The most famous ski town in the eastern United States and one of the oldest, with a village of white clapboard buildings and a church spire a few kilometres from the mountain. Mount Mansfield is the highest peak in Vermont and the terrain on it includes the Front Four, a set of steep narrow runs that have tested eastern skiers for generations. Spruce Peak across the road is gentler and holds the modern base village. The two are joined by a gondola. Stowe is expensive by eastern standards and the service level shows it. The village has the best restaurant scene of any ski town in the region, and there is a recreation path along the valley floor for walking or cross country. Boston is around three and a half hours away.