New Hampshire - The Valley
New Hampshire's Winter Sports Playground that's Just Right in White
To bring smiles to the faces of the little members of the touring party, and prevent whining, amusements should be handy. Give them sledding, skating, skiing and kid-friendly spaces. Where do you go to find this long list of demands, while keeping a lid on the family travel budget? About two hours north of Boston is New Hampshire's Mount Washington Valley. This scenic Valley has been a haven for visitors since the early 1800's. Today, the spectacular 780,000 acres of National Forest holds five ski resorts, some of the finest cross country terrain in the Northeast, ice climbing, snowshoeing and just about every form of winter fun you can dream up. The mainstay town in "the Valley" is North Conway with its strand of tax-free outlet shops, scads of lodging options and more restaurants, pubs and cafes than you can visit in a month. This once quaint, now booming village does suffer from traffic crawl along Route 16 amid scores of outlet shops. Ironically, "Tourist Loop," also known as 16A, offers a pleasant diversion from the hubbub for a few quiet miles. It is here that you will find The New England Inn. This charming country farmhouse is the oldest continuously operating inn of the valley, providing lodging and dining to guests since the mid 1830's.
The New England Inn serves a hearty country breakfast and a complete dinner menu in the Main Dining Room as part of the inclusive MAP plan. The menu is creative, from seafood pastas to rack of lamb and Wienerschnitzel. Our family, of diverse cravings, was extremely pleased with each selection. I especially appreciated the break from cooking three squares a day. The on site pub, Tuckerman's Tavern, is a hot spot with guest and locals alike, with a pleasant pub menu and Saturday entertainment. Rested, refreshed and replete, and busting at the seams from a hearty breakfast, we were ready for our day in New Hampshire's Whites. "The Valley" offers five major alpine ski mountains and half a dozen of the Northeast's finest Nordic ski centers all within minutes. Our alpine options included the incredibly scenic and challenging 2,100-foot vertical Wildcat just minutes due north. Cranmore, located virtually in downtown North Conway, is a great family mountain with just over a 1,000-foot vertical, a top to bottom high-speed quad and 98 percent snowmaking. As a bonus, Cranmore also offers a wide variety of new and interesting snow toys to get down the hill. Another good family choice is unadorned Black Mountain, with "blast from the past" facilities and pricing.
It is a rare occurrence that our vertically addicted family takes a break from the slopes. But in the afternoon the off-piste temptations proved more than we could resist. I browsed some of my favorite outlet shops, Ralph Lauren, Dansk, Liz Claiborne, calculating the tax savings as justification for my spending. Even my husband indulged in a shopping mood when he spotted Nautica and the L.L. Bean Outlet. A brief tour of Mt. Washington Observatory's Weather Discovery Center in North Conway is fun for the kids, and meteorologically educational too. Across the street, the Chocolate Factory is a treat for the eyes and the taste buds as you watch candies being made, then watch them disappear. The Anna Lee Doll showcase in the center of town displays the locally made cutie-pie mouse creations, which have achieved global fame. Shopping can wipe you out, especially after skiing. We were glad to return to our quaint cottage. The kids headed for playtime in what for them were waist deep piles of snow. Cross country skiers and snowshoers passed by on the Inn's trail system, pausing to check out our kids' humble snow fort. My husband flipped the switch to the gas fireplace while I got us drinks to sip by our fire. Gas fireplaces make a hero boy scout out of any urban dweller. This vacation achieved what we are always looking for, something for everyone. We skied, shopped, skated, went sledding, toured covered bridges, breathed the requisite fresh air, learned a bit, relaxed a lot and found our smiles. IF YOU GO Where to Stay: The New England Inn, Route 16A, Intervale's Resort Loop, Intervale, N.H. Call 1-800-826-3466 or visit www.newenglandinn.com. Information: The Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce can assist with lodging and area information. Call 1-800-367-3364 or visit www.mtwashingtonvalley.org. Where to Ski: Attitash Bear Peak Resort 1-888-554-1900 or www.attitash.com; Wildcat Ski Area 1-800-SKI-WILD or www.skiwildcat.com; Black Mountain 1-800-698-4490 or www.blackmt.com; Cranmore Mountain Resort 1-800-SUN-N-SKI or www.cranmore.com; King Pine Ski Area 1-800-367-8897 or www.kingpine.com |
His idea of a perfect winter retreat is
exploring the great outdoors, staking a claim to our National
Parks, and getting a work out. She is all for fresh air, but not
if it means a departure from civilization and important luxuries
like Jacuzzis and maid service. Toss in some candlelit dining,
copious shops ripe for browsing and a spa and now the lady is a
traveling scout. 
There are 11 guest rooms in the gracious 1809 Main Inn. Games
and books stock the Inn's two inviting fireplace living rooms. We
opted for one of the more contemporary one-bedroom cottages that
dot the resort's 9-acre grounds. With a gas fireplace, living area
including a day-trundle bed and a private master bedroom, our
family of four had space to spread out while experiencing the
coziness of a traditional cottage. 
King Pine, a homespun family day area, is the region's fifth
area located 20 minutes south of where we were staying. Today, we
chose Attitash Bear Peak, less than 10 minutes from the New
England Inn. Attitash offers 60 trails backed up by an impressive
snowmaking system and speedy quad lifts.