Page 7: Tourism

August 2009

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Continued from Page 6 ...

On Friday were some more tourist type activity. Corinne & family had done the Alpine Slide and the Gondola earlier in the week. The gondola did not get a great report, mostly because it was so hot. The slide, though, had a more favorable review. So those who were still there (a few people left on Thursday) and wanted to join us went on the slide. As it turns out, that was only Matt, Emily, Jimmy, Ted, and Craig. The slide was very fun. And I was just as slow as I had been the last time I went on one of those.

View of the alpine slide area with the hill, lift line, and slide structures beyond a parking lot

We then drove along Scenic Route 108 to the rest area on the other side of the mountain. This has a nice view, although still too hazy to really show it.

Two men standing on separate boulders with hazy green mountains behind them

Young woman lying on the grass near the curb in a playful pose

Man pointing at a large route map on the Smugglers' Notch Northern Gateway display

Some of the men in the group decided to test their balance walking along the fence. They all did well. Passing each other on the top of the fence was a bit of a challenge, though.

Two men balancing on top of a wooden roadside fence while a young woman lies on the grass in the foreground

Two young men carefully passing each other while balancing on top of a wooden fence

Two young men walking away from each other on the top of a wooden roadside fence

We then stopped at Smugglers' Notch. The smugglers' cave is here. As you can see, the clouds were very low that day. The cave is not so much a true cave as a spot under huge slabs of rock. The temperature in the cave was noticeably cooler than outside it.

Fog hanging low over steep rocky cliffs above dense green trees at Smugglers' Notch

Group gathered near the opening between huge boulders at the Smugglers' Cave area

Two young men standing among large rocks and evergreens inside the boulder-filled cave area

There was a great rock between the regular parking lot and the overflow lot where we parked. A couple of us climbed it. (We don't have a picture of Jimmy at the top, but he was there.)

Young man standing on top of a massive boulder beneath leafy trees

Young woman standing on top of a huge boulder beneath spreading tree branches

Our next stop was lunch. We decided to go to another tourist must-see, the Von Trapp Lodge. We ate at what they call the Tea House. We had gotten a favorable report on the food from our taste testers, Cori, Jeremy, Nicki, & Keagan.

Group portrait on a deck at the Von Trapp Lodge with hazy mountain views behind them

The utensils they used were called Tater Ware, which are biodegradable. I've put them in water, but don't see much of a difference yet, after one week. On their website, they state "Home composting 70 to 90 days must be fractured".

Biodegradable spoon and fork laid out side by side on a dark speckled surface

Close view of the handle of the biodegradable fork showing the Tater Ware branding

Biodegradable spoon and fork soaking in a plastic container of water on a countertop

The lodge itself is an upscale hotel.

Three men standing on the steps in front of the large wooden Von Trapp Lodge building

In the gift shop was a yodeling stuffed goat. This is the type of thing that half way through the adults are looking for the off switch. But there were two young boys there who were just fascinated by it, and had their mother press the button multiple times. Corinne told us that Nicki & Keagan were also very interested in it. (It actually wasn't too bad.) We used to have a link to a video of one in action, but the video is no longer available.

After arriving back at the lodge, a few of us walked up the road before supper and checked out Stowehoff Inn. It was a very nice location. The pub there was a '70's theme', which probably just means they haven't wanted to update the decor. The movie The Four Seasons was (partially) filmed here. That evening (Friday) were some games and relaxing back at the lodge.

Family members gathered around a wooden table playing cards and games in a lodge dining room