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.
To bring smiles to the little faces of the touring family, and
prevent whining, amusements should be handy. Give them sledding,
skating, skiing, and kid-friendly spaces. Where do you go to find
this lengthy list of demands, while keeping a lid on your travel
budget?
An easy drive north from New England’s more populated southern
states 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, and even ice
climbing.
The
mainstay town of North Conway offers a strand of tax-free outlet
shops, scads of lodging options, and more restaurants, pubs and
cafes than your belt will accommodate. This once quaint, now booming
village does suffer from Route 16 traffic crawl amid the shopping
sprawl.
We skied Attitash Bear Peak,
for its 60 trails backed up by an impressive snowmaking system and
speedy quad lifts.
We could have chosen the incredibly scenic and challenging
Wildcat just minutes due
north. Cranmore, located
virtually in downtown North Conway has an affordable everyday lift
tickets and night skiing plus a wide variety of new and exciting
toys like the Mountain Coaster.
Another
good family choice is unadorned
Black Mountain, with blast from the past facilities and pricing.
King Pine is the region’s fifth area located just 10 miles south of
North Conway. King Pine is a homespun family day area.
It is a rare occurrence that our vertically addicted family takes a
break from the slopes. The off-piste temptations proved more than we
could resist the following day. I browsed some of my favorite outlet
shops, Ralph Lauren, Dansk, Liz Clairborne, calculating the tax
savings as justification for my spending. Even my husband indulged a
shopping mood when he spotted Nautica and L.L. Bean.
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
to watch candies being made, then watch them disappear.
Shopping
can wipe you out, not entirely unlike 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 our Inn’s trail system, pausing to check out our kids’
humble snow fort.
My husband flipped the switch to the gas fireplace while I fetched
drinks to sip by our fire. Gas fireplaces make a hero boy scout out
of any urban dweller.
This vacation achieved what we always look for, something for
everyone. We skied, shopped, skated, went sledding, and toured
covered bridges. Along our adventures we breathed the requisite
fresh air, we learned a bit, relaxed a lot, and found our smiles.
Next visit, we hope to tour on snowmobiles, cross-country skis, and
try the mountain coasters at Attitash and Cranmore. I have ruled out
ice climbing for my family.
In our short stay, we discovered the winter sports playground of the
White Mountain National Forest overflowing with fun for a family ski
trip. Just over two hours north of Boston, we will be back to the
Mount Washington Valley.
Attitash l Bretton Woods l Balsams l Cannon l Cranmore l Crotched l Gunstock l Loon l Ragged l Waterville Valley l Wildcat
Destinations l New England l Rockies l Canada l Sun n'Sea Travel
