attraction, food options and programs. Regarding food, we brought our own for the full week. You can order takeout and also anything from Glatt Mart in Borough Park. You only pay for the delivery. Most families do a combination of both. They bring along and order some. They also have a list of attractions, some included in the price and some deeply discounted. More details below.

The Resort

The Vermont Bein Hazmanim Getaway utilized the world famous “Killington Resort” in Killington, Vermont. The resort manages homes for private homeowners (Killington Managed Lodging) and includes condos and private homes. These are not hotel rooms. These deluxe accommodations feature stone fireplaces and spacious interiors with great views and are located just one mile from resort activities and slopes.

The management provides linens, blankets, sheets, towels and basic toiletries. All homes are fully furnished, have full kitchens with stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, dishes etc. All homes are fully cleaned before you visit. Daily service is available for an extra fee.

There are a few options and sizes of the condos. They come in 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms. Some two bedroom condos have a loft that has an additional two beds, bath and shower. Three-bedroom units are usually on one floor. The Larger condos (2, 3 and 4-bedrooms) have at least two bathrooms.  Some couches in the living room open to double beds. All units have porches or patios.

Killington, Vermont Area Attractions

These places are popular with Frum Jewish families. However, it is up to you to check them out and decide if they are appropriate place for your family and your standards. More attractions are listed in the brochure you get from the hotel at check in especially provided by the Vermont Bein Hazmanim Getaway for our group.
Below we will list attractions in the order that our family did it. We are dividing them by day to give you an idea how a family can spend a week in Vermont. Use it as a general guide.

Arrival Day

We arrived to the resort in a Sunday afternoon. It took us all afternoon to unpack and set up the kitchen. We only had time to Daven Mincha & Ma’ariv and go to sleep.

Day 1 / Monday

Place: Killington Mountain
Activity: Scenic Lift Rides & Hiking

Killington Resort is located right at the base of Killington Mountain. There are a few mountains and lifts in Killington but during the summer, only two are operational. K-1 Gondola Ride has a closed cabin that takes you to the top of the mountain and operates daily. The cost is $20 for a round trip and it can really add up for a larger family. But! Vermont Getaway Group includes in their package free passes up the mountain for everyone in your group. We went up a few times every time we visited the mountain so the savings really added up.

We spend the full day here at the mountain. Base Lodge is located at the top of the mountain with beautiful views. The facilities are very clean and they allow outside food. We took the Gondola ride up, than hiked an additional 10 minute trail to the peak of the mountain where you get breathtaking views of a few states and Canada. We then hiked down the mountain. There are a few trails down including very difficult ones to moderate. Some trails go thru heavy woods. Make sure you have water and good sneakers.

Day 2 / Tuesday

Place: Bromley Mountain
Activity: Alpine Slides, Water Slides, etc.

Vermont Getaway Group rents out the entire Bromley Mountain Adventure Park every Tuesday afternoon in August. They have special tickets at only $15 per person for all rides!

So on day two we decided to take it easy in the morning and go to Bromley in the afternoon. In the morning, my wife went for a facial and massage located inside Grand Hotel, part of Killington Resort. They have male and female massage therapists available upon request. I believe she enjoyed this part of our vacation best!

In the afternoon, we drove to Bromley Mountain, which is about an hour away. With our special group tickets, we can enter the part at 3:00pm, but the park does not closed down for the general public until 5:00pm, so we stayed away from the section that has the water rides.

We really enjoyed the lift up the mountain and the Alpine Slide. The kids really liked it. We took along food and had dinner after the rides. There were at least 4 Minyunim for Mincha. We were very thankful to Mr. Gerstel of Vermont Getaway Group for arranging this attraction and for the special discounted price.

Day 3 / Wednesday

Place: Chittenden Reservoir in the Green Mountain National Forest
Activity: Kayaking / Swimming

Wednesday was a gorgeous sunny day with a few cotton candy white puffy clouds. We wanted to really enjoy the outdoors. We found on Google a local outfitter and they agreed to meet us at Chittenden Reservoir in the Green Mountain National Forest. They came with their truck and unloaded 1 and 2 person kayaks and also life vests for all of us. They rental price we agreed was for the full day so we did not have to rush. They asked us to just leave all the boats at the side of the lake, no later than 8:00pm.

We had one of our nicest days. Chittenden Reservoir is really a hidden gem. The 750-acre reservoir is surrounded by Green Mountain National Forest and there are no power boats on the entire lake. There were a few electric boats, but no speed boats. The few boaters we did encounter were very friendly and nice, but we mostly had the entire lake to ourselves. We landed a few places to eat lunch, swim in the lake, snack or just sunbath.

To rent the kayaks, we used the fine folks at:

BLUE RIDGE OUTFITTERS
Greg and Kim Newton
5 Sugar House Lane
South Chittenden, VT 05701
Phone: (802) 747-4878

 

 

Day 4 / Thursday

Raining

Day 5 / Friday

Place: The Montshire Museum of Science

Activity: Indoor and outdoor science exhibits, hiking trails, perfect for kids.

One Montshire Rd,
Norwich, VT 05055
(802) 649-2200

The Montshire Museum of Science is a hands-on museum located in Norwich, Vermont, with more than 140 exhibits relating to the natural and physical sciences, ecology, and technology. The building is located on a 110-acre site near the Connecticut River, and the Museum’s outdoor environment is a large part of the visitor experience.

The Montshire Museum of Science is perfect for adults and children of all ages. Please click here for full information including special group rates.

 

Day 6 / Shabbos

Day 7 / Sunday

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