Working on your gift list? This year, give the gift of a spectacular property. In our annual LandVest Holiday Gift Guide series, we share homes that’ll be perfect for you, your family, and your friends! Follow along in this multi-part series.
Today, we’ll look at properties that fit that person on your list who loves to get outside or be active. Explore these homes that fit their specific lifestyle.
For the Winter Sports Enthusiast
Ski, snowboard, snowmobile, snowshoe, skate: they’re all on the table in the winter playground of New England. Panorama is just 11 miles from Stowe Mountain Resort. Come home to warm up in front of one of the five fireplaces. Mount Snow is 15 minutes and Stratton is 35 minutes from Cooper Hill, a modernist house with extraordinary views set on 40 acres in Southern Vermont.
For decades, Flying Moose Lodge was a popular sleepaway camp for boys, but it’s not just the summer months that offer outside fun. Take out skates or cross country skis when Craig Pond freezes each winter. From Wheeler Bay in Maine, it’s just a 30 minute drive to the Camden Snow Bowl, where you can ski while still enjoying ocean views.
For the Boater
Getting out on the water from these homes is as easy as walking out your back door and down your dock. At 8 Norton’s Point in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA, not only is there a deep-water dock, there’s also a 2-story boathouse with a private office.
In Maine, there’s a world of options for getting on the water quickly. Set sail from the deep-water dock (or one of two offshore moorings) at Tranquility to explore Maine’s Frenchman Bay and beyond. Seaside Farm in Friendship has a substantial pier with a ramp, float, and mooring as well as a charming and versatile dock house. Located on a private peninsula on Islesboro, Bluff Point is the perfect waterfront estate that offers, among many other features and amenities, a historic water’s edge boathouse and a deep-water dock on the protected Ryder Cove. For a home that optimizes a waterfront lifestyle, look to Dartholm. This historic residence in Southwest Harbor has a deep-water dock and two moorings. Western Way, a spacious four-level condominium in Southwest Harbor, includes access to a private dock – a valuable asset for boating enthusiasts.
For the Equestrian
A gift for both horse and rider! Whistle Pig Farm in Mount Desert, ME, is country living in a waterfront setting. This saltwater farm features equestrian amenities like a large barn attached to the residence, paddocks, and several shelters. Vermont’s Highlander Farm was shaped by an active outdoorsy family who loved to hack the rolling 200 acres, swim them in the pond and care for them in the 6-stall barn. Take a look at 999 Concord Road in Sudbury, which offers nearly 35 acres of pastoral, open farmland in a prime location. In the heart of Boston’s North Shore’s horse country is an estate that offers everything an equestrian would want, including access to the Essex County trail system.
Iron Horse Salt Farm is a perfect piece of the Maine coast that features not only panoramic ocean and mountain views, but also a large barn with 4 stalls and a paddock. Big views, privacy on 75 acres, Hidden Ridge Farm outside Woodstock, Vermont has a 85’ x 150’ heated and sprinklered indoor arena complex with an attached 5 stalls and a 6-stall field barn. With 56 acres of open fields to explore, New Hampshire’s Fleetwood Farm offers plenty of room to roam. After a day exploring, come home to a recently renovated barn. Alongside the historic brick cape on Page Hill Farm’s 114 acres is an antique barn with 20 acres of fenced pasture and a plethora of trails to ride.
For the Golfer
A golfer’s dream? A course in their backyard. At 19 High Ridge Drive, that is exactly what you get! Located at the Bay Club in Mattapoisett, MA, the custom house with backyard pool sits along a Par 71 Championship course. In Maine, there are several golf courses within minutes of Rockport Harbor Views. Samoset Resort has 18 holes with stunning water views; and the family-friendly Goose River Golf Course is popular with locals and tourists alike. Northeast Harbor Golf Club’s course has been played since 1895, and the residents of Lower Ledge can be just over a mile from this beautiful club.
For the At-Home Athlete
Skip the trip to the gym – use the one at home instead. At Seahome in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA, the “journey” to the home fitness area means taking the bridge to cross over the indoor pool. In South Woodstock, VT, Star Hill Farm’s workout setup is an entire gymnasium, a professional grade athletic facility, that was built as a classic gambrel barn. Work out with a view in the substantial gym at Lee Pond Estate is on the second floor that looks out over the park-like setting, infinity pool, and pond at this Westwood, MA, home. At 49 Wilsondale in Dover, MA, it’s just steps from your home gym to the best post-workout routine: a soak in the primary suite’s spa tub or rejuvenate in the steam shower.
Need something else for someone on your list? Stay tuned for more from our Holiday Gift Guide series!
