This past week, I was lucky enough to take a few days off over the holidays for a few major “life events.” In 2013, I plan to be married to my now-fiancé, John, near his hometown of Montpelier, Vt. With my parents visiting from their home in Tucson, Ariz., we decided to take this opportunity to visit some potential wedding sites and also introduce our families for the first time.  

As my 2012 luck would have it, we learned an impending snowstorm was forecast for the day after we arrived. I considered canceling, but my adventurous parents were not deterred. We set out for the the eight-hour drive the day after Christmas. Our home for a few days was the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Montpelier, Vt., in the heart of our country’s smallest state capitol. As we pulled into the parking lot, the snow started and did not stop for 24 hours, bringing 15 inches of snow. It was a true winter wonderland.

We could not have picked a better spot to stay. A warm lobby with a large fireplace greeted us as we walked in from the cold. With 62 rooms, the hotel is a nice size with a variety of room levels. We enjoyed dinner at J. Morgans Steakhouse in the hotel as the snow piled on, and we ventured out on foot for a beer at Three Penny Taproom. By morning, we had five or six inches on the ground, but the hearty town of Montpelier did not slow down. Small business owners tended their sidewalks as we walked to breakfast at Coffee Corner.   

By Friday, the snow had stopped and the streets were clear before we woke. Though the storm extended our stay an extra day, we couldn’t have been more delighted to spend a beautiful snow-filled day in Vermont. 

— Danielle Hudena, director of sales and marketing