Our hosts, Richard and Patrick welcome skiers, cyclists, runners… bicycle tours use the inn regularly in the summer, and we were encouraged to come back for the Covered Bridge Half Marathon in May. At their October Country Inn in Bridgewater Corners, VT, you are near the intersection of Rt. 106 and busy Rt. 4. You won’t hear the road, but will enjoy its convenience. Wake up to a hot gourmet breakfast that you can fortify with oatmeal, granola, yogurt, fresh fruit and juices if you’re extra hungry. Or start with a run up a relatively quiet road to Bridgewater Center and back, five miles (it’s especially beautiful in the snow).

The ever-expanding alpinopolis of Killington/Pico is about ten miles west. You can find uncrowded downhill skiing and snowboarding there before Christmas, the week after New Year’s Day, and just about any weekday. Instead of taking that dreaded left up the steep beginning of the Killington Access Road, you can bail out to the right into Mountain Meadows, a cross-country ski area that offers rentals, lessons, and trails that vary from rolling forest hills to a sunny and flat lake crossing. Their inn is also a nice stay for travelers on a smaller budget. Take Rt. 4 west to the top of the hill; park on the left to hike or snowshoe the Long Trail with access on both sides of the road.

Continue west on Rt. 4 a few miles and make a right before Sugar & Spice restaurant (stop in if you want a sweet dose of Vermont cooking and souvenirs) and follow the signs to Mountain Top. There you’ll find hillier cross-country terrain, and a really nice sunset if you time your departure right. More trails can be found at the Woodstock Ski Touring Center, the other direction on Rt. 4, along with one of Vermont’s nicest towns.

Cycling? Map your route with the Vermont Gazetteer and Atlas, an oversized package that shows all the roads. Mountain biking? Get a map of the labyrinthine network of snowmobile trails that reach across the entire state.

If you get back to the October Country Inn before 6 PM, visit the new Long Trail Brewery across the street. There you can buy a beer, a case, a cooler or a cool tee-shirt. In the spirit of community caring that is characterized by distant neighbor Ben & Jerry’s, the brewery closes early in deference to the many local bars that offer their beer. Just don’t be late for the inn’s dinner at 7 PM. Kept a mystery until the food comes out of the kitchen, the evening’s dinner theme is a pleasure every night. Afterwards, a table full of puzzles and mind-teasing gadgets, as well as a bookshelf full of board games can keep you entertained long into the night.