Many of us shop for a family vacation destination with a few factors in mind: where the destination is located, what we’ll be able to do when we get there, and how much the vacation will cost. We gather such information by delving into a resort’s website or social media, checking out their brochure, or calling their reservations staff. Pretty straightforward, right?

Pretty straightforward … except that the experiences that truly make a vacation special often fly under the radar. We like to call these the “intangibles” – the special little activities, favorite amenities or interactions with your destination’s staff that are long remembered after the vacation is over. You may not get a sense of them from a destination’s brochure or a website. You’ll definitely discover them by quizzing a friend or relative who has been to the same destination, and ultimately, by experiencing the destination yourself.

Here’s a quick story to illustrate what we mean. We know of a family who picked out a vacation destination that would comfortably accommodate many family members, offer lots of activities for all ages, and be affordable. Check, check, and check: the experience delivered in all three areas. Yet what do that family’s kids still remember, years after the vacation? They remember that in the restaurant, their friendly breakfast server would top their hot chocolate with a heaping mound of whipped cream every morning – right at the table and with great fanfare. That’s a sweet little intangible!

We’re happy to say that Smugglers’ offers many opportunities to enjoy intangibles. Again, you may not spot them in the brochure, or if you do, you may not assign much importance to them. As an example, you may read that Smugglers’ has a Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop on site. Very nice. But then, during your vacation you take your son to the Scoop Shop every afternoon to celebrate his progression in ski camp. Those visits to the Scoop Shop become a treasured memory of time that you and your son enjoyed together.

Or, perhaps you’re at Smugglers’ in the summer when the agility dogs perform. You relax with your family on the Village Green, watching your kids’ faces light up at the dogs’ antics, and think, “Can’t get much better than this.” Such a simple pleasure. Definitely an intangible.

Here at Smuggs, our staff jumps in to support intangibles. This summer, when a camper lost a tooth during the overnight program, their counselor quietly played tooth fairy. Last winter, a ski instructor took on boot patrol, helping grateful new skiers get buckled properly and comfortably into their boots.

These are the moments that you can’t order up when you reserve your vacation. But at good destinations like Smugglers’, they naturally happen.

We hope you’ll visit and be open to finding your own intangibles here at Smugglers’. Please tell us about them when you do!