Vermont is a bit of a drive for a Rhode Islander -- after all, there are plenty of Rhode Islanders who hate even driving over "THE BRIDGE", and who consider Emerald Square Mall too far away because it's off the edge of the state. But a drive to Vermont gets you into the Green Moutains, away from any hint of city life, and into the realm of ski resorts.

Linda and I accepted an invite to Smuggler's Notch, one of the largest resorts in Vermont. It was the tail end of the skiing season, the rain was rapidly washing away the last of the winter's snow and only a few hardy souls dared the ride the lifts from the rainy and windy base to the sub-freezing summit.

Not being skiiers, it didn't matter much to us -- it was a great excuse to get away, while discovering a bit more of New England.

What we discovered was an entire village built around the ski slopes -- a village with shops and restaurants and night shops along with the obligatory condos and timeshare units. We also found a resort that caters to familes with special family events, child care, youth activities, family-friendly facilities.

Smuggler's Notch, "Smuggs", isn't for the beer-swilling frat party crowd that we had expected. Yes, they have the "Bootleggers' Lounge" and nightly entertainment lineup for adults. Presently they feature improv comedy and Marko's Hypnosis Show. But the party atmosphere is muted. The real emphasis is on families.

And they maintain the family atmosphere into the summer, when the slopes are for hiking and picnics instead of skiers and snowboarders.

During the summer, the weekend programs for youth ages 6-15 combine three of the mid-week programs into each day of the weekend. For the younger Adventure Rangers Smugg's offers the Nature's Treasure Hunt and the Amazing Maze & Puzzle Day. For the eleven and olders it will be Map & Compass Day and Bootleggers' Basin Raft Race.

Playgrounds for toddlers become a Pirate Ship themed adventure Playground with with nautical toys, climbing structures, and benches for parents who want to relax while the kids expend energy.

We didn't see much of this. We did, however, get to enjoy an excellent condo, with a fireplace, jaccuzzi tub, full kitchen, and bedrooms for the kids well separated from the master bedroom. There were even stuffed animals and picture books in the kid's room.

We cooked our meals mostly in the condo, but we did share a lunch in the resort's cafe with one of Smugg's administrators, who told us about their summer programs.

Disc Golf hits the Smugglers' scene this year. The "greens" are cleverly staged amidst the cross country trails and open meadows near the tennis center for a fun and challenging game for families. Disc Golf is included on the guests' activities pass this summer, for instance.

They are also especially proud of their new musical activities, added to their summer kids' camp program involving vocals, dance, songwriting, instrumentation and performance.

The new program, called Sound & Stage, will be available to children participating in the Resort's Adventure Rangers (ages 6-10) and Notch Squad (11-15) camp programs. In past years, children in these camps have enjoyed picking a "minor" when choosing to participate in Smugglers' Summer Fun University camps. Sound & Stage will join perennial favorites Arts & Crafts, Nature & Hiking, and Adventure & Games to round out the Resort's offerings with a new focus on the live arts.

Smugglers Notch, Green Mountains, Vermont Buy this Art Print at AllPosters.com

To develop Sound & Stage, Smugglers' has been working with Re-Bop Records, an award-winning independent label in Vermont that pioneered oldies music for kids. Now in its 16th year, Re-Bop has added jazz and blues music to its selections for kids and has seen its music become a highly touted favorite among parents, educators and caregivers. The unique and special tones of Re-Bop's music are developed by pairing great performers such as Bonnie Raitt and jazz and blues vocalist Sandra Wright with talented kids.

One of those talented kids is Anneli Blume, a 12-year-old vocalist from Vermont who can be heard belting out the blues on Re-Bop's Even Kids Get The Blues soundtrack. Anneli made a special appearance at Smugglers' in February during the Disney/FamilyFun Winter Carnival as a warm up for working with Re-Bop and Smugglers' on the Sound & Stage camp program.

"We are thrilled to launch this new portion of our camps program," said Steve Clokey, director of local promotions and a member of Smugglers' entertainment team. "Combining the talents of Smugglers' musicians and performers with the creativity of the Re-Bop team will result in a really exciting new opportunity for kids visiting the Resort this summer."

Clokey added, "We're envisioning the kids working on solo and chorus vocals, aspects of songwriting, jazz and hip hop dance, and instrumentation, where the kids can bring their own musical instruments and form a jam band or perform as a solo act." Professional child and adult performers will work with the participants throughout the week, culminating in a live performance at Smugglers' weekly Country Fair. The camp will run Monday-Friday. Children in the Arts & Crafts minor will contribute toward stage design and props.

Smugglers' has lowered vacation package rates for the end of both June and July, creating savings for families. One rate each month simplifies choices. The full range of activities and camps that Smugglers' is renowned for are included in the FamilyFest Vacation Package each week, all summer long. Week long stays continue to be the most cost-effective choices.

Father's Day Celebration from June 10-23 offers new special bonuses for vacationers. For stays of five nights or longer, dads and granddads receive a free $100 sport shop gift certificate and a Cabot Creamery arrival gift. In addition, they can maintain their hero status by treating their entire family to a Vermont-style dinner and tender their littlest to Treasures child care. A breakfast buffet (on Father's Day or another day) awaits dad or granddad too. These are all free bonus specials included in the Father's Day Celebration package.

And for those Rhode Islanders who have timeshare credit, Smugglers' received the 2005 RCI Gold Crown Resort designation from Resorts Condominium International (RCI), the global leader in vacation property exchange. The designation recognizes Smugglers' Notch has attained the highest level of excellence in resort accommodations, hospitality and service delivery. Mountain Estates at Smugglers' Notch Resort joins the Luxury Travel Portfolio of the Registry Collection. This new affiliation entitles owners at Mountain Estates, a select condominium neighborhood, to high-end leisure travel services through the Registry collection.

It was a nice getaway for us, desite the heavy rain. After all, if we had been traveling with children, they would have been kept very busy being buckaneers while we had a fireplace and a a jaccuzzi tub back in the condo.

For information on Smugglers' Notch Resort's summer vacation packages and programs, please log on to www.smuggs.com or call the Resort at 1-800-451-8752.

About the author, Paul Pence: Not a life-long Rhode Islander, Paul got to Rhode Island as fast as he could. He has 25 years of writing experience and numerous publication credits including the Providence Journal, the East Greenwich Magazine, Weissmann Travel Reports, Travel Lady Magazine, Jackhammer, Your Skin and Sun, TravelNotes, TexWoman, and many others.

Readers Comments About This Page:

Be the first! Add Your Comment!