Innkeepers live on property (huge plus). Shannon is a wealth of knowledge about the area and provided spot-on recommendations for our quirky interests: finding a farm-to-table restaurant (The Bench, great variety and impressive brewery choices) and a history buff’s “must-see” (Smugglers’ Notch Cave and State Park, see *Note at end). In addition to historical CCC structures and the Cave, the state park also has great facilities for folks who want to pitch a tent and explore nature.
HUGE thank you to Shannon, without whom we would have missed this experience, beginning with that beautiful winding mountain pass drive through the Notch (definitely bumps up the adrenaline).
*Note: Smugglers’ Notch historical importance/impact spans multiple centuries and includes crucial trade with Canada to survive Jefferson’s embargo act, a route for slaves escaping to freedom in Canada, and smuggling during the prohibition era (1920s-30s).