Beauty in New Hampshire
I saw the feature picture, and i didn’t care where it was, i wanted to go. Little did i know it was just a short trip north, to the Mount Washington Hotel surronded by the Presidential Mountain Range. Kent St. John depicts the beauty and history in his article, “The White Mountain’s Grande Dame.”
Traveling up the mile long driveway toward the hotel is a captivating experience that doesn’t diminish no matter how many times you take it. The 200-room pearl white Spanish Renaissance structure has the majestic Mount Washington for its focal companion. From a distance the distinctive red roof gives it an Alpine feel. The main hotel has over 900 ft. of verandah that captures the heart of the Presidential Range.
Upon entry you will step back 100 years! Huge stone fireplaces and a grand lobby will mark a period in time not found in many places today. It takes you back to the days when a vacation meant enjoying your companions, nature and place.
On our last visit, in March, we stayed in the main hotel. It’s an experience like being on a big old fashioned ocean liner. The halls are so long and the rooms are each named for a dignitary who stayed there during the 1940s when the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank were created in the hotel’s Gold Room.
I personally like to stay in the Bretton Arms Country Inn. It’s on the hotel grounds and each of the 34 rooms is filled with Victorian charm. It is also where the chauffeurs stayed while the big bank bosses cozied up at the main hotel. The small restaurant on the ground floor offers meals that any bon vivant would love. A wonderful lower budget option is the Bretton Woods Motor Inn with views of the Grande Dame. If going with a group or bigger family, a great alternative is to rent a Townhouse mountainside. They are large, comfortable and offer fireplaces, decks and full home facilities.
The resort also offers many special event weekends such as Murder Mystery and Gourmet Dining. The best event may just be relaxing and doing nothing at all. The veranda is a great place to amid the mountains and the trout-filled stream that passes the hotel. Getting lost on the many trails is also a peaceful selection. If in the mood, do it on the back of a horse.
