I was having lunch with the colleague the other day, discussing the latest round of media layoffs. We both agreed that given a healthy savings account, the most sensible way to deal with a job loss in this economy is to wait it out, and the best way to do that is to travel.

Of course the economy wouldn't be in this mess in the first place if we all had healthy savings accounts, and so if you find yourself without a job and with a sadly diminished travel budget, the lovely Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford, Vermont has good news: its popular "Pink Slip Getaway" contest, which will go on hiatus for Fall foliage season, will continue through April 2010. Send your job loss story -- one page or less -- to Rabbit Hill by the new deadline of January 15th, 2010, and make it a good one. If your story is among the one a month selected, you'll get a two night stay with breakfast, one dinner and a rabbit's foot for good luck.

A bed and breakfast inn in Vermont is offering a little relief for the unemployed. Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford, Vermont will give away six getaways to unemployed workers; one each month from April through July and again in November and December. If you or a spouse has been unemployed for more than six months, you can send a letter or email to Rabbit Hill Inn by June 1and six winners will be chosen to win two nights lodging (Sunday through Thursday only), a gourmet dinner for two, candlelit breakfast each morning afternoon tea and a even a rabbit's foot for good luck.

Rabbit Hill Inn is a 19-room country inn with a double AAA Four Diamond rating for lodging and dining. ForbesTraveler.com has deemed it one of the ten most romantic inns in the country.

Today's home looks out over 24 acres of verdant Vermont land. The home itself is large handsome house with a traditional style that belies its age (it was built in 1995). The property includes a heated pool with a pool house and an outdoor cooking and dining area with a beehive oven and grill. There is also a three-bedroom guest house that connects to the mudroom entrance of the main residence. The garage also offers a two-bedroom staff apartment.

The ain home's entrance is dominated by a columned piazza and inside crown moldings, wood floors and many fireplaces offer a classic Vermont appeal. This home includes a formal living room, large kitchen with breakfast bar, a sitting area with a pizza oven and a heated conservatory. The upstairs features a master bedroom suite with a circular study that includes window seats. This estate is listed at $5.95 million.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Those of you who have been following the saga of Karl Lagerfeld's newest purchase, an 1800s Greek Revival house in Vermont, will recall that he staged a photo shoot there not long after taking possession. The results, and an inside peek at Lagerfeld's Lake Champlain digs, can be seen in the new Chanel Spring / Summer 2009 ad campaign starring leggy blonde German model Toni Garrn (above). The interior looks quite bare as Lagerfeld had not yet moved into the house at the time of the shoot in November. While far from the opulence one usually associates with the Kaiser, the house obviously has an appealingly pared down, classical aesthetic. Perhaps this is emblematic of the designer's somewhat scaled back lifestyle these days.

As you know we've been following the story of flamboyant Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld's purchase of a historic house in Vermont's Lake Champlain Islands. Now Vermont independent paper 7 Days has come up with the first photo of the house, above. The 3,800 sq. ft. spread consists of a Greek Revival-style brick house dating to 1850 with a newer addition. "Amenities include a small apple orchard, a couple of pear trees, a paneled library and an awesome view of the lake," 7 Days reports, noting Lagerfeld paid just over $500,000 for it. They also note that the house, which is "sizable though far from opulent" is basically right on the highway. Last week Lagerfeld staged a Chanel photo shoot there, as we reported he would, with a crew of 40.

We have a few more details about the historic estate in Vermont's beautiful Lake Champlain Islands (above) purchased by flamboyant Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld earlier this month, as we reported. Here's what one of Lagerfeld's new neighbors wrote in to tell us about the six-bedroom property:

"It's in Grand Isle, Vermont. It's a Greek Revival home built in 1850, and it's on the Vermont Historic Registry. The price was under $1 million. There are numerous second-home owners in the area - from Montreal, Florida and New York - but no [other] well-known international celebrities. Until now, the Champlain Islands have been a well kept secret.... There are many other estates for sale up here much larger than Lagerfeld's new property, but in terms of price and privacy he got a great deal."

Our tipster adds that Lagerfeld is expected at the house this week for a Chanel photo shoot.

Here's how the town's website describes Grand Isle: "Bordered on three sides by water: on the east with the Inland Sea and the west with the broad lake of Lake Champlain, and to the north the 'gut' at the drawbridge to North Hero. It is the hub for the connecting year-round ferry to Plattsburgh, New York, 30 minutes to Burlington, and a day trip to Montreal. The fertile farmland overlooking vistas of breathtaking sunrises and sunsets is one of tranquility & peaceful pastoral views." You can see a Google map of the area here.

If you're interested in buying your own Grand Isle estate, our tipster suggests checking out the Sweeney Farm property on 10 acres, listed at $1.5 million.

Flamboyant Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld has bought a historic mansion on an island in Vermont's rustic Lake Champlain. Lagerfeld never visited the 1840 six-bedroom landmark in person, but made the purchase based solely on photographs. "I love it. It's very much Emily Dickinson," Lagerfeld told WWD backstage at the Chanel show in Paris. We suspect he may be referring to the poet's picturesque houses in Amherst, Mass.

Lagerfeld tells the paper the Lake Champlain landscape reminds him of Northern Europe, and says he's planning an elegant yet still fashionable New England-appropriate décor rather than his usual Sun King splendor. He did not reveal the property's price, but declared, "I'll start doing the Chanel campaigns there" - so he obviously plans to write it off as business expense.

