STOWE, Vermont ??” It’s good to know that some things will never change. Even as Stowe Mountain Resort embarks on a historic mission to revitalize “The Ski Capital of the East,” two things will remain the same. In fact, they are the two things that will always attract folks to Stowe, the uniqueness of both it’s mountain and town.

Town ??“ For those who live in this sweetly simple New England town, it’s easy to take for granted that it isn’t dominated by the chain stores, traffic jams and blas?В© architecture so common elsewhere. Stowe’s funky, owner-operated shops and restaurants, the strong sense of history, the sophisticated culture and the friendly spirit of the people all make you want to stay here forever. Not surprisingly, plenty of folks do.

Terrain – While plenty of mountain improvements like lifts and snowmaking will happen over the next decade, they wouldn’t have much appeal if it weren’t for the top-notch trails they reach. With the longest average trail length in the East and 48 absolutely unique trails, this is no cookie-cutter experience. Every run feels like a work of art and you are the artist, reinventing the landscape over and over. Carving your way down the mountain, you wonder: how could it get any better than this?

It doesn’t take long to get comfortable in Stowe, but the folks at Stowe Mountain Resort are focused on making that happen as quickly as possible. So they have compiled a “First Timer’s Guide to Stowe” on the resort web site: http://winter.stowe.com/vacation/firsttimer.php

The guide is a simple list of links to everything you would need in order to plan a successful vacation. From lessons to special events, lodging and spa treatments, it’s all there.

So if you’re interested in knowing about Stowe’s “bragging rights,” the short answer is town and terrain. But truth be told, this place is the whole package – regardless of what part of the vacation and outdoor recreation experience you’re talking about. But rather than gloat, the folks here are happy to just invite others to enjoy the experience with them. There’s plenty of good stuff to go around.