The maple trees lined
Darling Hill Road, sprawling farms dotted the rolling white hills and tall
snow banks surrounded us. We had arrived in the picture perfect Northeast
Kingdom of Vermont.
Nestled amongst all this natural beauty is the Wildflower Inn. We had
been to charming inns before, but that was prior to having kids. This
time we brought the kids with us. The tastefully appointed inn not
only welcomes children, it caters to them. And as every parent knows,
when the kids are catered to – happy parents are the result.
Arriving at the Wildflower, our children were delighted to see deep
sparkling “clean snow”, my daughter’s words. Our six-year-old son
headed straight for the sledding hill. Sleds are provided at the foot
of this long rolling sledding hill complete with a jump halfway along
your descent. A snow bank larger than her, dwarfed our five-year-old
girl during her “king of the mountain” game. My husband and I settled
into our charming “Carriage-house” room complete with handmade quilts
and broad wooden beams. We could keep tabs on the kids from our room’s
balcony, which afforded us a fabulous view of nearby Burke Mountain,
where we’d be skiing tomorrow. I wondered if the innkeepers had
specially selected this vista for us, knowing we are skiers.
Apparently only 20% of the Wildflower guests come to ski.
Mary O’Reilly greeted us like long lost friends and even shook hands
with our children when we checked in. This idyllic inn is owned and
operated by Mary and Jim O’Reilly. It is no surprise to learn that Jim
and Mary are not only partners in running the 23 room family inn since
1984, but they have 8 children of their own. Their desire to share
their beautiful setting in Vermont with other families is apparent.
“We have always had a family focus”, says Jim. “Then we realized there
was a great need for inn retreats once you have children”. The
O’Reilly offspring can be seen enjoying the inn’s special activities
alongside the visitors. According to Jim, “Our own kids have dictated
the amenities we’ve added, from the swimming pool and tennis courts in
the summer, to the sledding and ice skating in the winter.” Tom, the
eldest son at eighteen, has developed their website,
www.wildflowerinn.com. The O’Reillys are believers in treating guests,
as well as staff, like part of the family. Jim & Mary are dedicated
toward keeping their staff cheery and clued-in. The staff members’
biographies are part of the inn-room guides. With job longevity at a
shortage these days, that’s a commitment in ink. Their faith is not
misplaced; most of their help has been with them for years!
We were just in time for afternoon tea and cookies, served at the main
inn, along with Vermont cheddar cheese and crackers. Parents gather in
the fireside room over tea or a cocktail while kids giggle and romp in
the adjacent playroom. My daughter was enthralled with the dress-up
area, chock full of vintage costumes. Our son made some fast friends
at air hockey, then drifted to foos-ball. It was a treat for parents
to sit & chat. The conversation stemmed from the ladies’ delight over
finding an inn where parents don’t have to hover over their child’s
every twitch in fear of breaking rules or worse, antiques. The
discussion led to who had signed up for Jim’s guided moonlight
snowshoe tour leaving the inn at 8pm that evening, (no excuses – child
care would be provided).
The evening’s dinner menu offered such treats as sesame encrusted tuna
and medallions of New Zealand lamb paired with an international wine
selection. The children could choose from fun foods like dinosaur
chicken nuggets. Our kids loved being served in the gracious dining
room. I loved relaxing over my gourmet creations knowing that when the
kids’ plates were clean, long before ours, they could walk themselves
to the playroom. We were able to finish our wine in peace while the
kids made more pen pals.
Mornings are special at the Wildflower. Jim greets each of his guests
personally as he pours freshly brewed coffee. Fresh fruit and warm
from the oven, home-baked breads are offered while you await your
specially prepared breakfast entrée. The artfully crafted
snowman-shaped pancakes complete with chocolate chip buttons were a
hit with our munchkins. The Mexican egg frittata was mucho spicy, a
grownup pleaser.
Our prime objective in venturing north to Vermont was to ski Burke
Mountain. As we drove the three-mile trip from the Inn, there was no
skier traffic. We were one of only two-dozen cars at the ski area
parking lot. We enrolled our kids in group ski lessons, which turned
out to be a private for my 6 year old son, and a semi-private for my
daughter as she joined another young boy whom she had met at the
Wildflower. If their ski programs lack organization that bigger ski
areas have, they more than compensate with super friendly,
personalized attention.
To say that Burke is not crowded would be the understatement of the
millennium. It feels more like a private ski hill. But the trails are
worthy of any big mountain resort. Burke has a wonderfully gentle
beginner area with a handful of trails serviced by a double chair from
the base lodge. A long quad from mid-mountain brings you to the top
where you find scenic winding blue cruisers like Powderhorn and
Carriage Road, to well-pitched, black diamond runs like Wilderness and
Fox’s Folly. East Bowl is a real adventure as you must traverse out to
the far eastern boundaries, catch a glimpse of Mount Washington and
then enjoy a truly isolated ski run on natural snow. Burke’s
classically narrow New England trails have 50% snowmaking, primarily
the west side, while the east side is au naturel.
I am told that on a powder day you can find fresh tracks all day and I
believe it. The glade skiing and riding at Burke Mountain is
incredible, and arguably some of the best you’ll find anywhere in the
East. “Chief”, the friendly patroller reminded us, “The printed policy
on the trail map is that you may ski in the woods on or off trails
within the ski area boundaries, but you are on your own as these areas
are neither open nor closed, so they are not patrolled”. Once you
bushwhack through that verbiage, you will be in some beautifully
pruned glade runs like Cave Man and Throbulators.
Home to Burke Mountain Academy, this ski area is one of the finest
training facilities fostering racing legends like Julie Parisien. We
watched some of the race training, and I was amazed at the skill, not
to mention the speed, that these upcoming racers demonstrate on the
purposely steep, icy course. We stayed with the white carpeted,
well-groomed Willoughby, with stunning views of the unique Mt. Pisgah,
as well as Jay Peak and Stowe’s Mt. Mansfield.
We had come to ski Burke Mountain, and the Wildflower Inn was a bonus
of winter adventures and country pleasures. The worry-free family
atmosphere mended my fried nerves. I savored the fabulous meals while
not having to cook, as I do when we rent a condo or suite. The kids
went from one exciting activity to another, and felt rather privileged
to be roaming this lovely Inn. Not once did they even remark that
there was no TV, fridge or phone, which are the first amenities they
locate when we check-in to a condo.
