The Connecticut River is wide and powerful along the eastern border of Vermont as it passes through the historic industrial centers of Springfield, Windsor, and White River Junction. Further north, the smaller towns of Fairlee and Bradford also meet the river and the railroad, and inventors have been nourished by the atmosphere of commerce along these north-south routes. One of the most noted was Samuel Morey, a lumberman in Fairlee and inventor of the first steamboat, in 1793. This region was also the heart of Vermont’s first rebellion, as delegates gathered in Windsor on July 2, 1777, to declare Vermont a "free and independent state."

The path of the Connecticut River is followed by Interstate 91, and at White River Junction the state’s other major route, Interstate 89, heads northwest across the heart of the state and through its capitol district, finally reaching Lake Champlain at the city of Burlington. Interstate 89 winds alongside the White River, whose headwater branches spread out into the countryside as the land rises toward the mountain peaks.

The villages of this region also spread outward from the two major rivers. To the south, Chester and Weston shelter unusual concentrations of art and cultural events. The Calvin Coolidge Memorial Highway, named for Vermont’s "strong and silent" US President, leads away from the Connecticut River Valley to Ludlow, home of Okemo Mountain Ski Resort. Then the road continues its mountainous path to Plymouth, the former President’s boyhood home.

Another ski area lies closer to the Connecticut – Mount Ascutney, which rises in thickly forested slopes outside the railroad town of Windsor. From Ascutney the hilly Route 106 heads north to Woodstock, a town preserved in its rural charm and elegance, thanks to two local families who recognized its rare beauty and took steps to secure it. Woodstock can also be reached from that other traditional railroad town, White River Junction, by passing first through Quechee where the dramatic drop of Quechee Gorge has been a "must see" for generations, probably including generations of Native Americans who hunted and fished these verdant valleys. Over the mountains and the fields hawks hover, and a raptor center in Woodstock celebrates their fierce grace and independence.

Heading up the valley of the White River, the next northwest passage, means a winding route through the college town of Randolph (Vermont Technical College) and an open invitation to the picturesque villages around it: Brookfield, Tunbridge, and Chelsea. Time moves more slowly in these pockets; general stores still have oiled wooden floors, country fairs flourish, and communities are made up of many generations of families who have long worked this land and its streams and rivers. South Royalton, birthplace of the Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) prophet Joseph Smith, is also a college town, home of the Vermont Law School.

Incredibly lovely country roads form a network here that includes the horse-loving region of Strafford and the traditional lake resort towns of Post Mills and West Fairlee. Covered bridges and dams abound. Balloons drift by overhead. Each season takes on a poignant tang here, especially summer, savored on wide front porches or from the bow of a canoe on quiet water.

The descent from the hills takes you to Norwich, once a college town and now graced with some of the region’s finest lodging and dining. Norwich lies close by the Connecticut River and is linked by bridge to Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. It’s good to get off the Interstate highway here and take its slower shadow route, Route 5, along the Connecticut. The riverside terrain is haunting and wild, despite nearby towns, and migrating waterfowl often rest in large flocks here on their way north or south.

The road leads north through Fairlee, then the thriving villages of Bradford and Newbury. The Waits River meets the Connecticut at Bradford, so that Route 25 can work its quiet way northwest along the Waits River’s gentle bends. This hilly area is the northern edge of what has been called the Upper Valley, a region reaching across both Vermont and New Hampshire with common industry, commerce, and sometimes schooling. From the height of the land the eastward view of New Hampshire’s White Mountains is stunning. Farther north stand the rugged and weather-worn mountains of Vermont’s famed Northeast Kingdom, the state’s least populated area, where long-legged white-tailed deer are sometimes said to outnumber people.

When you think of old-fashioned New England, the Currier & Ives etchings or Grandma Moses paintings probably come to mind: village homes and children in bright clothing against snow-covered slopes, or the spume of snow behind a horse-drawn sleigh, and maybe even moonlight on a silent ridge, where foxes slink under the spruces.

Springfield is an old-fashioned New England town, but it catches a different part of the region’s traditions: the eager inventors who fiddled in the barns, back yards and workshops to make new tools, new discoveries, and new comforts for life. The mighty Comtu Falls (Native American for "great noise") on the Black River drew potential industrialists here. The Black River’s 110-foot drop guaranteed all the power they needed. Access to both the railroad and the Connecticut River meant the town’s budding 18th- and 19th-century industries could ship their products to market. Springfield became the birthplace of America’s machine tool industry.

Today, the town is still an industrial center, and its nickname was "Precision Valley" long before computer precision arrived. But the gracious homes of the early industrialists, the treasures of art and cultural wealth they amassed, and the recent outpouring of stewardship for the rivers and mountains nearby make Springfield rich in many ways. Orchards surround the town, bringing spring blossom and autumn harvest celebrations.

Old towns mean old roads, and Springfield’s geography is a challenge. Driving into town from Interstate 91 takes you right past the Eureka Schoolhouse, Vermont’s oldest one-room learning center. Open from mid-May to mid-October, the schoolhouse is furnished with period antiques to give visitors a taste of what children (and teachers) managed with more than two centuries ago. A 37-foot-long covered bridge stands nearby.

Continue along Route 11, which is soon named Clinton Street, to Main Street and to a pair of major intersections where half a dozen town roads connect. Park and walk around to get the feel of the town; traffic is frequently congested. Start at the Park Street Bridge to get a stunning view of the Black River (Comtu) Falls, which are lit at night. Head slightly uphill away from the center of town to Elm Street, and stop at the Springfield Art and Historical Society Museum’s Miller Art Center (9 Elm Street,  885-2415; open early spring through fall), where the locally manufactured dolls and carriages from the early 1800s make a fascinating exhibit. There is also an exceptional group of primitive portraits, an outstanding costume collection, early Bennington pottery, and priceless Richard Lee pewter.

Now go back to Main Street and ramble past the ornate building of the Spofford Library, which dates back to 1895, and note the 1835 red-brick Congregational Church. Look for the turn for Summer Street, next to the library; three blocks up Summer Street is Orchard Street, and Hartness House is at number 30. This impressive mansion is now an inn, but was once the home of Governor James Hartness, better known for his inventions than his politics. He had an amazing gift for machines, and held 120 patents, ranging from turret lathes to safety razors to telescopes. On the grounds of the inn is a highly sophisticated (for its time) telescope; there are evening tours at 6 p.m., except on Sundays ( 885-2115).

Following Route 11 west from Springfield leads to the irresistible town of Chester. Plan to spend at least a day browsing in bookstores and shops, eating well, and walking around the two historic districts. The first is on Main Street, with a lovely village green and stately old homes. The double-porched inn was once the 1920 Chester Inn (and other stagecoach inns preceded that one), and is now the The Fullerton Inn (see Where To Stay), which stands on the site of four previous hostelries. The inn was recently renamed as the Fullerton, which restored the name that has been here twice before. A favorite with children (and other collectors) is the Hugging Bear ( 375-2412), which is both an inn and shop and has teddy bears of all sizes (and ages). Across the green is the old brick schoolhouse where the Historical Society and Art Guild portrays Chester’s best stories. Don’t miss the tale of Clarence Adams, a town citizen who broke into more than 50 homes and businesses in the late 1800s before he was finally caught. Let the museum folks also point out the old town cemetery, with markers dating from the Revolutionary War.

Today this Victorian village is also host to a number of festivals, including Quilts Around the Town (third weekend of May), hometown Independence Day and Labor Day weekend celebrations, a foliage fair on the weekend before Columbus Day, and an "overture to Christmas" on the second weekend of December. Make sure to bring a camera. For specific dates, check with the Chester Area Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 623, Chester, VT 05143,  875-2939, Web site www.chester-vt.com. Chester also offers antique shops, including the Stone House Antiques & Craft Center, a group shop south of the village on Route 103 ( 875-4477).

Other unusual shops in Chester include the Mustard Seed Bakery, in a little red Cape house just east of the green ( 875-4058); an impressive book selection at Misty Valley Books on the green, where you’ll see shelves marked "Vermont Author" ( 875-3400); and an 1871 country store called Carpenter’s Emporium, also on the green ( 875-4466). Take Route 103 south out of town for 1_ miles to the factory shop for Putney Pasta, open daily ( 875-4500), and keep going into Rockingham to find the second edition of the famous Vermont Country Store ( 463-2224), where candles, soaps, and shower curtains vie for space with sweaters, gloves, and country kitchen furnishings. Take a catalog home with you if you can’t make up your mind!

But let’s get back to Chester itself. The village around the green is only part of the story. The other historic district is on Route 103, the Stone Village, where there are 10 houses that were built by the Clark Brothers from 1834 onward. These two Canadian-trained native Vermont masons had a passion for gneiss, the rough-hewn, gleaming mica schist quarried from nearby Flamstead Mountain. They probably were part of the underground railway that helped to hide runaway slaves on their way to freedom in Canada before and during the Civil War.

A third section of the town is known as Chester Depot and is the northern station for the Green Mountain Flyer, the area’s scenic excursion railroad. Antique shops and a steepled town hall add to the pleasant atmosphere.

Take Route 11 west from Chester for five miles and watch for the well-marked right-hand turn to Weston. Set high in the mountains, you’d expect this village to be a sleepy one, but there are too many attractions. It lies on Route 100, Vermont’s most scenic highway. Centered by a gracious village green with aged, overhanging trees, the village has white churches, homey inns, and the popular Vermont Country Store. The Weston Playhouse ( 824-8167) is the oldest professional theater in the state, with summer performances, a Christmas production, winter cabaret for the ski season, and other activities ranging from concerts to prestigious craft and antique shows.

The first cluster of buildings to explore is at the north side of the green. The Farrar Mansur House and Mill Museum ( 824-6630) was built as a tavern in 1797, and now houses a collection of family heirlooms. Next door is the mill, with antique tools and mill equipment (both open summer and fall only). The picturesque Weston Falls are behind the mill (this is the West River, a fishing treasure), and it’s a very short walk past them to the Playhouse.

At the south end of the green are country stores and galleries. The Vermont Country Store ( 362-2400) publishes its own catalog, the Voice of the Mountains, and tries to create the magic of Christmas year-round, between the penny candy counter, the old-time gifts, and the sturdy country clothing (yes, long johns and wool socks too). The shop is open year-round but closed Sundays; hours are extended during summer and fall. There’s a wonderful church on the hill that you can see from the village green, worth a visit to gaze at its four-spired steeple. The church on the main street of the village is the Old Parish Church, built in 1816, with a unique bell and clock tower.

A drive north of town for about 3_ miles on Route 155 will take you to the Weston Priory and Benedictine monastery. There’s a gift shop here, as well as displays that explain the Brothers’ commitment to social justice; do join the daily public prayer, in order to hear (and maybe join in) the Brothers’ music, which is simple, harmonious, and thought-provoking.

