Another Week in North Conway

This is one of our favorite towns in NH. We spend at least one week each winter, mainly to ski. The mountain is small, but interesting - old fashioned - in that it has some wide open gentle slopes, a few very steep trails, many narrow curvy tails, glades that especially the kids enjoy, and of course the parks for boarders and two "magic carpets" for the newbies.

For the non-skier or in case of inclement weather, there's always shopping......And it's fun here. The Main Street is lined with small shops of all kinds - Logo shops, gift shops with neat eclectic gifts not seen everywhere, a hat shop, children's specialty clothing by Wooden Soldier, ski shops and for an old fashioned town - of course the General Store with you'll find home made soap, jams and jellies and even penny candy in a jar!!! What fun. And about a mile away is a large Outlet Mall with dozens of stores including the infamous LL Bean. And along the highway is Walmart, T J Maxx and the Christmas Tree Shop.

Nightime comes alive with restaurants of all kinds, from very quiet and romantic, to gourmet, Pubs with music, Chinese, Mexican and Thai, Steak Houses and the fast food McDonald's and Burger King. Something for everyone.

Summertime is even busier than winter...concerts, Storyland a few miles away, river rafting and canoing, hiking either the local sightseeing train rider from North Conway or a drive or train ride to the top of Mt. Washington - These activities will fill your days.

Quick Tips:

Make sure that you pick up the local paper-they are free all around town and list all the specials at restaurants such as Early Bird, Two for One dinners, Seafood Buffet Night etc. Entertainment is available at one place or another every evening - again this is listed in the newspaper. You'll find comedy, Karaoke, guitarist,combos or trios and country music.

North Conway is a good central location to branch out from. There are six or seven ski areas within an hour's drive - Bretton Woods is not to be missed - the snowmaking and grooming are great and the view of the Mt. Washington Hotel is spectacular - stop in for a drink after skiing.

Jackson NH is a lovely small town with covered bridges, a village green that turns into a cross country ski area in the winter, a few lovely hotels, a general store and restaurants again to suit your mood. We especially like the bar area at the Inn at Thorn Hill in early evening for their bar menu and music while sitting by the fire.

Best Way To Get Around:

There is so much to do in this area that a car is a MUST. In summer and winter (the busy seasons) - a local shuttle operates and stops at the larger hotels, motels and shopping mall.

Taxis are not plentiful - the hotel staff will call one for you if necessary. There is bus and train service to Boston for connections to the airport, but I recommend renting a car and driving - It's about a three hour drive from Boston, two and a half from Manchester NH and two hours from Portland Maine.

One of our favorite exchanges in ski country is The Suites at Eastern Slope in North Conway, NH. It's in the center of town on Main Street within walking distance of eclectic shops and a few restaurants. You have use of all the facilities of the Eastern Slope Inn - an older hotel turned into suites with a pool, gameroom, very small gym, a coffee shop - "Espresso Grind", and a bar/restaurant - "Flatbread" with a very limited menu known for their wood oven flat bread pizza. The very large lobby has a few seating areas with comfortable sofas and chairs and even complimentary internet access.

The Suites are behind the Inn on two terraced levels - the newer of these two is called "Whitaker Suites" - We have previously exchanged in the "Carriage House Suites" they are basically the same - I've reviewed them here in the last couple of years, but I'll make comparisons in this review.

It was easier to park on this lower level – more spaces were available and since it was further away from Main Street, non-guests did not use the spaces. Whitaker Suites were more quiet in regard to street noise and the bothersome early morning noise from maintenance and the laundry room (these are on the basement floor of the "Carriage House Suites".

We were in a studio with a pull out and a murphy bed. The furnishings are good quality, utilitarian condo style. No complaints at all. Nice touches include artificial plants, a very large bathroom a Jacuzzi tub fit for two. A gas fireplace is the main source of heat for the unit - I found it romantic, but strange to wake up in the middle of the night to a fire……Some cost saving changes include a smaller dining table that seats four instead of six and a smaller sink/vanity area in the bathroom. Looks like an afterthought since there is too much unused space – the longer counter with double sinks would fill the space in a more attractive way. They have removed a linen closet in the bathroom and converted the space into a toilet stall – some may like this – I prefer the older bathrooms.

