Loon Mountain Offers Something for Every Snow Sport Enthusiast

By: Nathan Pasquale NHGSA Intern and PSU Student

I know a lot ofpeople may have forgotten about it, but along with winter generally comes snow.This season Mother Nature has been holding out on us, but we have managed tomake do with what we’ve got. This happens to be a whole lot of snowmachines.  Being a student from PlymouthState University, there are a variety of mountains that are close by, includingone of my favorites, Loon Mountain. I have the privilege to ride two or threedays a week at Loon, and over the past four years, I have learned a lot aboutthe mountain and the area surrounding it. 

Between the Kancamagus Highway and exit 32 on Route 95 liesLincoln and Woodstock NH.  This area is aclassic ski town. As you drive in from 93 you are bombarded with ski shops andlocal restaurants. All of which I drive by without a glance in anticipation ofgoing snowboarding.  However, if you’relooking for a new board, skis, or you’re new to the sport and are looking forrentals, make a quick stop at Lahout’s. Their customer service is great, andthey have an amazing selection of gear, and knowledgable people who love thesport. Don’t let their multiple locations fool you, look for the one with theold gondola outside, that’s where their skis and snowboards are located.

Moving on down the road and keeping your speed under thelimit (strictly in forced), Loon’s entrance comes into view. Once across theriver, make sure to check the main lot for spots. Although on a busy day theymay have a sign saying the lot is closed, take a spin through anyways, you maybe surprised of how close a parking spot you can find.

Once situated, it’s time to hit the slopes. I usually startwith a quick Gondola ride to the summit. Iif you don’t mind meeting new people,hop in the singles line with your friends and you can skip the whole wait.Loon’s peak provides the most trail options with all difficulties. If you’relike me and want to head to the terrain park, trails like Flying Fox and BearClaw provide a fun easy ride down to the main park.  If you are more of an all mountain rider andall you want to do is find some soft open trails, South Peak is a great escapefrom both lines and tracked out trails. South Peak, a new addition to Loon, hasintermediate and advanced trails.  Forthose up to the task, you can take Rip Saw, a double black diamond, which willkeep you coming back for more.  I reallyenjoy a few runs on South Peak but when it really snows, and it’s time for someglade and tree skiing, I bear right at the top and head over to North Peak.

NorthPeak, in my opinion contains some of the most exciting and fun trails atLoon. Can’t Dog and Bucksaw, both woodstrails, contain some great lines.  Staying to the center of Bucksaw has never leadme wrong - you can usually always find some deep snow in there. On a busy day,the solitude of the woods, along with the wind protection, can turn a cold busyday around. Hopefully with a little luck, we will have enough snow to enjoythis trail this season.

After a long day of fun in the snow, I like to relax on theporch of the Bunyan Room, grab the special of the day, and watch people comedown the mountain. If you’re looking to take advantage of some après specials,head to Gordi’s.  Here you can helpyourself to some complimentary popcorn, crackers and cheese. Gordi’s offers specialsfrom 4-5:30 every day.  I stopped in theother day, and they had 25¢ Buffalo wings!  Ofcourse if you’re looking for a refreshing beverage, there is an accompanyingbeer special as well.

I have been going to Loon now for 4 years, and each year Iseem to find something else interesting and fun. The Mountain is a great placeto ski and ride, and the town of Lincoln is a friendly environment whereeveryone is welcome. Next time you’re looking for a place to ski or ride, headto Loon, you won’t be disappointed.

Indian Head Resort Offers Many Perks

Submitted by Virginia Leighton, Granite State Ambassador
St. Mary’s Bank - American Credit Union Museum Class of 2008

Finally I got to break away and use my Indian Head Resort perk from 2010. They were great when I called to make a reservation for nights of November 17 and 18. Rose S (another GSA) joined me for the excursion. 