Although Ludlow is a small town in terms of population (2,500), it’s full of shops and restaurants, a busy valley town that complements the ski resort on Okemo Mountain (3,343 feet), looming over the town. Sports shops, cafés, and a brew pub keep the village hopping.

Near the green is the striking Fletcher Library, a small architectural gem from 1900 with an arched ceiling and mosaic floor. On summer Sunday evenings there are concerts and serenades at the bandstand on the village green.

There’s an access road to the top of Okemo Mountain, reached from Route 100/103 just north of town. If you drive past the resort complex you can reach the summit parking area and take a half-mile trail to the top for a view of five other ski mountains! The Ludlow Tour of the North Hill and East Hill also provides spectacular views. Pick up a brochure at the Ludlow Chamber of Commerce ( 228-5830) in the building with the clock at the Okemo Marketplace, a small mall opposite the road up to the ski area. Here you can also pick up a schedule for the Town & Village Bus, which links several area lodgings with Okemo Mountain and with the nearby picturesque town of Chester (schedules also available by phone,  722-4770 or 800-869-6287). And a new charter shuttle service, Moose Caboose, will take you to the airport, train station, shopping, or just out for the evening (reservations required,  228-4957), as well as on custom foliage tours that show the best of the mountain scenery.

Just outside town are some interesting shops that lure you into Vermont life. Crowley Cheese, Vermont’s oldest cheese factory, is a tiny family business north of town on Route 103. You’ll see the roadside stand on the left (open summer and fall only), followed by the left turn to Healdville, where the little brown house stands that shelters the cheese-making operation. Watch the cheese curd get raked in the big vats; see a wheel of cheese get dipped into wax to form its protective shell. Above all, taste! And enjoy the vintage visit to an earlier time. Factory hours are Monday-Friday, 8-4, although cheese is most often made in the mornings. Call ahead,  259-2340.

Also on Route 103 is Song of the Wolves Gift Shop, a collection of American Indian items located inside Ralph & Joan’s Bait & Tackle Shop ( 259-2261, closed Wednesdays and sometimes Thursdays), four miles up the road from Ludlow. And the Green Mountain Sugar House, a family business focused on everything sweet (the fudge is mouth-watering), is also four miles from town, but you’ll have to take the right turn from Route 103 north onto Route 100 to get there (open daily, 9-6,  228-7151).

One more treat in Ludlow awaits at the old depot, where the Green Mountain Railroad stops. Call for schedules and tickets ( 463-3069).

Step back into a turn-of-the-century Vermont village for a day as you explore the Plymouth Notch Historic District. It’s reached from Plymouth on Route 100A, a steep climb into the sturdy hills where the 30th US President was born and raised. Calvin Coolidge’s boyhood home is here, as well as Cilley’s Store, where the small space above the store served as the summer White House back in 1924. The Wilder barn displays 19th-century farm implements and horse-drawn vehicles, and there’s a coffee shop and restaurant in the Wilder House nearby. A one-room schoolhouse, a perennial garden, the old Union Christian Church, and the Plymouth Cheese Factory are among the other buildings here. The cheese factory is operating and samples can be purchased. The entire site can easily occupy a day of pleasant walking and touring, including the pre-1800 cemetery. It’s open daily from late May to mid-October. Hours are 9:30 to 5:30 daily; call ahead if you like ( 672-3773).

Appreciate microbreweries >From Plymouth, take Route 100A north for six miles to Bridgewater Corners and the intersection with Route 4. Here is the Long Trail Brewing Co. ( 672-5011), where there are complimentary samples of traditional-style beers, daily from noon to 5 p.m.

You can’t say Windsor in Vermont without putting "historic" in front of its name. The state’s constitutional status as a republic was forged here by 72 delegates meeting at the Elijah West Tavern from July 2 to July 8, 1777: the first to give the right to vote to all men, whether or not they were property owners. This document gave standing to the newly declared Republic of Vermont (for many residents, that moment hasn’t worn off), established public schools, and also prohibited slavery. The tavern has since been moved to North Main Street and is now the Old Constitution House Museum ( 672-3773), open mid-May to mid-October.

Machine tools became another claim to fame for the Connecticut River town, which was, like its downriver neighbor Springfield, endowed with more than its share of inventors. When the local Robbins, Kendall & Lawrence Armory exhibited its mass-produced rifles at the 1851 Crystal Palace Industrial Exhibition in London, it garnered both awards and orders from the very impressed British, who began to call this amazing manufacturing technique "the American System." The Armory now houses the American Precision Museum ( 674-5781), a collection of machinery and power tools, and innovations by Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Favorites are the gun collection and the scale model collection. Even if you’ve never thought machines would be interesting, these may intrigue you with their intricacy and cleverness. The museum is open from Memorial Day to November 1, and often adds special short-term exhibits. Find the museum at the south end of town.

Windsor’s inventiveness seemed contagious, both from the past to the present and from one village to other towns nearby. The American Precision Museum offers a brochure describing "The Machine Tool Trail" that features, among other places, the Inn at Windsor, former home of industrialist Rowell H. Lamson; the Windsor-Mt. Ascutney train station, with its exhibit on the history of railroading in the state; Cone Blanchard Corporation, a modern machine tool shop in town making the largest grinders in the world; and in nearby Springfield, Hartness House Inn, where the founder of another machine tool company once lived and where today there is a great collection centered around the history of the telescope. So, for a rainy day when you want a fresh way to think about things, take the tour and reflect on the New England approach to making do and finding another way to use every scrap they had. Sites along the "trail" have brochures and maps to make it easier, or you can call the museum and ask for them ( 674-5781).

North of town, in the so-called Industrial Park, are today’s great craftspeople of the region. A year-round pleasure in Windsor is the chance to see teams of glassblowers making pitchers, cake stands, mugs, and more, at a flaming furnace using classic tools of forged steel and water-soaked cherrywood. You can stand on the catwalk at Simon Pearce’s Windsor Glassworks and sense the heat just enough to feel included in the traditional craft process. The glassworks also includes a retail store and a pottery; it’s open year-round, but check for seasonal changes in hours ( 674-6280).

If you’re acquainted with the lovely moody paintings of Maxfield Parrish, who lived across the Connecticut River in Plainfield, NH, in the late 19th century, you might think it’s odd to go searching for his work at the Vermont National Bank in Windsor. But here’s the story: Parrish, like many of the artists in the Cornish Colony at the time, would cross the river to Windsor to do his banking business on a regular basis. The tellers then were as friendly and helpful as they are today – they helped Parrish balance his checkbook and included him in the spirit of the community. He called them his "girls." At the time, that was a term of warm friendship. One day in the early 1950s, he said to them, "Here’s a painting for you." What he offered was a work that had already become famous under the title "Summer in New Hampshire," and was later retitled "New Hampshire: Thy Templed Hills." Townspeople treasured it and enjoyed it.

In 1999, as a bank merger took place, someone in management decided that the painting should be sold to the Currier Gallery of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire. Employees discovered the pending sale by accident, the day before it was to close, and in outrage they protested. Fortunately, someone had a copy of a letter that Parrish’s son had written in 1967, a year after the artist died, saying, "Dad intended this picture to stay where it is, no matter whether Vermont National Bank and all its merged branches get absorbed by J. P. Morgan or not." The letter was delivered to the local police, who conducted an investigation of who owned the picture. Faced with an enlarging community reaction of shock and anger, bank officials quickly corrected their position and pledged to keep the painting in Windsor after all.

Now retired employees of the bank support the painting with a charitable trust to ensure its future. It stays in Windsor, where Maxfield Parrish gave it to his "girls" at the bank.

Catamount Brewery ( 674-6700) has a second location here, next door to Simon Pearce Glassworks. Tours and tastings are offered (as often as three times a day, June-September). Check with brewery staff about local canoe and kayak tours – the brewery has its own boat landing.

Between the two extremes, in the center of the village, is the Vermont State Craft Center at Windsor House ( 674-6729), a building that first served as an inn in 1840; it was one of the best hotels on the stage route from Montreal to Boston and back. Preserved from the wrecking ball by a last-minute coalition of passionate neighbors, the building now houses the works of Vermont’s finest juried artisans. It is open Monday-Saturday year-round, and from June to January it’s also open on Sunday. Some classes are offered, and there’s a small museum.

Here’s another of the place-name confusions that abound in the countryside. Right where you would expect West Windsor to be (and that has been the local name too) is the town of Brownsville, which includes both Ascutney State Park and Mt. Ascutney – despite the fact that the town of Ascutney itself is actually farther south down Route 5!

From Windsor, drive south on Route 5 and look for Route 44A, which will be a hard right turn. From Route 44A, the well-marked paved road into the state park leads about four miles to a parking area and lookout located about three-fourths of a mile from the summit. This mountain is called a monadnock, the rock-hard unremovable remains of a much larger mountain. There are several challenging hiking trails here that double as Nordic ski trails in winter.

If you return to Route 44A and continue northwest, you reach Route 44 (of course, you can get here more quickly by taking Route 44 from the southern edge of Windsor if you don’t want to visit the state park). Another 1_ miles along Route 44 brings you to the Ascutney Mountain Resort ( 484-7771 or 800-243-0011), noted as a family ski resort but also a year-round activity center with hiking, biking, tennis, and a fitness center. If you think winter here is gorgeous, come back and see the bright green of the summer ski slopes, or the flames of autumn painted over the treeline.

There are several ways to reach Woodstock; the road from the Mt. Ascutney area is especially scenic, as Route 106 rises and falls with the landscape. Or, from Interstate 91, turn north onto Interstate 89 and then immediately exit onto Route 4. The two routes meet at Woodstock’s oval green, a genteel, tree-shaded island where strolling townspeople and visitors alike pause to say hello or sit on a bench and savor the peace in the midst of the busy town. The luxurious and elegant 146-room Woodstock Inn (see page 151) faces one long side of the green and adds its abundant flower gardens to the ambiance.

This is a town where beauty is relished. Even the foods are extra appetizing in the delicatessens, bakeries, and cafés. There are galleries, bookshops and charming boutiques. Well-preserved historic buildings house sophisticated shops, and The New York Times is as readily available as the local paper.

During the summer and fall the Chamber of Commerce maintains a kiosk on the green; its winter and spring address is 18 Central Street ( 457-3555). Do stop and collect some of the information, especially the numbered map of historic houses. A ramble along Elm Street and Central Street will include many of these sites, as well as a handful of galleries and shops. About a block up Elm Street at number 26 is the Dana House Museum ( 457-1822), home of the local historical society. Behind its starched white front are collections of decorative arts, toys, costumes, paintings, and a taste of the prosperous life in the 1800s.

