On a recent podcast, my co-host Jim posed the question to our guest, Matt Woodward, whether it’s Green or White Mountains for him. Much to my chagrin, Matt (along with Jim) is team Whites. Vermont, home of the Green Mountains, has always been a second home for me. Vermont has always struck me more than New Hampshire. Truth be told though, vacationing the last four summers in the White Mountains, I’ve really become quite taken with this region too. This July, we packed tons of fun into a weekend in the White Mountains.
Seasons at Attitash
Staying at a condo at the Seasons at Attitash, we had the perfect jumping-off point for exploring the eastern side of the mountain range. Growing up, I had always stayed in Woodstock or Lincoln on the western side. The Seasons at Attitash is a condo complex situated close to the base of Attitash Mountain in Bartlett, New Hampshire. The condo is roomy with two bedrooms and a loft with many beds and a play area for the kids. There is also a playground, pool, and fitness center on-site.
Jackson Falls
After arriving at the condo, our first stop was Jackson Falls in Jackson, New Hampshire. To me, it’s the perfect way to begin a weekend in the White Mountains. Although Diana’s Bath is closer to Seasons, the line here is often queued up onto the street making it a long wait. With kids, waiting is not always fun.
Just as pretty is Jackson Falls. Situated in the heart of the village, this is a series of cascades of varying sizes. None are too steep though which makes exploring the waterfall’s rocks fun for adults and kids alike. Look for parking alongside Carter Notch Road. If the lot is full, park in the center of town and walk up the road. There are plenty of pools to play in and rocks to climb.
Matty B’s Mountainside Cafe
Matty B’s Mountainside Cafe is located across from Attitash Mountain. It is a perfect family dining establishment and is also popular for apres-ski drinks. Looking for a table to fit seven, Matty B’s is a great option. There are plenty of kid-friendly menu choices such as pizza and hot dogs but also enough other selections for adults. I ordered poutine for the table and fish tacos. Both I enjoyed tremendously and even had the kids help me with the poutine!
Story Land
The ultimate attraction for the kids in the White Mountain region of course is Story Land. Story Land is a kiddie theme park that began in the 1950s. Hence the name, the theme is nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Highlights of the park were Dr. Geyser’s Remarkable Raft Ride, which we rode first and ultimately left me soaked for the rest of the day, and driving the antique cars.
My older son, who is five, thoroughly enjoyed his first roller coasters, the more tame Polar Coaster and the daring Roar-a-Saurus. I’m not a rollercoaster guy. Thunder Mountain at Disney is pretty much the extent of rollercoasters for me. I figured given the age group how bad could this dinosaur-themed coaster be? Well, let’s just say after the 45-minute wait, what looked like a tame wooden roller coaster from afar turned out to be high speeds and daring drops. He loved it. I closed my eyes.
The ride that left all the adults a bit woozy was the turtle tilt-o-whirl. For a moment, I thought I was going to lose my breakfast. One friend with us was down for the count for the remainder of the park due to dizziness and nausea from this seemingly tame ride! The kids all had an absolute blast at Story Land. From rollercoasters to exploring nursery rhyme locales such as the Old Woman in the Shoe and the Three Little Pigs, it was the perfect park for the group of kids aged five to two.
Red Fox Bar and Grill
That night we booked reservations at the Red Fox Bar and Grill in Jackson. Every time I have driven by here it was packed! A super-early reservation is all we could get but it was great timing due to the child quota of our group. The kids enjoyed their meals and so did my wife and me. I had the wood-fired Red Fox Combo with shrimp and chicken. It is a large restaurant and family-friendly which bodes well with loud and at times, restless children.
Trail’s End Ice Cream
An early dinner meant that we had time to stop at Trail’s End Ice Cream in Intervale. This classic ice cream stand serves huge scoops! Originally, I was going to order a kiddie size but instead opted for a small. A small was literally two softball-sized scoops! The mocha chip and a black raspberry chip yogurt combo was my choice. It satisfied me but left me very full!