NHGSA Rose in Lincoln Woods

We left Concord in the morning on Thursday with a stop at the Tanger Outlets in Tilton. Since I like to give back to those who give to us we lunched at 104 Diner (Common Man property). During a stop at the White Mt Visit Center we realized White Mt Mikey was among the missing. 

Cruised Main Street for a bit and checked in at the Resort. We wanted to try the outdoor pool and jacuzzi, yet, did not want them to open for just us, so we opted for the indoor pool and hot tub. Cleaned up for dinner, I had the prime rib and we took desserts of cheesecake with strawberries back to our room for later. After that big dinner we walked around the property.   

Old Man on the Mountain Memorial

Friday morning we had a great breakfast and headed out to the Lincoln Woods Franconia Falls Trail. There had been a dusting of snow during the night and it was crisp and breezy. We were the only car in the parking lot. As we walked the trail the damage from Irene was still obvious, although many trail repairs were already done. The plan was out to the falls and back an approximate 6 mile round trip. When we approached the intersection of the Black Pond Trail Rose said that her husband had seen many moose out by Black Pond. We opted for Black Pond – the trail was good at first and then narrowed out with a steep drop on one side. That was “ok” until we got to a very steep drop off with a brook crossing and no obviously great way to cross. Remember we were heading to the falls and back (easy hike) so we did not bring our hiking poles. We decided not to risk possible injury and falling in the water – so we turned back to the falls trail. We hiked for about 3 hours and encountered two couples on the return trip.

View from Sugar Hill Sampler

Since the day was far from over we lunched at a sports bar in downtown Franconia, visited Garnet Hill Outlet, went to the Old Man Memorial, Harman’s Cheese, tried some letterboxing near Polly’s Pancake House and checked out the Sugar Hill Sampler (great views from there).  After all that we got back to the Resort and to our delight found the outdoor pool and hot tub opened for some other guests.  It was great until you got out. Dinner was great – I had baked stuffed shrimp. During dinner I looked around the dining room and spotted NHGSA Paul and a friend who had arrived on Friday for his two day stay.

NHGSA Rose on Roaring River Trail

Saturday morning we had breakfast, a stroll around the resort’s pond, a short letterboxing hike on the Roaring River Trail near the Flume and headed home.  We stopped some more at a shop in Tilton owned by my neighbor’s daughter and a stop at Rose’s father’s grave site in the NH Veterans Cemetery.  We also walked the area that has memorials for each branch of the service.  I was quite impressed- it is a great place to visit.

What a great early weekend packed with lots of activities.

All Aboard for the Polar Express!

By Ami D'Amelio, NHGSA Programs Manager, Granite State Ambassador, PSU Ice Arena Class of 2011

The holidays are a magical time of year and what better way to kick off the season but to take the beloved ride to the North Pole on the Polar Express! This year, my sister-in-law Bridget and I hatched a plan to score some tickets for our families on the Polar Express Event of New England, and it all started in September .... which made for a very early start to the holiday season...

For the Polar Express Event of New England, which leaves from either North Conway or Lincoln, your entry and donation must be postmarked by October 1st. (For those of you that are just thinking of the Polar Express now, there are a few tickets which recently became available from the Lincoln location you can click here to see the available dates and purchase online) So we both sent in our entries with donations - hers to Lincoln, mine to North Conway - hoping we could hedge our bets. On the scheduled call days, volunteers for the Polar Express Event work their way through all the entries, calling each person and offering whatever seats are still available. When you receive the call, you have to make your decision on the spot and provide payment. If you don't answer, you lose your tickets. We were lucky enough that Bridget's call day was first and she was able to get tickets for all of us on the same Saturday night. (Consequently, I did get a call the next day but it was quite late in the afternoon and no Friday or Saturday tickets were available) Thank goodness we divided and conquered!

