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December 10, 2008 E-MAIL PRINT

Top holiday getaways

by Roger Leo/

Christmas in New England conjures images of colonial-style houses nestled around a snow-covered common, candles in windows, and strings of lights on trees. There are carolers and, if the weather cooperates, large snowflakes gently falling to the ground.

Choose a scene out of a Currier and Ives print or a Robert Frost poem.

The reality is not so very different in many of the region’s villages, which have retained the best traditions and enduring beauty of a world that is slipping away in too many places.

Come find Christmas on the slopes and trails in Jackson, N.H.; Bethel, Maine; Stowe and Woodstock, Vt.; or the Berkshires of Massachusetts.

Bring skis, family, warm clothes, curiosity and appetite for fun and food, and have yourselves a happy holiday season.

JACKSON
New Hampshire

Nestled at the mouth of the Mount Washington Valley, Jackson is one of the prettiest villages in the White Mountains.

Thom Perkins has devoted much of his adult life to the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, an outstanding cross country touring center with a trail network of more than 154 kilometers spanning three river valleys and 60 square miles of mountain terrain.

“The village at Christmastime is really pretty magical,” Perkins said. “The innkeepers and local residents do a nice job of making sure things are pretty. There are lots of parties for people here in Jackson and for people who come and visit. There’s snowshoeing, sleigh rides, ice skating, obviously eating. It depends on the weather, of course, but there are plenty of outdoor activities, and lots of fireplaces going indoors.”

Christmas lights are lovely, tending toward traditional rather than overdone, setting a tone of understated beauty that lends a bright glow to a holiday visit.

GETTING THERE — From Boston and environs, head north on Route 16 from Portsmouth, N.H., all the way to a sign for Jackson Village, about 8 miles north of North Conway.

From Central New England, head north on I-93 through Franconia Notch, go north on Route 3, east on Route 302, and north on Route 16 to a sign for Jackson Village about 2.5 miles from 302.

LODGING — The Jackson area has a great variety of accommodations to choose from, most listed through the Jackson Chamber of Commerce (jacksonnh.com).

Favorites include the luxurious Nestlenook Estate and Resort in Jackson (nestlenookfarm.com); the historic Eagle Mountain House in Jackson (eaglemt.com) and the recently renovated Whitney’s Inn (whitneysinn.com).

SKIING — The Jackson Ski Touring Foundation’s exceptional cross country trails lead through the woods and along sparkling rivers (jacksonxc.org). Downhill skiing and snowboarding are found on the slopes of Black Mountain (blackmt.com) while there are many nearby Mount Washington Valley ski areas. Step up to the serious vertical at Wildcat in Pinkham Notch (skiwildcat.com) or try the two peaks at Attitash (attitash.com) in Bartlett. North Conway’s in-town mountain is Cranmore (cranmore.com) while King Pine (kingpine.com) is further on in East Madison.

DON’T MISS — Sleigh rides and ice skating at the Nestlenook Farm are wonderful experiences near the entrance to the village. Jackson Ski Touring also has snowshoeing. For dining, the Thompson House Eatery (thompsonhouseatery.com) has an eclectic menu while accolades are always coming in for the upscale Inn at Thorn Hill (innatthornhill.com). The Wildcat Tavern (wildcattavern.com) is the spot for live music.

BETHEL
Maine

Bethel captures the heart. Alex Kaufman, for years a fixture at Sunday River, recently took a post as marketing director at Mt. Bachelor in Oregon, but his heart remains tied to Bethel and the annual transformation of the Victorian-era town common into a winter wonderland.

“The entire town gets into the Christmas spirit in early December, when the ski resort kicks off the season with its annual Santa event,” Kaufman said.
Early each December for the past eight years, Sunday River has held a “Santa Sunday” event to raise money for the local Rotary, with proceeds used to buy presents for children. It sets a tone of fun and generosity that permeates the region for the entire holiday period.

“Folks wrap the village in wreaths and put up Christmas lights on all the street lights. It helps to have the village separated from the main road, so that people can be out walking their dogs and hopping the snow banks. There are two big Christmas trees in town and a Christmas scene on the common,” Kaufman said.

