After a long travel hiatus, I finally got to travel again with my kids and my mom! We have done a few other great #LWAB trips to Fern Resort and Sudbury, and they have always been amazing way for the Community Managers to meet and connect, but also to enjoy time with our families.

This time we were invited to Jay Peak resort in Vermont, and it was amazing. I traveled with my mom, and kids aged 9 & 7. We had not traveled since before COVID as a family and there was a lot of learning curve to traveling post-pandemic.

My mom and I had our passports, but my kids had their long form birth certificates, and we had no problem at the Queenston- Lewiston border, either entering the USA or Canada, for not having passports.

A few things that made Jay Peak a great place to travel with kids in the summer:

Endless Activities

Jay Peak had so many things to do! They have an enclosed tram that takes you to the top of Jay Peak. I am not afraid of heights, but I am afraid of falling from heights, but I felt safe on the trip up and down and exploring the top of the mountain. The views were amazing, and there were some fun rock areas for the kids to climb! Both kids found sparkly stones and were convinced they found precious crystals. I’m glad that we were driving so I didn’t have to pay extra to carry the stones on an airplane! We went on the tram twice – the first time we saw our friends as they returned from a trip at the Tram Station, and the second time we went with the friends! The tram driver let the kids and us into the Ski Patrol office so we could see where they wait and monitor the ski hill conditions. We didn’t do this, but some friends took the tram up and hiked down the mountain.

The next activity for the kids was the Pumphouse Indoor Water Park. We were able to use Cabanas, and it was great to have a place to put our stuff, eat, and connect with the other LWAB families. There were numerous waterslides – some body slides and some tube slides. They had both single tubes and double tubes for going down with kids! They had a kid’s climbing area with mini water slides and activities, and an indoor hot tub.

We had the chance to try the Double Barrel Flow Rider! This just required completing a waiver at the Wave Surf Shop and get an extra bracelet to show you could ride it (the water park required a bracelet for our stay also). The lazy river was not open during our trip, which was disappointing. 

Where we spent most of our time though was the swimming pool! The pool had a shallow and deep area, but they were well separated by a wall, so when kids were in the pool alone (and I was sitting in one of the many chairs around the pool) I felt safe that they could touch bottom. There were also lifeguards on duty, and they switched positions often, and did a great check of the pool with a visual scan of the pool as they switched shifts, which as an anxious mom made me feel like my kids were safe. The shallow area had a basketball net, and there were lots of balls floating for the kids to play with. The deep end had a rock-climbing wall – it was great to climb the wall and not need to worry about falling – other than holding your breath! The kids (and adults) loved it!

Two of the other LWAB families had kids who were around the same ages as mine, and it was so fun to watch them play! With the number of adults we had, we could spell each other off and rest in the cabana or in the lounge chairs!

We also went to the outdoor pool one day, where the kids played and laughed together! The next day we went to the outdoor hot tub, which the kids enjoyed.

There was also disc golf, hiking, bike rentals and lots of other things to do! The kids also had a blast running and playing tag around the condos and we were far enough away from the road and our condo was down a private road, so they could play and explore!

Quiet Place to Crash

After all the activities, it was great to have a full condo to rest and recuperate in. It was also important for me after the 8.5 hour drive from Niagara and trying to keep up with the kids!

The condo was great – we had two bedrooms, one with an en suite bathroom. The kids and I used that room. My kids loved the dressers and bedside tables and unpacked their clothing and toys into the bedside tables! There were big windows all over, so we could open windows on both side of the condo and get a nice breeze. There was also a great patio – a great place to sit and eat breakfast.

The kitchen was great – with a full-sized fridge and freezer, oven, microwave, and coffee maker. I forgot to buy coffee grinds, but it worked well for my mom to make tea. Our kitchen was stocked with mugs and glasses, but only 2 bowls. For my snack, I used a gravy boat. 

The kitchen also had a dishwasher, and dishwasher pods, so we were able to run the dishwasher at bedtime and wake up to clean dishes.

The condo also came with a full washer and dryer. I bought some laundry soap at the General Provisions store on site and did laundry before we came home. It was so great to come home with clean clothes, instead of having to spend a day after travel doing laundry.

Fill their Bellies (plus coffee for mom)

Having the full kitchen in the condo was great as we could pack groceries, and not need to eat each meal out. After a day of driving, I was ready for lots of vegetables. We brought food for breakfasts, and dinners such as frozen meals and salads.

We started each day with going to the General Provisions Store and getting iced coffee for me. It was great to be able to charge it to the room. The first day that didn’t work, and I had to pay with my credit card, but they were able to get it working by day 2.

For lunch, we ate at the main resort most days. The first day, we had subs from the General Provisions shop, and the kids’ favourite part was the slushy machine where they could make their own mix! The next day, the kids had grilled cheese from the Warming Shelter Snack Bar in the Pumphouse Waterpark. I got ramen noodles from Miso Hungry, and although I was hungry, there was enough left over for my mom to have as dinner the next day (and the cabana had a fridge, so I put it in there to keep it cold!) The Snack Bar became a favourite place for my kids, as they could have unlimited refills on the pop, and they could do the fountain pop on their own! They also enjoyed Dipping Dots ice cream as a snack one day. The cabana was stocked with bottles of water, and lots of towels, and was a great place to enjoy our lunch.

The Moms of LWAB enjoyed a dinner out at the Foundry Pub & Grille, where we were able to catch up without having to attend to our kids. My mom had also heard about the lobster roll from the Clubhouse Grill, so we picked one up, and brought it back to the condo. She was very happy with it.

We did go off resort for dinner the final night, with kids and spouses going to The Belfry which was about a 10-minute drive from the resort. The food was great, and they accommodated our 11 people easily.

Great Memories

Are the last thing you need for a vacation. On the first morning, I happened to wake up very early, and my son who is typically an early riser, woke with me, and we watched the sunrise over the Vermont mountains. It was gorgeous, and a great memory that we were able to sit on the balcony and watch the start of our day together! (I then went back to bed for about an hour, but he stayed up and played video games – the Wi-Fi was very reliable!)

There were lots of great places in the condo to play games. We brought a few of our family’s favourites – Spot It, Dominoes, and Uno. Most of our meals we ate at the breakfast counter at the condo, but the dining table was great for the games. The living room was also great for watching movies, and the fireflies exploring in the wooded areas around the condo! There were also some animals we saw around the condo – lots of birds and a few small mammals.

We will cherish the memory of travelling again after a long hiatus due to COVID, and making memories with our LWAB colleagues, and watching our kids become friends!