With more than twenty downhill ski areas and nearly fifty cross-country skiing centers, winter is a popular time to be in mountainous, snowy Vermont. And as winter turns to spring, Vermont's ski resorts remain open longer than those in neighboring states, and visitors have the additional treat of being able to observe the annual “sugaring off” as sap is transformed into world-renowned Vermont maple syrup. In the summer, Vermont's glorious outdoor expanses provide opportunities for warm-weather recreation including hiking, bird watching, horseback riding, sailing, and swimming. And the color show put on each fall by Vermont's forests is one of the best in all of New England.