My fiance and I planned a whirlwind weekend in Vermont during Foliage Season. We had no idea that lodging would be so hard to find, and so expensive! It is a popular time of year to visit Vermont we found out. We searched online for many places and found Northern Lights Lodge last. The pictures and description online did not make it seem too inviting. But alas, we called and Al answered the phone. At first he sounded stand-offish, but I quickly realized that he was thinking about what I was saying and calculating the best response for me. He had a King Size bedrom for $98, three times less expensive as the other lodges in the area! My fiance and I decided to book the room for one night, and camp at a state park the night before. On the night we were supposed to camp out, we were running far behind schedule (it was 10:30 at night before we would arrive), and getting quite cold. At 8:30pm my fiance and I chickened out of camping, and called Al at the Lodge, doubting that he could help us out. Al (the owner) was very friendly and more than happy to help us out! He in fact had a room avaialble, but it would not be the same room we booked for the following day. Before I could accept the room, he decided to upgrade us to a junior suite (oven, microwave, dishes and utensils, bunk beds, queen bed and pullout couch with cable TV and free wifi) for both nights, at the original rate of $98! I could not believe how nice it was to be taken care of so last minute. At 10:30pm we arrived in Stowe and drove past the lodge. We called Al, who stayed on the phone with us until we found our way to the Lodge. He greeted us with a smile, hot (fresh) apple cider, cookies, and my fiance received a cold beer after our long journey. He also volunteered to keep the hot tub open for us! The room was great- no frills and not "polished", but very complete with all amenities. Plenty of space to lay our our unused camping gear, lol. In the morning Al was in the office, greeting everyone, giving advice and maps! The free breakfast was hearty and welcoming, and featured local products like Cabot butter. The Lodge was right in the middle of it all- gorgeous views of the mountain, and near Waterbury and all the other high end lodges. Al did keep the pool open late for us, and mapped out a neat sigh seeing trip for us. We are so grateful to have bumped into this lodge which really made our trip memorable. Without Al and the Northern Lights Lodge, we would have been miserable, setting up a tent in pitch black, 35 degree weather. The Northern Lights Lodge was our home away from home for the weekend, and kind of like a base camp for our sightseeing.