With its mountains and its great skiing and its proximity to big cities, Vermont has always captured people's imaginations as the perfect place to spend a winter vacation. Vacationers continue to head to Vermont during December to capture some of the "White Christmas" magic that can be found in its quaint villages, ski lodges and cities.
Woodstock, Vermont, celebrates Christmas every December with a Wassail Weekend. The downtown decorates its doors to provide the perfect setting for the Christmas parade in which more than 50 riders travel on horseback in costumes from the turn of the century. High-school performers dress up in medieval costumes to entertain at the annual Wassail Feast at the Woodstock Inn and Resort. The Town Hall hosts a nightly Christmas musical. Vacation in Woodstock for this weekend and you can also enjoy Christmas shopping, traveling troupes of carolers and tours of homes decorated for the holiday.
If you're looking for a Christmas vacation filled with outdoor activities, head to Stowe during its annual Festival of Trees and Lights. It's a destination known for its skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding and sleigh rides. Check into the Trapp Family Lodge, the lodge where the von Trapp family of "Sound of Music" fame settled after fleeing Austria and where you will find 17 Christmas trees sparkling inside at Christmastime.
Burlington, Vermont, combines the best of city life and rustic charm. You can go skiing, visit Christmas tree farms or enjoy shopping and night life downtown. There are five major ski resorts within an hour's drive of the city. Other outdoor activities include sleigh rides, ice fishing, snowboarding, snowmobiling and ice skating. Burlington is a college town, but with most of the students home for the holidays, visitors can enjoy a traditional Christmas in an uncrowded atmosphere. Burlington also has an active community of artists, making it an ideal place to find unique gifts for that tough-to-buy-for person on your list.
Make Vermont your launching pad for a visit to the North Pole. The Green Mountain Railroad operates a Santa Train during December. Passengers on the train can enjoy caroling, Christmas treats and Christmas decorations. The train leaves from Bellows Falls, Rutland, Burlington, White River and Lyndonville. It drops visitors off at Santa's Village, where Mrs. Claus and the elves are industriously preparing for Christmas. Santa himself visits with passengers on the train trip home.