The Met Coffeehouse and North Conway
During this visit, we did not book a trip on the Conway Scenic Railroad, much to my younger son’s chagrin. We did grab breakfast sandwiches at the Met Coffeehouse near the station. I also ordered a white chocolate latte. Typically I don’t flavor my coffees but this sounded good, and it was. Eating the sandwiches and drinking coffee in the park at the center of North Conway was an excellent way to start the day. And at least we were able to see the trains come and go from the train station.
Cathedral Ledge
Although the signs said the road was closed, we drove up the twisty incline to the top of Cathedral Ledge. Cathedral Ledge towers over North Conway at 700 feet. It is a popular rock climbing destination as the granite cliff is scalable. I prefer driving to the top and enjoying the view of the Saco River Valley below. The panorama is gorgeous from up here and I could only imagine what it is like in the autumn.
Sea Dog Brewpub
Dinner that day was at the tried and true Sea Dog Brewpub. Although a chain, we knew the food would be good and the restaurant family-friendly. I had seafood over pasta, always a favorite meal of mine. It did not disappoint. Pair that with a flight of beer and the meal was a winner.
Christmas Loft
A highlight of the trip was the visit to the Christmas Loft. This everything-Christmas store is located near the Sea Dog Brewpub on Route 16 in North Conway. Many years ago, a seemingly fake Mrs. Claus was actually a real person who “came to life” when entering the store. This scarred my wife and for years she refused to visit.
Luckily, no Mrs. Claus this time. The focal point of the store is a Dickensian Victorian Christmas village with animatronic characters and holiday favorites heard overhead. My older son thoroughly enjoyed it while my younger son was on the fence between being scared and intrigued.
Next to the store is their Halloween branch. This frightened the kids in parts with grotesque figures. Lollipops at the candy store next to the Halloween store quelled their fears.
The Basin
On the next day, we ventured to the eastern side of the White Mountains. The Basin in Franconia Notch State Park is truly one of my favorite walks. It is short in length and accessible to older and younger legs. What it lacks in length it makes up for in natural beauty. The Pemigewasset River flows from the mountains up and around bends and cascading over rocks culminating with the actual Basin which the river has carved out of rock from eons of rushing water.
Littleton
Traveling north from the Basin in Franconia Notch, we had lunch and explored the town of Littleton. For northern New Hampshire, Littleton is almost a city with a real main street and fun stores. Chutters, the iconic candy store with the largest candy counter in the world was closed during our visit. We did pop into a book and toy store though before having lunch at Schilling Beer Company.
Schilling Beer Company
The Ammonoosuc River flows through Littleton and a long pedestrian-only covered bridge spans it. Next to this covered bridge is Schilling Beer Company. In the era of over-hyped IPAs, Schilling is a very special brewery. Not only is the location amazing, but the European beers they brew are truly exceptional. Think pilsners and lagers instead of IPAs and stouts. Never fear, at Schilling, their sister company, Resilience, brews great renditions of these American classics for those palette tastes. Schilling also serves great food including salads and pizzas, but we’ll wait to get into that for another article.
A Successful Weekend in the White Mountains
Another successful White Mountain trip was in the books. Serious hiking was at a minimum with the two kids in tow, but we had a blast just the same. Before leaving our weekend in the White Mountains, we had to stop at Grammy Schartner’s jam. This roadside jam stand in North Conway quite honestly has the best jam I have ever tasted. The raspberry is my favorite. Put money in the slot and pick up your jam, all on the honor system. Although I’ve always chosen the Greens over the Whites, I am excited to return for another weekend in the White Mountains soon. This region sure has charm!
For more White Mountains Backyard Road Trips, check out the fantastic Iron Furnace Brewing and the gorgeous Omni Mount Washington Resort.
Definitely looks like you had a nice family-friendly weekend and were able to fit in a lot of good stops. I had NO idea that the rides at Story Land were big enough for adults, I always figured it was a “kid-size” only kinda place. Now I rather wish I had taken my kids there when they were younger
As for the Whites vs Greens, I think they’re definitely individual enough that they aren’t even really in the same category beyond both being mountain ranges. The Whites are more kid-friendly while the Greens don’t have all of the attractions that you’ll find in places like Jackson and Lincoln. Either one you chose though, they’re both great destinations!
I had no idea either! I thought it was strictly kiddie rides. I was wrong….