New Hampshire Attractions

If you have a laundry list of things to do on your next vacation, your destination is New Hampshire. The state truly justifies their motto, “Live Free or Die”, with tons of indoor and outdoor activities, plenty of shopping and antiquing, all season sport events, many art and entertainment scenes, and lots more. This year spice up the adrenaline with some white water sea-kayaking in the Saco River among the White Mountains. Slow down the pace instead on a panoramic hike with your family and children or follow a tour guide. Having 48 4,000 foot peaks, your bound to find a trail perfect for you. Try horseback riding at several of the state parks, play golf with some peers, visit historic sites on hundreds of different walking routes, or rent an ATV or snowmobile for some extreme action.

White Mountains Arts Festival

This August visit Jackson, New Hampshire for the annual White Mountain Arts Festival. This two day long festival is sponsored by the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce and is held in the Jackson Village Park on the 18th and 19th.

Artists both selling their work, as well as those there to be judged on their work, will be showing off their pieces to the public during the weekend. There will be musicians and an abundance of food vendors to attract visitors to the area as well. Jackson grew its popularity from artists traveling far and wide to paint there due to its outstanding view of the White Mountains.

If you want to spend a romantic weekend with your special someone at the Art Festival, be sure to visit the Inn at Thorn Hill. This full service inn has 25 rooms, a fine dining room as well as more casual lounge offerings. The Inn at Thorn Hill also offers a spa facility. This adult sanctuary was voted one of the ten most romantic inns in North America.

Getting Married In New England: Wedding Locactions

New England is quickly becoming a popular location for destination weddings. New England offers a wide variety of beautiful locations for every bride’s unique dream wedding. From crystal clear lakes, sandy beaches or snowy mountains, each New England state offers something picture perfect for your wedding all year long.

New Hampshire offers pristine lakes, mountains and oceans that each holds breathtaking views for your special day. A New Hampshire marriage license costs $45 and is valid for 90 days – then a certified copy can be requested for $12.

For a picturesque fairy-tale wedding, visit New Hampshire’s Chesterfield Inn in Chesterfield. The inns’ 10 acres of outdoor gardens is home to beautiful flowers and quaint ponds edged with cattails and willow trees and the habitat of a choir of frogs.

The Chesterfield Inn is a perfect fit for intimate weddings. The Inn design, reminiscent of an old New England farmhouse, has 15 guest rooms that have breathtaking views of the gardens and grounds with crab apple trees hung with white lights. Contact the Chesterfield Inn to start planning your special day.

Celebrate the Warm Weather at the Manor on Golden Pond

Warm weather means being able to relax outdoors – and where better to take a stroll through the woods than beautiful New Hampshire. Holderness, NH, located in Grafton County, is home to the pristine Squam Lake and Rattlesnake Mountains. The area’s serene scenery was discovered in the 19th century by visitors to the area, and continues to bring guests each year.

The Rattlesnake Mountains are home to 173 acres of protected, public property with a network of trails waiting for your footprints. If you are adventurous, you can even climb Mount Webster, the highest point in Holderness, reaching an elevation of 2,076 feet.

After your tranquil hike, visit the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center to learn more about the wildlife in New Hampshire. Open for over forty years, the Science Center offers live animal exhibits, education programs and even lake cruises. Visit http://www.nhnature.org/for more information. To complete your stay in Holderness, enjoy a relaxing getaway at the Manor on Golden Pond where elegant surroundings, kind hospitality, and fine dining await.

Conde Nast Traveler

The Inn at Thorn Hill & Spa has been selected as the #3 resort in the Continential United States. The New Hampshire spa and luxury small hotel was selected in Conde Nast Traveler Readers Choice Awards for the third time in four years. The New Hampshire resort is Mt. Washington Valley’s only AAA Four Diamond inn and restaurant.

Innkeeping comes with surprises

As soon as Jim and Ibby Cooper crossed the covered bridge to Jackson, New Hampshire, and saw the Inn at Thorn Hill, they knew they wanted to buy it. Hospitality is in Jim’s blood, being from a family in the business and working for 20 years for various hotels. Ibby was a teacher whose skills would be applied to training staff and developing programs.

Yet there were surprises to come. the Coopers had three children in college and one in seventh grade when they bought the inn, and shortly after, Ibby became pregnant with their fifth. Their new son was popular with their guests, as Ibby waited tables with him on her back.

“I thought I could do this for five years,” Ibby says, “but it’s now been 16 years. New England was an adjustment, as we’d lived before where it was warmer. But we’ve learned to enjoy the four seasons.”

An even bigger surprise occurred on October 13, 2002, when a fire destroyed the inn. All guests and staff were safe and sound, but the Coopers faced a decision, whether to walk away or rebuild. They chose to build a new inn like the original but with a long-range vision for growth.

Now the main building at the Inn at Thorn Hill and Spa has 16 guests rooms (up from 12), an award-winning restaurant, a wine cellar, a cooperage, and a spa with exercise room and dry sauna. After more than a year, the inn reopened on December 22, 2003 to welcome new and previous guests.

Jim and Ibby see their warm and attentive hospitality, which they instill in their staff, as key to the fact that 35 percent of their guests have been there before. “They come back to try different rooms, new menu items, and the various seasons here,” Jim explains.

The Coopers were among the three inns in northern New England that founded DINE. The group encouraged Europeans with their long vacations to come to the U.S. and stay at all three inns. The DINE idea grew, and now guests (like you) from anywhere in the world can plan a vacation with stays at Distinctive Inns throughout New England.

Culinary Classes in New Hampshire

Cooking and food enthusiasts will not want to miss the Manor On Golden Pond’s, New Hampshire’s only Small Luxury Hotel of the World, new offering of culinary classes “Fork In The Road” led by Executive Jeff Woolley. Participants can enhance culinary skills and learn to cook with the Manor’s professional team of chefs in a professional kitchen atmosphere. Each of the nine programs include: a two-day workshop (three-hours each day) with demonstrations and hands-on cooking for all participants. A selection of wine will be served with each dish prepared. Enrollment is limited to six participants to ensure individual attention. Optional afternoon culinary-related activities may be offered in conjunction with some of the cooking classes. “Guest chefs” receive a recipe book and complimentary culinary gift courtesy of the Manor On Golden Pond.Whether you’re a wizard in the kitchen or a gourmet wanna-be, the Manor On Golden Pond’s Fork In The Road Cooking Program is the ideal way to enjoy a culinary vacation with some rest and relaxation and is always in good taste.