Green Garden Road Trip: Smuggler’s Notch – Mountain Life – GWC Mag gwcmagMarch 14, 2024043 views No snow in Ontario? Check out Smugglers’ Notch—Vermont’s renowned snow sanctuary—for exceptional accommodations, exhilarating slopes and endless family entertainment.Words :: Mado Gourlay Time’s up—pens down! I finish my exams and we leave our life behind for a last-minute, week-long ski vacation. We’re ready for a road trip from Ontario to Vermont. Our final destination? Smugglers’ Notch Resort. smuggler’s notch village. photo: courtesy of Smugglers’ Notch Resort. Just an hour over the border from southern Ontario, Smuggs prides itself on being “America’s family resort with the best vacation value for family fun.” And it’s all true. To start with, the rooms here are perfect. There’s something for every family here, including ski-in/ski-out condos. The norm is spacious: think kitchenettes with two or more bedrooms/bathrooms plus a spacious living space. You’ll also find amenities including pools, hot tubs, saunas, gyms and more throughout the resort. But most importantly, how’s the skiing? For starters, the 795-metre vertical rise is one of the highest in the East. view of Madonna mountain. photo: courtesy of Smugglers’ Notch Resort. Three big interconnected mountains provide over 43 kilometres of fun with a huge variety of terrain; the learning terrain is primarily on Morse, and nearly half the total terrain is intermediate. But there’s also expert terrain on Madonna and Sterling and the only triple black diamond run in the East can be found over at the Black Hole. photo: courtesy of Smugglers’ Notch Resort. You might also like: Smuggs takes you back in time with two-seater lifts that run you all over the mountains. And perhaps even better than that (as far as your wallet’s concerned) is the price of lift tickets are also stuck in the past: regular season day passes are only $95 US! two-seater chair lift. photo: courtesy of smuggler’s notch resort. There are tons of other activities and events happening here at all times. From a family-friendly perspective, there are activities for all ages including daycare and ski lessons. There are also evening activities to keep you and your children occupied and stoked. A popular family activity at Smuggs is watching the weekly Thursday fireworks and torchlight parade. photo: courtesy of Smugglers’ Notch Resort. Smugglers’ Notch is in a prime location, with only a short drive to Cambridge. With a grocery store, amazing little coffee shops and small authentic restaurants, the town has everything you need. Its quaint vibe, unique to Vermont, is a huge part of the state’s charm. You can stroll around this town all day long. And of course even in winter it’s worth the short drive to check out the Ben and Jerry’s ice cream factory (with or without kids!). Smugglers’ Notch really is a perfect ski destination for the whole family. We had an absolute blast and will remember it forever. Whether it’s a last-minute plan like it was for us, or you plan it years in advance, you’ll always find something for anyone and everyone to enjoy. We’re going back ASAP. photo: courtesy of smuggler’s notch resort. Check the ML Podcast!