3 price points: Vermont ski weekend

By Clara Bosonetto Maerz

For the AJC

BUDGET

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www.stowe.com Stowe Mountain Resort covers 485 skiable acres with 116 trails.

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www.smuggs.com Smugglers' Notch Resort in Vermont has family-friendly accommodations, and it is about a little over a half hour from Burlington.

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www.EquinoxResort.com The British School of Falconry, at the Equinox Golf Resort and Spa, offers hands-on lessons with trained birds of prey like the Harris hawk.

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Getting there: Burlington is a 40-minute drive from Stowe Mountain Resort. Round-trip rates from $334; no advance purchase required. Valid on most airlines; connecting service only.

Stay: Guests at the sophisticated Green Mountain Inn can choose from bed and breakfast accommodations to luxury rooms, suites, apartments and townhouses. Rates range from $139-$389 to Dec. 21; from $169-$569 during winter (higher on national holidays); www.green
mountaininn.com, 18 Main St., Stowe, 802-253-7301.

Eat: You don’t need to travel far for a fine meal. The upscale Whip Bar & Grill in the Green Mountain Inn is open for lunch ($10-$14) and dinner ($18-$30). Save room for the Maple Crème Brûlée; 802-253-4400.

Experience: Mushing Siberian Huskies love their job of taking guests on fun and educational adventures. Take a turn at driving the dog sled team; $300 for two persons; $150 for additional adult or $100 ages 3-12; www.umiak.com, 849 S. Main St., Stowe, 802-253-2317.

MODERATE

Getting there: Smugglers Village is 30 miles east of Burlington. Round-trip rates from $334; no advance purchase required. Valid on most airlines; connecting service only.

Stay: Family-friendly Smugglers’ Notch Resort (call it Smuggs) packages up “Winter Escape” stays with mountainside condo lodging; daily ski or board tickets for three mountains; use of indoor heated pool and two hot tubs; entry to a massive indoor recreation center; access to two teen centers and daily programs for ages 3-5. Sample rates for a family (two adults; two children ages 3-17) from $1,287 studio to $1,635 two bedrooms; www.smuggs.com; Route 108 S., Smugglers’ Notch, 800-419-4615.

Eat: Just a few miles down scenic Smugglers’ Notch Road stands The Three Mountain Lodge, a romantic rustic log cabin for fireside dining. Dine with a Lite Fare menu ($5-$11) to pastas, fish, ribs or steaks ($17-$28); www.
threemountainlodge.com, 802-644-5736.

Experience: Try the newest snow sport: airboarding. Lie tummy down on an inflated A-shaped sled and carve turns down the mountain. A clinic with instruction, rental and one-hour ride at Smugglers’ Morse Highlands area (2-4 p.m. Monday-Friday) is $25 (minimum age 10; 48 inches tall). Sign up at the Nordic Center; www.smuggs.com.Getting there

SPLURGE

Getting there: Albany, N.Y., is a 70-minute drive to Manchester Village, Vt. Round-trip economy class rates from $425; 21-day advance. Manchester, N.H. is just under a three-hour drive; walk-up Business Class from $596; economy from $375; 21-day advance.

Stay: The quintessential New England resort, the 1,300-acre Equinox Golf Resort and Spa offers a variety of rooms and suites in four historic buildings. Book early for two-night weekend stays with skiing at Stratton Mountain (two lift tickets included) from $259 double, from Nov. 28-Dec. 18; from $369 Dec. 19-March 14; www.equinoxresort.com, 3567 Main St., Manchester Village, 800-362-4747.

Eat: The Chantecleer Restaurant is romantically New England with a touch of European elegance. A stone fireplace and wood beams enhances the dining room of this converted dairy barn. Classic dishes to game to sinful desserts; $28-$45. Open Thanksgiving through March; www.chantecleerrestaurant.com, Route 7A, East Dorset, 802-362-1616.

Experience: Learn to handle a Harris hawk at a hands-on birds of prey school at The Equinox. An introductory lesson (under two hours), including a “hawk walk” along scenic meadow trails is $270 per person (free for one non-participating companion); www.equinoxresort.com, 802-362-4780.