Whether you’re visiting Vermont in early spring for a ski trip or to enjoy one of the many other attractions our state offers to visitors, be sure to sweeten your visit with maple!
Vermont’s maple season kicks off when warming temperatures in late winter and early spring encourage the sap to begin running in maple trees. The sap exits through a taphole in the tree and is then collected by sugarmakers for boiling. As you travel around our state you’ll see the billowing white clouds of steam that are the telltale sign of a bustling sugarhouse.
Many sugarhouses welcome visits, and learning about maple sugaring can be a fascinating and educational experience for families. How does maple tree sap become delicious syrup? You’ll get the answer to that question and more during a sugarhouse tour!
A few tips to consider prior to your sugarhouse visit:
Visit a variety of sugarhouses. There are both small scale and large scale producers of maple syrup and other maple products in Vermont, and seeing both ends of the spectrum – as well as an “in between” producer – can be quite interesting.
Mind your maple manners. Sugarhouses that are open to the public typically welcome visitors of all ages. Keep in mind that a sugarhouse is a working environment, and care should be taken around functioning equipment. Sugarhouses may have their own individual guidelines, and your sugarmaker host will be happy to provide guidance to support your visit.
Pack appropriate clothing and footwear. Weather in Vermont can be changeable in early spring. Be sure to check the forecast and dress accordingly. Layers can be conveniently shed when you go from the outdoors into a warm sugarhouse. Many sugarhouses are in rural countryside settings – sturdy warm and waterproof footwear is a must for comfort.
While sugarhouse tours offer a unique experience for visitors to Vermont, there are plenty of other maple sweetened opportunities to consider:
Enjoy sampling! Maple is much more than syrup. When planning your Vermont visit, visit shops, wineries, and breweries with a maple specialty. Maple spirits, maple flavored chocolates and popcorn, maple cookies … the list goes on and it’s all delicious. You’ll even find maple as an ingredient in treatments offered by spas!
Look for events you might enjoy. Vermont’s celebration of maple encompasses many events, such as the statewide Maple Open House Weekend April 2 and 3 and smaller events hosted by businesses or towns. Big or small, these activities are all unique celebrations of our state’s heritage.
Smugglers’ Notch Resort will be celebrating Vermont’s maple sugaring season with a MapleFest Celebration from March 19 through April 3, 2016. Complimentary activities include a weekly carnival with sugar on snow and a maple-infused specialty foods and spirits tasting, visits to a local sugarhouse and dining specialties enhanced by maple. Children will receive a maple themed activity book. The resort’s lodging packages feature SuperSaver rates during this time period, the lowest rates of the season. You’ll find details at www.smuggs.com/maple
Everyone’s favorite treat during Vermont’s maple season – sugar on snow!
