My Stowe, Vermont Trip Helped Me Face My Biggest Fears and Involved the Best Burger of My Life
Idk about you, but I am emerging from the thick of the pandemic like a newborn baby giraffe learning how to walk. I’m wobbly in every aspect of my life (especially when it comes to socializing with other human beings) and I’m learning how to confront old fears again. What better time though, right?!
One of the fears I’m re-confronting is my fear of driving big cars. Although I’ve had my driver’s license since I was 16, my family can attest that my spatial awareness isn’t great, and that I am pretty poor at parking. My first and only car was a Kia Sportage, which was high enough off the ground to feel safe but small enough to manage in tight traffic. I live in New York City now, so I never need to drive unless a zombie apocalypse is coming. So when Nissan invited me to drive their all-new 2022 Pathfinder up to Stowe, Vermont for a ski weekend, I immediately Googled “how big is a Pathfinder” and started to sweat while watching skiing videos.
That’s another fear I’m working on: I begrudgingly picked up skiing in 2020, right before Fauci told us to hunker down inside. My boyfriend and his friends are into the whole “winter sports” thing, and I refused to be the person who sits in the ski lodge while everyone has fun on the mountain. Skiing is something that I would have never chosen to do on my own because I hate the cold and I’m terrified of heights. But, alas, we make silly choices for love. After two years away from the sport, I was afraid that I wouldn’t remember how to ski or that I would start to cry on the chairlift.
Eventually, I decided to grow a spine: I'd drive the big car for a long time, and get back on skis.
Heads up: The editor received a comped stay, meals, car rental, and activities for ~researching~ this trip.
What you're driving
Although the 2022 Pathfinder might be described as “brawny,” I think that it’s kinda cute 👉👈 . This is the big car for all the girlies who hate driving big cars...The interior is plush, and it comes equipped with second-row captain's chairs that allow your backseat passengers to feel like they’re flying first class. My absolute favorite feature (which I played with 100 times) was the driver’s seat memory system, which remembers exactly where you like your seat, steering wheel, and outside mirror positions. When you stop the car and open the door, the driver’s seat and wheel move back and up to give you more room to get out.
This car is perfect for a road trip in so many ways. There’s a wireless charging pad located in the front shifter, an easy-to-read touch-screen display for your map, and more cupholders than even your thirstiest passenger could ask for. The heads-up display projected onto the windshield shares information with the driver, such as your speed and next-turn directions, so they can keep their eyes on the road at all times.
As a Big Car Scardey Cat™️, I’ll admit that Nissan’s safety features in the Pathfinder made me feel incredibly safe. The Safety Shield 360 looks ahead for you to detect pedestrians or other vehicles and brake if necessary. It will save your bumper as well with rear automatic braking. On the highway, I felt in control with the Pathfinder’s lane departure warning that makes sure that you only change lanes when you mean to. If you try to enter an occupied lane, the steering wheel will buzz to say “not so fast.”
Where you're staying
From New York City, it took me and my boyfriend about six hours (with a bathroom stop or two) to make it up to The Lodge at Spruce Peak. When we arrived, the snow was coming down in thick puffs and the temperature outside was about 10 degrees. Pro tip: September through February are traditionally the best months to visit Stowe to take advantage of both Instas of foliage and winter wonderland vibes, but then of course you have to drive through said winter wonderland. Luckily, the Pathfinder is equipped with various drive modes, including a snow mode, which can help the car adapt to a range of snowy, icy, and wet conditions that could otherwise make you feel a lil nervous.
The Lodge at Spruce Peak is Stowe’s only ski-in, ski-out luxury resort. Every suite features a fireplace that will warm your room with the press of a button. Yes, really. Although we had a perfect view of the mountain, all we wanted to do was take a hot bath in our sprawling bathroom and locate some mulled wine. Oh and btw, the resort is dog-friendly, so prepare your eyes for some floofy sightings all over the property.
What you're doing
Whether you’re new to skiing or have been doing it for years, the mountain offers trails for all skill levels. I opted into taking a group lesson on my first day to make sure I remembered what I was doing. My instructor led me and five other intermediate skiers out onto a green run (the easiest of all the terrain levels) where we practiced turning, side slipping, hockey stopping, and navigating steeper runs.
After breaking for lunch—more on the ~eats~ in a moment—we concluded the day with a few more runs down steeper trails and made it back to our room for après-ski activities (Mario Kart and hydrating sheet masks). And another hot bath and glass of wine, ofc.
What you're eating
We had the pleasure of eating at Alpine Hall and Tipsy Trout, the resort’s two main restaurants. Post ski-lesson, I joined my boyfriend for some lunch at Alpine Hall, where we ate grilled cheese and tomato soup, aka the most perfect meal on a blustery day.
But our most memorable meal outside the resort was at a small restaurant called Prohibition Pig, a short drive away in Waterbury, Vermont. We have to warn you: If you wanna to eat promptly, you better show up early, before all the skiers and snowboarders make their way inside to refuel with craft beer and smoked meats. We cannot recommend the cheeseburger enough. Order a side of duck fat fries and ascend to heaven.
My hot take on Stowe overall
Okay fine, I faced my fears...thanks to the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder, I felt comforted enough to (maybe) step into my big car era. Every time we pass a Pathfinder on the street, I point to it and say to my boyfriend, “There’s my girl.” As for skiing? I have more work to do to feel more confident in my abilities again (I'd def go back to Stowe for both the mountains and the burgers), but in good time, I won’t freeze up when I can’t see the bottom of a run or psych myself out when I look down from the chairlift. Baby steps, baby steps.
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