Credit for the preservation of the town in such elegant state goes to two men who devoted their attention and some of their personal fortunes to the area. The first was a lawyer and railroad magnate, Frederick Billings. He bought and preserved land, and encouraged the reforesting of the hill called Mount Tom, which had suffered from logging and fires over the years. When his granddaughter, Mary French, married another philanthropist, Laurance S. Rockefeller, the new family member continued to shoulder the task of caring for the town and surroundings, as well as for the Woodstock Inn.

Frederick Billings was also an agricultural experimenter, importing cattle from the Isle of Jersey and keeping scrupulous records of milk production and breeding to improve his herd. His ideas of ecology and reforestation are said to date from those of conservationist George Perkins Marsh, an earlier resident of the farm. The dairy is still operating, reached by heading north from town on Route 12, and is open to the public from May through October. The Billings Farm & Museum ( 457-2355, e-mail billings.farm@valley.net) includes a museum and shop, dairy bar, and picnic area. In May it features a plowing competition, and in summer the vegetables and herbs of the heirloom garden are a treat to see and smell. During weekends in December, and daily between Christmas and New Year’s, the farm opens again to feature a decorated farmhouse and sleigh rides.

Vermont’s first national park surrounds the Billings Farm. Newly opened in 1999, despite many aspects still under construction, the Marsh-Billings National Historic Park focuses on conservation history and American care for the land. The new park is actually a gift to Americans from Laurance S. and Mary F. Rockefeller and features the couple’s mansion and surrounding buildings, with an impressive art collection, as well as landscaped grounds, plus 550 acres of forest on the slopes of Mount Tom. Even here the touch of Billings shows, since in the 1870s he began to preserve the forest, with its tree plantations and networks of trails and carriage roads. Eleven of the original Billings tree plantations still survive. Marsh, Billings, Rockefeller... the line of thoughtful conservationists stretches over two centuries now. A Conservation Study Institute will join the National Park Service in studying this history and advancing conservation in the future. Expect to pay about $7 for adult admission to the park, which is open the same hours as the Billings Farm, May 1 to October 31, 10 to 5 daily ( 457-3368). It is less than a mile from downtown Woodstock, on Route 12, and is well marked on the right side of the road. To access the walking trails directly, continue north on Route 12 for another 2.7 miles and turn left onto Prosper Road, at the sign for West Woodstock. When you’ve gone 0.7 mile you should see a red barn on the right, and a parking lot on the left just after it, where the trails begin.

For such a busy town, it is surprising how quickly Woodstock turns into countryside. If you drive around the green to the southwestern end, where St. James Episcopal Church stands in its fieldstone sturdiness, the farther road is Church Hill Road. Go 1_ miles along Church Hill Road to the Vermont Raptor Center (see page 145) to see what wild really means. Here in outdoor flight habitats are 24 species of unreleasable birds of prey, sheltered by the Vermont Institute of Natural Science. "Unreleasable" means the birds would not survive in the wild – many were rescued from accidents.

Woodstock’s serene location is part of the shelter of the Ottauquechee River Valley. The spectacular gorge farther down the river is part of the allure of the next town over, Quechee.

If you travel alongside the Ottauquechee River for the four miles from Woodstock to Quechee, you probably won’t expect what the river does next. Just at the western edge of the town of Quechee, it turns abruptly from its eastward flow and shoots southward, plunging into a narrow rocky cleft called Quechee Gorge, 165 feet deep and over a mile in length. The gorge is part of a state recreation area, with a campground and picnic area as well as a steep rocky trail into the gorge. Rock climbers will be disappointed to know that climbing here isn’t allowed – there have been too many costly and dangerous rescues already. But the gorge trail is interesting, especially on a day when there aren’t too many tourists to clutter the view. There are other trails here too, leading to the mill pond where the waterfall flows harmlessly.

The impressive cut of the Quechee Gorge is the result of a geological story dating back 100,000 years, to the ice sheet that overrode and froze New England, and then to 13,000 years ago when the river began to flow again into a huge glacial lake. When the gravel dam of Glacial Lake Hitchcock collapsed, the lake drained rapidly into the sea, and the Ottauquechee collided with the path of a migrating waterfall. The river gnawed relentlessly at the hard rock underneath until Vermont’s most spectacular river gorge had formed.

After passing the gorge, watch for the left turn off Route 4 into Quechee Village, where the highlight is the mill complex restored and occupied by Simon Pearce ( 295-2711). It has glassblowing and pottery workshops and an elegant award-winning restaurant serving lunch and dinner (reservations advised;  295-1470). Be sure to climb down the steps behind the glassworks and see the whirlpool at the base of the falls; some of the hydropower is now harnessed for the glassworks. Inside the workshop there’s a catwalk around the glassblowing area, enabling visitors to stand close enough to the furnaces to feel and see the fierce flames as the molten glass is collected and worked. Teams of artisans, many of them with the European background that Irishman Simon Pearce himself brought to the area, share the handcrafting tasks to produce clear glass pitchers, mugs, cake plates, and more. There is also a pottery on the premises, where you can see impressively large pieces hand thrown on the wheel.

Summer entertainment in Quechee includes Saturday polo matches on a field near the center of the village and a balloon festival for three days in mid-June; for dates call the Chamber of Commerce ( 295-7900).

Welcome to River City, a railroad town that had its true birth on June 26, 1848, when the rails reached town to connect it with Bethel and the rest of the Central Vermont Railway. When the tracks made their critical connection with Burlington and Windsor, White River Junction become the most important railroad town in New England.

When that happened, in 1849, retired riverboat captain Colonel Samuel Nutt decided the town should have first-class hotel accommodations, and he moved the Grafton House from New Hampshire to White River Junction. The hostelry soon changed hands, went through consolidation and then a fire, was rebuilt in 1879, and by the turn of the century housed guests brought by five railways with 50 daily passenger trains. Heroes’ welcomes, fairs, and performers from the Gates Opera House next door all frequented the hotel, by then called the Junction House. Records show the hotel hosted more than 38,000 guests per year. In 1920, the guests included silent movie star Lillian Gish and the famous director D. W. Griffith, filming ice scenes for Way Down East. In 1924, the hotel was renamed the Hotel Coolidge in honor of the owner’s friend, Colonel John Calvin Coolidge, father of President Calvin Coolidge and frequent guest as the hotel.

The Hotel Coolidge still stands in White River Junction, and the Briggs Opera house is in the same block. Restaurants ranging from elegant to country classic are nearby, and the railroad station is still at the heart of the town, although the trains are now laden with skiers and bicyclists, as well as business travelers.

On South Main Street is the town’s newest attraction, Catamount Brewing Company. This small local brewery specializes in freshness in order to provide unpasteurized brews. Ales, porter, and seasonal and specialty beers like an Octoberfest Vienna-style lager draw more tasters. Brewery tours are daily from July through October, but on Saturday only from November through June. Call ahead to check tour schedules, especially for large groups ( 296-2248).

The town twists around the Connecticut River and almost separates in two; the southern section of it includes the bus depot and several more modern hotels and eateries, but lacks the railroad town character.

From White River Junction the most interesting road up into the heart of the state is Route 14, which winds along the White River, a fine trout stream in its own right (although the headwater branches, still ahead, are better). Thirteen miles of relaxed driving brings you to Sharon, and then it’s another five miles to the right turn for the Joseph Smith Memorial. Joseph Smith was the founder and first prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; this wooded site has a historical exhibit about his life and the church, as well as a 38-foot commemorative granite obelisk. Paintings, sculpture, and films enliven the exhibit. There is also a picnic area with a fine view of the mountains.

South Royalton’s other claim to fame is Vermont Law School, established here in 1972 and now known for its status in the specialized field of environmental law. Vermont has its own environmental law court to administer some of the thorny problems of balancing development with the landscape’s beauty and history. There’s a cluster of village shops, and a nice green with gazebo for an afternoon picnic.

From South Royalton, another mile north on Route 14 leads to the left turn onto Route 107 to Bethel, a classic mill town nestled between the river and the mountains. There is good fly-fishing in this area. Also, the Bethel National Fish Hatchery (on Route 12 about two miles south of town) raises more than a million salmon smolts per year, which go toward restocking the Connecticut River with this sturdy game fish. Bethel is also the gateway to the Randolph area; head north on Route 12.

Here’s a former railroad town rediscovering itself as a friendly village for browsers and nibblers. If you enter town from Route 12, you’ll want to go all the way down Main Street and bear right onto Central to find the Chamber of Commerce; if it’s closed, keep going up the hill (also called Route 66) to the top of the long rise, where there’s an information kiosk on the left in the gas station parking lot. Randolph has put a lot of energy into making good information available for cyclists and skiers, as well as those looking for a good place to dine or lodge.

The center of town is compact and easily walked. Park near the railroad and wander along the trackside, where there is a café and pleasant shops. The police department building houses the Historical Society Museum, open Sundays in summer and fall and by appointment ( 728-5398). On the south side of the tracks is the Playhouse Movie Theatre, the oldest operating one in Vermont (dates to 1919, with a curved cinema interior). When you walk the other direction down Main Street away from the railroad, you’ll probably be lured by the smell of fresh breads in the entryway at Lupines Restaurant and Bread Market. Cover to Cover Books offers new and used plus good regional information, especially guides to hiking, fishing, and boating. Another two blocks takes you to the Chandler Music Hall and Gallery ( 728-9878), an acoustically outstanding little music hall with a steady run of theatrical performances and music and opera festivals, and a weekend gallery of photography and arts.

Drive up Main Street and take the right turn onto busy Central Street. As the road starts uphill, look for the Porter Music Box Company ( 635-1938) on the right, where large disc-style music boxes are made. There’s a museum open to the public, and a video and tour of the workshop. This little company sells to connoisseurs in Japan and Europe as well as nationally, and the museum collection of classic and antique music boxes includes pieces from the collections of Louis Hoone and Ruth Bornand.

It’s worth driving the rest of the way up Sunset Hill (this steep rise of Route 66) to take a look at the whale sculpture in the little "peace park" on the right. Then drive across Interstate 89 to the very top of the ridge, where Vermont Technical College includes an ultra-modern dairy farm (no formal tours, but explore on your own and, between 3 and 4 p.m., visit the automated milking parlor;  728-1000). There are seasonal farm activities too, like apple picking and maple sugaring. The road that runs north and south in front of the college is Ridge Road; turning northward on it leads you to Brookfield.

The nicest way to arrive in Brookfield is from Randolph on the Ridge Road, with its stunning views of mountain ridges to the west. You can also get there from Interstate 89, though, by taking the Northfield exit, Exit 5, and going south on Stone Road, which parallels the Interstate to its east.