This kitchen has a stove top instead of a portable two burner plate – much nicer and easier to use. Whittaker also has a full size dishwasher that it quite noisy – make sure that you’re going out to dinner when you turn it on rather than when you are ready for bed. Dishes need to be washed every day even with this larger appliance because you are provided service settings only for four. A washer/dryer hidden in a closet is convenient in ski country.

Wireless internet access is available in these new units, but for some reason it is lost every Sunday night – some times it is restored on Monday or it can take as long as 2 days. You can go to the lobby, but it is quite a walk uphill from this newer section.

These units are very comfortable and extremely clean. We will continue to return to this resort, but if there is an option, we will confirm our exchange into the Suites at Eastern Slope instead of the older hotel accommodations at Eastern Slope Inn, but hopefully we will occupy the older Carriage House Suites instead of the newer "Whitaker" section.

The most popular pub in town, lunchtime, afternoon, evening, and late night, this is the place that's always busy. As you enter on the left there is the bar area, a long bar, usually with at least a few locals. You have a choice of hi-top tables by the windows or booths and tables farther in. To the right is the dining room set on two levels. The lower street-side area has tables and is very appealing at lunchtime because the sun shines in. Up two steps is a darker area with large booths.

The decor consists of old-fashioned signs: Post Office, Woolen Mills, Tailor, etc. Lots of energy is felt here, with groups of all ages, families, shoppers, visitors, and the apres ski crowd. Everyone is happy and there's a lot of chatter. Bustling, efficient service is given by a young and energetic staff. The food looks and tastes great, the menu is extensive, and the specials at both lunch and dinner are always tempting. Our favorites include the onion soup overflowing with melted cheese, PEI mussels, perfectly done half-pound burgers with puffy fries, open-faced Reuben sandwiches, beef medallions with mushrooms, grilled swordfish, and the nachos grande. And don't forget dessert!!

Are you coming later at night? Just follow the sound of music up the stairs. There's another bar, dance floor, and stage area. A few nights a week they feature either a combo, musician, comedian, or even karaoke and open mic. You can even order bar food as snacks if you're there early enough.

One of the specials that we found while reading The Ear—North Conway's weekly newspaper geared towards tourists, was "Two's Day" on Tuesdays. Two meals for $25.00—quite a bargain we thought.

The parking lot was crowded—we were a few minutes early for our 7pm reservation. A friendly host and hostess met us at the door and we were seated immediately. There were hi-top tables in the bar area, and green clothed tables in the dining room. Don't hesitate to accept a hi-top—they are large and seat four comfortably, even for a full dinner.

There is lots of atmosphere—you are immediately made to feel warm and welcome. There are many neat, casually dressed diners—mostly tables of four, and a few families with well behaved children. Neatness and order comes to mind, rather than excitement here. Dark green and burgundy decor, neat slatted wood blinds on the windows with decorator valances and captain's chairs, give the room warmth. Interesting showcases serve as dividers—inside of these are sports and entertainment memorabilia from each of the decades since 1920—interesting conversation pieces.

The specials menu for Tuesdays is extensive—there must have been 20 choices. Of course, steaks of all kinds, prime rib, fillet, delmonico, strip, chicken done a few ways, pastas including fresh clam sauce, fish, stuffed shrimp, pork, and vegetarian choices. Appetizers and salads are listed at additional charges. We chose beef, both the prime rib and delmonico steak were cooked to perfection and served with warm bread, and a choice of baked, mashed, or french fried potatoes. Everyone was served the same vegetable, mashed butternut squash, not terribly innovative!! The portions are large, and many were left with doggy bags. The desserts in the restaurant are for sharing—a brownie sundae could have served four people... but we ate it all!!
Martinis are their specialty drink and they are served in oversized chilled glasses. Their "Two's Day" special is certainly a good value.
You can access their simple website at www.decadessteakhouse.com.

Every year we spend at least 1 week skiing in North Conway. Although Cranmore Mountain is only 1200 vertical feet, we enjoy the ambiance, old-time skiing on winding trails that interconnect, the perfect grooming, the fact that it is hardly ever crowded, and friendly workers. In the past couple of years we have noticed that some services were either non-existent or cut back. We wondered how much longer we would continue to visit. Happily, this year it’s back to it’s old-time self. Better offerings for food, a fire always burning in the lodge, and best of all, The Meister House—a log cabin at the top of the mountain is open every day.

