*Click on the underlined resort name to go directly to the website
When our son Henrik started his job in New Hampshire with Liberty Mutual in the summer of 2016, Pete and I had no idea that we would spend every Thanksgiving and many summer holidays in the state over the next eight years.
I can happily report on quite a few of the BEST resorts New Hampshire has to offer. The “Live Free or Die” state is definitely worth visiting -many times. . The following is a quick snapshot of resorts and hotels we’ve experienced. Each resort was chosen after countless hours of research to find the perfect one for our ever changing vacation needs. Maybe yours?
Mountain View Grand Hotel - Whitefield, New Hampshire
What a wonderful place to celebrate Thanksgiving with your family. We visited twice for the late November holiday, 2016-17, enjoying both immensely. My biggest takeaways:
If you like an old-fashioned traditional Thanksgiving, this is your place. The hotel, dating back to 1865, evokes an era when resort meant “resort”. Mountain Grand’s amenities are vast, no matter the time of year. It was here where I first tried ax throwing (much harder than it looks).
The Thanksgiving feast is ginormous, featuring food selections guaranteed to please even the pickiest eaters. Most adults and children “dress for dinner” for the meal set in the grand ballroom. It’s simply charming.
For kids of all ages, there are animals on the property guaranteed to bring smiles and delight.
Best memory here? Going to bed Thanksgiving night and waking up to a completely Christmas decorated hotel in the morning. Grandparents joined me early in the grand lobby waiting for pajamaed grandchildren eagerly bouncing down the stairs to discover Santa’s helpers work during the night.
Traveler’s Tip: During our second visit, we secured a large suite large enough for the three of us. Alas, the wind kicked up and our sleep was disturbed by an odd banging above us. Turned out, we were sleeping directly underneath the hotel’s flag pole! Thankfully, management moved us to equally elegant and more quiet rooms.
Traveler’s Grade: A-
November - 2018. This year, we decided to change it up a bit and celebrate Thanksgiving at Stonehurst Manor in North Conway, NH. The late 19th century mansion first opened as an inn in 1946. It’s loaded with charm, but not personality.
It didn’t help that temps dipped near 0 degrees overnight that weekend and the winds were quite wicked. So much snow fell, we couldn’t venture far on the property. Fortunately, our rooms were lovely and each had a working fireplace we put to good use.
Unfortunately, the majority of the staff seemed underwhelmed by our presence. Thanksgiving dinner was fine but our table in the cavernous patio room left us feeling a bit sad we had no place else to be that year. We vowed then and there to try again elsewhere in 2019.
Traveler’s Grade: C+
Travelers Tip: North Conway is home to fantastic outlet shops. Be sure to put some time in your schedule to start your holiday shopping on Black Friday.
Turning once again to the internet, I found the Notchland Inn, located in Hart’s Location, N.H. for Thanksgiving weekend in 2019. Henrik had adopted a feline friend earlier this year. This inn offers cottages which allows pets, including cats. Purrfect!
Despite arriving in a driving snowstorm, we instantly grew charmed by our cozy accommodations. Our cottage featured two separate bedrooms, a full kitchen, a comfortable living room with wood burning fireplace, and best of all, a huge jacuzzi tub in the master. Despite the cook quitting shortly before Thanksgiving, owners Ed and Les put on a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner spread. Best of all, they made us feel very welcome and appreciated.
Best memory of this holiday? Hiking to Frankenstein’s Trestle in the gorgeous snow! I’m not sure we were supposed to be walking along the tracks so I’ll say no more other than the experience was unforgettable.
Traveler’s Grade - A
Our family’s favorite Thanksgivings in the past eight years were spent at the Wentworth Inn in Jackson, New Hampshire (2020-2022).
Of course, Covid restrictions kept our activities to a minimum in 2020; but in subsequent years, we enjoyed Jackson’s Jingle Bell Sleigh Ride and the nearby Mount Washington Cog Railway.
Jackson is super charming.
You’ll find plenty of hiking trails and the waterfall running right through town is breathtaking, especially in the chilly evening mist.
The Wentworth has amazing food, comfortable accommodations, and by all means, book early to snag a suite that comes with your own private outdoor hot tub (located off your bath). You don’t have to leave your room to enjoy the bubbles - Fantastic!!!
Traveler’s Grade - A+
There are plenty of wonderful summer lake resorts in New Hampshire as well. As a family, we’ve visited three.
In July of 2019, we enjoyed a great stay at the Lake House at Ferry Point Inn in Sanbornton, New Hampshire. Rooms are comfortable and breakfast is bountiful. Our trip highlights were the hours spent boating on the lake and lounging on the point. We had the whole little peninsula to ourselves most of our three day stay. The owners went the extra mile and retrieved their largest canoe in their barn for our paddling enjoyment. The only drawback is that you do have to cross a fairly busy road to reach lake access. Overall, Lake House at Ferry Point is worth checking out.
Traveler’s Grade - A-
Despite Covid travel being fairly restrictive and potentially dangerous, we decided as a family to find a location where we could all hunker down together in the summer of 2020. Our perfect quarantine getaway turned out to be Gray Shingles Camps LLC in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.
The four of us had plenty of room to hang out and relax in Nellies’ Cabin, just feet from the enchanting Rust Pond.
It is here where I learned how to paddle board and rewrite the entire first chapter of my soon to be published book Signs of Hope - Recognizing Messages From the Afterlife. Blessed with great weather, we enjoyed outdoor activities on the camp property along with exploring the rail trail in nearby Wolfeboro.
Despite the scary times that summer, we ended up having one of our best and most relaxing family vacations.
Traveler’s Grade - A
Our last summer New Hampshire vacation was spent at the Inn at Pleasant Lake in New London, NH in July 2021. This beautiful inn is another bucolic place to simply hang as a family while enjoying lake activities such as kayaking, canoeing and swimming. The resort also offers tennis, bocce, and volleyball. Two trip highlights included visiting the nearby Ice House Museum on a rainy day and enjoying a fantastic six course dinner on the inn's patio on a lovely and cool summer evening.
Traveler’s Grade - A-
There are lots of wonderful inns, b&b's, resorts, VRBO, and Airbnbs in New Hampshire. I’ve scoured the internet for countless hours to find the above vacation spots and look forward to trying out new ones in the years to come. New Hampshire is such a beautiful state; I doubt you can go wrong spending vacation time anywhere.
Travelers Tip: While we have not stayed overnight at the Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, NH, we have enjoyed a cocktail in the lounge and have hiked the beautiful river trail behind the gorgeous resort. The Omni is pricey but I must say - guests look pretty darn happy. If you don’t mind spending a small fortune, the resort should provide you with a fairly spectacular getaway in all seasons.
Wherever you are in New Hampshire, you will find loads of great hiking opportunities. We use AllTrails to find trails which fit our hiking skills. We have never been disappointed.
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