Southern Vermont offers luxurious lodgings for special romantic getaways

Each season at the scenic Manchester View has a romantic side. Take a picnic lunch on a fall hike to a waterfall during foliage season; bike through colorful spring pastures; in summer, take a dip in the Manchester View’s seasonal heated outdoor pool or jump from the cliffs at the local swimming hole; snuggle together by your suite’s gas or wood-burning fireplace in the winter. To make your stay even more special, arrange for flowers, cake, homemade candies or other room enhancements. Other area activities include alpine and cross-country skiing, horseback riding, golf, water sports and boutique and antiques shopping. Complimentary Continental breakfast is provided, and your dining options are many, from nearby cozy cafes to candlelit fine dining. Ask about suites with two-person spa tubs!

In the heart of charming Manchester Village, The Reluctant Panther Inn and Restaurant, southern Vermont’s finest small luxury hotel, offers those seeking romantic escapes their choice of 20 rooms and suites featuring antique furnishings, four-poster beds, soaking tubs, fireplaces, marble baths and museum-quality artwork. In the relaxed yet elegantly upscale atmosphere of the Zagat-rated restaurant, you’ll enjoy contemporary American cooking and a Wine Spectator award-winning wine list. From the inn’s patio, watch the sun set over the gardens and Mount Equinox. And what is a getaway without activities: horseback riding, biking, hiking, canoeing, tennis, skiing, gondola rides, sleigh rides, fly-fishing. Vermont and this elegant inn have it all.

Turn your couples night out into a midweek getaway with the Date Night Special at the exquisite Grafton Inn. The package includes a three-course dinner for two in the 1801 Tavern and breakfast in the sunny garden room or patio. The historic inn’s setting in a quintessential Vermont country village is romantic in itself: tranquil and lovely four seasons of the year. Hiking, biking and skiing trails are right in the town, or choose to take a covered-bridge tour or to relax on the patio by the swimming pond. Order chocolate-covered strawberries, wine or flowers to be there when you check in to your spacious, comfortable room or suite. The inn also offers an Anniversary Retreat Package with Prosecco and a candle-lit dinner.

The options for romantic getaways at the unique vacation rentals of The Landmark Trust USA are many and varied. There’s the very cozy Sugarhouse, perfect for two with a screened porch and gas log stove, on the grounds of historic Scott Farm. Or the Dutton Farmhouse, with spectacular orchard vistas and a three-season game room. Walk hand and hand through the fields that are home to The Amos Brown House, a Federal-style brick farmhouse. At the Kipling Carriage House, enjoy a picnic in the grass as you look out over a sweet meadow with river valley views. Take a stroll through the rhododendron tunnel at the stunning Rudyard Kipling home, Naulakha. For each location, you can order a basket of local treats, from apple pie and ice cream to all the fixings of a classic Vermont breakfast.