Every summer for the past four years, my family and our incredibly close family friends have traveled a little over two hours up to Carroll, New Hampshire, to stay at the Bretton Woods ski resort. This being the fourth time we have visited this beautiful area, I have deemed it time to tell everyone about our typical vacation in this location.
First off, we stay in a ski lodge. Yes, a ski lodge, in the middle of the summer. But staying in a ski lodge in the middle of the summer means that there is hardly anyone here, and it is amazing. We are truly in the heart of the mountains, staying in the topmost lodge of the resort. The place we stay at is incredible, with three floors housing almost twenty people without crowding. We have a beautiful view of the mountains, and right across the street is the famous Mount Washington Hotel.
The Mount Washington Hotel, a majestic and very old building, has been in service since 1902, and offers many amenities to those who stay in it. While I have never stayed in it, my family and friends have been on the grounds many times. Whether it be teeing up for golf, running through the trails surrounding the campus, admiring the beautiful nature scenes around the hotel, or enjoying a fancy dinner at one of the restaurants residing there, we have greatly enjoyed our time.
Staying from Saturday to Saturday, we never run out of things to do. We always make a trip to North Conway, exploring the familiar shops and sights along the way. We have a tradition of getting a cream soda in a glass bottle at Zeb’s, and always make sure to go into the penguin store. There are tons of hikes around this area, many we have done, but so many more that we haven’t yet adventured. Rain or shine, we make the best of the day and do what we can do. Whether it be a cornhole tournament indoors on a rainy day, an attempt at exploding a watermelon with rubber bands in the back, or playing a game of scat at the long wooden table on the middle level, we have a great time.
One of the things we have the most fun with, but not usually any luck with, is going out “Moosing.” This means that we all hop in the cars, and head out onto the road at dusk to try and spot some moose. We have been unsuccessful for three solid years, but have never given up hope that one day, we may in fact, see a moose. This year, our fourth season, as we are now regulars of the area, we decided to up our game by buying these giant spotlights from Walmart. And let me tell you, they worked! After an unsuccessful three previous years, we have finally seen a moose in the wild at Bretton Woods. And, not only did we see a moose, one night, but a moose and a bear the night after. Mission. Accomplished.
Bretton Woods has brought us many different experiences. Ziplining through the trees in Lincoln, reading along the Kancamagus highway, gazing up at the millions of stars visible through the refreshing lack of smog, Carroll, New Hampshire has become a second home to our two families that have merged to one, and I’m excited to see what is in store for our future trips to the ski lodge on Mountain View.
