Hotel at a Glance: Green Mountain Inn

Built in 1833, Green Mountain Inn started out as a way station for 19th-century travelers. Over time, the site has been a grand dance hall, a spot for Lowell Thomas’s broadcasts, and a host to Presidents Chester A. Arthur and Gerald Ford. Although the inn, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has undergone extensive renovations, it still pays homage to its past with handmade quilts and other charming decor.

• Guest rooms feature handmade Vermont furniture and 300-thread-count bedding; deluxe and luxury rooms add gas fireplaces.
• Locally sourced cuisine: Try housemade honey-oatmeal bread at Main Street Dining Room and free-range chicken with Vermont cheddar at Whip Bar & Grill.
• Take a dip in the year-round heated outdoor pool or Jacuzzi tub.
• Get a workout in the newly updated health club, then unwind in the sauna or massage center.
• Freebies WiFi and afternoon tea and cookies
• For art lovers: Watercolors of Vermont landscapes by Walton Blodgett hang throughout the hotel; prints are available for purchase.

Stowe, Vermont: Quiet Village Flush with Outdoor Adventure

The quaint town of Stowe is nestled in the countryside of northern Vermont. State law bans billboards, ensuring unobstructed views of the sugar maples and hemlock covering the Green Mountains along the roadways. Hiking opportunities abound on mountainside trails that range from steep vertical climbs to flat sprawls. Stop by a local sport shop to rent bikes for exploring the Stowe Recreation Path, a paved 5.3-mile-long avenue that winds along the sparkling West Branch River and through Stowe’s main commercial strip. The strip is lined with independent shops and roadside diners and stands out for its lack of chain franchises.

In winter, one of the area’s biggest draws is Stowe Mountain Resort, which is full of downhill ski runs and cross-country ski and snowshoe trails. If you prefer to be carted around, Stowe has you covered. Horse-drawn sleigh rides glide through wooded winter landscapes worthy of a Christmas card. Elsewhere, packs of siberian huskies whisk adventurous visitors over the terrain during dogsledding excursions.

About 12 miles south, the town of Waterbury is home to a Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream factory. Visitors can watch as machinery zips the famous pints from one end of the facility to the other during a factory tour, which ends with a sampling of the flavor of the day.

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