GETTING THERE — From the Boston area, take I-95 North to the Maine Turnpike. At Mile 63 take Exit 63 for Gray, Maine. Take Route 26A to Route 26 North, then drive 50 miles to Bethel.

LODGING — Again, lots of choices, but the choicest is probably the very yellow Bethel Inn Resort (bethelinn.comwww.bethelinn.com). Another place in the center of town is the comfortable Victoria Inn (thevictoria-inn.com). Sunday River has lots of condos, a pair of hotels and other options (sundayriver.com). Other options are found at the local chamber of commerce (bethelmaine.com). The chamber site is an excellent resource for all Bethel offers.

SKIING — Sunday River’s eight mountain peaks are stuff of New England legend. Mt. Abram is the often overlooked next door neighbor that’s great fun for families (mtabram.com). There also is a Black Mountain (skiblackmountain.org) in Maine, in Rumford, and it’s still got some cheap lift tickets.

DON’T MISS — There is cross country skiing and snowshoeing at the Sunday River Inn Cross Country Ski Center (sundayriverinn.com) and the Bethel Inn Nordic Ski Center, and sleigh rides run by Deepwood Farm out of the Bethel Inn (deepwoodfarm.com). The Matterhorn Ski Bar (matterhornskibar.com) is a Maine classic not far from Sunday River. In town, the S.S. Milton on Main Street is casual dining with a nice touch while the Sudbury Inn (sudburyinn.com) is always a treat. Suds, located downstairs at the Sudbury Inn, is popular après ski hangout as well.

WOODSTOCK
Vermont

Woodstock, site of the first ski tow in the United States (no longer running), is one of the loveliest small towns in the country, with 18th and 19th century homes clustered around the historic village green. Among the many charms of Christmas in Woodstock is a High Mass at 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve in Our Lady of the Snows (ourladyofthesnows.org). The area is decorated with real trees from the local woods, with 5,000 lights on them. The strolling and shopping along Woodstock’s charming downtown also gets a thumbs up. This town belongs in its entirety on the National Register of Historic Places.

GETTING THERE — From Boston, take I-93 North to I-89 North into Vermont. In Vermont, take Exit 1, go west on Route 4 and travel 10 miles to the center of Woodstock.

From the south, take I-91 North to Exit 9 (Hartland/Windsor) in Vermont. Follow the signs for Woodstock and Route 12 North. Take Route 12 approximately 8 miles until it merges with Route 4 West. Stay on Route 4 West for 3 miles to the center of Woodstock.

LODGING — Woodstock has lots of places to suit every taste and budget. Offerings range from B&Bs, such as the Village Inn of Woodstock (villageinnofwoodstock.com), a Victorian in the center of town, www.woodstockinn.com, to The Pond House (pondhouseinn.com), a 1779 cape on 10 acres in Brownsville, to the luxurious Woodstock Inn and Resort (www.woodstockinn.com).

SKIING — The cross country area of the The Woodstock Inn feature 60 kilometers of well-groomed trails for all levels of ability. The inn also operates the nearby Suicide Six ski area, with its lovely valley views and history. Snowboarders, be sure to look for the Snurfer on the wall. The exclusive Bear Creek Mountain (bearcreekclub.com) in Plymouth is a country club for skiing. Not too far away are the slopes of Okemo (okemo.com) in Ludlow and Killington (killington.com).

DON’T MISS — Sleigh rides at the Billings Farm and Museum (billingsfarm.org) are terrific. Their old-fashioned, horse-drawn sleighs glide across rolling farm fields bounded by the traditional stone walls of New England from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, weather permitting. Snowshoe up Mount Tom, and visit the covered bridge in town. The Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce web site (woodstockvt.com) has a lot of suggestions for exploring the area. The Kedron Valley Inn (kedronvalleyinn.com) is known for its contemporary American fare. The Woodstock Farmers Market is loaded with local produce and a wonder of sandwiches (woodstockfarmersmarket.com). You must explore Gillingham’s General Store (gillinghams.com). The 25th annual Wassail Weekend on Dec. 12-14 is magnificent with its parade of more than 50 horses and riders in 19th century dress down Main Street.

