We loved our stay at Basin Harbor Inn in Vergennes, Vermont. This century old historic resort is located right on Lake Champlain and delights you with a beautiful view of the Adirondack Mountains. Today, I am going to share a more detailed look at our stay and the activities we enjoyed during our visit.
Upon arrival, I was struck with a nostalgic feel that, of course, I loved immediately! The grounds and buildings are reminiscent of Kellerman’s from Dirty Dancing or The Steiner Mountain Resort from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I loved my surroundings and it hearkened back to my childhood vacations spent on lakes up north. I knew right away my family was in for a treat!
All of the cottages and common buildings are painted white and many have stone details worked in. The entire property is well lighted at night with lanterns and strings of lights around every corner. The landscaping is well cared for and there are so many varieties of plantings. It is just a pleasure to walk the resort’s many pathways. The historic grandeur of the resort has been maintained, but the residences have been thoughtfully updated with a great attention to detail and design.
Day One
The afternoon we arrived, we were greeted with a summer thunderstorm that subsided just in time for us to walk over to our dinner reservation in the dining room located in the main lodge.
For our first meal, we choose to dine in Ardelia’s, which is the upscale restaurant at the resort. As we entered the dining room, soft acoustic guitar played the night’s soundtrack and we were seated next to the window with a view of the harbor. Guests arrived in their summer best donning sport coats, summer dresses, madras pants, even ties and bow-ties. Little kids were dressed up to match and generations of families sat together and were seen enjoying their meals. It was a great summer spectacle and we followed suit in our attire. The food was delicious and plated to perfection. It was a beautiful evening and I did not want to spoil it snapping photos of our meal, etc. Some things should be all about the experience and not the photo opportunity.
As the night closed, we decided to walk the resort with a cocktail in hand. The kids led the way plotting out their activities for the next day.
Day Two
The next morning was a little overcast, and we started our day with a hearty buffet style breakfast served in the same dining room as the night before. The vibe was much different here in the morning. Families in hiking clothes and swimsuit cover-ups ready for their daytime adventures.
There are several meal plan options to choose from and Basin Harbor reservations can offer you the right plan to fit your needs. We were on the Full American Plan which is three meals a day.
After breakfast, we lounged in the iconic Basin Harbor Adirondack chairs and enjoyed the morning view before heading back to our cottage to change.
That morning we did a lot of swimming in the lake. The boys were eager to get in the water! The swimming area has a diving board, 2 water trampolines, and plenty of lounge chairs for your use. Also, we took out paddle boats and enjoyed the harbor views.
By lunchtime, the boys were ready to grab a bite so we picked up a drink from The Burgee Bar right next to the swimming area and walked ourselves over to The Red Saw Restaurant.
After lunch, we hopped aboard The EScape for a history cruise of Lake Champlain. Captain Mike was a wealth of knowledge and the boys loved that Lake Champlain has its own mythical creature Champ (or maybe not so mythical! ). This was a great way to see more of the lake views too.
When we got back from the cruise it gave us enough time to get showered and ready for one of our favorite nights of the stay— The North Dock Shore Dinner. Nothing says New England summer more than cracking some claws right by the water. You can read all about the dinner HERE. It was my favorite night!!
Day Three
Our last day here we had another wonderful breakfast in the dining room and then walked down to the marina. Basin Harbor has a really cute Harbor Store that sells beverages, snacks, gifts, apparel, and ice cream. We all decided to end our stay with Creemees and spending some quality time with the owner’s Goldens, Rosie and Piper.
On the drive home that day, we all agreed that Basin Harbor is going to be part of our family summer traditions every year. The boys didn’t want to leave and asked when we get to come back—so that made it pretty evident it was a win! Topher and I envisioned ourselves old and gray bringing our kids and grandchildren here. It truly is a special resort. There is a magic to this place that makes you want to spend summer here. I can understand why generations keep coming back. I am grateful to the Beach Family who have owned and operated this resort for 4 generations. From our family to yours— THANK YOU for giving us a wonderful finish to our summer vacation. We’ll see you next summer!
Thank you Basin Harbor for this experience. We loved our stay!!