While on the mountain you have to visit the village! Silver Star transports you to a colorful village in the snow where buildings are not what you typically see, walking down the main street in town. Here on the mountain, the buildings are every color of the rainbow! They welcome you to the mountain with vibrant faces that never fail to put a smile on ours.
We have our favorite places in the village, and we kicked off our day with a coffee from the Creperie. Now, the Creperie is new this year; it is in the old Out of Bounds location next to the Pizza place and Aberdeen Market. We just got coffee as we already had breakfast, and while it’s no Starbucks, it is still a decent cup of coffee.
Then, we ventured around to see where we could go with Riley. You see dogs everywhere in the village, but I’ve never seen any inside the stores. To our suprise, Riley was able to come into Evolve (the old Ski Dazzle) and Cold Stream! Evolve has all your ski and snowboarding needs from clothing, outerwear, skiis, and boots.
He became a little celebrity in his little backpack in the store. Patrons and staff just thought he was the cutest. They also allow dogs in on leash if your pup is too big for a carrier!
Cold Stream is a knickknacky type store and one of our favorites to visit while we are here. Lots of unique women’s clothing, home décor with a winter ski flare, and a selection of kids and men’s clothing to the side. Some with Silver Star branding, some Lazy Ones that you see nowhere else, and a toque galore! They even have local artisan jewelry available, puzzles, and pictures. Riley was allowed in, but he had to be in his carrier in Cold Stream. They usually have a black lab inside that greets people, so while dogs are welcome, they do need to be secured.
There is also the Village Ski Shop, right next to Cold Stream, which we didn’t venture in with Riley. The Ski shop is where you would find all your cross country ski needs, snowshoe needs, gloves, outerwear, and goggles, to name a few items. Very helpful guys in there!
If you’re feeling peckish and want a pint, Red Antler has a dog friendly patio to sit on! Our most frequented restaurants on the mountain are definitely The Bulldog or Long Johns. Long Johns is more a ski mountain pub. When you walk in the door, it’s very cavernous like an old cabin with antique skiis, snowshoes, lanterns, and other decor on the walls. There is a fireplace to one side and a small stage to the other where you just might catch a musician serenading your meal.
The Bulldog is my personal favorite. It’s a satelite of the Bulldog in Amsterdam, and the story is posted on the walls. Bright and open, cozy fireplaces and sofa’s. It’s more a lounge/pub/restaurant than Long Johns. They have an Indonesian fusion style menu and a standard pub menu of burgers and fries. I love the Indonesian Satays! They have become a staple when we visit. Bulldog also boasts a wide selection of specialty hand crafted drinks. My favorite is the Royale. If you like Elderflower soda and Gin, then give Royale a try next time you visit! We stopped in for some of those Satays and a Royale before carrying on our way!
At the far end of the village is Bugaboos, another staple of the mountain! Bugaboos is a little coffee shop/cafe with delicious hot chocolate and bakery items. They give you this little belgium chocolate piece with your hot cocoa. Drop the chocolate into your cup and taste the transformation from good to delicious! The patio is dog friendly, and Riley loved meeting the waitress and the little girls at the next table.
And if none of that sparks your fancy, there is the Den or the Silver Grill, which are a little fancier than we venture. Or if you want real casual coming off the slopes, the Town Hall is a cafeteria style eatery that serves Cherry Hill coffee. Riley isn’t allowed in these places, so make sure you have someone to mind fido.
Do you want to try it out but don’t have the full activity setup? Need skiis? Snowboard? Snowshoes? Fat bike? Rent one through Evolve! There’s even dinner tours and horsedrawn sleds that you can venture out on (keeping in mind there are covid restrictions that have affected these right now). We’ve done the Snowshoe dinner tour with the horsedrawn sleigh back to the village a few years ago. It was one of the most delicious dinners I’ve had out! The food was amazing and was so much fun to snowshoe through the woods at night.
So what do you think? Will you try a new adventure? Even if you aren’t a skiier or snowboarder, there’s lots to do here!
Take the kids tubing or to Brewer’s Pond for some skating or hockey. Take a wander through the snowshoe trails (sometimes they’re compact enough; you don’t need snowshoes). Are you a mountain biker? Rent a fat bike and hit some snow cover mountain trails!
And if none of that appeals to you, bring a book and just relax in a cozy living room next to the fire, looking out over the snow covered trees.
When all is said and done, wander back up to your chalet and soak in the hot tub. There is nothing more relaxing than a hot tub with snow falling on your head in the mountains. Fresh air, stars above you (or blue skies above you during the day), a cold drink in your hand, soft music in the background, and just breathing. Riley tends to get too cold outside beside the tub, so he waits inside the door and snoozes after his long day.
ASR Adventures 