STOWE
Vermont

Stowe claims the title of “Ski Capital of the East,” with good reason. The roots of downhill skiing go deep in this lovely Green Mountain village, and strong ties bind present with past.

The National Ski Patrol traces its beginnings to Mt. Mansfield, and from that volunteer group sprang the core of the famed World War II 10th Mountain Division. The Trapp Family Lodge was the first cross country ski center in North America, founded by the von Trapp family, whose story was made famous in “The Sound of Music.”

The village transforms itself with light and sound each winter.

Stowe Village and the Stowe Mountain Resort work hard to combine the traditions of New England with the most luxurious amenities, embodied by the new development under way at Spruce Peak at Stowe.

GETTING THERE — Stowe is located on Route 100, 10 miles north of Exit 10 off I-89.

LODGING — There are many options, across the range of prices and amenities.

Budget-minded, no-frills hospitality can be found at Mountaineer Inn (stowemountaineerinn.com) on Route 108, between the village and the mountain.

For history as well as comfort, try the Trapp Family Lodge (trappfamily.com).

The Stowe Mountain Lodge (stowemountainlodge.com), at the base of Mt. Mansfield, is at the high end of the lodging spectrum, managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts.

SKIING — Stowe Mountain Resort (stowe.com) — what more need be said?

Of course, down the road we find Mad River Glen (madriverglen.com) and Sugarbush (sugarbush.com). Farther along, we find Bolton Valley (boltonvalley.com) and Smugglers’ Notch (smuggs.com).

DON’T MISS — Cross country skiing and snowshoeing on Stowe’s interconnected trail system (gostowe.com) encompasses 150 kilometers of groomed and 100 kilometers of backcountry trails. Dog sledding is available through Eden Dog Sledding (edendogsledding.com) or Peace Pups (peacepupsdogsledding.com). Ice skating is at several venues around the village. For après, stop into the woodsy Shed for local brews. Norma’s at the Topnotch Spa (topnotchresort.com) is a beautiful open bistro facing the mountain.

THE BERKSHIRES
Massachusetts

The Berkshires (berkshires.com) encompass a region that, taken as a whole, offers marvelous opportunities for a memorable Christmas vacation, from downhill skiing to the arts to rustic cross country trails.

Jiminy Peak (jiminypeak.com) is the big player on the downhill scene, and the full-service resort can serve as home base for a multi-day visit to this mountainous area of Western Massachusetts.

GETTING THERE — Take the MassPike (I-90) West to Exit B-3 (Berkshire Spur section). Go north on Route 22. Go east/north on Route 43 for 4 miles. Turn right onto Brodie Mountain Road and keep an eye out for Jiminy Peak on the right.

LODGING — Lodging options are available at berkshires.com.

SKIING — The Berkshires has a good choice of mountains. They aren’t huge, but there is something for every family member. Charlemont is home to Berkshire East (berkshireeast.com), which started operations nearly 50 years ago as Thunder Mountain. Pittsfield’s Ski Bousquet (bousquets.com) was on the cutting edge of night skiing in the 1930s and has 21 trails. Try the “Twisted” terrain park at Ski Butternut in Great Barrington (skibutternut.com) and the affordable rates at Otis Ridge (otisridge.com). Also, there is Catamount (catamountski.com) on the Massachusetts-New York border.

DON’T MISS — Pay a visit to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (massmoca.org) in North Adams, and the Norman Rockwell Museum (nrm.org) in Stockbridge.

Go cross country skiing or snowshoeing on 25 kilometers of trails at Stump Sprouts in Hawley (stumpsprouts.com), or at Notchview, The Trustees of Reservations property in Windsor (thetrustees.org).

Go shopping at one-of-a-kind stores around the region, or several outlet malls, including Prime Outlets (primeoutlets.com) and The Berkshire Mall in Lanesborough (theberkshiremall.com).