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Top 3 Classic Maine Inns for a Cozy Early-Winter Getaway
This is the time of year when inns shine the most. There’s nothing like ending a cold coastal day by a fireplace with your feet up.
Discover
There’s something about Vermont in late fall that just feels right. The air sharpens, the trees settle into their final muted tones, and the mountains seem to exhale after the last burst of foliage traffic disappears. Before the deep snows of winter roll in, there’s this brief window when the towns are quiet, the scenery is peaceful, and the whole state feels like a deep breath.
In this edition of My New England Traveler, I want to take you into three of my favorite Vermont town - Woodstock, Stowe, and Weston - each beautiful in its own way, each offering its own version of a classic, storybook New England experience. And in this case, two of them tie directly into recent filming I did for New England Traveler, which makes this journey all the more special.
These aren’t big destinations. They’re intimate ones. Slow-down towns. Walk-with-purpose towns. The kind of places where one good afternoon can completely reset your outlook.
Let’s go exploring.
This fall, I traveled to Woodstock to film an upcoming episode of New England Traveler, and it reminded me why this town sits at the very top of nearly every “Most Beautiful Town in America” list. It’s not overhyped. It’s not exaggerated. It’s simply the truth.
Woodstock feels like a place that was designed, not by architects, but by time itself, to represent the best of New England. It’s the kind of town where every corner, every bridge, every side street feels like it belongs on a postcard.
Filming at One of My Favorite New England Brands
One of the highlights of my trip was filming a full segment at Vermont Flannel Company, a brand I’ve loved for years. These folks do flannel right - soft, warm, rugged, and timeless. Spending time in the store with the team while we filmed was special. There’s something about seeing a craft-driven company up close that deepens your appreciation for what they do.
Inside, walls lined with stacks of premium flannels in classic patterns immediately pull you in. You feel the craftsmanship. You feel the authenticity. And you feel the Vermont spirit everywhere, from the way the shirts are made with authentic Portuguese flannel by skilled craftspeople, to the way the staff talks about their work. It’s exactly the kind of business I love highlighting on New England Traveler - local, genuine, and deeply rooted in the place it represents.
Staying at On the River Inn
During production, we stayed at On the River Inn, a property that delivers exactly what its name promises: peace. Right on the banks of the Ottauquechee River, the inn has a farmhouse-meets-boutique feel. Warm fireplaces, cozy rooms, big windows overlooking the water, and a sense that you’re in good hands the moment you walk in. In the morning, fog hangs over the river like something out of a movie. At night, the stillness becomes part of the experience.
It’s the kind of place you choose when you want to slow down, not because you have to, but because you want to.
Exploring Shops, Cafés, and Everyday Small-Town Magic
After filming wrapped, I took time to wander the village. Woodstock has a walkability that’s rare. You can spend hours exploring without ever checking a map.
The local cafés have that perfect Vermont combination of great coffee and warm conversation. Small shops spill over with handmade goods, art, clothing, local food products, and all the charm you expect from this part of the state. You can wander into a general store, an art gallery, and a bakery all within a couple blocks.
The Covered Bridge That Steals the Show
But if there’s one place that captures the soul of Woodstock, it’s the Middle covered bridge right in the heart of town.
Standing there during late fall is like stepping into a living painting. Leaves crunch underfoot. The river glides quietly beneath the wooden beams. People stop to take photos every few minutes. Visitors from across the country, and the world, stand on that bridge and smile the same smile. They’ve discovered something unmistakably New England.
For me, walking that bridge after a full day of filming just made everything click. Woodstock isn’t just beautiful, it’s authentically beautiful. Not staged, not curated. Just real.
It’s the kind of town you leave reluctantly. And the kind you return to gladly.
Where Woodstock is intimate and walkable, Stowe is bold, scenic, and grand. Nestled between mountains and rolling fields, Stowe delivers that classic Vermont postcard look but with a backdrop that feels almost alpine.
In late fall, before the snow machines start humming and the winter crowds arrive, Stowe becomes surprisingly peaceful. The roads are quiet. The village center slows down. And you can actually take the time to savor some of its best features without rushing.
The Iconic Stowe Community Church
You can’t talk about Stowe without mentioning the famous white-steepled church, the image most people picture when they think of Vermont. Sitting against a backdrop of open fields and rising mountains, it’s easily one of the most photographed buildings in the state. And when seen in person, especially under November skies, it lives up to its legend.