The Meister House sits at the very top of the mountains with awesome views of the valley. It’s a large log cabin with warped wooden plank floors and a great wrap around deck. When the sun shines that great porch is the best place to have coffee and rest your legs. The traffic flow has been improved with the addition of a second door leading to the self-serve coffee and hot chocolate area. A large table in the center is good for groups, and Cranmore does gets lots of groups of seniors, racers, students, and (on weekends) families skiing together. Smaller tables, and some new ones added, are along the windows that overlook the great porch and that awesome view.

The brick fireplace is ablaze and is now flanked by two sofas that are very comfy!!! And the food service has definitely improved. Starbucks specialty coffees, hot chocolate, juices and microbrews, at least two choices of soups served in bread bowls, they’ll even put chili or mac and cheese in the bread bowls. The usual hamburger, hot dogs and specialty sandwiches are really fresh made and gook. On Saturdays and Sundays you can treat yourself to brunch. Omelettes, scrambled egg platters, and even eggs Benedict... sure sounds good. And desserts are appealing, too. We’re so happy to see our favorite old-fashioned refuge opened again at the top of Cranmore, and it's better than ever.

We enjoyed such a lovely evening in Jackson NH. Our first introduction to the Inn at Thornhill happened two years ago after spending a delightful afternoon in this quaint New England village, watching sculptors work their magic on large blocks of snow and ice for the "Ice Festival". We walked a few hundred yards up a steep hill to this elegant "Inn". We were welcomed by a hostess and accompanied to the bar area where tea was being served for their guests - but she invited us to join in. A beautiful display of home made cookies was set up on the grand piano.

We took a seat on twin sofas flanking the fireplace and enjoyed very large Blood Orange Martinis - and succombed to a few cookies as well. Guests meandered down from their rooms and a few others found their way in from the cold. The pleasant bartender and overhead music made for a memorable ending to a fun day.

On this recent visit to North Conway, on one of our ski trips, we noticed in the local newspaper, that on Monday evenings, entertainment was provided in the lounge by a piano player and singer/guitarist. We arrived shortly after 6PM to find that we were the first to appear - Oh Oh...I like a room to have energy.....I was hoping that it wouldn't be too quiet...the musicians were playing, the bartender awaiting, and our seats by the fireplace beckoning!!! Within fifteen minutes another ten to twelve guests arrived. The bar itself seats 10 -12 people. A single male chose that as his spot for the evening - there are a few loveseats with cocktail tables and behind the piano are a few tables for four set for dining along the windows overlooking the front porch or the snowfields and mountains in the distance. It's a very comfortale size lounge with a warm feeling.

A special lounge menu has small sized and medium sized offerings - the new trend it seems - priced from $7 - $12. Salads, fried mac and cheese, mussels, soup, lasagna, lamb burger, pork chop etc..... We order the famous large martinis made with fresh squeezed juices. The martini menu had lots of innovative choices - we chose the Hendricks Gin with cucumber and another with a blend of Tangueray, Absolut and Cointreau - both served in chilled martini glasses, well shaken and beautifully garnished.

What did we eat???? Fried mac and cheese - a small offering interested us...A good choice...a snowball size ball of mac and cheese covered in crumbs, probably "panko" and then deep fried....this was served on a concasse of smoked tomato - Must make it for the grandchildren. I like the "Italy" style of lasagna made with bechamel instead of ricotta, so I asked about the preparation....After describing the dish, the bartender shared that his favorites were the porterhouse pork chop and the lamb burger - we went along with his recommendation....Another good choice.

The porterhouse chop was cooked to perfection - slightly charred and still juicy - a nice size for a small plate but probably not enough for a man-size appetite....just order another ...or another small plate - tasting is the style here. The dish waas beautifully presented with fresh cross cut fries that were perfectly crisp, salty and just out of the frylator. One couple did choose to eat in the dining room - a different menu - but I think that on Mondays, the bar is the place to be. The dining room is quite nice, but the atmosphere in the lounge with the music cannot be missed.

This will be a "must do" each time that we ski in the area - we may even decide to spend a summer evening here.