What the Press Says

by Marti Mayne, Boston B&B Examiner

Boston skiers are lucky. Within just a few hours, they have many choices for great skiing. Head North into Vermont or New Hampshire, and a wide range of New England's best ski resorts are accessable in under four hours. When I think of Vermont, I conjure up images of farms, fromage, fine mountain views and fabulous inns and B&Bs. While enjoying a recent ski vacation in the Mad River Valley, I was able to visit four lovely inns and B&Bs.  They're an easy one-tank drive from Boston. Simply head north on I-93 to I-89, then connect to Route 2 then Route 100 into Waitsfield, and in three and a half hours or so (depending upon your initial location) you’ll find yourself in Mad River ski country and B&B heaven.

With so many inns and B&Bs in the region, these four were just the tip of the iceberg, or should I say the top of the snowbank. Time only allowed a tour of these four gems, listed here in order of my visits. Ok, I threw in a fifth inn, which I visited in June, 2009 for good measure, just because it's too fabulous to leave out.

Wilder Farm Inn: Decidedly Gen-X in atmosphere, the inn is an eclectic mix of antiques and funky, fun décor. It starts with double parlors, one decidedly Victorian while the other plum-colored and cozy, featuring a large fireplace to warm up beside after skiing. Guest rooms sport vivid color themes ranging from the lime green and black bath to the Heritage Room with a red, white, and blue stars and stripes theme. Fun additions include built-in dressers and a fabulous upholstered bench built into a former closet and decorated with piano pedals. A signature selling point here is the Stay and Clay Weekends. Innkeeper and co-owner Luke Iannuzzi also owns The Naked Potter studio (a name coined for the Raku unglazed or “naked” pottery he created in his studio), located in a distinctive timber-framed barn adjacent to the inn. Luke offers a number of Clay and Stay weekends where guests can try their own hand at the potter’s wheel. All the dishes, pitchers, mugs and vases here are creations of Luke’s, another perk of this inn.