Either way, Brookfield is worth the visit; it’s a village of unpaved rural roads, white-painted homes with green shutters, and an amazing floating bridge over Sunset Lake. Strolling around the village is pleasant. Bicycling and cross-country skiing are encouraged by the local inns. The lovely Green Trails Inn ( 276-3412) has an unusual collection of antique clocks.

Take courage and drive across the floating bridge to reach Allis State Park, where there is camping as well as picnicking, and a hiking trail with exceptional views and plenty of birdlife.

From the center of Brookfield, Route 65 leads east along the Sunset Brook to reach East Brookfield; turn right on Route 14 and then immediately left to pick up the Chelsea Road, a hill-climbing woodsy cut that takes nine miles to reach Route 110. Take a left (north) on Route 110 to find, in another mile, the "shire town" of Chelsea.

Although it is a "shire town," or county seat, Chelsea has escaped many of the changes of the 20th century. The village has not one but two greens, or commons, the south one with the school and courthouse and the north one with the church; there are some Federal-era homes and a turreted town hall. Two brick general stores anchor the center of town. Try the homemade ice cream at Will’s Store, still owned by Will Gilman after 14 years. Stroll past the southern common to look at the brick Shire Inn, which has a granite post fence and fanlight doorway; this home was lived in by five generations of the local Davis family. There is good fishing in the river beyond, which is the "First Branch" of the White River headwaters.

Between Chelsea and Tunbridge there are three covered bridges, all off to the east side of Route 110, crossing the First Branch of the White River. Horse lovers take trail rides through the bridges, and farmers still pull wagons of hay through them. These are good places to sit and ponder, take life slowly, reflect on the ways of life that once called for the wooden bridges with their peaked protective roofs.

Tunbridge is famous for its "World’s Fair," held for four days each September. The fair may indeed date back to 1761, when the town’s charter was granted and included the right to hold two fairs each year. The Union Agricultural Society first started sponsoring it in 1867, and it is a true agricultural fair, with livestock displays, fiddle contest, midway, horse pulls, and dancing. Check with the Town Clerk ( 889-5521) for each year’s dates. If you’re in the village when it’s not fair time, there’s still a nice old store to visit, and you can ramble through the fairgrounds and the town’s Mill Street covered bridge. If you want a driving adventure, head through the Mill Street bridge and bear left on the unpaved road, passing a cemetery, horses, and an octagonal house. After some rolling hills, the road begins to climb steeply; when you reach a "T," turn left and take the long winding descent to East Randolph, staying with the main road each time there’s a split. When you reach the paved road in East Randolph, turn right and find Vermont Technical College and the turn for Interstate 89.

Three miles north of White River Junction is Norwich, a gracious old college town whose college has moved on but whose noted inn, bookshops, and restaurants promise a delightful visit. There’s a maple-lined green and a good bakery. The Norwich Inn (see page 153) dates back to 1797, when Colonel Jasper Murdock finished building his elegant mansion and allowed stagecoach travelers to stop by. Although fire destroyed the original building, a Victorian "grand hotel" replaced it, and the present innkeeper, Sally Wilson, has lovingly restored the Victorian features. "America’s smallest brewery," Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse, was added to the inn in 1993.

South of the village are two unusual places to visit: a science museum and a bakers’ supply shop. The Montshire Science Museum ( 649-2200) is quite near Interstate 91, but set back into a riverside world of a hundred acres of woodlands, wetlands, and wildlife. Walking trails explore the natural features. Inside the turreted museum building are dinosaur displays, aquaria full of fish and walking wildlife, and exhibits that show the wonders of space, nature, and technology, many of them hands-on and geared for both children and curious adults.

The King Arthur Flour Company ( 649-3361) has its mill on Route 5, half a mile south of Exit 13 from Interstate 91. Although there are no tours of the mill, a large and delightful shop of flours, baking pans, specialty foods and, of course, cookbooks, is open year-round. There is an especially fine supply of chocolate!

From Norwich, several back roads lead up into the hills. The villages of Strafford and Post Mills each offer a different sort of life, especially nice to visit in the summer and fall.

Strafford is a horse town and a bicyclist’s heaven. The green fields and white fences of Huntington Farms provide the perfect background for elegant thoroughbred horseflesh, and the graceful animals are often trained in equitation and jumping exercises in the paddocks near the road. Also in Strafford is the Justin Morrill Homestead, a National Historic Landmark open in summer and fall. This 1853 17-room Gothic Revival mansion is filled with period furnishings, with hand-painted scenes on the windows. Morrill was a congressman and US senator for 44 years, and left an immense legacy in the form of the land-grant system of colleges, which opened higher learning to the public. His village is still well preserved, including his father’s stone blacksmith shop behind the tall 1799 Town House. The red brick building on the green, where Morrill had his first job, is now a bicycling shop offering good advice for touring.

Post Mills is part of the established summer resort community around Lake Fairlee, where second homes and summer camps line the shore interspersed with gentle woods and wetlands and a state-maintained boating access. Post Mills itself is best known for its tiny airport. Small planes and balloons use the airport year-round, and a row of tiny cabins houses overnight air travelers in simple shelter.

Thetford, Fairlee, Bradford, Newbury, and Wells River are the towns that rest peacefully in the flat bottom land along the Connecticut River. You can take Route 5 through them all, or visit from the exits of Interstate 91, which neglect only Newbury (possibly the loveliest village of them all).

Each village has its own downtown, with small shops and galleries. There are family-run restaurants and hiking trails and places to buy barn boots. Thetford is a collection of five villages and has nice back roads for biking, as well as a scenic picnic area at the Union Village Dam. A good way to start a dull day is with breakfast at the Fairlee Diner, (see Where To Eat, page 160) followed by a long browse through the used books (creatively catalogued) at Chapman’s Store ( 333-9709), once an old-time pharmacy and now a general store with quirky, interesting twists. Outside Fairlee are the Hulburt Outdoor Center and Coyote Hill Mountain Bike Camp.

Between Fairlee and Wells River is the village of Newbury, where a fiddlers’ contest on the green on the last July weekend is the summer highlight (confirm the date with the Town Clerk,  866-5521). It’s nice to stroll around the green and appreciate the stately village homes; the general store is friendly and well stocked.

The southern part of Bradford village is a collection of gas stations, casual eateries, and a plant nursery, but do slip down to the river crossing and visit the Farm-Way store, where rugged jeans, jackets, and boots jostle for space. The main village is the northern part, featuring some great restaurants and a good crafts shop. Bradford is also known for its wild game supper, held in November and featuring unusual fare like moose and pheasant. Reservations are accepted only after the middle of October; write to Game Supper Committee, Bradford, VT 05033.

Wells River is the businesslike northernmost of this collection of river valley towns; its claim to fame is three good local restaurants, described on page 160, including the 24-hour P&H Truck Stop by Exit 17 of Interstate 91. It is also the gateway into the old granite-cutting towns in the center of the state.

About five miles out of Springfield on Route 106, the highway turns abruptly north and you make the right turn with it. Almost immediately you’ll see Reservoir Road on the right, which leads into the 70-acre Springweather Nature Area overlooking North Springfield Lake. This is a nice relaxed walking place, available for environmental learning in cooperation with the local Audubon group. There are fields, shallow lakes, forests, brooks, and flood plains; bring your wildflower identification book and listen for bird calls.

For a short but interesting bog exploration, try the North Springfield Bog (10,000 years old), reached from the center of Springfield by taking Route 11 north. Stay with Route 11 to the left as it splits away from Route 106; cross the Black River and take the next right onto Fairground Road. When you see Riverside Middle School, start measuring 2_ miles; you want the left turn at the southern end of the gravel pit. The area is open for nature study.

In Ludlow, Okemo Mountain offers hiking possibilities for summer trail walking, right along the ski corridors. For a more challenging hike, drive on Route 103 around the mountain to the village of Healdville, taking the first road into town. Just before the village center, on the left, is a recreation trail that heads up Okemo Mountain’s undeveloped west side. All mountain trails meet near the summit in a loop that wraps a mile of views into one comprehensive packet. Guided hikes are available from Northern Excursions in Ludlow, with reservations ( 228-4957).

Plymouth offers a wide range of hiking options, from the loop around Echo Lake at Camp Plymouth State Park, to a five-mile trail to Reading Pond through the Calvin Coolidge State Forest ( 672-3612). The Green Mountain Club Day Hiker’s Guide to Vermont lists a 6.4-mile hike passing near the summit of Slack Hill. The forest manager’s station at the entrance of the forest, on Route 100A, supplies trail maps.

Part of the preservation efforts in Woodstock led to lovely walking trails, European-style with benches, on Mount Tom and Mount Peg, which are really just nice hills promoted in stature (Mount Tom is 1,250 feet at the summit and 1,357 at North Peak; Mount Peg is 1,060 feet). The vistas are pleasant, and you’ll relax and have enough breath to keep a good conversation going. Pick up your map at the Woodstock Inn ( 457-1100).

Hiking near Windsor means Mt. Ascutney. One hike is actually in the town of Ascutney, south of Windsor on Route 5, at Wilgus State Park. It’s called the Pinnacle Trail and begins on Route 5 across the road from the park entrance. (Arrange to leave your car at the park; see the manager.) The blue-blazed trail follows an old woods road for easy grades to start with, then gets steeper so that at the half-mile point you have a lookout just below the wooded summit. The trail then rises over the crest and loops back down to the highway, a quarter-mile north of where you parked.

A second Ascutney choice is to head for Ascutney State Park, on Route 44A. There are four trails, all meeting near the summit. Check the Day Hiker’s Guide for each of the trailheads, or ask the park manager. Points of interest include a former granite quarry, two springs, and the Cascade Falls on the Weathersfield Trail, where the Ascutney Brook shoots 84 feet down a sheer cliff. These are all good climbs, with plenty of vistas to reward the effort.

Although the trail at Quechee Gorge isn’t long enough to make you tired, it does call for agile and careful footwork as it descends into the 165-foot rock cleft on sometimes slippery steep stone paths. Find the recreation area, about halfway between Woodstock and White River Junction, and pay the small day fee; then start the blue-blazed trail from the central clearing of the camping area. It’s a little more than a half-mile down to the river bank; then the trail works its way back upstream to show the increasingly high walls of the gorge. There’s a junction where the blazed trail heads back to the camping area, for a total of 1.1 miles; or take the road that lies straight ahead at the junction, and see the old railroad bridge and another view of the gorge before going back.

A section of the Appalachian Trail runs through Bridgewater and Pomfret, just north of Woodstock. Route 12 leads north from Woodstock to the trail, just over five miles from the center of town and immediately after passing through the hamlet of Prosper. If you take the trail west you can climb the Pinnacle, where the summit (not quite reached by the trail) is 2,558 feet; if you go east instead, you’ll find a short steep trail up Dana Hill and then Breakneck Hill, passing the Suicide Six Ski Area along the way.

