Rather than start a new thread: can anyone suggest good cheap lodging around Stowe, and maybe a local place for an AWD rental car? I'm planning to go out there in mid-February.
Cheap , mid February and Stowe are not three words often used together. That's the height of school vacation time (i.e., President's Week) which is historically one of the busiest weeks of the year. The official booking site is http://www.gostowe.com/, although the various booking websites (expedia, hotels.com, etc) also list some properties. Town and Country and the Stowe Motel and Snowdrift come to mind as clean, basic, comfortable accommodations in town.
I would think your best (only?) bet for rentals cars is in Burlington, Vermont which is about an hour from Stowe.