Stowe, Vermont

Skiing and New Year's Eve in Stowe. We stayed in The Green Mountain Inn in the center of the village. Very New Englandy -- and not too many Dean bumper stickers.

Good news: It turns out skiing is like riding a bike. Started on the little bunny slope and found that you can never really forget how to "snowplow". We took a couple trips down progressively more advanced slopes, then headed out to the main mountain at Stowe, Mt. Mansfield.

Never got too adventurous. Even though our preferred "Toll Road / Lullaby Lane" sounds (and is) for beginners, it's length of almost four miles makes up in quantity what it may lack in technique.

Other than that, I'd recommend the "Red Basil", Thai restaurant, the hot chocolate at "The Octagon Web Cafe" at the top of the main lifts,  and the "Sunset Grille", local ski-bum bar where we watched USC rip through Michigan's surprisingly lame offensive line.

Pictures:

It's cold here -