Also in Pomfret is Amity Pond Waterfowl Area. The hiking trail here is a 2.7-mile loop; combine it with some serious birdwatching, especially in the early morning when waterfowl are feeding. A good map, like the Vermont Road Atlas and Guide, will help you feel more confident about getting to Amity Pond, as it isn’t on the regular state road maps at all; you head out of Woodstock on Route 12 north, take the South Pomfret turn, and in South Pomfret go right to reach Pomfret village, which you pass through in order to reach the hamlet of Hewitts Corners. Stay with the paved road as it swings to the right, then take the first left onto a gravel road; the Amity Pond parking area is another two miles up, at the height of the land. Here you’ll find the trail, which is not hard to follow; for a rundown of landmarks, check the Day Hiker’s Guide.

In the Randolph area, one of the nicest networks of hiking trails is actually part of the Three Stallion Inn (see Where to Stay, page 152) located on the ridge above town just off Route 66. You’ll need to check in as a guest if you want to take advantage of the 20 miles of trails on 1,300 acres – but there are so many other pluses to the inn’s Sports Center that you might well want to do this anyway! Of course, the back roads around Randolph are great to ramble, especially if you start from Randolph Center and head toward Brookfield; some of these are detailed in the On Wheels section on page 136.

A perfect short hike, ideal for a day when you have other things to do or to give young children a chance to enjoy a mountaintop, is the Tower Trail up Gile Mountain in Norwich. The center of Norwich is just half a mile from Interstate 91 (Exit 13). Go right through town, passing Dan & Whit’s General Store and measuring another half-mile past the store to Turnpike Road on the left. Take Turnpike Road for 5.3 miles (it turns to gravel after 1.8 miles), and watch for the small Gile Mountain Trail & Tower Parking sign on the right. The little parking lot is on the left, and the trail is well marked. It’s just about a mile long, and there are chipmunk burrows to notice, red squirrels endlessly chattering, warblers in the trees, and rocks and logs to walk along. If you’re bringing the kids, point out the water bars – logs or rocks set into the earth across the trail, to direct water off the path and prevent erosion. This trail is maintained by an ardent group of town volunteers. At the top of the small mountain is a 75-foot-tall fire tower, still in good shape. Climb its seven flights of wooden stairs and rise above the bugs, the trees, and finally the surrounding hills, to get a 360° view of the foothills of both the Green and White Mountains.

If you’re ready for back-road walking with an itinerary in hand, a van to take you to the trailhead, and gourmet meals at the end of each day’s rambling, consider Walking Inn Vermont, a special inn-to-inn program that does all the hard work for you, leaving you free to savor the countryside. There’s even luggage transport from inn to inn, and tips on where to look for, say, antiques and swimming holes. Walking Inn Vermont is coupled with Cycle Inn Vermont; the address is PO Box 243, Ludlow, VT 05149-0243,  228-8799.

Hiking Holidays ( 800-537-3850) also has a tour that includes the Calvin Coolidge National Historic Site and the villages if Weston and Woodstock, plus vistas from Mt. Ascutney and evenings in gracious inns; this experienced vacation leader is based in Bristol and is willing to develop custom and private holidays too.

Ever dreamed of a horseback riding vacation Say, traveling from inn to inn on back roads and through woods with a local guide who knows the turns and the sweet streams for cool refreshment for you and your mount Kedron Valley Stables in South Woodstock knows that dream and makes it come true. Paul and Barbara Kendall have put together weekend inn-to-inn riding tours, as well as six-day ones, for strong intermediate and advanced riders. Woodside trails, stone walls, and pre-colonial ruins add to the flavor of the trip. Trail rides by the hour are also available, and they also offer lessons, horse schooling, and boarding. There are horse-drawn rides in a surrey, carriage, wagon, and sleigh. Head south from Woodstock on Route 106 for five miles, and the stables will be on the right. The Kendalls also offer a homestead for rent by the week, weekend, or month. Contact them at PO Box 368, South Woodstock, VT 05071;  457-2734. Riding packages are available from May to November.

Between Springfield and Ludlow is the small town of Proctorsville. From Route 103, turn onto Route 131 east and take the second left onto 20 Mile Stream Road, heading out another 4_ miles to find Cavendish Trail Horse Rides ( 226-7821), which offers guided rides on scenic trails (Western saddles). It’s best to call ahead and reserve , but walk-ins are also welcome.

If you’re riding in the area, it’s worth knowing about The Tiniest Shop in Chester, a harness and saddlery repair shop that’s actually closer to Chester Depot, on Route 103. Look for the gingerbread man at the top of the hill, just south of the railroad station. The shop is open Friday-Sunday (9-5) in winter, and in spring, summer, and fall Wednesday through Friday (9-5).

In Plymouth, Hawk Inn and Mountain Resort (Route 100,  672-3811) offers hourly guided scenic trail rides for all abilities.

Road biking in the valley towns won’t bore you a bit: the landscape is rolling, not flat, and side trips explore bridges and waterfalls. But for mountain biking, you’ll probably want to follow one of the northwest routes to higher ground before you start pedaling.

Ride the train to Vermont with your bicycle and wheel it out onto the platform, ready to pedal into any of the railroad towns that line the Connecticut River. Windsor is a good place to get off; from the railroad station turn right onto Main Street (Route 5) and follow it through the village and north past Simon Pearce Glass Company. Half a mile past the Interstate 91 interchange, take the right turn for a quick side trip to the Martins Mill covered bridge. When you get back to Route 5, another half-mile north brings you to Route 12, where you turn left for the 1_-mile trip to Hartland Four Corners. Watch for the post office, and turn left again onto Brownsville Road past Skunk Hollow Tavern. Now the roads lose their shoulder, so pedal cautiously. Your next left (less than a mile later) is onto Country Road, which you take for about four miles to the Juniper Hill Road. Left again (you can tell you’ve made a loop, can’t you), and finish the last mile as you arrive back at Route 5. Turn right to get to the station. (An alternative way to use part of this route is to take it north but not turn onto Route 12; just keep going up Route 5 to White River Junction, the next railroad terminus.) If you want to head south by bike, stay with Route 5 to Bellows Falls, where there are actually two trains to board: the regular Vermonter, or the Green Mountain Flyer Scenic Train Ride.

Interested in a longer, more challenging bicycle tour There’s a two-day, 74-mile version in John Freidin’s 25 Bicycle Tours in Vermont that starts in Plymouth at Calvin Coolidge State Park and loops through Woodstock, Barnard, Bethel, Stockbridge, and Sherburne. Freidin also offers a more relaxed 25-mile tour of Woodstock and Quechee and the surrounding farms.

Local cycle repair services include the Cyclery Plus ( 457-3377) in West Woodstock and Woodstock Sports ( 457-1568) on Central Street in Woodstock.

The Quechee Inn ( 295-7620) has a wilderness trails program that includes mountain bike rentals and touring, but also couples the sport with canoeing – you can rent one or the other or both! The inn provides 21-speed bikes in children’s and adult sizes. They have maps and self-guided tours ready. The Quechee Inn is a mile from the Gorge, down Clubhouse Road.

When you get to White River Junction, skip over the urge to mountain bike on the Appalachian Trail – there are too many hikers, some handicapped, and the bikes aren’t welcome. But there are some great road loops here, especially if you head up Route 14 along the banks of the White River through Hartford and West Hartford and on to Sharon (stop at Brooksie’s Diner for a good local meal). Take Route 14 back to West Hartford and cross the river, connecting with the River Road after 1.2 miles; the River Road goes all the way down to a bridge to Hartford, where Route 14 leads you back to White River Junction. There are more bike routes and trails available from the White River Chamber of Commerce (PO Box 697, White River Junction, VT 05001,  295-6200). Morris Brothers Mountain Bikes ( 296-2331) at 20 Bridge Street opposite the Grand Union is your White River Junction support resource.

The "don’t miss this" trip in Randolph is the one that goes to the Brookfield floating bridge and back again. There are several routes to try, but one of the smoothest is to head away from the railroad station on Main Street and make the right turn onto Route 66 (Central Street). After 1.7 miles on Route 66, take a left onto Hebard Hill Road, which is unpaved. In 2.8 miles it meets Howard Road and you swing right for half a mile to the left onto Ridge Road; you’re now on the other side of Interstate 89, running parallel to it. It’s 4.5 miles to Brookfield Village, which is worth a leisurely exploration itself. Return the same way, or else pedal across the floating bridge over Sunset Lake (roll your pants cuffs), which descends nicely over a four-mile stretch to Route 12, which, as you already guessed, leads south back into Randolph.

Cycling around Strafford is for folks who like to feel the burn as they head uphill; there are long stretches of winding back roads, many of them unpaved, and swift ups and downs. Try to include a covered bridge or two on your route, just to savor the Vermont feeling.

From Norwich north through the valley towns, the gently rolling roads along the river make a good ride. Leave time to wander across the grassy strip between the road and river and watch the powerful waterway. This close to Hanover, home of Dartmouth College, you may well see some oarsmen out sculling, their long sweeps taking them upstream nearly as quickly as your wheels would.

The very best mountain biking in this region is around Randolph, where Bicycle Express (6 Park Street,  728-5568) has rentals and tours available, plus trail maps and good conversation of where the best and most challenging routes are. The sports store not only organizes tours (including a great sunset trip), it encourages mountain bike races and supports a local wheel club. The shop switches over to Nordic skis once the snow falls, although they have winter bike clothing on hand. They close during January and February. You can also get the trail maps of the White River Valley Trails Association here, covering dozens of adventures in Orange, Windsor, and Washington counties. After establishing and mapping 242 miles of trails and 15 loops, the association seems to be worn out, and the group said they were folding in autumn of 1999. However, its efforts were tremendous and can be appreciated when you stop at Bicycle Express to do your own route planning over those trails.

Future bike events in the area are likely to continue at Three Stallion Inn ( 728-5575), another good place to contact about seasonal and annual races and biking festivals.

Mountain biking has its own specialized camps at Coyote Hill Farm in Fairlee, where teenagers and almost-teens can pick basic skills or race-oriented techniques. In July the camp has daily rides with repairs, slalom, and bike rodeos, as well as swimming. Adults can catch a touring and technique weekend, or settle in for race training or personal instruction. Send for the summer brochure from Coyote Hill Mountain Bike Camps, PO Box 312, Fairlee, VT 05045 ( 222-5133).

If your concern is just to paddle without a rod in your hands, the White River system offers about a hundred miles of good canoeing. Scan the descriptions in the AMC River Guide first; then either walk the river before putting in, or take your first trip with someone who has just paddled it, as blowdowns and other obstructions happen regularly. There’s no sense in being surprised by a deadly or boat-damaging area without warning.

