Vermont

The terms “back roads,” “fiery,” and “Cherry Garcia” may have been invented for Vermont. The rural New England state is littered with rustic farms, snow-capped peaks, neon fall foliage and delicious indulgences. Despite being the only landlocked state in the New England region, Vermont receives its fair share of visitors. Luckily, its undeveloped towns and natural landscapes leave plenty of room to explore Vermont’s eccentric character without the crowds. The Green Mountain State’s namesake is home to a huge range of wildlife, flora and fauna—and the finest skiing and snowboarding opportunities on the East Coast. Picturesque Stowe makes a quintessentially Vermont base, with art galleries and cozy inns. Head down the mountainside on the Long Trail, where legendary fall leaves explode in colors addictive enough to draw frequent repeated visitors. Ample down to the Vermont farmlands, and sample some of the state’s most well-known natural products: its cheeses, maple syrups and frothy microbrews. And don’t miss the state’s most popular tourist attraction, the Ben and Jerry’s Factory Tour in Waterbury. (As if you’d forget.) It all conspires to make a New England experience like no other. Who needs coastline anyway?