Montpelier makes a sensible base for central Vermont. Stowe is 45 minutes north for skiing, the gondola up Mount Mansfield, and the long Pinnacle hiking trails. Burlington is forty minutes west — much bigger, much busier, with Lake Champlain on its doorstep.
For something quieter, Barre (eight miles east) holds the Rock of Ages granite quarry — a working pit half a mile across, with viewing platforms and a self-guided drive among the carving sheds.
