Okemo Valley in the Spring
Top Picks in the Okemo Valley
In the spring, Vermont’s landscapes wake up from their long winter’s slumber into the riot and color of renewal. Maple sap flows in forests, warm days make for sunny spring skiing, and trees and flowers begin to bud. Hand-picked by the editors of Yankee Magazine, these 5 highlights are just some of what the Okemo Valley offers as the Green Mountains come alive.
Grafton, Vermont
Downtown Grafton
Filled with proudly crafted clapboard and brick houses that date from the early 1800s, Grafton is a model of small-town charm. That’s thanks in large part to the Windham Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Vermont’s rural way of life, which bought and restored the landmark Grafton Inn along with other downtown properties. Visitors will find a surprising amount to savor in this town of about 700 residents. Grocery and cafe MKT Grafton is the place to stock up on heritage-brand Grafton Village Cheese, and nearby at the Turner Hill Interpretive Center, learn the story of Alec Turner, a formerly enslaved man who found his “journey’s end” in Grafton.
Ludlow, Vermont
Okemo Spring Fling & Slush Cup
With their sunny days and warming temperatures, March and April can be the sweetest months for skiers and snowboarders in Vermont. They can also be a great time to let loose with some silliness. Okemo Mountain Resort says good-bye to winter with an annual Spring Fling party filled with live music and family activities like games and face painting. The day’s highlight is a zany pond-skimming tournament called the Slush Cup, in which skiers and riders attempt to skim across a pond and compete for awards including “Best-Dressed” and “Biggest Wipeout.”
Londonderry, Vermont
D. Lasser Ceramics
If you’re driving through Londonderry on Vermont’s Scenic Route 100 Byway on a bright spring day, you can’t miss the riot of color spilling out of this roadside pottery studio. Since 1989, founder Daniel Lasser and his team of artisans have been crafting tableware, sculptures, and garden ceramics in bold colors and patterns that make most pottery look drab by comparison. Studio tours and demonstrations let visitors see the artists at work and ask questions about their craft. The retail showroom, meanwhile, is fully stocked with the fruits of their labors.
GREEN MOUNTAIN SUGARHOUSE
– Ludlow, Vermont
The doors are open year-round at this picturesque lakeside sugarhouse, but it’s best to visit during the peak of maple season in early spring. That’s when a tour shows the boiling process in full swing. Chat with second-generation owners Doug and Ann Rose, who do everything from tapping the trees to bottling the syrup, and load up on treats to take home. The on-site shop carries all kinds of maple products—syrup, sugar, cream, candy—as well as other Vermont-made crafts and food items. And did we mention they have maple creemees?
GRANDMA MILLER’S PIES & PASTRIES
– South Londonderry, Vermont
What’s on the menu here? Homemade sticky buns and muffins, cider doughnuts, pies of all kinds, artisan breads. That’s just a sampling of the delicious offerings that owner David Nunnikhoven and his staff whip up each day in their classic big red barn. Nunnikhoven honed his skills at the International School for Pastry Arts in New York, and he has the right recipe to keep people coming back for seconds. And thirds.
More to See and Do
Places to Visit In the Spring
Yankee Magazine’s editors hand-picked 5 places to visit in each Vermont region. Explore things to do in spring statewide.
