By Eddie Schmid, Travel Correspondent

Elegant Alpine Lodge Nestled in Thrilling Natural Landscape

Out in the gravelly parking lot, a young couple unloads mountain bikes from the hatchback of their sedan, a swath of trees in every shade of green fanned out before them. Standing sentry a few dozen feet behind them are two more trees—a pair of preserved maples, stripped of bark and leaves, stretching up into the wooden ceiling of the Stowehof Inn & Resort's covered walkway. Transferred from the surrounding Green Mountains and integrated into the structure, the trees create a sense of outside melting into inside, a familiar transition around the inn, where skiers, hikers, and bikers revel in the rolling topography, then quietly retire to the Stowehof's blazing hearths and 46 well-appointed rooms.

Dark woods, a gabled rooftop, and balconies decorated with carvings imbue the Stowehof with the feel of an alpine chalet. In the Classic rooms, wooden furniture and antiques create an aura of elegant rusticity, and wide windows peek out onto the broad slopes of the Green Mountains. In the morning, the resort’s in-house restaurant, Emily's Fine Dining, lays out a hearty breakfast buffet comprised of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and other staples; in late fall, the buffet is truncated to a continental spread of light fare such as pastries, juices, and granola. Come nighttime, the atmosphere at Emily's is congenial but quiet as couples and locals in dressy-casual attire feast on mushroom ravioli in madeira cream sauce and New Zealand racks of lamb with garlic demi-glace.

Sunken fireplaces warm the vast communal living room, where cozy nooks provide peaceful spots for reading a book from the substantial library or settling an inheritance dispute over a board game. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook nearby Mount Mansfield, one of the tallest peaks in Vermont, and, in the foreground, the resort's small pond and outdoor pool.

Stowe, Vermont: Quiet Mountain Community Flush with Outdoor Adventure

Vermont state law bans billboards, ensuring unobstructed views of the maple and pine trees thickly covering the Green Mountains. About a half mile west of the Stowehof, Pinnacle Ski and Sports rents out bikes, mountain boards, and other mobile machines ideal for exploring the Recreation Path, a paved 5.5-mile-long avenue winding past sparkling brooks and through Stowe's charming main commercial strip. Needle, one of Pinnacle's owners, says ski rentals for those heading to nearby Stowe Mountain Resort typically heat up by Thanksgiving and suggests skiers can beat the crowds by hitting the slopes midweek or as close as possible to the mountain's 7:30 a.m. opening time on weekends.

Sinuous Highway 108 connects the Stowehof to Stowe's commercial center populated by independent local shops, charming roadside restaurants, and virtually no chain franchises. Like many businesses in town, Frida’s Taqueria and Grill, a modern Mexican restaurant, resides in a standalone home adorned with touches of Victorian and colonial-style architecture. Inside, burnt-red walls and bright traditional tapestries surround diners chattering casually and sipping house margaritas. Like the sun's light or a toddler's interest in physics, the bustle of downtown evaporates by 10 p.m.

In the town of Waterbury, situated about 20 minutes by car from the Stowehof, an upbeat young tour guide asks the small group assembled before her to raise their hands into the air. The crowd of 20 obliges. "Can you feel it?" she asks. "This air is thick with Ben & Jerry's history." At the headquarters of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, visitors on the factory tour inhale this history-laden oxygen as they watch machinery zip pints from one end of the facility to another. Afterward, guests can sample the flavor of the day and hit the gift shop for souvenirs.