Other rivers entering the Connecticut along this stretch are the Black, the Ottauquechee, the Ompompanoosuc, the Waits, and the Wells. Skip the Wells for canoeing, and try the Waits instead, especially during high water, for the run from Waits River to Bradford (be sure to take out well before the dam). The Ompompanoosuc is a problem above the Union Village Dam, but then becomes very runnable in all seasons from the dam to the Connecticut. The upper part of the Ottauquechee is a good run during April and May; past Woodstock it gets complicated by rapids, a dam, and Quechee Gorge.

Of the White River branches, the Second Branch is known for its covered bridges and the First Branch for downright pretty scenery and more covered bridges. Watch out especially for snowmobile bridges that may have sagged during the warm seasons.

To run the Black River, you’ll need to find out when releases are scheduled at the dams, especially the North Springfield flood control dam. Look over the River Guide’s cautions carefully before deciding to try this one; it’s a challenge.

Of course the Connecticut River itself is a good place for boats. From East Ryegate (just north of Wells River) to Hanover (across the river from Norwich) the Connecticut is increasingly wider and more picturesque. There’s a chance to see a bald eagle or an osprey, especially in spring and early summer. Near Newbury there are even boat launching ramps and picnic areas. The section after Hanover is controlled by the dam at Wilder, and most of it is high risk, due to water releases and the complications of the dam and portage. Again, once you’ve studied the AMC River Guide, if you’re determined to sample this section, take an experienced buddy the first time and be sure you’ve checked with the Wilder Dam for release timing. An experienced guide to the Connecticut River can be found at Fiddlehead Boatworks in Bradford ( 257-5008), where expeditions and inn-to-inn tours are planned.

Canoeing and kayaking around Ludlow Rentals are available through Northern Excursions ( 228-4957), which will also help work out where to go and how. Shuttles are available in their 14-passenger van from Rob Maccri, who also offers float tubes and other outdoor adventure support.

Flatwater boating is best on Lakes Fairlee and Morey, especially if you’re looking for wind. But keep in mind the small lakes near Plymouth. Lake Rescue, Echo Lake, and Amherst Lake are connected, and Woodward Reservoir isn’t far north. Another sweet spot for canoeing is the Dewey’s Mill Pond in Quechee, where the waterfowl sanctuary is home to great blue herons, kingfishers, and sometimes ospreys.

Welcome to trout fishing on the three branches of the White River. If you’re a fly-fisher, you’re going to get spoiled rotten. These three separate headwater streams are some of the best trout waters around. You don’t have to be an expert to find the good spots, either; start where any other brook or small river enters, and reap the benefits.

The branches of the White River are also exciting trout waters, and Trout on the Fly offers guided fly fishing for anglers eager for rainbow, brown, and brook trout. Fish 14 to 18 inches long are common; some are over 20 inches. This guide service designs customized trips (expect to pay about $200 per day, or $275 for two anglers), and provides all equipment. Contact Brad Yoder and Tamara Hutzler,  763-7576, Web site www.troutonthefly.com). Of course you can angle on your own, and might enjoy starting in Sharon, where the general stores stock extra gear and you can get some ideas for river access. Staying at the Shire Inn in Chelsea (see the Randolph Area in Where To Stay) will also get you started.

The Black River of Central Vermont (there’s another one farther north) flows through Plymouth, Ludlow, and Cavendish. In spring it swells with snowmelt from nearby Okemo Mountain, and is heavily stocked with brook trout and rainbows, as well as Atlantic salmon. The primary fishing area is from Cavendish to Downers, and it’s not unusual to catch rainbows in the 17- to 19-inch class, and brookies well over 20 inches. Nightcrawlers will do, but spinning lures may be more successful.

Start at the junction of Routes 100 and 103 in Ludlow, where the Black River meets the Branch Brook. Head southeast to the junction of Routes 103 and 131 at Proctorsville, and follow Route 131 along the Black River, where there are plenty of spots to park and access the river bank. The river heads east to where Routes 131 and 106 meet in Downers. There’s also good fishing in the next stretch, along Route 106 as far as Perkinsville. Note the two-trout daily limit in the trophy area from the Howard Hill Bridge in Cavendish to the Downers covered bridge on Upper Falls Road.

Aim for the early season, before the heat of the end of June, or else try the waters in September.

The Quechee Inn on Clubhouse Road ( 295-7620, see Where To Stay), an attractive country inn with restaurant, is also Marshland Farm, home of the Vermont Fly Fishing School. Martin Banak has 15 years of experience guiding and instructing, and offers on-stream instruction on casting techniques, equipment use, and basic entomology, with fine quality equipment provided as part of the package. Special interests are the Ottauquechee (in front of the inn) and the White River. There is also outstanding fishing for smallmouth bass on the nearby Connecticut (20-30 bass of about two-plus pounds on each half-day trip, and rainbow trout average 18 inches). One-day courses start in May and run through late October; contact Martin Banak at the Vermont Fly Fishing School at the Marshland Farm, Quechee, VT 05059 ( 295-7620).

If fishing near Springfield interests you, contact Black River Outfitters, where Bill Drude is an experienced angling guide ( 886-2683). In Ludlow, get in touch with fishing guide Kevin Ladden, at 64 Tucker Road ( 228-5195).

Just interested in swimming Windsor’s Mill Pond has a nice swimming beach; so does Silver Lake State Park in Barnard, about eight miles north of Woodstock on Route 12, and Camp Plymouth State Park south of Plymouth. Lake Fairlee has a public beach, and there are swimming holes on the Ompompanoosuc River at both Union Village and Thetford Center. In Ludlow there’s the West Hill Recreation Area, with lifeguard and picnic facilities.

Discover where the locals go for a quiet swim or a little twilight fishing. Take Route 103 out of Ludlow as if you were heading for Rutland – but you’re just going a little way past the junction with Route 100, staying on Route 103. Watch on the right for the turn onto Buttermilk Falls Road (by the VFW building). Take the turn and go to the end of the road, park, and wander down the footpath to the falls.

There’s a ski slope for every taste in this region. Okemo Mountain in Ludlow ( 228-4041; for lodging, 800-78-OKEMO), with its 2,150-foot vertical rise, has 87 trails, 95 snowmaking coverage, and a sophisticated and merry resort atmosphere. Look for snowboarding (park and halfpipe; one of the Masters races was held here recently), ski school, and 13 lifts including two high-speed detachable quads. Child care is available for children ages six weeks and up. Youngsters age four to 12 can get season passes that include instruction and care plus plenty of snowy fun. There are even introductions to skiing for three-year-olds!

Ascutney Mountain Resort (Brownsville, VT 05037,  484-7771; for lodging, 800-243-0011) is a little smaller at first glance, with a vertical drop of 1,530 feet and 31 trails (four lifts), and certainly less surrounded by restaurants – but the complex has put amazing energy and skill into producing a family resort, with 100 slopeside lodging, and programs and packages for all ages and skill levels. The resort is adding a quad chair to the summit and expanded snowmaking coverage to reach 80. The emphasis on family has made Ascutney one of the top US destinations for beginners. There are also special programs like the women’s Wednesday ski series in mid-winter, and ski team race camps.

Woodstock believes that "small is beautiful," and Suicide Six ( 457-1666; for lodging, 800-448-7900) lives up to the name, adding a touch of elegance as well. Although the vertical rise is just 650 feet, there are 22 trails and three lifts, and the slope is just plain fun for visitors to the area, especially those staying at the Woodstock Inn nearby. The longest run is exactly a mile long; snowmaking covers 50 of the acreage.

Nordic skiing thrives in this region, especially around the picturesque country inns that specialize in opening access to the Vermont woods and fields. The Green Trails Inn at Brookfield ( 276-3412 or 800-243-3412), by the famous floating bridge, has 35 km of cross-country trails; the Woodstock Inn ( 457-1100 or 800-448-7900) has 60 km, of which 20 are skating lanes. Three Stallion Inn at Randolph ( 728-5575 or 800-424-5575) offers 50 km with 20 km of skating lanes, plus snowshoeing on 1,300 acres. All of the inns open their Nordic trails to the public, and their resident guests have free use.

In Quechee at the Quechee Inn, the Wilderness Trails Nordic Ski School ( 295-7620) offers 18 km of trails, rents skis or snowshoes, and has even mapped trails into the Quechee State Park from the 24-room inn. There’s also a pond with ice skate rentals available. The Woodstock Ski Touring Center ( 457-2114) is operated by the Woodstock Inn, located where the country club is in summer on Route 106; there are 60 km of trails – 31 km on Mount Peg and 29 km on Mount Tom – and plenty of rentals.

Lake Morey Inn ( 333-4311 or 800-424-1211; Web site www.lakemoreyinn.com) has 12 km of trails and adds the pleasures of snowshoeing and ice fishing. There are also groomed snowmobile trails starting at the inn’s front door; rent one of the inn’s machines or bring your own. Sleigh rides, tobogganing, and snowsledding add to the fun, and children’s activities include all sports plus winter bonfires, a special treat. Ask about their special winter theme weeks and weekends for learning to ski, snowmobiling, and even country dancing.

Okemo Valley Nordic Center at 77 Okemo Ridge Road ( 228-8871, Web site www.okemo.com), at the intersection of Routes 103 and 100, has 20 km, all groomed for skating lanes, plus an après-ski lounge and restaurant.

Of course, there’s plenty of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at the state parks in the region. Calvin Coolidge State Forest and Camp Plymouth State Park in Plymouth are open to winter sports; so are Allis State Park in Brookfield and Ascutney State Park outside Windsor. Around the Amity Pond Waterfowl Area north of Pomfret there’s Nordic skiing on the Sky Line Trail.

Ever had a yen to drive a team of sled dogs This rare opportunity is available through the Shire Inn (in Chelsea,  685-3031), which will call Michelle and Scott Giroux at nearby Beacon Hill Adventures for you and set up lessons, or just a chance for you to ride along. If you’re not staying at the inn (what a shame to miss it, though), you can call Beacon Hill yourself ( 685-4316); dog trips are December through March, depending on snowfall.

SLEIGH RIDES

• Kedron Valley Stables, Paul Kendall, Jr., PO Box 368, South Woodstock, VT 05071;  457-1480. Sleighs hold up to 12 passengers.
• Billings Farm & Museum, David Yeats, PO Box 489, Woodstock, VT 05091;  457-2221. Draft horses pull the 18-passenger bobsleighs through farm fields and along the Ottauquechee River.
• Janice Nadeau, 78 Quechee-Hartland Road, RR1, Box 224, White River Junction, VT 05001;  295-2910. Farm sleigh pulled through woods and fields for up to 14 passengers; wool blankets provided.

