You either love the winter or you don’t. Since I spent a major chunk of my childhood in Colorado, I have always loved the cold. Big sweaters, clunky boots and snow taller than me. The more snow the better.

I grew up with snowbanks as the only barrier between me and sheer cliffs as we would drive around the rocky mountain roads. It was necessary to have chains on every car on the road (possibly even required by law). This was a normal life. I know we all laugh about school getting canceled for a few inches these days, but really, in my childhood, I don’t think we EVER had snow days in Colorado. haha – no really.

So it’s no surprise to me in my adult life that I get excited about snowfall and huge nor’easters to blow in. Especially when I am somewhere I don’t need to leave.

Sadly, New York City hasn’t had a lot of snow in the last couple of years. We’ve had a storm here and there (oh, yes, I’m looking at you November 2018 when I couldn’t get back home from Manhattan and slept on a friends couch!), but it melts the next day and leaves no trace.

So with this, we’ve been in search of snow and more snow. You’ve probably seen our trips to Windham New York for snowboarding lessons, and taking on the Vermont slopes at Mount Snow.

But we ventured slightly higher this time to one of my most favorite places in the world, Burke, Vermont, to the home of winter sports.

There are few places in the world that you can take advantage of the terrain year-round. Burke is one of those amazing places. We’ve ventured there in the summer for mountain biking, kayaking and swimming/hiking around Lake Willoughby.

However, the winter is the secret spot that I need to report back to.

The best part? Winter here doesn’t end here as early as you are used to. Just like out west, these mountains are snow-covered well into April.

And why would you want all this snow?? It’s not just to snowboard or ski.

Fat Biking

This is something I’ve never done but been intrigued to try. Oh. My. God. You just – have to try it. Riding bikes on snow through the woods and hills is unlike nothing you have tried before. Especially when you are flying down a hill and crash into a mound of fresh powder, try to get up and realize it’s past your waist! It’s like landing on a pillow. It’s weirdly a lot of fun, even when you’re tackling a trail called the Widow Maker. It’s something new you probably haven’t tried, and it’s all waiting for you just a few hours away in the Green State.

Here’s how it works

Families need more winter vacations. I keep saying it! Instead of crying about having cabin fever, get out there and embrace it! Right now is the best time to get some winter gear half off, too.

Have a baby? Can’t do it! Yes you can! A lot of friends have babies and LIVE in these parts – oh the humanity. They make these incredible baby carriers for bikes AND humans to carry for snowshoeing.

Now, back to the planning.

• Call Wildflower Inn and book a room.

Tell Jim Stephanie sent you. Ask for the Vail Suite. It’s a two-bedroom converted barn with a full living room and kitchen (plenty of room for the kids!) and THE. VIEWS. Bonus – there is complimentary breakfast every day for guests (this IS a bed and breakfast people!) and it’s delicious and HOMEMADE. It’s not just some boxed cereal and fruit, we’re talking snowman pancakes made with love.

What you need: Wildflower Inn website.

• Call Kingdom Cycling and Experiences and book a guided trail ride.

TRUST ME ON THIS. These guys do this for fun. It’s their life, their calling and they’re on the trails every. single. day and they’re seriously the coolest guys ever. They will know which trails are best for you, and even take you on an experienced trail (like the Widowmaker here) if you think you’re up for it. I was. Best part? The office is directly across the road from your room!

What you need: Kingdom Cycling and Experiences website.

• How to get your bikes to Vermont

Biking is hugely popular in NYC so much so that we actually have bike storage in many buildings (including ours!). Because of this and to encourage us to get out more, we scooped up our own Mongoose fat bikes for mom and kids sizes, too. Also, we invested in this solid American-made bike rack from Saris. It’s small enough to remove and store when not using, but also strong enough for our two bikes. Plus, it has built-in locks so no can steal your bikes OR the bike rack itself. It’s NYC-proof! Note: when buying a rack, make sure it fits your car/truck model and hitch size 🙂 Saris is really good about this on their website!

What you need: Saris Bike Rack, Mongoose Fat Bikes.

• You don’t need to bring bikes (unless you want to!).

The bike shop is also right on the grounds so you can rent helmets, fat bikes and even snowshoes (reserve the kids ones in advance to be safe!) to take a trek after biking or early in the am to see Heaven’s Bench. They also have cross country ski trails and skis here for rent as well.

What you need: Village Bike Shop.

• Where to eat.

Now that you’ve been out all day, you and the kids are exhausted. You can grab dinner and drinks in the SpokeEasy and dining area before you crash. Need a pick me up during the day? Grab incredible coffee and tea from Cafe Lotti in downtown Burke.  Or, back down in Lyndonville they have Starbucks coffee and really tasty VEGAN food items including “vegan” panini and cupcakes at The Freighthouse. Some evenings like Sunday, the Wildflower Inn isn’t open so we love to either go or order in (yes they deliver!) from The Pizza Man in Lyndonville. Bonus – they have Melissa and Doug wooden pizza kits for the kids to play with while waiting.

What you need: Wildflower Inn, The Pizza Man, Cafe Lotti, The Freighthouse.

• Really get outdoors – you’re gonna be out ALL day.

Note that the Wildflower Inn does NOT have televisions. That’s my favorite part. There are no electronics here. You came to unplug and unplug you shall. Yes, there is wifi so you can check your undying need to look at emails, but plan to take some time off.

• Kids activities.

There is a sweet sledding hill on the Wildflower Inn grounds (with lights for evening rides!). There are lots of games and items in your rooms to play too, but to be honest – we were exhausted being out all day that you really don’t need to worry about downtime and boredom. If you want to explore the area, downtown Burke has a really cool library and general store to peruse and grab snacks, and Burke Mountain is just a few minutes away from Kingdom Trails where you can take a lesson, go snowboarding and skiing, and/or just explore the hotel resort property, too.

Another favorite is Lake Willoughby. You can see it in the background of my photos and we hike it in the summer a lot. You can also do some snowshoeing here if you want to take a little drive.

Also, check the local kid’s events calendar. They have plenty of things happening in the area each weekend including snow/ski contests, more sledding hills, etc.

• What to wear/pack.

There are a couple of things here. You’ll want to dress and pack your snow pants just like you would for sledding or say snowboarding, but when you bike – you get hot. It’s a very aerobic activity so you’ll want to dress a little lighter. I wore just a basic Patagonia ski sweater and a neck cover with my insulated outdoor leggings, wool socks and boots and I was sweating.

What are you waiting for? Book something for this weekend, be spontaneous and YOLO instead of FOMO. 

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We were invited to visit Burke, Vermont and Wildflower Inn to showcase the area along with Mongoose Bikes and Kingdom Experiences. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting FootballFoodandMotherhood.com.