There’s something even more magical about waking up to a dusting of early winter snow while traveling. It’s one thing to run down the stairs in your own home to see a blanket of white covering everything in the backyard, but it’s even more thrilling to roll out of a luxurious hotel bed to see the meticulously groomed grounds covered in a powdery snow.

We were delighted that the rain that rolled into Woodstock, Vermont about the same time we did on a Sunday afternoon in December ended up turning to snow a few hours after we went to bed. Walking around town in the drizzling rain, we’d resigned to the fact that we probably wouldn’t see much snow during our quick overnight stay at the Woodstock Inn, so it was extra thrilling to see the fresh coating of snow when woke up the next morning.

We’re no strangers to the charms of this quintessential New England town. It was where we first visited for a few days away as a married couple right after our wedding, and we loved it so much during that November visit, we returned the following summer. Since then, Woodstock has become a mandatory stopover on the way home from any trips we take to Stowe or the Mad River Valley via Route 100. For years, we’ve talked about visiting during the holiday season so we could see how the darling downtown homes and the stately Woodstock Inn decorate for Christmas, and we are happy to report that the holiday bedecked town certainly lived up to our expectations.

Aside from the excitement of the snow covered holiday decor, we enjoyed our second truly fantastic meal at the Simon Pearce restaurant in nearby Quechee and I had a relaxing morning visit to the inn’s beautiful spa. Since our last overnight stay at the inn in 2015, we noticed that the dog-friendly rooms had received a welcome upgrade in decor and furnishings. Orvis, as always, was treated very well during our stay and we are so thankful to have had the opportunity to finally visit one of our favorite Vermont towns during the holiday season.

Photos by Meredith Perdue for Map & Menu.