We're dreaming of a White Mountain holiday season ....

By "White Mountain Mikey" Duprey, Granite State Ambassador

Isles of Shoals Class 2003

White Mountain Mikey is nothing but a 'Kid' at heart. You all know I love trains and what better time of the year to enjoy them then during the holiday season. Santa's Holiday Express at the Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway will let you visit with the Jolly Old Elf himself on a wonderful train ride through the picturesque Mt. Washington Valley. The Hobo Railroad in Lincoln offering a visit from Santa on a delightful ride in the Pemigewassett Valley along the Pemigewassett River. Don't forget both trains also offer a reenactment of the popular children's story, 'The Polar Express' by Chris Van Allsburg. The story of a young boy's magical journey to the North Pole. Sure to be the start of a family tradition.

A visit to the White Mountains during this festive season would not be complete with a trip to 'Christmastime' at Santa's Village on Rt. 2 in Jefferson. Come see some Special Shows, Rides, great Yuletide Festivities, and meet Santa and Mrs. Claus! Be sure to dress warmly, it’s cold in Northern New Hampshire at Christmastime. Don't forget to stop by the bakery and get your Ginger Bread Cookie and remember to ask for a Ginger Bread Girl! There's more cookie then the boy, trust me, I know these things.

10 Grand Christmas Gifts

10. For moose lovers in the family, give them a walk on the wild side. Dress their feet in moose slippers from Strictly Moose in Gorham.
www.StrictlyMoose.com
9. For the city dweller and anyone who longs to take a walk in the New Hampshire woods, stock up on balsam pillows available at Fiddleheads in Colebrook.
www.FiddleheadsUSA.com
8. Just about everyone loves a cold glass (or can or bottle) of beer, but for the ones on your holiday list who long to craft their own brew, check out the beer making supplies and kits at Granite Cask in Whitefield. How can you can you possibly go wrong in giving your brewmeister the way to brew Mastiff Drool English Style Barleywine?
www.GraniteCask.com
7. There are special people in our lives for whom the ordinary gift just won't do. For your mom, your Nana, your sister, your best friend, you need something extraordinary, like a one of a kind piece of jewelry or a hand-thrown pottery mug that will start their day by remembering you. Find something extraordinarily special at The Local Works Marketplace in Bethlehem.
www.WrenCommunity.org
6. It's Pancake's best friend - Maple Syrup. Serve up a hearty Grand North breakfast for far-flung friends and family with a gift basket from Fuller's Sugarhouse in Lancaster.
www.FullersSugarhouse.com
5. Baby, it's C-O-L-D outside! But being bundled up doesn't mean your loved one can't be styling with a toasty warm hat and mitten set handmade in the Grand North. Slide up to Creative Natives in Colebrook for a great, and colorful selection of fine wool hat, scarves and mittens.
www.northcountrychamber.org/creativenatives.htm
4. Got a penny? Got handful of them? Trade them for a bag of penny candy from Chutter's General Store in Littleton.
www.Chutters.com
3. The love of your life is the one who inspires you to be your best. Give her a true Grand North symbol of what she means to you from Greetings Jewelers in Berlin. their very own handcrafted design, Inspire, celebrates love and life and the possibilities that come about when they, and you, are joined.
www.GreetingsJewelers.com
2. What little kid was never entranced by a train? For the train lover in the family, get them a membership in the Mount Washington Cog Railway's Cogger Club. Joining up entitles them to ride as many times to the top of Mount Washington as they want aboard The Cog, including one trip in the cab of a biodiesel locomotive!
www.TheCog.com
1. Sometimes, the best gifts aren't the ones you can wear or even wrap, like the gift of relaxation. Give her, him or them a spa treatment to melt away the stresses of everyday life. Available at the Omni Mount Washington in Bretton Woods, the Mountain View Grand in Whitefield and the Carlisle Place in Jefferson.
www.OmniHotels.com
www.MountainViewGrand.com
www.CarlislePlace.net

Happy Chanukah from New Hampshire's own Adam Sandler

Manchester By Bed ... from France!

By Vivian Villemure, Granite State Ambassador
Sprint Class of 2002

The Franco American Centre has a really interesting exhibit in their art gallery. The exhibit is called "Manchester By Bed" because the artist, Erwan LeBot, Googled Manchester on the internet from his home in France, and downloaded actual real-time photos of our Queen City. From these pictures, he painted a collection of watercolor paintings. That is the basis of his exhibit which will be on view until the end of December. It is definitely worth a visit!

Looking for more Franco-American activities? Check out the Franco-American Heritage Tour in Manchester, NH, which includes a stop at the Franco American Centre!

Seasonal Strolling on the Heritage Trail

By: Richard Russell, Granite State Ambassador
Concentra Urgent Care Class of 2009

Visiting the Manchester area and tired after sitting on a plane or in a conference room?  If so, a walk or jog along the Heritage Trail in Bedford is just the thing to relieve all that stress.  Access is within walking distance of the Country Inn & Suites and Hampton Inn & Suites in Bedford.  Walk down Hawthorne Drive to Station Road to the river and the trail north or south.  Driving? Take Route 3 South of Macy's one and one-half miles to Hawthorne Drive. 

