All of my wife’s immediate family – her parents, her two brothers, their wives, the three daughters amongst them, and our nuclear threesome – spent several days together just before Labor Day at Smugglers’ Notch Resort near remote Jeffersonsville, VT about 40 miles northeast of Burlington. It’s a ski resort in the winter but has grown into a family-friendly summer resort.
Smugglers’ Notch namesake “comes from the smugglers of the early nineteenth century, who used the thick forest on the mountain range, and the caves and caverns along the Long Trail to transport illegal or embargoed goods across the Canadian border. The notch was most likely involved in bootlegging during the Prohibition-era of the 1920s, using the same caves as a cache for smuggled Canadian beer, wine, and spirits.”
We got there on a Sunday, the day before they switched to a modified fall schedule of events. The downside is that there was much confusion about the new rotation. For instance – and there were five or six examples like this – the Wife and I call up to book disc golf lessons at the appointed time, but no one there knows what we’re talking about.
The good news is the staff, to a person, was unfailingly polite and accommodating. An employee made a call and got us transportation to a location on the massive site, and a guy gave us – and only us, as it turned out – lessons.
Disc golf, BTW, is a flying disc game – think of series of differently-weighted Frisbees – the object which, similar to golf, “is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc.” As it turns out, there are a few disc golf courses in our area, notably Central Park in Schenectady.
More crowded was the pickleball class, a sport easier to play than to explain. A standard pickleball court is the same size as a doubles badminton court, but we played in a modified tennis court. The net height is a yard, a little less than a meter. The paddle is smaller than a tennis racquet but larger than a ping-pong paddle, and more like the latter. The ball itself is like a wiffleball but smaller in diameter, and slightly heavier. It plays like a mixture of tennis and badminton.
The five days there also featured hikes, some reading, and, on two nights, visits to the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. It is a lovely setting. As someone almost said, a splendid time was had by all.
Did you take the Ben and Jerry’s factory tour? Lora and I did that last year and it was both fun and educational. I came away with a lot of respect for how they do business and treat their employees.
I didn’t, but some of my in-laws did.
I don’t know it… (ofcourse) …but the country you live in has a variety of places wich are very different when one compares them to another… ‘my’ country could fit in it i don’t know how many times
Have a nice abc-day / – week
♫ M e l ☺ d y ♫ (abc-w-team)
This sure is a beautiful place.
This is the first time I’ve heard of disc golf and pickle ball. What peculiar names!
I love Vermont, the Green Mountain State. But I had never heard of Smugglers’ Notch. I bet you are right about spirits being smuggled through there during Prohibition!
DISK GOLF AND pickle ball are new to me too.
They do sound like fun.
Hubby and I visited Ben and Jerry’s ice cream about 12 years ago.
We loved the tour and their ice cream is delish.
Once I saw how Ben and Jerry make their ice cream (in one of Robert Irvine’s impossible dinners) on TV – their incredible flavors! As interesting is the origin of the Smugglers Notch Namesake:)
Oops, I forgot to fill in my info –
That was a trip full of action! Once saw how Ben and Jerry made their incredible flavors of ice cream (on a program by Robert Irvine). The origin of Smuggler’s Notch Namesake made me smile:)
vermont, wow.
amazing place to think of,
Happy December.
One of the states in the US that I want to visit someday.
My ABC WEDNESDAY
Wonderful post ~ have skied at Smuggler’s Notch but never went there in the off season ~ sounds like a fun time ! Great choice for V!
Wishing you the magic and love of the Season ~ xox
artmusedog and carol
A sporting good time, Roger. Unusual games, – I would find them quite challenging.
The views at this Vermont resort would have been more than enough entertainment for me. I would love to go around with my camera, a sketchbook, and a backpack to collect interesting nature finds. Blessings!
Vermont looks beautiful. I’ve never been. Looks like you made the most of your time even with the glitches. Pickle ball is a fast paced fun game. It’s been years since I’ve played…
Hello Roger.
Sounds like a fun time was had by all…now we know where the ‘Rog’
goes to when he disappears to on VACATION!
best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team.
Sounds like an action packed trip.
I never been there before but see all the beautiful pictures of fall in Vermont.
Ann
Must be fun traveling with siblings.
Disc golf and pickleball at the Smugglers’ Notch Resort! You’ve got a fun novel in that.
These are new to me.
As usual very informative post!