Now, the D'Amelios are a rowdy bunch so we took the feedback from other families who had attended in the pajamas and decided to all dress in matching PJs - I am sure we were quite the sight! But the kids were excited (the adults, too!) so we headed off in our matching outfits for the 7pm departure from the Hobo Railroad in Lincoln, NH on December 3rd. We arrived early to get to the head of the boarding line, the two little boys were in heaven playing with trains in the gift shop!


Promptly at 6:30, the doors opened and we rushed to board the actual train. True to the book, the train staff came by with hot chocolate for everyone and we enjoyed the yummy treat all the way to the North Pole.

Upon arrival at the North Pole, Santa's elves were standing along the path to help guide us to the theater and played along well with the kids. Our elf "Icecube" was very playful and asked the kids about their Santa lists - delighting each and every one with his attention.

We settled into the theater and enjoyed a reading from The Polar Express. Then the Big Man came out to greet the sea of excited kids and took the time to walk around and greet each one. This was definitely the highlight for our crew! (We had no idea Santa had this kind of time on his hands during this time of year!) After selecting a child to receive the first gift of Christmas, we all made our way back to the train and started the long trek back to NH from the North Pole. During our ride, the train staff came around again, this time to give each child a sleigh bell to take home. My girls were so excited to exclaim that they could still hear it ring!

It was a very delightful evening, and fun to see so much of the book come to life before our very eyes. It was definitely a memory that will stay with us for a long time - hopefully our matching PJs will last as long! :-)

Bretton Woods Canopy Tour Great Way to Tour Mount Washington

Submitted by Dennis Roux, Granite State Ambassador Best Western Class of 2005

A very nice Sunday November 13, 2011 found Mariette and I traveling to Bretton Woods. We had reservations at noontime to take-in the Bretton Woods Canopy Tour of tree-top zip lines. Now the decision to do the Tour did not come easy. Both Mari and I have our issues with heights and motion sickness. But this Tour was to celebrate my 65th. So “issues” went out the window.

Our tour included five “young” riders all from Portland, Me. In total our group numbered seven. After signing the requisite paperwork, our guides Carl and Zake set us into harnesses, moved us to a van, and we arrived near the mountaintop for a few minutes of instruction and a practice zip.The keys to Zip Lining are the body curling and the hand braking. If you are bad at either or both your run may come up short or long, A slow run may cause you not to reach the arriving platform. If you fail to brake you may come up too long (read over shooting the arriving platform). Not good!

I came up short of the approaching platform on 6 of 9 zips. However, I mastered the last 3 zips. A short zip means you have to manually pull yourself along the cable up to the arriving platform, or the guide has to extend himself out from the platform to pull you in. An overshoot of the platform means the guide has the challenge of catching and stopping you from hitting the tree that is holding up the arriving platform. It is somewhat embarrassing when you don’t meet the “platform” goal.

This is a wonderful way to spend 3-4 hours. The crew is experienced and safety is the name of the game. Being outdoors with the Presidential Range as your neighbor is just the best. Bretton Woods Canopy Tour consists of 9-10 Zip Lines (depending on the season), 2 Sky Bridges, and 3 Rappels down trees. Zip lines range from 120 to 830 feet with the maximum height from the ground of 150 feet. The views were wonderful and much appreciated especially since as “youngsters” we have hiked much of the Presidential Range. Mt Washington was crusted in snow. The Mount Washington Cog Railway stands out and on our day at Bretton Woods there were two train runs to the top of the Mount. A glass of wine at the Mt. Washington Hotel followed by dinner at the Common Man Italian Farmhouse in Plymouth finished a wonderful day.

While working MHT I have only had a couple of inquiries about Zipping in NH. A Zip Line Tour is a great recommendation to our guests. My understanding is that there are 3 Zip Line Tours in N.H. Mari and I will be buying tour gift certificates for our adult kids for Christmas. And certainly Zip time at Bretton/Mt Washington is on my GSA recommendation list.

Can't Go Wrong with the Kanc!

