Let’s be honest. Sometimes, you just want to pamper yourself, or that someone special. I’m totally on board with this philosophy. In this crazy world, we all need an escape from time to time. If your travels take you to the Mad River Valley in central Vermont, you can’t find a better diversion than the luxurious Pitcher Inn in Warren, just a short 3 miles down the hill from Sugarbush Resort.
There is so much “right” about this property, and this town, it’s difficult to know where to start. One of my favorite T-shirts, since “borrowed” by my youngest daughter, is a slate green model that proclaims: “Warren, VT —A small drinking town with a big skiing problem.” Perfect. Warren, with a number of Civil Warera structures that have withstood the test of time and a litany of harsh Vermont winters, is a quintessential New England village, the epitome of Yankee charm.
Nothing defines that ephemeral sense of rough-cut elegance more than the luxurious Pitcher Inn. Nestled in the heart of Warren, this sturdy, stately white clapboard structure has a long history, much like the village itself. The town was first established in 1789, named after Dr. Joseph Warren, a Revolutionary War hero. For almost 180 years, the main occupations were farming the fertile valley lands or working the grist mills that dotted the river.
Today, the town is home to almost 2,000 year-round residents and houses the eclectic Warren Store (where I bought my aforementioned T-shirt), Mad River Distillers and the Warren-Sugarbush Airport (for a special treat, check out the glider rides with Sugarbush Soaring during warmer months).