Stowe, Vermont, Family Vacation

If you spend the rest of the year in a big city, a trip to Stowe is especially refreshing. Your kids can stay out past dusk, dessert is a staple in the diet, and fresh air and exercise come with the territory. Between discovering your family's favorite flavors at Ben & Jerry's, exploring the hills of Smugglers Notch, trying out new sports, and making friends with a llama, there's a good chance no one will want to go home. Your four-legged family members can come along for the fun, too: Stowe is incredibly dog-friendly.

Every season holds a reason to visit, but you'll meet your heaviest crowds in the fall when colorful foliage is at its peak. In the summer, great weather makes Stowe a haven for hikers and bikers, and winter brings out ski bunnies in droves. Though rainier in the spring, it's also maple-surgaring season -- a particularly tasty time to be in the town. Holidays are celebrated lavishly with parades and unparalleled decorations. Lean toward your preferred seasonal activities in choosing when to visit and you won't go wrong.

Averages and conditions can vary, but temperatures usually stay around 45 degrees in the spring and fall with 75-degree summers and 20-degree winters. Get more weather info.

Burlington International Airport (BTV) is about a 40-minute drive from Stowe. Trains and bus lines go as far as Waterbury, about 20 minutes away. Rental cars and taxis are readily available in Burlington, Waterbury, and Stowe.

In the summer, staying in the village means you can park your car and take in the area by your preferred mode of transportation (foot? bicycle? canoe?). But if you want to explore further, having a car is a necessity. In the winter, you can park your car and opt for the Stowe Trolley (free!) that makes regular stops along a route that runs from Stowe Village to Stowe Mountain Resort.

• Stowe Winter Carnival (Jan.)
• Fourth of July Celebrations (July)
• Stoweflake Balloon Festival (July)
• Stowe Antique & Classic Car Meet (Aug.)
• Oktoberfest (Oct.)

The official site for tourists is GoStowe.com. Kids can log on to the Kids Zone section of the site, which has fun facts about the area, a game room, and tips from local kids on everything ranging from why it's cool to wear a ski helmet to what is the hottest area souvenir.

Check www.GoStowe.com and the websites of area hotels for packages and specials.

• Stowe has a population of about 4,500 and is located 119 miles northwest of Manchester, N.H., and 168 miles northwest of Boston, Mass.
• Most of the buildings in Stowe Village were constructed between 1810 and 1910.
• Neighboring Smugglers Notch likely got its name from the thriving contraband trade in potash -- a substance made from wood ashes and used in the production of soap and leather -- that was embargoed by the British during the War of 1812.