STOWE, Vermont — Chuck's Big Adventure is traveling to New England. It is an area known for its beauty, history, lobsters and, in autumn, it's explosion of color.
Trapp Family Lodge
Vermont is unlike any other New England state.
Its independent spirit, timeless town squares and unforgettable hillsides aflame with color make this state a prime destination for fall lovers.
Gazing at the beautiful hills is a jaw-dropping palette of pigment, very reminiscent of autumn in Austria.
It is the hills that tied this beautiful country with one of the world's most beloved families, and they have made this land their own but share it with thousands every year.
The film and book, "The Sound of Music," made the Von Trapp family household names. Even though the family stopped touring as singers in 1955 and the film was made in 1965, songs like "Climb Every Mountain," "Edelweiss," "My Favorite Things," "Sixteen Going On Seventeen" and "Do-Re-Mi" make up the soundtrack of the lives of so many, even to this day.
It is Vermont, though, that changed this family from a singing group to a legendary hospitality organization.
"My family bought the farm in 1942, [and it] became a hotel in 1950. My father took over in the late '60s, started the cross-country ski center in 1968, and he was the one who recognized the importance of adding on the neighboring properties," said Sam von Trapp, grandson of Maria von Trapp, immortalized in the film and book. "He took it from a little under 700 acres to almost 2,600 acres. My grandmother felt that this place was too special to not share with the rest of the world, so that was the idea to become a hotel and to really bring people here to renew their human spirit."
To Sam and the other grandchildren, the film has little to do with the life they led growing up, but they realize that von Trapp is a name that instantly ties emotionally to so many people from every country in the world.
"We just think of ourselves as normal people, but the movie or the musical has had such an amazing impact on so many people," Sam said. "When you think about that, when I listen to the stories from some individuals of how it affected them and you extrapolate that out to the over 1 billion people who are estimated to have seen that musical."
Johannes von Trapp, the only remaining living child of Georg and Maria von Trapp, has dedicated his life to the family resort and entertaining guests. He has worked hard to make sure this 2,600-acre destination is usable year-round.
"In the wintertime, we have mostly skiers. In the summer, spring, and fall, we have people who come for the outdoors, for the hiking trails, and, of course, for the connection with the film, the stage play, the German movie and the book my mother wrote."
Skiing, hiking, dining and biking are all part of a guest experience at the Trapp Family Lodge, but a few years back, the family realized that people wanted to know more about the family, film and book, but they weren't equipped to answer all the questions people posed. Now, you can take a history tour and learn the von Trapp legacy, while asking questions of family members. Kristina von Trapp Frame runs the program and loves it.
"We have people come here looking for information about our family, so my brother and I were able to put together a great way to present the information in a fun and different format with a little bit of a talk, a little bit of a trip to see the family cemetery, and then, a documentary movie that interviews our grandmother, Maria, in Austria," Kristina said.
As soon as the tour ends, guests can ask questions of a family member on stage. It is often an emotional time as many of the visitors share what the film and book meant to them.
Trapp Family Lodge
The Trapp Family Lodge houses a bakery, brewhouse, restaurant, time-share units and so much more. A fire destroyed the lodge in 1980, but the rebuild of the facility made it look much more Austrian, and that feel continues throughout the facility.
If you want to visit in the fall, make reservations now. October makes the lodge one of New England's most popular tourist attractions.
For me, this was a wonderful part of our Chuck's Big Adventure trip. One morning as fog gathered around the high, fall-colored hills, it was if I could hear Maria von Trapp singing. Yes, the hills are alive with the sound of music and the family that brought it here, seeing that the soundtrack won't stop for a long time.
Now, let me try singing "Do-Re-Mi" once all the way through without messing it up!