SNOWMOBILE TOURS

Thanks to the appeal of the tiny Post Mills Airport, there are some wonderful treats in the air in this region. Brian Boland of Boland Balloon owns the airstrip and buildings, including a set of tiny rustic cabins (no facilities) where he lets fliers camp out overnight. With over 25 years of ballooning experience, he flies seven days a week, weather permitting, and takes on passengers for the 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. departures. Each flight is an hour or more, and he has 50 different baskets to accommodate party sizes up to 12 passengers.

Boland Balloon also offers a school where budding balloonists design, build, and learn to fly their own custom versions. There is no brochure; call and talk with Brian ( 333-9254) to swap details so he can create an approach to your own ride or desire to learn.

The Lake Morey Inn Resort (Fairlee,  333-4311 or 800-423-1211), not far down the road from the Post Mills Airport, also arranges balloon flights for its guests, complete with champagne celebration at landing. Silver Maple Lodge and Cottages (also in Fairlee,  333-4326) has a similar program.

Although Burlington is Vermont’s only major airport, some flights can be found landing at Lebanon, New Hampshire; this shopping city is just across the Connecticut River from White River Junction, so it may be handy for visitors to this part of Vermont.

Naturalists in this region are extra enthusiastic; look how much they have to share! The Springweather Nature Area (take Route 105 north from Springfield to the Reservoir Road) has 70 acres of fields, shallow lakes, forest, brooks, and flood plains around North Springfield Lake. There’s no parking in winter, but the foot trails are open year-round.

At the Woodstock Inn & Resort the guests and public are invited to the Tuesday and Friday morning (9 a.m. at the inn) "walks on the wild side," guided educational climbs through the forests on Mount Tom. Sign up by calling the concierge desk at the Woodstock Inn ( 457-1100, ext. 156).

The Vermont Raptor Center ( 457-2779, open year-round) shelters 24 species of birds of prey – they receive a lot of wounded birds, and only hold onto the unreleasable ones that could no longer survive in the wild. But their fierce gaze is far from settled down, and the museum staff gives "bird on hand" demonstrations that let you get close to the sharp beaks and talons of these flying hunters. Come be glared at by an owl. From the southwest end of the Woodstock green, take the Church Hill Road 1_ miles to the center, turn by the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, which also offers exhibits and bird-on-the-hand demonstrations.

There are also nature trails at the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich (from Interstate 91, take Exit 13, turn east, and immediately turn right onto the Montshire Road;  649-2200), and the museum staff posts notes about changes to look for. The 100-acre wooded site along the Connecticut River is full of bird life and unusual plants. The museum itself is packed with exhibits on space, nature, and technology. The live exhibits are great fun and often touchable, with fish, turtles, and snakes.

Interested in a organized programs for ecology, team challenges, rock climbing, and canoeing The Hulburt Outdoor Center (RR1, Box 91A, Fairlee, VT 05045,  333-3405) encourages individuals "to enrich and change their lives and the communities in which they live, work, and play through experiential programs." This is where you find wilderness first responder and search and rescue training programs, too. There are family ropes days, riverfests, and teen camps. But it is all organized for groups or specific trainings, so do write ahead and look over the brochures; this is not a drop-in center.

When you’ve had enough rugged adventuring and want to nourish another part of your soul, consider the Briggs Opera House in White River Junction ( 295-5432), where music, concerts, and theater are regularly scheduled. The opera house is a gem, and draws good performers.

Another theater treat is the Weston Playhouse (Weston,  824-8167). It hosts mostly summer and fall events, especially Broadway hits and musical revues (there’s a lounge and restaurant). For Christmas the Playhouse has a holiday production, and during ski season in February there are cabaret productions twice a week. This is the oldest professional theater in Vermont, and set in an irresistibly lovely village enriched by country stores plus arts and antiques.

Nourish your creativity with a stay at the Fletcher Farm School for the Arts and Crafts (611 Route 103 South, Ludlow, VT 05149,  228-8770). This well-established school, located just east of the center of Ludlow, offers courses in basketry, decorative arts, early American decoration, fiber arts, quilting, needlework, fine arts, wood carving, stained glass, and more. Classes run from June through August and are small, so you’ll need to preregister; boarding is on campus.

While you’re in the Ludlow area, you can visit Black River Produce ( 800-228-5481), the wholesale purveyor of local fruits and veggies to many a Vermont store. There’s a modest retail outlet now too, on Route 103 in Proctorsville, close to the intersection with Route 131. Open Monday-Saturday, 8:30-6, and Sunday, 10-5, this is a great place to savor the variety of farm harvests available, and an especially good place to do some explaining if your kids think fresh produce comes from a store shelf.

Do you like to dig into the past, literally Check out the talc cliffs off Route 103, south of Proctorsville Gulf in the village of Gassetts, and ask about the nearby area where garnets can be found. Or head for the old gold mine at Camp Plymouth State Park (where you can pan for gold!), the Indian stones in Reading on Route 106, or Comtu Falls in Springfield (Park Street,  885-2779). And north of Springfield on Fairgrounds Road there’s a bog easily 10,000 years old ( 885-2779).

Even if you don’t stay at Hartness House ( 885-2115, $$-$$$) in Springfield, make time for a visit. The 32-acre turn-of-the-century estate is gracious and elegant, and lodging and dining (in the Victorian dining room) are superb. After all, Charles Lindbergh was a guest here; why not you Choose his room to sleep in, or the room of Governor Hartness, the town’s inventor extraordinaire (see page 114), whose telescope and observatory are still at the estate. Nature trails, outdoor pool, and clay tennis courts can be found here as well. Hartness House is near the center of town: from Main Street, take Route 143 to the first left turn, Orchard Street.

For a Springfield bed-and-breakfast home, try the Baker Road Inn (29 Baker Road,  886-2304, $), which has four guest rooms and is ideal for families. Springfield also has a Holiday Inn ( 885-4516 or 800-HOLIDAY, $$) on the Charlestown Road, visible as you exit from Interstate 91.

A pair of comfortable inns can be found five miles north of Springfield on Route 106, in the village of Perkinsville. Gwendolyn’s Bed & Breakfast Inn ( 263-5248, $$) is housed in a Victorian mansion and its five guest rooms have period furnishings. Gourmet breakfast in the grand dining room is elegant. The Inn at Weathersfield ( 263-9217 and 800-477-4828, $$-$$$$) offers guest rooms and suites inspired by the greatest love stories of all time, blending music, poetry, and romance into a very different ambiance.

The Fullerton Inn (previously Inn at Long Last) at the center of Chester has seen many changes, most recently a return to the name it’s been known by twice before at its time-honored location at 40 The Common (Route 103,  875-2444, Web site www.fullertoninn.com; $$$). Jerry and Robin Szawerda, who owned a restaurant in Connecticut before moving to Vermont in 1994, love the 1923 Colonial and maintain its 21 guest rooms and suites full of character, both decorative and literary. Country quilts, lace curtains, and personal touches add to the old-fashioned feeling. Yet the inn’s acclaimed dining room is absolutely up to date in elegance and cuisine, and there’s a bar and lounge with weekend entertainment. Children age 12 and up are welcome. The inn will also connect you with local rentals of canoes and kayaks, give directions to outlet shopping or castle tours and, of course, send you skiing at Okemo, Stratton Mountain Resort, and Bromley, or Nordic skiing at Grafton.

Chester has numerous bed-and-breakfast homes, among them Night with a Native ( 875-2616, $$), where the bedrooms have hand stenciling and lovely antiques; the Greenleaf Inn (on Depot Street,  875-3171, $$), a quiet and romantic guest house with affiliated restaurant on the green; and the Chester House ( 875-2205, Web site www.chesterhouseinn.com, $$-$$$), on the village green. Other choices include the Quail Hollow Inn ( 875-2467, $$), the Stone Hearth Inn ( 875-2525, $$), and the Motel in the Meadow ( 875-2626, $$). Two inns have special themes: the Hugging Bear Inn and Shoppe ( 875-2412 or 800-325-0519, Web site www.huggingbear.com, $$) on Main Street, with its teddies of every size and personality, and the Inn Victoria and Tea Pot Shoppe ( 875-4288 or 800-732-4288, $$-$$$) on the green, offering "indulgent pleasures of a bygone era," such as fireplaces and afternoon tea. For tranquillity that draws as much from the land as from the Early American furnishings, Henry Farm Inn ( 875-2674; $$-$$$) on Green Mountain Turnpike is ideal.

On the road from Chester to Weston you’ll pass through the small village of Andover, where the Inn at High View ( 875-2724, Web site www.innathighview.com, $$-$$$) offers romantic comfort and imaginative cuisine to go with its 72 scenic acres of year-round hiking and Nordic ski trails.

After you browse around the common in Weston, you’ll easily find the Inn At Weston ( 824-5804, $$-$$$), an 1848 country inn with comfortable lodging and fine dining. Other choices are the Darling Family Inn ( 824-3223, $$) and the Wilder Homestead Inn ( 824-8172 or 800-771-8271, Web site www.wilderhomestead.com, $$-$$$). There’s also the Colonial House Inn and Motel ( 824-6286 or 800-639-5033, Web site www.cohoinn.com, $-$$), a casual and relaxed country inn half a mile south of Weston village.

If you’re going to Ludlow and Okemo Mountain from the south or east, you’ll pass through the town of Proctorsville on the way. Here is The Castle ( 226-7222 or 800-697-7222, $$$), a spectacular and lavishly furnished English manor with 10 guest rooms and supreme dining.

If you or someone in your family has special needs, you’ll appreciate the extra miles that the Golden Stage Inn has gone to make you welcome. Not only are all public rooms and one guest room accessible to those with physical challenges, but there is a TTY for the deaf community, and the safety alarms are strobe-lighted for those who can’t hear them. This lovely inn is well worth visiting for all, though, with its antique-filled interior, sun-filled solarium, candlelit dinners, and welcoming parlor. The inn has a connection with writer Cornelia Otis Skinner, and was a safe house for freedom-seeking slaves in the 1800s. Some of the rooms are drenched in history; others are newer and more spacious. It’s a wonderful place to stay in any season, but summer is a special treat with the gardens, orchards, swimming pool, and birds bursting into song. There is also an inn dog and a pair of inn sheep. Innkeepers are Micki Smith and Paul Darnauer. The Golden Stage is in Proctorsville, just outside Ludlow (1 Depot Street, Proctorsville,  226-7744 or 800-253-8226; TTY for the deaf, 226-7136; fax 226-7882, $$$).

