Smuggler's Notch Family Retreat

So this past weekend was an absolute blast. We were treated to a weekend at Smuggler's Notch in Vermont and discovered a new vacation spot that we often pass on our way down to Stowe. In fact, we've been to Smuggler's before as my cousins have a condo there. But to stay overnight, experience all of its services and truly be on vacation is a whole different story.

We checked in Friday evening and drove off to our condo that lay on a hilltop. Were we ever speechless upon entering "Eagles 5". Three bedrooms, a full kitchen, 2 baths, 2 fireplaces, one balcony, one sunroom - we could definitely live here! Of course, Hannah opted to sleep in our bed rather than one of the five others in the condo but luckily we all fit nicely into a king sized bed.
Day one. We ate breakfast in our condo and got ready for an early start. I attended the bloggers' morning and had planned for everyone to be occupied during that time. Hannah would spend the morning at Treasures, Child Care Centre, and Chris would go to the Zipline Canopy Tour (an early father's day present).

After dropping Chris off in the forest, I was a bit hesitant that Hannah wouldn't let me leave her with "strangers". But the numerous fish tanks and warm staff at Treasures made her feel right at home.

Chris enjoying the great outdoors!

Wee!

When it came time for me to pick her up she was even sporting a new look as they had headed to the stream for some rock throwing and her clothes got dirty in the process. The staff had some extra clothes and decked her out for the rest of the morning.

Post nap, lunch and thunderstorm, we chose from one of the resorts' 8 pools and 4 water slides. We opted for one of the indoor water parks and for someone who was hesitant to go down the slide, Hannah must have run up those stairs and slid down a good 50 times.

The definition of fun

After a snack, we headed off to the Fun Zone which is basically a giant tent filled with inflatables, toys and games. Again, I've never seen a kid have so much fun!

Dinner at the Morse Mountain Grille followed by ice cream at Ben & Jerry's (have you tried the new Late Night Snack with fudge covered potato chips?) and everyone was soon tucked into bed.

Father's Day Sunday started off early with a visit to one of the many playgrounds with a new friend in the making at the sand box.

Once the pools opened at 10am, we went to Mountainside as we had heard that there was a water slide that was just Hannah's size.

She ended up spending most of her time in the Little Smuggler's Lagoon

Post checkout, we packed up the car and headed home. Hannah slept the entire way. No surprise.

All in all it was an incredible weekend. I'd really like to call it the DisneyWorld of the north. But at this resort, parents can actually get a break. The excellent child care and camp programs let parents enjoy the outdoors and some alone time. And the resorts' shuttle means that the car stays parked and older kids can get around on their own.

It's a weekend that we'll never forget, hopefully will repeat and will change the definition of a family vacation for many.