Vermont

Vermont is the kind of state where a covered bridge or a dairy farm shows up before you expect it, and the whole state turns into a foliage postcard for a few weeks every October.

Stowe and the Green Mountains handle the skiing in winter and the hiking in summer. Burlington, the largest city by far, sits on Lake Champlain and still feels more like a college town than a city.

Maple syrup production here is a real industry, not a tourist gimmick.