Scenic Stowe, Vermont has a new resort. The Stowe Mountain Lodge, which opens today, lies at the heart of Spruce Peak at Stowe and is the first-ever Audubon International Sustainable Community in a mountain resort area. The 139-room lodge is positioned for beautiful mountain views and has a 21,000-square-foot spa with 18 treatment rooms and therapy pools, health and wellness programs through the Cooper Wellness at Stowe, ski-in, ski-out access to over 100 legendary trails, an 18-hole mountain golf course, a heated outdoor pool, high-end boutiques and restaurants.

Conscious of gas prices, the resort is offering a Relax and Refuel Package. Guests who book two nights will receive a a $25 gas card, a three-night reservation includes a $50 gas card and four or more nights will receive a $100 gas card. Hybrid vehicles valet park for free (a savings of $17 per night). The Relax and Refuel special offer is valid from June 20 through Dec. 30, 2008. To enjoy the Stowe Mountain Club golf course try the Mountain Fairways package which includes overnight accommodations for two, 18 holes of golf for two, including golf cart, yardage guide, personalized bag tag, bottled water and club cleaning and picnic lunch for two prepared by Chef Sean Buchanan, to be enjoyed on the course. Rates for this package start at $634 per night.

Does an estate have to match the surroundings, a Western estate in Colorado, a Mediterranean style home in Florida or California? Today's estate is not the type of home you might expect to find in quaintly charming, Dorset, Vermont. The country estate is on nearly 19 acres of land (including four ponds) and is a newer build (2004). It has six bedroom suites, a walnut library, home office, sunroom, entertainment room, exercise room, hot tub, sauna and more spread out over almost 12,000 square feet. The home has the look of a European chateau mixed with a Western ski house and is full of special details such as a heavy antique wooden door and coffered ceilings. Those tile floors look a little chilly for a winter home and there seems to be a bit of design schizophrenia between the tile and stone rustic look of the lower floors and the flowery wallpaper-heavy look of the upstairs. This home is listed at $8.7 million.

Green Mountain Distillers, a Vermont company founded by a pair of micro-brewers with more than twenty years experience has announced their first flavor in a line of organic liqueurs. The first flavor will be Vermont organic maple syrup liqueur. The liqueur is a combination of organic maple syrup and an in-house organic sprit. Green Mountain Distillers already sells Sunshine Vodka, a spirit made from 100% certified organic grain and pure Vermont spring water. The liqueur will be available at Vermont liquor outlets and each decanter is hand-filled, signed and numbered by the distillers. The next flavor planned is Honey and Spice for the winter months.

This just might be the most fabulous property for sale currently in Vermont. Reading Farms is a 200-acre estate that includes a late 18th century brick farmhouse with 20th century add-ons. There is a one-mile driveway winding through the woods into an old-world-style courtyard entrance. The main house includes many bedrooms, each with its own bath. The home has a new gourmet kitchen, a library that can be accessed through a secret door, wine cellar and an office. Other features include a trout pond, a gazebo, a heated in-ground pool with columns and an entertainment barn that has a party room with a vaulted ceiling and fieldstone fireplace. There is also a barn with stalls and storage, a gym, a movie theater that also has additional guest quarters and a two-bedroom caretaker's house. It is listed at $14.5 million making it one of the priciest properties in Vermont.

Hidden Meadows is an absolutely elegant home in South Londonderry, Vermont. The deluxe country estate is on 90 acres surrounded by the Green Mountains. The house has a Georgian feel with plenty of windows to catch the light. On the property there is also a two-bedroom guest house, a club house, pool, ponds, tennis court and a beautiful pool pavilion. Other amenities include a fitness center, steam room and a library. It is listed at $8 million. After the jump, so many outdoor living spaces in a climate with so few chances to enjoy them.

This beauty may be modest by the usual estate of the day standards but Moorgate in Albany, Vermont does offer more land than we usually see, a full 120 acres. This beautiful home was designed by the owner, an engineer who spent time in Europe studying the layout of ancient cities. The home has three bedrooms and just over 4,000 square feet of space. The home has exposed beams, vaulted ceilings and lots of archways. The home also has a large library, a formal dining room and a playroom on the lower level. The grounds include gardens, an equipment shed, a studio in a separate cottage, a pond and your own ski hill. It is listed at just $1.6 million. After the jump, it's all about the oculus.

It's hard not to be charmed by a place called Heavensent. Heavensent Farm in Peacham, Vermont is 150 acres of woods, pastures and six ponds. There is a four bedroom main house and ten buildings total that include a two-bedroom home. The estate could be turned into a large family compound, travel destination or a development. It looks a bit funky and in need of updating but the land is gorgeous. The price of $11.75 million includes all the vehicles, tools, equipment and furnishings. After the jump, one wild indoor pool.

This striking home on Orchard Point in Vermont gives you a chance to own land in Shelburne Farms, a protected area of 1,400 acres that boasts a cooperative farm that sells cheddar cheese, maple syrup and other Vermont staples. Orchard Point is six acres with mountain views and 1,250 feet of lake frontage along Lake Champlain. The 7,000 square foot home was created by Gwathmey Siegel Associates and has spacious living quarters, two guest suites, a children's bunk room suite and caretaker's quarters. The overall shape reminds me a bit of an old Airstream trailer. For those far too brief Vermont summer months, the grounds feature a pool, tennis court and stone-paved gardens. The home's unique design features curved roofs and innovative use of clerestory windows and glass bricks to let additional light in. The home is listed at $3.95 million. After the jump, oh what a good interior designer could do here.