How I Learned To Stop Dreading Summer Family Vacations and Love Smuggler's Notch, Vermont

[Travel Daddy]

There’s no event that most families look forward to more than their annual summer escapes together.

Perhaps it’s downtime at a glorious beach paradise.  Or maybe a trip to a big city, taking in the exciting sites.  Even some adventure travel, with lots of wonderful activities in the great outdoors to savor.

However, for my wife Sue and I, summer vacations weren’t experiences that inspired warm Kodachrome memories.  Our kids may have had a blast, but for the two adults on the team, the vibe that summed it all up was more Bananarama (“Cruel Summer”) than Sly Stone (“Hot Fun In The Summertime”).

Maybe it’s because our two kids were such terrible sleepers when they were young that Sue and I were too obliterated to enjoy any journeys other than brief trips to slumberland.  It could also be the destinations that we chose:  jaunts to the shore were grueling; theme park expeditions turned out to be merciless assaults on our senses; and all other excursions were just yecchh.  With such an inauspicious track record, it’s understandable that we regarded summer getaways with the same level of gusto that one might have for a colonoscopy prep.

As summer 2012 neared, Sue and I felt confident, rested, and possibly insane enough to take another shot at the family vacation thing – except we had a new challenge:  the age difference of our kids.  With a 14 year-old son (Eddie) and a 10 year-old daughter (Lee), it was impossible for us to figure out a getaway choice that offered an experience which both kids would love.

Along with finding a destination that appealed to them, we insisted that it also had to appeal to us grown-ups:  we absolutely refused to put the time and effort into planning a summer escape that we couldn’t enjoy as well.  While in the past we tolerated going on trips that were exclusively for the kids’ benefit, that level of masochism had run its course:  it was either going to be fun for all or fun for none!

The Brochures

Sue had saved brochures that were mailed to her from Smugglers Notch in Vermont.  She was familiar with “Smuggs”:  she had skied there while she was a student at the University of Vermont in the 80s, and she had a warm spot in her heart for the Green Mountain state.  Now that we were on a hunt for a summer spot that would meet all of our needs, she opened them up and took a look.

Sue didn’t realize that Smuggs offered such comprehensive summer options.  She did some research online and found many positive reviews from satisfied warm weather travelers with similar family structures to ours.  There were a number of other all-inclusive family resorts and summer vacation ideas that Sue discovered - including Jay Peak Resort in Jay, VT; Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, VA; Orange Lake Resort in Kissimmee, FL; and Rocking Horse Ranch in New York state - but none of them had offerings that came close to the variety and uniqueness of what Smuggs had available.

The reconnaissance was done.  The choice was made.  And hopefully, Smuggs would be the summer vacation answer that our family was desperately seeking.

The Car Ride

The voyage from New Jersey to Smuggs was a bit long, but the route was direct and there was no traffic.  Eddie was the first to notice the very different landscape as we entered Vermont.  The long open views revealed a wide panorama of emerald trees, fields, and mountains.  The sky was filled with curiously shaped, sharply detailed snow white clouds, almost vertical tubular formations that were unlike the horizontal fuzz puffs we were used to.  “OK already, enough with all of the beauty!” he complained facetiously.

First Impressions

Pulling into the Smuggs parking lot, we noticed swarms of movement in all directions:  families checking in/out, kids shooting hoops on multiple basketball courts, young bros whizzing by on skateboards, stroller-pushing and toddler-carrying moms/dads, campers and counselors about to embark on adventurous treks, kids in swimsuits, and Frisbee dudes.

We arrived at the registration area within The Village Center, which is the centrally located hub of all Smuggs commerce (restaurants, stores, ATM, etc.).  The line to check-in was long but it moved quickly, and within a few minutes, we were unloading our gear at our spacious condo in the Slopeside neighborhood.

The well-equipped kitchen was large and clean, the view from our deck of the surrounding mountains was spectacular, and there was plenty of organized living space to keep us from crashing into one another.  The décor was rustic and comfortable, and the construction was solid.

To round out our first day, Lee and I checked out the three pool complexes on the Smuggs campus.  Bonus features at the pools included elaborate waterslides; an in-pool obstacle course, basketball hoop, and water cannons; pool volleyball; and a climbing wall.  Eddie and Sue hit a bucket of balls at the driving range, rallied a bit on the tennis court, and went for a short hike up one of the ski slopes.  After all this activity, we met at the Morse Mountain Grille and had a relaxing dinner, which was tasty, reasonably priced, and located about 100 yards from our condo.

We made it to Smuggs in one piece (okay, make that four pieces).  We all were stoked.  All the facts indicated that this excursion would be the first one that maybe/hopefully/possibly/finally could be embraced and enjoyed by each of us.

Lee’s Camps

Lee is super social.  She loves physical activity, making new friends, and is always open for exciting challenges and explorations.

Of the many summer choices that Smuggs offered for her age group, Lee chose a water activity camp.  For three days, from 9AM to 4PM, Lee was kayaking, swimming in rivers with gentle rapids, canoeing, “ex-streaming” (walking through a moving stream and mini-waterfall), catching crawfish, and chasing waterbugs.  She loved her counselors, made new pals, and by the end of each day, she was completely and happily exhausted.

Lee loved the gorgeous settings of nearby lakes, rivers, and streams and the opportunity to do something new every day.  Among her favorite experiences (aside from the daily fun at her camp) were tasting fresh kettlecorn for the first time at a Smuggs country fair, winning a three-legged race with a friend who she met in camp, watching a giant-size screening of “The Lorax” with lots of other kids on a huge lawn behind our condo, and discovering a new favorite dessert:  a Mountain Cupcake at the Morse Mountain Grill.