Mountain Views That Never Get Old
The drive along Mountain Road up toward Stowe Mountain Resort is worth the trip alone. Even in the off-season, the views are expansive and stunning. You see slopes, trails, and peaks that have defined the region for generations. This time of year, the landscape has a quieter, softer look, like Vermont has settled in for its long winter rest.
Classic Shops, General Stores, and Local Flavor
Stowe’s village area is dotted with shops and cafés that give it its personality. Hot chocolate and baked goods taste better in the crisp mountain air. Local cheese shops tempt you from the street. Art galleries display scenes that look like the very views you drove past on the way into town.
It’s easy to spend an entire day here without ever doing anything “big.” Stowe rewards slow exploration. It’s the small moments that stick with you: watching clouds drift past the mountains, ducking into a warm café after a cold walk, hearing the quiet of a town between seasons.
Why Stowe Works in Late Fall
Because the pace finally matches the place.
The mountains are the star. The village is the supporting cast. And the whole town feels like it’s inviting you to take one deep breath and stay awhile. Before the resorts fill and the lift lines grow, this is Stowe at its most peaceful, and in many ways, its most beautiful.
If Woodstock is New England elegance and Stowe is mountain majesty, Weston is pure, distilled Vermont nostalgia. It’s small. It’s quiet. And it feels untouched by time. This is rural Vermont at its most genuine - barns, fields, white fences, and a village center that looks exactly the way a Vermont village center should look.
And this fall, Weston also became one of my favorite filming locations of the year.
Filming at the Legendary Vermont Country Store
When we rolled into Weston to film The Vermont Country Store for New England Traveler, I knew it would be special. But I didn’t expect it to feel like stepping into a living museum - one that’s somehow still a bustling, beloved, fully functional general store.
What made it even better: I had a personal tour from the Director of Retail, who took me aisle by aisle through the store’s history, products, and unforgettable charm.
This store is far more than a shop. It’s an experience. Floorboards that creak with history. Shelves lined with old-fashioned candies, soaps, gadgets, kitchen tools, flannels, toys, and products you thought the world had forgotten. The smell alone - part wood, part nostalgia, part grandma’s pantry, is worth the trip.
There’s nothing forced about the Vermont Country Store. It’s the real deal. A place where time slows down and where the past doesn’t just live, it thrives.
Walking Weston’s Village Center
Beyond the store, Weston itself is a treasure. The small-town green, the historic buildings, the quiet roads, and the slow pace create an atmosphere that feels warm even in November’s chill.
This is a town you wander, not rush. Every turn seems to offer something worth stopping for: a simple vista, a historic sign, a tidy home that belongs on an old-fashioned holiday card.
Why Weston Belongs on Every Vermont Traveler’s List
Because it reminds you what simplicity feels like.
Weston isn’t showy. It isn’t trying to be anything other than what it has been for generations: a small Vermont community rooted in tradition, craftsmanship, and pride. And when paired with a stop at The Vermont Country Store, especially with the kind of access we had for filming, it becomes one of the most rewarding visits you can make in all of Vermont.
The Beauty of Vermont’s Late-Fall Season
There’s a narrow window between foliage and full winter when Vermont reveals its quieter side. Tourist traffic fades. The landscape shifts from fire-colored to soft and muted. Life slows down.
Woodstock, Stowe, and Weston are three completely different experiences, but they share the same seasonal magic: they are peaceful, authentic, and brimming with charm.
This is Vermont without fanfare.
This is Vermont without crowds.
This is Vermont at its most intimate.
Final Thoughts Before the First Snowfall (although at publishing I believe that has already happened)
Traveling through Vermont this fall, whether filming at Vermont Flannel, walking across the covered bridge in Woodstock, taking in the mountain views in Stowe, or getting a private tour through the Vermont Country Store, reminded me why I love this state so much.
Some places are beautiful in photos.
Some are beautiful in person.
Vermont is both.
And these towns, each one in its own way, invite you to experience that beauty on a deeper, more personal level.
If you’re looking for a late-fall escape before winter arrives, you can’t go wrong with any of them. And who knows, maybe our paths will cross on a quiet Vermont back road, a steaming cup of coffee in hand and my camera crew in tow, taking in the view before the snow begins to fall.
