Stowe was one of the first, and one of the classiest, ski resorts in the world when it opened in the 1930s. Its regional dominance has eroded somewhat in the years since -- Killington, Sunday River, and Sugarloaf, among others, have snagged big shares of the New England ski market. But the historic resort still has loads of charm and plenty of excellent runs. It's one of the best places to get the full New England ski experience: a combination of beautiful ski trails and views. This is a tremendous challenge for advanced skiers, with winding, old-style trails -- especially notable are the legendary "Front Four" trails (National, Starr, Lift Line, and Goat), which have humbled more than a handful of folks. The mountain also has four good, long lifts that go all the way from bottom to top -- not the usual patchwork of shorter lifts you find at many other ski areas.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, 6th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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