Alysia Reiner can’t be missed striding into Grizzly’s restaurant at the base of Stratton Mountain Ski Resort. For one thing, she’s a head taller than me, and I’m not short. She’s wearing a chic scarlet ski suit that her husband, actor David Alan Basche, calls “The Red Ferrari.” She’s radiating a wintery athleticism from a morning spent blasting down 4,000 foot slopes.
A wintery mountaintop is probably the last place anyone would expect to find Reiner’s most popular TV character – assistant prison warden Natalie “Fig” Figueroa on Netflix’s hit series Orange is the New Black. But it turns out Reiner nothing like her fictional creation. There’s not a speck of manipulation, intimidation or callousness to be found as we discuss the singular locale that changed the course of her life: Vermont.
“Vermont holds a very special place in my heart because David and I met here while I was doing theater and still in college, so forever this will be a very magical place for me,” Reiner said.
One can almost imagine the lushly dense forests, romantic covered bridges, spider-web rural roads and artsy chic small towns acting as a sort of fairy godmother for the pair, now married 27 years and parents of high school-aged Livia. Even though it’s the sixth smallest state in the Union, The Green Mountain State pulls out all the stops to seduce, even banning ugly billboard signage and dangling Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shops on many a corner.
“It’s got something no matter what you love to do,” said Reiner. “If you love to antique, if you’re sporty, if you’re a foodie, if you love the outdoors or incredible art museums, it’s all right here.”
A Rural Character
With scenery this appealing, meandering first by car and then by foot, ski, paddle or pedal is the best way to explore. Reiner and Basche’s stomping grounds lean toward the southern part of the state, with towns like Woodstock, Windsor, Quechee Gorge and Manchester high on their list. White River Junction is often a nostalgic stop too, as it was while acting in the White River Theater Festival that their romance began. The key to doing Vermont Reiner-style? Favor a leisurely pace that allows for maximum restoration and rejuvenation.
“We still say one of the best naps we’ve had in our entire lives was at the Woodstock Inn,” Reiner said. “We had taken this long walk through town looking at engagement rings that day. They had a fireplace in the room and the bed was so comfortable. To this day we talk about that nap.”
To its credit the Woodstock Inn & Resort makes an even bigger impression to those who are awake. Rebuilt on the site of Woodstock’s first luxury inn, its roots trace to the late 1800s, when a completely fabricated story about healing waters was used to divert tourist traffic from more established resorts in Bar Harbor and the Adirondacks. The plot worked, although today it’s hard to fathom how such a charming locale needed any tricks to attract visitors. If you Google “Vermont’s most beautiful address,” the Inn pops right up.
Somehow the property manages to mix rustic New England authenticity with sleek, modern flair and make it work. There’s a decadent spa on-site for après ski or golf massages, but if you love spas as much as Reiner, you might want to clear the afternoon to fully enjoy the huge steam room, outdoor hot tub and wide range of soothing treatments. I indulged in one of their Seasonal Signature packages that rotate quarterly and it was truly a highlight of my entire trip.
Just up the street, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park offers hiking and leaf viewing, while Billings Farm & Museum showcases the state’s rural heritage with guided tours of an 1890’s farm house and one of the country’s oldest operating dairy farms. Exploring is easy, as the shire town’s quaint shops, galleries and restaurants are just outside the Inn’s doors, with many buildings listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
When in Woodstock, Reiner and Basche head over to Quechee Gorge for a romantic lunch at Simon Pearce. Their popular restaurant overlooks a waterfall inside the retail shop, known for its refined glassware that once graced Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ table. You can watch glassblowers at work before selecting among the sparkling tableware, lighting and decorative pieces.
Another not-to-be-missed Reiner-recommended stop is Harpoon Brewery in nearby Windsor. With more craft breweries per state than anywhere in the country, Vermont’s beers are typically sourced via local ingredients. A plant tour at Harpoon Brewery ends with a sampling of IPAs, juice-based beers, ciders and stouts. Don’t leave before stopping next door at Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company and Sustainable Farmer – two friendly shops packed with delicious Vermont-made goodness in the forms of cheese, maple syrup, honey, crackers, fudge and ice cream. Thanks to a generous sampling policy, visitors are likely to discover many new favorites and learn more about sustainable agriculture to boot.
Green Mountains, White Slopes
When they’re ready to strap on their skis, Reiner and Basche often head to Stratton Mountain and stay in nearby Manchester. A bit more bustling than Woodstock, Manchester makes a great add-on to a Vermont vacation, or a destination in itself. Reiner has a plan for making the most of a weekend in Manchester.
“Come in a little early on a Friday night and go out to dinner at one of the many great restaurants. The Silver Fox has a phenomenal martini menu and we love Thai Basil. Stay at one of the gorgeous rooms at the Wilburton Inn, but make sure you have some time to hear about the history of the inn because it’s fascinating,” she said.
“Go skiing on Saturday at Stratton Mountain Ski Resort, on Saturday afternoon have an amazing massage at the Equinox Resort and Spa. On Sunday, ski again in the morning and then hit the Dorset Farmer’s Market for supplies to bring home. It is a truly exceptional farmer’s market, one of the best I’ve ever been to in my life.”
Those who don’t ski will surely find ample charm in the dozens of familiar outlet shops in the center of town. For a shopping break, the Northshire Bookstore is packed with locals, gathered to catch up over baked goods in the store’s spacious upstairs dining room.
A devoted bread lover, Reiner would be sad if anyone visited Manchester without stopping by Earth Sky Time Farm. “They make the best bread I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. If I lived anywhere nearby I’d be 500 pounds,” she said.
With miles of rolling green hills, fertile valleys and endless ski trails, it’s safe bet Reiner and Basche will continue to return to the Green Mountain State. “I think that’s one of the best things about coming to a place like this – you forget about the rest of the world and you feel fully here. Sometimes when we travel it’s work. Here I don’t feel like that. I feel very relaxed,” Reiner said.
Barbara Wayman is the author of Living An Extraordinary Life: 9 Transformational Strategies for Living Your Best Life Now.