Submitted By: Ed Gartland, Granite State Ambassador Franco-American Centre Class of 2007

One day at the Big E two women came up to me and started thanking me profusely. While I was trying to figure out what magnificent act I had performed, one of them got a little more specific and said they were so happy that they had spoken to me at last year's Big E and when they asked what they should do on an upcoming visit to NH I recommended a drive across the Kanc. (I always recommend a drive across the Kanc. How can I go wrong?)  Well, following my advice, they did drive across the Kanc and the Bear Notch Rd, as well. They were still aglow with the experience! The thing that really caught their attention was an inquisitive red fox who approached them at one of the lookouts along the Kanc. They were drinking water and munching on rice cakes. They offered some to the fox and he (she?) was only too happy to share lunch with them.

So, remember ~~~ always recommend the Kanc and notify the wildlife that you're shipping in some tourists.

Polly's Pancake Parlor is Delicious Any Time of Day

Submitted by Sue Geyer, Granite State Ambassador
Currier Museum Class of 2010

Last fall when my folks were visiting, we took a drive upnorth. Since two of my Father’s favorite foods are maple sugar/syrup and pancakes, I decided to take them to Polly’s Pancake Parlor. I hadn’t been there in a long time and was delighted that it had the same warm rustic feel I remembered.

Although they have a lot of other things on the menu, we were set for breakfast and that is one of their strengths. The fact that they have a tray on the table with maple syrup, maple cream and granulated maple sugar was a big hit. My Dad ordered a full stack of pancakes while my Mom and I did the half stack along with some meat. They have a variety of batters along with different add-ins. And you can opt for up to three different combinations. So I think I had blueberry buckwheat, walnut buttermilk and coconut cornmeal. They are 3-inch pancakes and you get either 3 or 6. What’s really nice if you order the full stack is they bring you three to begin with and then after a little while bring you three more hot from the griddle. And everything was delicious!

The dining room overlooked the mountains and is beautiful. Someone happened to spot some bears playing and clued in the rest of the dining room.

They also have a wonderful little gift shop, which includes Polly’s pancake mix and lots of maple products. You can also order off their website year round.

However, they are closed in the winter, so don't hold off a visit of your own! Once they close for the season, they won't open again until the beginning of May 2012 (check their website for seasonal details). Whenever you do visit, it’s a great destination any time of the day.

Get a Glimpse of the Past with Route 3 Retro Tour

Betty's Travel Planning Tips
Submitted by: Betty Gagne, Granite State Ambassador, First in the Nation Class 1999 & Customer Service Assistant NH Division of Travel & Tourism Development

Set of signs promoting Burma-Shave, on U.S. Route 66.
Courtesy of Wilkipedia.

If you’re old enough to know what a Burma Shave sign is, then you might remember what is was like to pile into the family car and travel aimlessly on a vacation. I’m talking about going back in time, even before Interstate 93 was constructed through New Hampshire. A time when road trips were a way of life, lodging reservations were unheard of, and each corner you turned brought a different adventure. Fast forward to our Route 3 Retro Tour, one of our newest itineraries on VisitNH.gov.

The Retro Tour takes you along Route 3 beginning in Meredith and ending in Pittsburg. During the ‘50’s and ‘60’s, this was the main north-south route that vacationers and business travelers frequented. Follow this path today and you may be surprised to know that many of the attractions and motels along this route are the same ones that were there way back when. Stops along the road include diners, motels (which is a term that blended the words ‘motor’ and ‘hotel’), time-tested attractions (like Clark’s Trading Post, one of the oldest in the state), and beautiful, natural scenery. Did you know that gasoline was 15 cents a gallon in 1950? The itinerary contains an interesting timeline with many historical dates and facts like this about how life has evolved since the ‘50’s. 

The Route 3 Retro Tour is a must-do for visitors, as it paints a clear picture of what it was like to travel through New Hampshire after the end of World War II. Happy Retro Touring!