She was disappointed when we told her that we couldn’t move to Smuggs, but we promised that we’d figure out a way to get her back again so she could do the activities and camps that she didn’t have a chance to try in this visit.

Lee’s rating of her week at Smuggs:  “AWESOME!”

Eddie’s Explorations

In new surroundings, Eddie is quiet and guarded.  He’s not into crowds, unless they’re at concerts of his favorite indie bands (like Animal Collective, Wild Flag, Grizzly Bear, and The Black Keys).  A perfect day for Eddie would be scouring through the bins of hole-in-the–wall CD stores in Greenwich Village, eating at a vegetarian falafel restaurant, shopping at a vintage clothing shop, and standing in the front row at a Celebrate Brooklyn show in Prospect Park.

Aside from catching a few concerts in Manhattan, Eddie’s summer had been uneventful:  two members of his band were away, so there wasn’t much to fill his days until our Smuggs trip.  Sue and I were surprised that he was looking forward to trying out some of Smuggs’ many activities, and we hoped that he’d find something that he enjoyed doing.

He did.  And not just something, a lot of stuff – including tennis, golf, ziplining (which he described as a “badass rush”), a Segway tour, kayaking, long boarding, and canoeing.  All were totally new experiences for him that were easy and convenient to try.

Eddie tried hanging out in the Smuggs Teen Center at night, but it wasn’t his scene.  Most of the kids knew each other from doing activities together during the day, and Eddie’s not one to roll up and jump into an unfamiliar mix.  Their lifestyle tastes also didn’t quite mesh with his:  they were into Nicki Minaj and Abercrombie & Fitch – while Eddie is more Kurt Vile and Ben Sherman.

Overall though, Eddie gave an emphatic thumbs up to his Smuggs getaway.  Sue and I were elated (and relieved) that he had such a great time.

Sue’s Nirvana

This was Sue’s first trip back to Vermont in 20 years.  Once we were unpacked and unwound, she immediately realized that she needed to make the pilgrimage back on a more regular basis.  The colors of the countryside, the views of the mountains, the cozy pace, and the clean air were all things that she desperately missed.

An element of the Smuggs culture that Sue truly appreciated was the attire, which for most female guests consisted of cargo shorts, t-shirts, and sneakers or hiking sandals.  Make-up was rarely worn during the day when the potential for sweat-inducing outdoor activity was high.  This relaxed, friendly, and unpretentious vibe was a big plus for her.

Sue also had the rare opportunity to bond with Eddie in activities that they both enjoyed.  Along with teaching him some tennis basics (she had played on UVM’s women’s tennis team) and driving golf balls together, they also went on an early morning lake adventure that included canoeing, kayaking, and long boarding.

Other things that Sue enjoyed doing at Smuggs were long, uninterrupted sessions of Qigong (she only has small pockets of time to do it at home), naps, shooting hoops, and going on long walks around the Smuggs campus.  One of her favorite times of the day was waking up before the rest of us, sipping her coffee while looking out our balcony window, and gazing at the grassy green mountains.

Sue’s summation of her Smuggs trip:  “I got exactly what I wanted!”

My Chilltime and Me-time

The only to-do that I had locked in stone at Smuggs was a zipline tour with Eddie at the nearby Arbortrek Canopy Tour facility.  Neither of us had ziplined before, and it was an exciting and beautiful experience.

The excitement came from being 80 feet off of the ground on a thrilling course that had been created by Arbortrek’s co-founder Michael Smith, an avid outdoorsman and entrepreneur.  Traveling up to 40 miles per hour in tree-to-tree course segments ranging from 200 feet to 1,000 feet long, the zipline was as fast as a roller coaster and actually seemed much safer (although the falsetto-inducing snugness of the harness took a bit of getting used to).

The beauty was all around and very much under us:  we brushed along the tops of trees and even saw a hawk’s nest below.  It would be impossible to gain such a staggering P.O.V. of a forest habitat via hiking alone.  The way-up-there perspective of ziplining truly offered a new way of looking at nature, literally.

Along with my taste of zipline “badass”-ness, I also enjoyed going on a long run up the Smuggs’ slopes and around the entire property; getting quiet time to myself in our condo to read and relax; and seeing the happy smiles on my family’s faces at the end of the day.

The Big Takeaway

Aside from the endless activities that are offered, the lush locale, and the superb accommodations, the number one benefit of being at Smuggs is that it’s a solution.

It’s a solution for families that:

have kids of different ages and interests

are looking for a large selection of well-run on-premises activity options that offer high levels of action as well as quiet relaxation

• need personal space from one another
• want a creative and exciting break from their at-home routine
• demand vacation facilities with excellent customer service that eliminates stress
• wish to save money by preparing meals in their condo’s well-equipped kitchen
• want to pack light and do their own laundry using their condo’s washer/dryer
• have a wealth of local sightseeing, tourist destinations (the Ben & Jerry’s factory!), and local restaurant options to choose from if they’d like to venture off of the Smuggs campus
• want to take advantage of the natural beauty and vast outdoor activities that the green mountains have to offer

We weren’t sure if we’d ever find such a comprehensive solution to address our family’s difficult summer escape challenges, but Smuggs completely exceeded our expectations.  While each of our previous attempts at warm weather fun ended up being a painful “Wipe Out”, we were overjoyed to discover that Smuggs is a fantastic way to prevent a case of the “Summertime Blues”.