Killington 2008/9 - Day 2

And on to Killington
by Clare Hegarty

Sleep is a great healer and tiredness ensured that the boys didn’t even object to sharing a double bed. The hotel was a familiar one and the breakfast lived up to its memory. At least we had the car outside so that we could get straight on with the last leg of our journey.

We had in mind a beautiful town in Vermont called Woodstock, which we had passed through many times but never stopped. Woodstock has that picture perfect New England look to it, particularly at this time of the year. It has beautiful architecture and is completed with snowdrifts at the side of the road and wreaths on all the doors. We lucked out with our choice of restaurant with Bentleys, which was having a jazz brunch, an unusual pair of musicians, a saxophonist and a guitarist, something to give Mike & Ciarz some ideas! The food was good too and the two pints of local beer just finished it off and me!

We’ve become so familiar with Killington now that everything about the journey is part of tradition. First, we pass Bill & Blanche’s Pancake House (usually a stop but not this time), then the first view of the ski slopes (again usually lots of oohs & ahhs but this time concern about the lack of snow) and finally the smell of the hotel lobby, a mixture of the wood fire and snow dampened carpets drying out.

It’s our fifth time in this hotel, so although the rooms are almost identical, we are quickly able to identify the differences and assess their positive or negative implications – a bit like a spot the difference competition. For the record, this room has good artwork, lots of chairs and a good view of the slopes, but it is a long walk from the pool and even a longer walk at the end of the day with aching muscles and heavy ski boots.

Another essential part of the Hegarty Family holiday is the pool. There is nothing quite like it. It is open air and heated to a degree that the condensation coming off in the cold air makes it difficult to see from one side of the pool to the other. Another hazard is that wet hair will freeze so hard that your head aches, so once your hair is wet, you have to frequently immerse yourself in the bath warm water to melt your head and keep comfortable. If the pool isn’t warm enough for you, there is the scalding hot Jacuzzi, which is my favourite place to chat and to observe the stars. Boys being boys, they of course prefer to play who can stand on the side of the pool longest with the added variation of who can rub icy snow on their bodies before jumping back in the pool!