Mountain Getaway in North Conway

Also a bed and breakfast, this is a great place year round to go on a sleigh ride, have a riding lesson or take a trail ride. It is a very short drive from the Village of North Conway.

April is not prime tourist season, so the two of us had a private trail ride with our guide Nancy, who had been working at the farm for years. She knew each horse by name, personality and history and as she said is very much a horse person. The horse she rode had been easily spooked when he first arrived at the farm, so she had put bells on his saddle to scare away the trail goblins and trolls. It made for a delightful sound as we rode lazily through the woods and pastures. Our trail took us along the Saco River and we were captivated by the panoramic views. . .Mount Washington with its white cap, the bright red roof of the Red Jacket Inn on the other side of the Saco River. . .

The cost was $45 per person for an hour’s ride.

Right in the center of town, Horsefeathers is a great place for a meal. There is lots of space on two floors, however if you are seated on the main level be sure to have a sweater as each time the door opens to admit new diners, cold wind blows in as well. Flyers advertised entertainment at times, however we were visiting during low season and there was no entertainment, which suited us just fine.

We both chose the salmon with a tomato bruschetta topping, a flavoured rice, and green beans almandine. It was all well-prepared and delicious.

In an old house just north of North Conway Village, the restaurant is a maze of rooms. Although the parking lot was full of cars, we did not have to wait for a table. The menu is extensive and includes sushi as well as a complete selection of meats, seafood, pasta, sandwiches, salads, soups, burgers. At our hotel we had seen a flyer indicating a special deal for $35: two can dine with a bottle of wine. With our menu and wine list, the double sided single addition listed the selections available for this special deal. The special was available from Sunday to Thursday in April. We were presented with a menu, a wine list and a single page double sided menu which had wines on one side and a selection of entrees on the other. On the chalk board a few specials were listed. We asked about the advertised deal and the single page menu was it. If you did not know, I don’t imagine anyone would tell you unless you asked. We both ordered the beef tenderloin and it was excellent; tender and moist and served with spiced mashed butternut squashes and mashed herbed potatoes. A garden salad preceded the meal and we could cork and leave with the remains of our wine.

Decades is just off the main street in the village of North Conway and on Tuesday there was a two for $22 special. Choices included pasta, chicken, shrimp, fish and two kinds of beef. The bistro beef I chose came with a side of buttered baby carrots and a demi-salad with a choice of dressing. My beef tenderloin was cold, but when it came back warmed, it was moist and flavourful. The Delmonico steak which my friend had was a fatty rib-eye steak with the same sides. The basic crème brule we had for dessert was just the right size. Service was prompt and friendly. Michael Jackson dolls, Howdy Doody puppets, a full size motorcycle and many other "pieces" prompted inquiries of the staff who tried their best to fill in the blanks

The Eastern Slope Inn is a large building at the Northern End of North Conway, but within walking distance of many of the attractions and amenities. The inn itself has a large number of rooms, and there are quite a few buildings close to the Inn, which also have accommodations under the Eastern Slope Inn management.

We were assigned a two room suite in one these buildings behind the Inn. One room had the kitchen area with microwave, fridge, table, sink and hot plate as well as bathroom with shower, and a double hideabed. This room had a screened porch as well as its own door to the outside. This room had a connecting door to another room, which had a Murphy bed and yet another hideabed. It had a large bathroom with Jacuzzi tub and its own door to the outside. It seemed that with this connecting door, it was possible that these two rooms could be rented out separately and called a studio or a hotel room. Space was tight and the televisions were small and the rooms although clean and well maintained had older dated furnishings.

We were surprised with a phone call asking how everything was and so when I said it was a bit awkward, she said there was some other availability and we could have a look at a large studio or another one bedroom unit in another building farther away. While I was getting the key for this another family was getting a key for a 4-bedroom unit, which was a bit of a drive away. There seemed to be several maps to different buildings--it seems Eastern Slope Inn has bought up many different stand-alone units around town.

The second unit we looked at and ended up staying at was much larger, the furnishings and building seemed newer, and the unit itself was configured in a more traditional layout of living/dining area and kitchen and then a separate bedroom with king size bed. The single central bathroom could be accessed through either room, so it was possible to use it without one party disturbing the other. There was a gas fireplace and each room had a television, although the one in the bedroom could only be used to play watch videos. There were lots of windows and sunlight streamed in.
Initially, our gas fireplace appeared to be nonworking and we had to call the front desk who promptly sent Lesley from maintenance. He was so fast; it was as if he was waiting outside our door. Scary!

Eastern Slope Inn has a few restaurants, a pool and a fitness center; however, we did not stay long enough to make use of any of these. The people at the front desk were friendly and helpful. We arrived a few hours prior to the official check-in time and hoped we would gain early access, but we had to wait until half an hour prior, which was frustrating as it delayed us getting settled. It was not a busy time of year, so it seemed rather petty to have to wait, but I guess the front desk staff probably do not have that much discretion to allow guests in early.