Exceptional. There aren't any other Vermont ski areas that offer the same level of ski-on ski-off opportunities as the Okemo Mountain Resort. The band of condominiums across the mountain waist strike you when you look up at Okemo Mountain Peak for the first time. Then, as you ride up the chair lifts, you so clearly notice all the ski homes straddling the roads leading up the mountain right under the lifts by the trails. If you're looking for a ski crib to purchase on a great mountain where you can drop into your bindings outside your front door, Okemo rocks it. 

Ludlow was named after Ludlow, MA and is in Windsor County, the north eastern of the four southern Vermont counties with Woodstock the shire town (county seat). Formerly a mill town, General Electric had a plant in Ludlow until 1977. Routes 100 and 103 pass through and 180 acre Lake Rescue, fed by the Black River which starts in Plymouth, is about three miles north of town. If you can score a surf and turf getaway on the lake you'd have the best of both worlds and a four season paradise. Route 100, known as Vermont's Skier's Highway, connects 12 ski areas from Mount Snow near the Mass border all the way up to Jay Peak close to the Canadian border. Less than an hour south of Okemo is the Bromley/Magic/Stratton triumvirate and if you're looking for a little more vertical, scoot less than half an hour north to The Beast, Killington. Nearby towns include Chester, Windsor, Mount Holly, Proctorsville, Plymouth Notch, Grafton (pick up some scrumptious cheddar at the Grafton Cheese Company) and Weston.

Being just under three hours from Boston and a hair over four and half to New York, Ludlow is action packed over the winter but less insanely than Killington. The Fall into Winter Celebration is in mid-October is in the Jackson Gore Courtyard. Jackson Gore is the northern peak and ski area the Jackson Gore Inn with easy pool access for the kids at the Spring House Pool & Fitness Center, Adams and more upscale Bixby House, the newest condos on the mountain. The kids aged 4-12 might enjoy summer Camp Gokemo and Okemo State Forest is offers great hiking and back country skiing including the Terrible Mountain Natural Area. Need some gear to stay warm or fly down the trails in more style? Seasonal ski shop Mountain Outfitters is right in Jackson Gore village. Get the Epic Pass and ski all over the world as well as loving Okemo.

On the culinary track, Ludlow runs the gamut from wood fired pizza at Goodman's American Pie, breakfast and lunch all day at the Hatchery, grab and go mexican at Tacos Tacos, cocktals @ Main & Mountain to upper crust cuisine at the Downtown Grocery and live tunes @ Off the Rails.

Did you fall in love at the bar last night? Yes, you can get married at Okemo though it may be prudent to carefully think it over first.