It
was a weekend trip… get out of Connectituct, away from the phone,
and just enjoy a few days of something different.
And
it was so much more.
What
were your favorite things about the Jackson and North Conway areas?
Bob:
The whole weekend was set up as a low-key, collection of a little-bit-of-everything.
So my answer here is slightly all over the place.
I
thought Diana’s Baths provided an unexpected thrill. It was a
complete experience when you include hiking over the snow. On
one bridge along the trail, we saw that the packed-down snow we
were walking on was at least 6 to 8 inches thick.
Four
Your Paws Only would be my highlight of the
shopping stops. There were several really good and fun places
that we visited, including repeat visits to L.L. Bean. Four Your
Paws Only though… that was fun and had me smiling all the time.
Food?
Hmm… I’d probably go with Moat
Mountain. All of the places where we ate were
good. Several of them I would go back to… and hopefully will.
But Moat Mountain… from a perfect beer (we tried the Czech Pilsner)
to a great pot stickers dish… a really good meal.
Honestly
though, it was just a great weekend from the moment we left until
we arrived back home. Everything was good.
Terry:
Shopping.
What
were you most impressed by during the trip?
Bob:
A couple of things.
First,
the people. Everyone was very friendly and helpful.
Second,
the location. Even when we set off on an adventure… heading out
to Mount Washington… it was pretty much just ten to fifteen minutes.
Every drive was ten to fifteen minutes. Once we settled in to
North Conway and Jackson, it was all right there.
And
third, the pace. We wanted an easy-going weekend. No plans… just
see where any moment took us. And we still managed to go through
everything we talked about plus adding in a movie and visiting
Mount Washington. We never felt rushed… the day drifted smoothly
along, always a bit earlier than you would think considering how
much we were doing… and it was all relaxed and fun.
Terry:
How close everything was.
Favorite
things we did…
Terry:
Walking around.
Playing
cards in the den area of the hotel.
Bob:
I’d agree with these thoughts. We had a perfect weekend for weather
(40-degrees or more and sunny every day). So no matter what we
did, being outside was incredible. And in general terms, whether
it was the trail to Diana’s Bath or the sidewalk between shops,
it was great wherever we walked.
We
also never turned the laptop on… and that was fantastic.
Best
place to eat (overall)…
Terry:
The Moat.
Bob:
If I had to pick… Moat Mountain or the Scarecrow. I still can’t
get over how perfect the fries were at the Scarecrow
Pub & Grill.
Best
place to eat (inexpensive)…
Terry:
Flatbread
Pizza Company.
Bob:
All of our stops were pretty good on price. That said… when we
get back to Moat Mountain I am going with the beer sampler, which
on this visit would have been seven of their beers, in generous
sampler glasses, for $7.
Biggest
surprise…
Terry:
Diana’s Baths
Bob:
I’m really tempted to say Four Your Paws Only, because any time
you thought of a different dog breed ** poof ** they had something
with that breed featured.
Diana’s
Baths was a fun hour. And, we both felt like we had accomplished
something by deciding to see it and then hiking the short trek
through the snow. (It’s six-tenths of a mile from the parking
lot.)
You
know, I never thought about this before, so I found it interesting
when…
Terry:
You could go cross-country skiing from right outside the hotel.
Bob:
Probably Monday morning… between Mount Washington and the White
Mountain Cider Co.… when I got the best examples of something
Terry mentioned earlier, which was learning how close everything
was.
We
were sort of debating leaving for home on Monday morning or staying
through lunch. Not really debating it in detail… but kind of going
back and forth to see what either of us had left to do that we
hadn’t seen.
While
visiting New Hampshire often in the past, we’ve stayed in the
Lincoln area. In fact, that was our first thoughts for this trip.
We both enjoy the Woodstock
Inn Station & Brewery. And a bit to the
north, a fun surprise from past visits, is Lincoln. I enjoy taking
an afternoon to stroll Main Street in Littleton. The trick is…
driving from Lincoln to Littleton, while not far, seems like it
can be forever. It’s barely more than a half-hour in reality.
