Stowe, Vermont

Our first New England ski weekend was to the charming village of Stowe, Vermont. 3.5 hours drive from Boston, Stowe is one of the largest ski resorts in the area. We had been warned to lower our expectations as this was our first time skiing outside of Europe, but given the fresh powder, blue skies, over 115 trails and 40 miles of slopes, we were pleasantly surprised to say the least!

Eat / Drink

Lunch on the mountain

The Great Room Grill at Stowe Mountain Inn is a huge upscale cafeteria with a wide array of appetizing choices from chili to made-to-order sandwiches, salads and entrees. Plus live music at lunch-time!

http://www.stowe.com/activities/dining/page1454/

The Octagon

Serving up home-made soups and flatbread paninis, The Octagon is at the top of the Quad lift and perfect for a quick mid-day bite, hot chocolate, and a moment to warm up your fingers and toes.

Dinner after a day on the slopes

Ye Olde England Inne

Owned by a British couple, we were seriously impressed with the authenticity of this pub with tartan carpet, tankards hanging from the ceiling, hundreds of imported beers to sample, and damn good fish n'chips and steak and kidney pie!

http://www.englandinn.com/

Matterhorn

Serving up a disconnected mix of sushi, pizza, wings, and martinis the Matterhorn Bar somehow still manages to get it right for festive apres-ski drinks and good grub.

http://www.matterhornbar.com/

Cactus Cafe

Excellent margaritas, delicious tilapia tacos (might top my all time fav grouper tacos from the Riverwalk Cafe in Naples), and Deano's Jalapenos to snack on before your dinner arrives.

http://www.cactuscafestowe.com/

http://www.deanosjalapenos.com/

Special thanks to Stowe Mountain volunteer ambassador, Bob (in the blue jacket), who skied with us for the day and showed us the best runs around.

Holiday-tion style tip

For those freezing New England ski days Grandoe mittens with hand warmers are an essential investment. (I learned the hard way)

http://grandoe.mwrc.net/en/product.php?product_id=40318

Up next: Equinox Resort & Spa

Cheshire, England

This Christmas, we visited our family in Northern England in the county of Cheshire. Also known as the Peak District for its green rolling hills, we have always loved going "home" to Disley. But this year felt different and slightly more exotic, since instead of catching the 2-hour train from Euston station in London, we traveled all the way from the USA! Bring on the Chistmas pudding and fruitcake!

Visit

Bakewell

A popular Peak District market town filled with boutiques, high end restaurants, and local food shops. It is also home to the well-known Bakewell pudding which is a jammy tart with almond filling. Sounds unusual, tastes delicious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakewell

Lyme Park
Pride and Prejudice (the one with Colin Firth) was filmed in this expansive, green, hilly national park. Great for walks all year round, and sledding in the winter!
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-lymepark

Chatsworth House

A beautiful estate home and equally breath-taking landscape situated on a rolling stream.

http://www.chatsworth.org/

Eat / Drink
Conti's Italian
A staple for many years in my in-laws' village, Conti serves up excellent pizzas, a tasty and tender spare rib appetizer and sweet, creamy tiramisu.
http://cabrelligroup.com/conti.html

The Ram's Head
A cozy, traditional English pub with crackling fires in the winter, a sunny beer garden in the summer, and excellent pub grub (fish & chips, meat and potato pie, sticky toffee pudding). Our favorite spot for a Christmas Eve drink (or two).
http://www.theramsheaddisley.co.uk/

Holiday-tion lit pick

• Like many busy, working women, I have a stack of books on my nightstand I want to read but don't always have the time. This holiday-tion I finally finished The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I also snuck in my favorite British celeb weekly, Look. (www.look.co.uk)

Up next: skiing in Stowe, Vermont