IN THE COUNTRY ...
Middlebury, Vermont
This quaint college town nestled in the Green Mountains National Forest is the perfect place to swim, hike, and explore. Book a room in the Carriage House at the Swift House Inn (request the Summer Getaway package) and head down the hill to supper at American Flatbread at the Marble Works. An Evolution Salad (organic, locally sourced lettuces topped with arame) and Med Bread (wood-fired cauldron tomato sauce, cheeses, and herbs) are winners, as is watching the bakers work the earthen oven (open Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; open Thursdays starting June 11. Stock up on reading material at the indie Vermont Book Shop (38 Main Street, 802-388-2061), before heading north up Route 7 to the fantastic working farm and education center, Shelburne Museum (5555 Shelburne Road, 802-985-3880). There, you can board the Ticonderoga, a restored 220-foot passenger steamboat, visit a one-room schoolhouse, and learn about printing, weaving, and quilting.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Located within the Grand Teton National Park, the Jackson Hole Airport is an easy—and stunningly beautiful—start to a Wyoming wilderness adventure. Make your base in Teton Village where the Snake River Lodge & Spa offers an indoor-outdoor pool. They'll arrange trout-fishing trips, horseback rides, and bespoke explorations in Yellowstone National Park. Ask for the National Park package, which features free food, park passes, and savings of up to 33 percent (Cookie exclusive). Kids will love spotting moose from the aerial tram, as well as supervised bungee jumping and mountain bike rides. Chow down at Bar T 5's chuckwagon dinner, where barbecue, beans, and cowboy tunes fill the Cache Creek Canyon, and don't miss the wrangling and barrel racing at the JH Rodeo Company (8 p.m., Wednesday and Saturday).
Greenough, Montana
At the Resort at Paws Up, families can hike, fly-fish on the Blackfoot River, and trail ride through the majestic Rocky Mountains. Book a Families Valued package (includes a float trip, a chuckwagon dinner, and the fifth night free for Cookie readers). Children will love the Kids Corps of Discovery, where they pan for gold, feed baby animals, and follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark by making maps and building lean-tos. Eat spare ribs and burgers under the stars, then roast marshmallows and hear stories around the fire, and you'll be feeling all country and western in no time.
Honorable Mentions:
East Coast
New Paltz, New York (Mohonk Mountain House)
Lenox, Massachusetts (Cranwell Resort & Golf Club)
North Adams, Massachusetts (The Porches Inn)
West Coast
Solvang, California (Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort)
Sun Valley, Idaho
Santa Fe, New Mexico
