A weekend in the White Mountains of New Hampshire
Disclaimer: We are not paid to promote any restaurant, hotel, activity, product, or attraction. All opinions are subjective and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
This past weekend, Mike and I decided to take a trip up from the Greater Boston metro area to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. The drive wasn’t too bad ~4 hours, making it a great quick winter getaway for skiers and outdoor lovers. We have visited the White Mountains during the spring for a hiking trip, but this was our first winter trip to the area. While we love living near the city, taking a quiet break is always a great idea especially after months of putting up with traffic, tourist crowds, and busy tourist sites like The Freedom Trail.
North Conway: a quaint escape from Boston
North Conway is a beautiful small town located about 3 hours from Boston. The town was decorated very nicely for the holidays with all the local businesses competing with their own festive décor. The picturesque mountains and pine trees mixed with the brisk air made for a wintry atmosphere. There are plenty of unique restaurants and shops in the downtown area in addition to a local ice rink set up for the winter months.
We decided to book a hotel at Merrill Farm Resort in North Conway. Although not the best, the inn was adequate for a short stay, located within close proximity to most attractions, and offered a few small amenities such as a continental breakfast and cookies and cider in the afternoon.
The property was quiet with cozy fireplaces and overall the decor and ambiance just fit in perfectly with our trip plans. We definitely felt like we got to relax in comparison to the busy city where we currently live. The design and layout was very old-school and low-key which is just what we were looking for.
As you can see from my pictures, the vibe is really cozy with the woodstoves and rustic touches throughout. I absolutely loved the wood stove and wood paneling in the guest room. Also, they had some cute holiday decor up in the lobby which was a nice bonus with Christmas was just a few weeks away.
A winter wonderland
Cranmore Ski Resort is located within town, and many of the area’s inns and resorts offer ski and stay packages. One of the biggest tubing parks in the country is located at the resort. Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to check out the resort on this trip, however, we did have a chance to visit another great attraction – Nestlenook Farm located in nearby Jackson – an easy 15 minute drive.
Before arriving at our destination, we came across a beautiful historic bridge. The Jackson bridge was built in 1876. You can still drive through it and also take photo souvenirs. If you are wondering, there are 54 bridges remaining. I would love to explore a few more before they are all gone! Visiting these bridges is really a step back in time in comparison to our current society which gets more and more modern by the year.
Nestlenook Farm truly is a winter wonderland this time of the year. They have the largest outdoor ice rink I have ever seen. You can also take a sleigh ride and work up a sweat on the on-site snowshoe trails. What a nice setting. I love the outdoor fire pits, the chime music, the pretty lights, and the beautiful mountains and pine trees in the background. I highly recommend making room for skating or snowshoeing at Nestlenook!
Here is a glimpse of the gorgeous skating rink with the beautiful pine scenery in the background. I’ve never seen a more rustic and beautiful skating rink. Both Mike and I are newbie skaters and it was quite difficult to skate without a railing (common at city rinks like Frog Pond in Boston) to hold on to, but we absolutely loved the setting. We are definitely thinking of planning another trip here this winter. If you are looking for a Hallmark movie-esque date idea, this place is definitely it!
Tax-free shopping at the outlets
This area is known for great outlet shopping. My sister, who has lived in the Boston area for many years and frequently vacations up here, actually recommended us to check it out a place called Settlers’ Green Outlets. This outlet is home to more than 60 outlet stores including Coach, Banana Republic, Nike, and more. I highly recommend the Waterford Crystal and Brookstone outlets, both of which offered fantastic deals. I haven’t seen outlet locations of these stores anywhere else, so I took advantage of the great deals. Another bonus is the tax free shopping! UPDATE: Please check the mall website for a current list of store openings.
One of my favorite shops in town was a placed call The Christmas Loft – what a fantastic store! They had walk through animatronics scenes, several large collections of light up house villages, and plenty of unique decorations and gifts.
I highly recommend stopping in to shop or just take a look at the beautiful decorations. It was even more fun visiting this store right before Christmas, but really any fan of the holiday season should check it out no matter what time you are visiting.
Local dining
We dined at 2 local restaurants on this visit. I love supporting local businesses especially in small towns – the decor is usually so charming and the vibe really rustic and more personal. The first was a rustic family-friendly diner called the Glen Junction Family Junction. I loved the train running up near the ceiling. The setting was old-school with a nice casual vibe. The breakfast was delicious.
We ate dinner at a local rustic gem called Muddy Moose Restaurant and Pub. There are plenty of choices for everyone and a great woodsy/log cabin atmosphere. They offer your typical family friendly diner menu. If I had to choose one of these it would definitely be Muddy Moose for the woodsy mountain atmosphere. Check out the antler chandeliers and great stone fireplace!
An easy escape from the big cities
If you are seeking a quiet escape from the big city, I definitely recommend taking a trip up to North Conway and Jackson this winter season. It’s an easy drive from any city in New Hampshire, as well as Boston and Providence. This picturesque region of New England features stunning views of the mountains; there are activities for everyone, plenty of different resorts and inns to suit every style, and dozens of options for independent dining and shopping.
UPDATE: We recently stayed in another fabulous mountain property called the Bear Mountain Inn in Bethlehem. This is seriously one of the most gorgeous places I’ve ever stayed. It’s a gorgeous inn located right in the midst of the White Mountains. Definitely check it out if you are looking for an upscale, secluded getaway in the mountains!
Also, we recently skied at the faboulous Bretton Woods ski resort which is one of the biggest nordic centers in the US. It’s an awesome place for beginners and the scenery in the pristine White Mountains is about as close to Narnia as you can get. Bretton is just a 40 minute drive from the North Conway/Jackson area. There is a beautiful Omni property on-site (which is really pricey), but you can also plan a more budget friendly daytrip.