Ludlow promises all the lodging options of a classic ski resort town. A good start for selecting lodging is to contact the Okemo Valley Hospitality Association (PO Box 9, VWG, Ludlow, VT 05149,  802-228-8834, Web site: www.vtlodging.com) for listings and package information, or the Okemo Mountain Area Lodging Service ( 800-78-OKEMO), a reservation and lodging referral service that includes condominiums and private homes as well as the usual choices.

Much of Ludlow’s lodging consists of small inns with eight to a dozen rooms, and all are charming. That said, there are two that stand out: the Combes Family Inn (953 E. Lake Rd., Ludlow, VT 05149,  228-8799, Web site www.combesfamilyinn.com, $$-$$$), on a quiet back road with hearty family-style meals, and the Okemo Inn (at the junction of Routes 103 and 100N;  228-8834, $$-$$$), with outdoor pool, sauna, and fireside lounge. Both participate in the Cycle Inn Vermont and Walking Inn Vermont programs (see pages 133 and 135), so book your lodging well ahead of time and consider joining the fun. The Andrie Rose (13 Pleasant St., Ludlow, VT 05149,  228-4846 or 800-223-4846, $$-$$$$) is an elegant small inn nestled at the foot of Okemo Mountain, with new luxury suites that include fireplace and oversized whirlpool tubs. Hikers and cyclists appreciate the American Youth Hostel and group discounts at the Trojan Horse Lodge (44 Andover St., Ludow, VT 05149,  228-5244 or 800-547-7475, $), where the 100-year-old carriage lodge has bunk beds, shared baths, hot showers, and a kitchen.

Plymouth’s contribution to family lodging and activities is the Hawk Inn and Mountain Resort on Route 100, where biking, hiking, horseback riding, swimming, sailing, and fishing are balanced by the relaxation of an indoor spa. Dining is available at the River Tavern next door. Winter activities include skating, Nordic skiing in the nearby state parks, and sleigh rides ( 800-685-HAWK, Web site www.hawkresort.com, $$$-$$$$).

Or try the comfortable and clean Plymouth Towne Inn on Route 100, with its full home-cooked breakfasts, living room with fireplace, and spectacular mountain views ( 672-3059, $$).

Windsor’s Juniper Hill Inn (153 Pembroke Road, Windsor, VT 05089,  674-5273 or 800-359-2541, Web site www.juniperhill.com, $$-$$$$) is a 28-room mansion with warm hospitality, including gathering for meals around the immense dining table that seats 20 (or you can choose to dine alone). If you’re intrigued by mystery and history, explore the Inn at Windsor (10 Main Street,  674-5670 or 800-754-8668, Web site www.bbonline.com, $$-$$$), where the central open courtyard is surrounded by original 18th-century buildings, underground stone chambers, and messages from the past; there are also elegant fireplaced bedrooms and sumptuous breakfasts.

Lodging at Mt. Ascutney is likely to be slopeside and both comfortable and energized at the Ascutney Mountain Resort ( 484-7711 or 800-243-0011, $$$), but if you’re looking for other options consider the Burton Farm Lodge (RFD#1, Box 558, Windsor, VT 05037;  484-3300, $$) three miles north of Brownsville. It’s a lovingly kept bed and breakfast close to biking and hiking as well as the ski slopes. Other bed-and-breakfast homes nearby are the Pond House (PO Box 234, Brownsville, VT 05037,  484-0011, $$) and the Mill Brook (Route 44, PO Box 410, Brownsville, VT 05091-1298,  484-7283, $$).

The luxury of the Woodstock Inn & Resort (The Green, Woodstock, VT 05091-1298,  457-1100 or 800-448-7900, $$$-$$$$) is incomparable. Even afternoon tea is an elegant occasion, and the cuisine is superb. Rooms are simply and attractively furnished, the common rooms have a quiet elegance and air of quality, and the staff provides warm hospitality. Activities at the resort allow you to be energetic in any of the four seasons, then relax in front of the fireplaces or in the indoor pool. The inn’s hospitality dates back to 1793, and the present building to 1969, blending in beautifully with the groomed and preserved town. The inn offers year-round sports facilities, including a health and fitness center, a country club with an 18-hole course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., a ski touring center, and the Suicide Six Ski Area. In addition, the inn has croquet, racquetball, squash, massage room, and business facilities.

Local inns and bed-and-breakfast homes include the 1830 Shire Town Inn ( 457-1830, $$-$$$), the Carriage House of Woodstock B&B ( 457-4322, $$-$$$), the Lincoln Inn at the Covered Bridge ( 457-3312, $$-$$$), and many more. Don’t forget the Kedron Valley Inn in South Woodstock ( 457-1473 or 800-836-1193, Web site www.information.com/vt/kedron, $$-$$$$), where the nearby stables add trail and sleigh rides to your options. The Woodstock Motel ( 457-2500, $$), at the east edge of the village, is a modest alternative.

Quechee is close enough to also be a lodging option for Woodstock visits. Most actively involved in providing mountain biking, fly-fishing, canoeing, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and ice skating for guests is the Quechee Inn ( 295-3133 or 800-235-3133, $$$-$$$$). This 24-room 1793 country inn overlooks the Ottauquechee River and is the home of Martin Banak, director of the Vermont Fly Fishing School. Other choices include the Parker House Inn ( 295-6077, $$$), and Quechee Bed & Breakfast ( 295-1776 or 800-628-8610, $$$). There is a Quality Inn on Route 4 ( 295-7600 or 800-732-4376, $$$).

Don and Shelley Hardner have turned an 1810 Federal home into a lovely bed and breakfast at the center of Quechee, nestled between the community church and the library. It’s called Country Garden B&B, and the gardens are indeed lovely; so is the antique pool. There’s an exercise room, a pool table, a video collection – all you need for rainy-day entertainment. On nice days, golf, tennis, skiing, and a health club are nearby. Expect a full three-course breakfast, as well as afternoon cookies and evening sherry (37 Main Street,  295-3023, Web site www.country-garden-inn.com, $$$).

The best sense of railroad town history can still be found at the Hotel Coolidge (PO Box 515, White River Junction, VT 05001,  295-3118 or 800-622-1124, $$) at the heart of the downtown area. The place isn’t fancy but it’s comfortable, with 96 rooms, and a trace of the grandeur it had when President Coolidge’s father was a regular guest. Don’t miss the Vermont Room Mural, painted by Peter Michael Gish. White River Junction also has a Comfort Inn ( 800-228-5150, $$), Holiday Inn ( 295-3000 or 800-621-7822, $$), and Best Western ( 295-3015 or 800-528-1234, $$) as well as the Coach ’N Four Motel ( 295-2210, $$) and a Super 8 Motel ( 295-7577 or 800-800-8000, $$).

The biggest house in town is the Greenhurst Inn, a Queen Anne Victorian on the National Register of Historic Places. Lyle and Claire Wolf host the inn as a bed-and-breakfast, and offer 13 rooms. Ask Claire if she’ll play the piano for you in the evening. Children and friendly dogs are welcome. This is an ideal spot for river access, as the great trout of the White River are about 200 yards from the front door. It’s on River Street ( 234-9474 or 800-510-2553, Web site www.bbchannel.com/bbc/p202552.asp, $-$$).

Randolph’s most lovely and well-endowed lodging is the Three Stallion Inn (RFD2, Stock Farm Rd., Randolph, VT 05060,  728-5575 or 800-424-5575, $$-$$$), with dining and accommodations in the fine New England innkeeping tradition. Located on 1,300 acres, the inn offers tennis, biking, a fitness center, 20 miles of hiking trails, swimming and fishing (in the Third Branch of the White River), horseback riding, and cross-country skiing (50 km of groomed trails). An 18-hole golf course adjoins the property. A pub and chef-prepared meals add to the comforts.

Other Randolph lodgings include Foggy Bottom Farm B&B, which offers afternoon teas and wildflower walks, and welcomes horses ( 728-9201, $$), and Placidia Farm Bed & Breakfast ( 728-9883, $$). Both these inns have trails for hiking and Nordic skiing. There is also Emerson’s Bed & Breakfast ( 728-4972, $$).

When you reach Randolph’s neighboring town, Brookfield, do visit the Green Trails Inn ( 276-3412 or 800-243-3412, www.quest-net.com/GTI, $$-$$$) by the floating bridge across Sunset Lake. The inn is actually a complex of two historic homes on 17 acres, with 30 km of trails for hiking or Nordic skiing. The inn will arrange ski, snowshoe, and mountain bike rentals for its guests, with advice on route planning, too. They offer a canoe for guests to explore Sunset Lake. Plan on gourmet breakfasts in the cozy common room; there’s a terrific collection of antique clocks to spark your curiosity.

Other Brookfield lodgings include the Brookfield Guest House ( 276-3146, $$) and the Pimlico Pines Studio Cottage with one cottage tucked into the pines ( 276-3513, $-$$).

If you stay at the Shire Inn in Chelsea (Main Street, Chelsea, VT 05038,  685-3031 or 800-441-6908, Web site www.shireinn.com, $$-$$$$) you may never want to go home again. The bedrooms are comfortable and furnished with antiques; five-course dinners are served in a gracious dining room; and you can fish in the First Branch of the White River, relax in an Adirondack chair by the stream, and wander the deer trails among the apple trees and woods. There are books in the parlor and a soul-deep sense of peace and pleasure. Ski cross-country or sled down the slope, or hike into the hills (if you want a challenge, Beacon Hill is close by). Mountain bikes and skis are available at no charge; sleds too.

Retreat into history at the Norwich Inn (225 Main Street, Norwich, VT 05055,  649-1143, $$-$$$$), a lovingly restored Victorian landmark with charming guest rooms and an elegant dining room; in the old feed barn there’s a microbrewery, claimed to be the smallest in the state. Catch up on the story of this traditional hostelry, which was rebuilt in 1889 but dates back in tradition to 1797 as a tavern and rest stop on the coach road from Boston. While you stay, step across the road to the Lilac Hedge Bookshop ( 649-2921) for a wonderful collection of old, rare, unusual, and entertaining books.

When you reach the old-fashioned summer haven of Lake Fairlee and Lake Morey, the Lake Morey Inn Resort (Lake Morey Rd., Fairlee, VT 05045,  333-4311 or 800-423-1211, Web site www.lakemoreyinn. com, $$-$$$) has a wonderful array of summer and winter recreation, ranging from balloon rides to swimming, boating, and fishing, and in snowy weather to the slip and slide of skis, snowshoes, skates, toboggans, and sleighs – plus snowmobile rentals. The inn offers special theme weeks and weekends too, like a getaway for mothers, an Elvis mystery, and a learn-to-ski weekend. A smaller country inn nearby is the Silver Maple Lodge and Cottages ( 333-4326 or 800-666-1946, Web site www.silvermaplelodge.com, $$).

A very spe