Strolling through Bennington is like stepping back in time to an era of covered bridges, steepled white churches, and gracious Victorian homes with verandas overlooking a vast and mountainous beyond. Fall is a beloved season here when the woodlands are ablaze in fiery reds and shimmering yellows. Bennington wouldn't be part of Vermont if it didn't offer a full spectrum of outdoor fun, including skiing, golfing, camping, swimming, fishing, mountain biking and snowmobiling.

Vermont is spliced down the middle by the Green Mountains, which run through two-thirds of the state in the north-south direction. Their highest peak is Mount Mansfield at 4235 feet. The 370,000-acre Green Mountain National Forest that gives Vermont most of its outdoor pleasures has nearly 500 miles of trails riveting through the mountains, affording hikers spectacular views and a passageway to the Appalachian Trail. Tourists travel for many miles to play in this area rich with recreational resources. They come to ski the mountains, hike the trails, paddle the waterways, and relax with country-style comforts. Quaint villages dot the region, blessed with New England charm.

While other towns in the Northeast hibernate under the snow, Killington charges forward with a verve that dynamos through the village. Approaching Seven mountains stand with majesty at the gateway to the heart of Vermont. Palatial resorts hug the mountainside offering world class skiing in winter and great hiking, mountain biking and scenery in summer.

At the core of the Green Mountains in Vermont, sits a quarry town called Rutland, known in its heyday as "The Marble City." To its left are the Taconic Mountains. To its right are Killington, Pico and Shrewsbury, three majestic Green Mountain peaks. The town is peppered with shops and restaurants to meet every whim and need. Nearly 100 stores make themselves at home on Merchants Row and Center Street, and eateries of all types tag closely along. As the heart of the Lower Champlain Valley, Rutland is the closest town to the region's winter playgrounds.

The Connecticut and White Rivers converge in White River Junction. The Junction connects five towns from two states (Hartland; Norwich, Vermont; Hanover; Lebanon; and Plainfield, New Hampshire). The area is characterized by rich farmlands, dating back for two centuries. Because of its ideal location for travel stopovers, White River Junction has a number of successful hotels, motels and eateries. White River Junction also offers some playgrounds for boaters, hikers and anglers.