I walk the trail daily from March to November and longer depending

on snow and am amazed at how the trail and river changes season to season.  There are benches available where you can sit and relax and take in the view of the river and contemplate the days events.  You can even take a sandwich and rest at one of the rustic picnic tables.  Serenity is the name of the game and one of the great hidden away places to enjoy in the Manchester area.

The MadTav: Local Favorite for Visitors and Residents

By: Mary Jo Stephens, Granite State Ambassador

If you're ever in the Plymouth/Campton area and need a warm, friendly place to eat, I highly recommend going to the Mad River Tavern located on Rt. 49 in Campton, just off exit 28 of I-93. We decided early this morning to meet a friend there tonight for dinner.  


For the month of November, the Tavern has decided to have 3 dinner specials, which includes a house salad, each night Sunday through Thursday for the low cost of $10.00. Tonight, we each had one of the specials. I had the pork tenderloin with a mandarin BBQ sauce with walnuts and there were 3 nice pieces of very tender pork served with their veggie of the day, butternut squash and I chose rice pilaf as my side. I ended up taking 1 piece of pork home for my husband for his lunch tomorrow. My husband had the boneless short ribs with the side dish of macaroni and cheese (a nice size portion) as the ribs were so succulent & tender.  He also had a house salad. Our friend decided on the third special, a Blackened Chicken California Wrap which was stuffed with carrots, lettuce & guacamole. She chose to have steamed broccoli as her side along with some hot sauce & blue cheese dressing and she said it was delicious.   


We also love to sit in the Bar area, 

as the bartender also waited on us and does a spectacular job of keeping it all together, serving drinks to the bar, offering lively conversation and making sure that everyone is happy. Alot of the waitresses have been there many years and everyone does a great job at keeping everyone satisfied with really good food and service. Whenever anyone asks us what our favorite place to eat is, we always tell them that you can't go wrong with Mad River Tavern.

On a side note, they also serve lunch during the week and if you're looking for an inexpensive place to go, this is the place. Our hiking group went there on Tuesday after our hike and we all had one of the $5.00 specials (a delicious turkey, stuffing & cranberry sauce sandwich on your choice of bread, with gravy on the side and a generous portion of French Fries). It was an incredible deal that you can't pass up. For lunch during the week, they serve their tavern menu, located on the back of the menu along with their appetizers and 3 different $5.00 specials.

Believe me when I say, this is truly a great restaurant that aims to please as you'll see if you ever go there. They have quite an extensive menu where you can get anything from apps to salads, from burgers/sandwiches to pasta, seafood, steaks etc. Mad River Tavern is truly a find for those of you traveling to Central NH in the Plymouth/Campton area or if you're lucky enough to live close by, then you can frequent the Tavern as many times as you'd like. Enjoy!!!

We're not in October anymore ...

Submitted by Ami D'Amelio, GSA Programs Manager

So it is past Octoberfest season, but there is still a lot to do if you prefer locally brewed beer and New Hampshire-made flavor! Here are a few places to check out if you haven't already or if you are ready for another round....

Milly's Tavern, Manchester, NH

The only true brewery in Manchester, Milly's Tavern has 16 of their own brews on tap and handcraft them every week. They do offer a mug club for those that want to come back for more at a reduced cost. Or if you want to take yours home to enjoy, they also will fill 64oz. growlers to go! (You simply must try their Pumpkin Ale, which is typically brewed year round and one of my all-time favorites!) In addition, they boast their nightclub scene, some nights with live music, and food. It is a win all the way around!

Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth, NH

The Portsmouth Brewery is the original NH brewpub and has been serving great food and handcrafted beers since 1991. The brewery is connected through common ownership with the Smuttynose Brewing Company, also located in Portsmouth. Between their Smuttynose offerings and their in-house brews, looks like they have about ten on tap at the moment. They offer tours Thursdays, Friday and Saturdays at 1:00pm and 3:00pm, and also offer 64oz. growlers or 22oz. bomber bottles to take home with you. They are known for their famous Kate the Great Russian Imperial Stout (which if you are interested, will be released March 7, 2011 and scratch tickets to start being sold January 24th). I haven't personally had this brew, but am thinking 2011 might be my year!

Martha's Exchange Restaurant & Brewing Company, Nashua, NH

Located in downtown Nashua, Martha's Exchange offers upwards of 25 different brews throughout the year, with a rotation of semi-regular, seasonals and reserve beers. From the meager beginnings as Martha's Sweet Shoppe to a luncheonette to the gorgeous restaurant it is today, Martha's has grown up to be a strong force in food and beverage. Their food is spectacular and many dishes offer a modern twist on old favorites. A recent lunch companion actually claimed to have never witnessed anyone not thoroughly enjoy their fare. I have to agree - mine was delicious!

If you are interested in sampling a few brews for contrast and comparison, try out the second annual New Hampshire Brewers Festival on Friday and Saturday November 12 and 13, 2010, in the Armory at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, NH. There is a "Dinner with the Brewers" event on Friday night and two beer-tasting sessions on Saturday. More than enough opportunity to try out some new and savor some familiar brews. Over 18 brands are listed on the website, and the breweries listed above are included! Looking for a deal? The Radisson Hotel also offers garage parking, restaurant, lounge and package deals with rooms, meals and brewfest tickets.

Can't make the Festival? No worries, the New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism also offer a Brewery Tour map and brochure that you can download online at www.visitnh.gov and tour some of the best NH breweries at your own pace.

Prost!