Stowe Vermont

I have been several times. I love it. I think it's a great choice for you and your wife. Like Cuse said, Burlington is awesome and definitely worth spending some time in.

Let us know if you want some recs for anything. My wife and I stayed in a cabin last time that was beautiful after a snowfall. It's a few miles from the town though, if that matters.

Stowe and surrounding areas are awesome. Really beautiful in the fall.

Waterbury is about 10 minutes from Stowe and a nice little town. Go eat at Prohibition Pig and have a beer next door at Reservoir which is a restaurant but has a bar way in the back where a lot of locals hang out.

Any recommendations on a place to stay? I was originally looking at Topnotch resort but have found there are many places.

Are the resorts worth the money? Or should we do an Airbnb?

Topnotch is probably still the upper echelon of resorts in Stowe. Really nice.

Stoweflake has some benefits and is right in the village. Their spa is nice.

Trapp Family Lodge is interesting. Their guesthouse timeshares are probably still dated. Their luxury homes are nice but probably real expensive. The rooms in the hotel can be OK or can be small and in need of updating for what they charge. They also have a huge outdoor activities setup open to both guests (in with the resort fee) and the public (for a fee). They have lots of XC skiing trails and a warming cabin in the middle of the woods. If you go to Stowe it's worth it to get some dessert from the bakery. The beer hall is big and new too.

I can't speak to the options up at the ski resort. The lodging up there is about 12 years old at this point. I'm sure it's real nice.

The Matterhorn is an iconic Apres Ski spot. Usually a lively scene at night. Pretty much in-between the SMR and Topnotch.