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Top 10 reasons to visit Burlington, VT? Travel the world on a visit to Boston? A look inside Orlando's coolest hotspot (wear a coat? it's 27 degrees inside)? Elevate your listening experience with hightech headphones? New Year's resolutions that are fun? and easy? to keep.

BURLINGTON, VT

1 MOUNTAIN BOUND

With about 20 winter resorts, Vermont offers plenty of skiing. Families should check out the not-for-profit Cochran's Ski Area (www.cochranskiarea.com) in nearby Richmond, while serious skiers will love Sugarbush (www.sugarbush.com) in Warren, 46 miles away. www.skivermont.com

2 Ben & Jerry's Factory Tour

(Waterbury, VT; 26 miles east of Burlington) • Learn how two guys turned a $5 correspondence course into an ice cream empire-then sample Chunky Monkey to your heart's delight. www.benjerry.com

3 Church Street Marketplace

• Burlington's epicenter of shopping, dining and people-watching, Church Street Marketplace is lavishly decorated for the holidays. Take a ride on the miniature train with St. Nick. www.churchstmarketplace.com

4 University of Vermont

• Home to the Division I Catamounts and the FlemingMuseum-the state's leading art and anthropology institution-UVM is the place for intellectual stimulation. Stop by for a film, lecture or live show at Rhythm & Brews Coff ee House. www.uvm.edu

5 Leunig's Bistro

This French bistro touts "the panache of Paris." Locals go for its live jazz and variety of regionally produced cheeses. www.leunigsbistro.com

6 Shelburne Museum

• One of the nation's oddest museums, the Shelburne-just outside Burlington-houses a vast collection of art in 39 historic buildings, including a jail, lighthouse and 220-foot steamboat. You'll find everything from kitschy 19th-century decoy ducks to Impressionist masterpieces by Edgar Degas. www.shelburnemuseum.org

7 Flynn Center for the Performing Arts

•The region's premiere performing arts venue, it hosts the Soweto Gospel Choir, Vermont State Orchestra, A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker this month. www.flynncenter.org

8 Vermont brewery tours

• Whether you favor organic brews, pale ales or maple-flavored lagers, one of the local brewers-you can visit about 15-will have something for you. Take a tour, enjoy a brew and come back in the summer for a jaunt through the area's wineries. www.vermontbrewers.com

9 ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center

•Science buff s will love this unique place, where visitors can dig for whalebones, explore an indoor river ecosystem and even take a boat trip on a "floating laboratory" staff ed with scientists. www.echovermont.com

10 Ethan Allen Homestead

• Before he was a home-furnishing brand, he was a Revolutionary War hero. Now, Ethan Allen's 18th-century house is open to the public. History fans will love a visit to the on-site museum, with its Colonial furnishings. www.ethanallenhomestead.org