And since we’ve spotted moose along the route, it’s a nice, scenic
ride. Still… half-hour.
I
mention that because I don’t think anything… even getting to the
visitor’s station of Mount Washington… took more than 15 minutes.
Everything we did was pretty much along route 16. And we were
even guided by Mi Luv U into some great and fun shortcuts.
If
I had to recommend something that a person had to do, regardless
of expense, I would say…
Terry:
Diana’s Baths
Bob:
Well, nothing we did would be in the expensive area, so the dollars
idea is out the window. I’ve got a couple of things though…
First…
don’t look around with the standard hotel idea in mind. When someone
mentions a bed and breakfast, the true definition of the concept
is New Hampshire. (Well… New Hampshire and Vermont.) And the areas
of Jackson and North Conway are also home to some of the oldest
hotels you will ever find. When you enter your room, you don’t
think hotel… these are bedrooms on the road, with antique furniture,
beds with gorgeous frames, and subtle treasures throughout the
property. There’s even a comfort in hearing the hallway floors
creak.
Second…
we went in March for this trip, but I can tell you that New Hampshire
can be a year-round destination. So keep it in mind for a trip
at any point, in any season.
And
finally… more to the idea of this question… it’s the natural scenery
that makes a trip around this place different and unique. Get
to the waterfalls, include the covered bridges, and check out
some parks or mountains.
If
I had to recommend something but expense did matter (so go cheaper),
I would say…
Terry:
Our hotel… the Eagle
Mountain House.
Bob:
I pretty much covered it in the previous answer. There isn’t anything
outrageously priced from this trip. But Diana’s Baths (as Terry
pointed out), Jackson Falls, the covered bridges, and Mount Washington
cost us a grand total of nothing.
Person/people
that impressed me the most…
Terry:
The hotel staff at Eagle Mountain. Very friendly, incredibly helpful,
and I don’t think I ever saw them without a smile or helpful offer.
On
Sunday night we walked into an area that was kind of like a den
in a house… a couple of tables, some chairs, lots of pictures
and knickknacks, and a few shelves filled with books. We hadn’t
dealt the first hand of cards and Gregory had stepped in from
the front desk to ask if we wanted the fireplace started or needed
anything else.
Bob:
I’m going to agree with Terry here. Everyone I can think of was
friendly and nice throughout the trip. The staff at Eagle Mountain
though were always a step above, from my first phone call to make
reservations on.
Event
that impressed me the most…
Bob:
Hmm… is it bad I want to mention the fries from The Scarecrow
Pub and Grill? They were hot and perfect. Quite possibly the best
I’ve ever had.
This
is a tough one because everything about the weekend was so consistently
good.
Terry:
The sales at L.L. Bean!
Thing
I’m really glad we included…
Terry:
Driving out to Mount Washington. It was only a few extra minutes,
and it made me want to head back there when the winter weather
is gone and more options for exploring are available.
Bob:
I would agree with Mount Washington and add in the White Mountain
Cider Co. Really nice morning getting to both of those places.
Thing
I wish we had done…
Bob:
Nothing. I got nothing for this one. We covered it all.
Terry:
We did everything I wanted to do.
Suggestions
from this experience…
Bob:
Pretty much covered it already. Stay in a hotel with personality…
keep your schedule open, but make sure to include shopping, eating
and sightseeing.
Terry:
See Diana’s Baths.
Sure,
this will be set up as a best of column, but you should always
warn people about the bad, so here is something I think we need
to mention…
Bob:
You’ll have to read the
travel diary, but the only thing I can do
here is make a joke and tell you to double-check your luggage.
Other than that… great trip… no worries.
Terry:
I’ve got nothing for this one. Everything went smoothly, we met
nothing but friendly people, and we included all the sights and
stops and things I wanted to do (including playing some cards
and seeing a movie).
