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Lupines
in Spring |
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A
Monarch butterfly we saw hatch from its cocoon |
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A
young male moose scratching himself on one of our fence
posts |
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| There is something for everyone of all ages in the White Mountains of New Hampshire during any time of the year. For a comprehensive list of all of the area’s attractions you can log onto the White Mountain Attractions website. |
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Lupines and Lady Slippers abound in early June. Franconia
and Sugar Hill host the Lupine Festival each year. For all
area events throughout the year, log onto franconianotch.org
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Lupine Festival |
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Bald Knob just below the summit of North Kinsman
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In
the summer and fall, many people come to hike. The trails to
Bald Knob and Bridal Veil Falls are 1/4 mile away from Pinestead
Farm Lodge. |
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Bridal Veil Falls
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Bob and Kathleen in King Ravine
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Your hosts, Bob and Kathleen, are avid hikers and backpackers, and there certainly are plenty of hiking trails nearby for all levels of ability. Let us know what you would like to do and we can make suggestions and give you some trail descriptions.
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Hiking isn’t the only pastime in the
White Mountains. There are plenty of places to go both mountain
and road biking. You can check out the Franconia
Sport Shop for bicycle rentals, information, and suggestions
on some places where it should be fun for you to ride. Moose
tours are available at the Pemi Valley Excursions in Lincoln, only a half hour away.
Horseback riding is also available a mile and a half away, where
you can take a plane or glider ride at the Franconia Soaring
Center, as well. And, there are several golf courses in the
area for you to experience.
Take a refreshing dip in Echo Lake. You can kayak, canoe and
fish there, as well as in Profile Lake and some of the rivers
nearby. And you can ride the tramway up to the summit of Cannon
Mountain to enjoy the breathtaking views. If antiquing is
your thing, you will find several shops less than 10 minutes
away. Three miles from Pinestead Farm Lodge is the Frost
Place where Robert Frost lived for five years and wrote
many of his poems. Today, people can tour his house, which is
a museum, and is used as a non-profit educational facility for
poetry and the arts.
There are thrills and adventure for the whole family in the
White Mountains. How about a Summer
Safari? This is an action packed, off road experience
in a 6 wheel drive military vehicle up Barron Mountain. Alpine
Adventures offers even more excitement on their Zip-line
Treetop Adventure where gravity zips you down on a course
through the tallest trees on the mountain. Whale’s
Tale Waterpark has a wave pool, slides and a lazy river.
Hobo
Hills Adventure Golf is fun filled miniature golf played
“hobo” style amongst waterfalls and streams throughout
the course. Clark’s
Trading Post has live, trained bears, a train ride, shows
and water bumper boats. A gondola ride up to the summit of
Loon Mountain
to their observation deck and glacial caves is worth the trip.
And you cannot return home without first sampling Polly’s
Pancake Parlor. Located not much more than 5 minutes from
Pinestead Farm Lodge, Polly’s
Pancake Parlor serves sumptuous homemade pancakes, waffles,
and French toast with homemade maple products, jams and spreads
while you take in the spectacular views that Sugar Hill, NH
has to offer. And while you are in Sugar Hill, be sure to
stop by Harman’s
Country Store, a charming old fashioned red country store
famous for their "World's Greatest Cheddar".
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The shadows from our tall pines on a fall morning
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Fall foliage speaks for itself. Sugar
and red maples, white and yellow birches, poplars and beech
trees are resplendent in their bright hues of reds, yellows
and oranges. |
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| The New
Hampshire Highland Games are held at Loon Mountain in the
fall. So many Scottish activities and events, bagpipes and kilts,
all taking place for an entire weekend amidst the splendor of
the fall foliage.
Take an hour’s drive to Danville,
VT’s Corn
Maze and experience the twists and turns of a maze you
can attempt to navigate, constructed solely from corn stalks
that were grown in that location specifically to make the
maze.
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| Winter time brings a myriad of activities
to the White Mountains. You can cross country ski for free
on Franconia Inn’s groomed trail system when you stay
at Pinestead Farm Lodge. Alpine skiing and snowboarding are
less than 10 minutes away at Cannon
Mountain, and less than 30 minutes from Loon
Mountain and Bretton
Woods. |
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Sunset
across our front field in the winter |
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In the winter people also find places
to ice climb, ice skate, snowshoe and go winter hiking. Equipment
can be rented for skating and showshoeing, as well as everything
you need for alpine skiing and snowboarding, at the Franconia
Sport Shop located in the center of Franconia village.
And, for a truly memorable experience, you can take a horse
drawn sleigh ride at the Franconia Inn.
Snowmobiling is another winter sport and Alpine
Adventures offers guided tours, along with rentals on
all the equipment and the gear you will need. Be sure to check
out their new and exhilarating Zip-line
Treetop Adventure which is now open all year.
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One of many hidden waterfalls in Lost River
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Lost River Gorge: Walk through caves, gorges and over a covered bridge where Lost River appears and disappears throughout your journey. |
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| Flume Gorge: A covered bridge, waterfalls and natural scenic beauty abound in the Flume. |
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