Back in December I booked our Vermont snowboarding trip with Sugarbush Ski Resort, a place I'd never been to and knew absolutely nothing about, but had wanted to visit for eons. Actually, longer than that.
The photos online look amazing, with mountain front views and ski lifts right outside of the rooms, and warm welcoming spaces with front desk people who sparkle like Fourth of July firecrackers.
And I like Fourth of July firecrackers.
I bought into all of that bullshizzle because everything on the internet is true, just like television, and Charlie Sheen-isms and telling Andrew that, no, of course I didn't mean that thing about his hair looking kind of like the Sol Glo guy's from Coming To America.
(Now you see it, too, don't you?)
Those of you who book online vacations that go down without a hitch, GOOD FOR YOU, you have my envy. If not, than you will understand. You will understand arriving at a so called resort that is actually a glorified motel on a so called mountain that is actually a speed bump a mile away from the lifts and being helped by a so called sparkling front desk person who is actually a _____ (insert the word bitch if you use it, which I don't, but if you do, go ahead and put it in capital letters with fourteen exclamation points and underlined twice), after driving for six hours in ice and snow and nearly losing your life to fifteen thousand four hundred and sixteen cannibalistic maggot flies. And you will understand how that can cause a person to scream on the internet about how
NO ONE SHOULD EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER BOOK A VACATION WITH SUGARBUSH SKI RESORT IN VERMONT.
Instead we got our deposit back, left, and stayed here.
Which meant that we had to drive around for another hour in the dark on an empty gas tank in the middle of the Vermont wilderness in freezing temperatures passing Bear Crossing signs and with no working cell phones or maps or idea of if we were getting any closer to Killington or if we were going to be trapped in the night in the snow and be forced to cut off Andrew's Sol Glo and light it on fire to keep us warm until help arrived with hot cocoa.
But we survived, which can be attributed solely to my determination that if it was my time I wanted to go down in a blaze of glory. Like a war hero. Like learning to snowboard backwards!
World Tour: Part 1, Day 12
World Tour: Part 1, Day 11 World Tour: Part 1, Day 9
World Tour: Part 1, Day 8
World Tour: Part 1, Day 7
World Tour: Part 1, Day 6
World Tour: Part 1, Day 5
World Tour: Part 1, Day 4
Posts
11 comments:
sorry to hear you had such a bum visit there. I too am fearful of booking vacations online.
Actually, it was WONDERFUL! After we left that craptastic hotel and made it to Killington, we had a great time. Would totally go back.
Half the fun is getting there though?! Right?!
if you experienced 6 months of winter, you wouldn't be so enthralled with snow.
I read Tripadvisor excessively before we book, usually this really helps:)
Spot on, Corey.
Monika, yes, we've like Tripadvisor, too!
That is crazy! I usually gage it by mediocre, but detailed reviews, because if they are all glowing it just might have been written by the owners, so if I see one or two disgruntled reviews, but the others are glowing, then I usually feel pretty good about it. On a side note-while in Florida during a "tropical storm" while my Mimi was dying, we had to leave the place we were staying at (at the beach), and go inland, and the only inland place close to the hospital was some hole in the wall hotel that had gotten the most scathing, horrifying reviews like "BEWARE! HORRIBLE!!! TERRIBLE SERVICE! FILTHY!". Knowing we needed to be close to the hospital this was it. I went with total trepidation, and brought the sheets from my last place, and chlorox wipes, toilet paper (one of the reviews said the room was missing essentials, or something like that), and a sense of dread. I was shocked, and pleasantly surprise to see everything was looking good (keep in mind my expectations were not high). I finally went down to the lobby, and asked if something had changed. Thank goodness.The ownership had changed in the last few weeks, so they had remodeled, and though the breakfast snack area was all stale I think that was ok. (All things considered.)
Glad you got to a place that was great (after the extremely disappointing motel by the bump hill).
:)
So sorry, next time ask people on your blog where to go. Eastern skiing is not so good. I think Sugarbush has had its day. You need to come west to Beaver Creek. You would love it. Ann
Been skiing in Beaver Creek, Ann. Loved it! And, yes, the best recommendations usually come from blog readers!
Lizzie, YES. That. Had similar experiences both ways. On a side note, where in Florida was your Mimi?
Agree. Trip advisor is a wonderful resource. Have always been lucky with booking on-line..so far...stayed at a most amazing place recently (kudos to them) in Sedona: Red Agave Resort...loved the A-frames (great family destination and good price)..
oh man, how disappointing. i always have that fear when booking things online!
http://bottleblack.blogspot.com
Post a Comment