North Conway, in New Hampshire’s White Mountains has been a winter vacation center for almost a century. As early as the 1930s, weekend “snow trains” brought skiers from Boston, New York and Hartford who stayed in rustic ski lodges. Today North Conway is a year–round vacation destination filled with lodging and dining options for every taste, and a wide range of winter activities.
Lodging in North Conway
There is no shortage of places to stay in North Conway, ranging from high-end resorts to comfortable and atmospheric small B&Bs. The three-star White Mountain Resort and Hotel is elegant, located in the woods beneath a steep cliff, with views over the valley. At a different price point, Green Granite is especially family friendly, located close to the outlet shopping and with a large indoor pool.
The quintessential New England getaway weekend (or week, for that matter) is cozy and romantic, and there is no better place for that than a small county inn or B&B. Usually fewer than 15 rooms – sometimes as few as four -- they have the feel of a private home, easy to relax in and with someone else cooking breakfast. North of the center, in the Intervale part of town, both Wildflowers Inn and 1785 House Restaurant and Inn have post-card views up the valley with Mount Washington as a backdrop. About half a mile south of North Conway’s center, the Eastman Inn offers beautifully decorated rooms and common areas to relax in. The nearby Old Red Inn and Cottages has a more casual, homey feel and it also has cottages, some with full kitchens, especially handy for families. For a deluxe country experience, Darby Field Inn is only about six miles south of North Conway, a large old farmhouse that has become an elegant, comfortable inn surrounded by fields and forests.
Dining in North Conway
Several of these resorts and inns have attractive restaurants. The White Mountain Resort’s dining room features a wide variety from an interesting menu, along with mountain views from its dining room. 1785 House has a restaurant that features, in addtion to the usual steaks, dishes like Rabbit Prepared Two Ways, seared sea scallops with fennel, leek and capers and sautéed veal cutlet with shitake, capers and a lemon chardonnay sauce. A few of its tables have nice views up the Mount Washington Valley. Darby Field Inn also has its own restaurant with both a light fare menu and entrees that range from brandy-glazed chicken breast with an apple-cheddar stuffing to roast lamb with port reduction or roast duck with raspberry sauce. Downtown North Conway and its shopping outlet section also have a wide variety of restaurants.
How to get to North Conway
The nearest airports are Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, Boston Logan Airport and Portland International Airport. Access from I-95 is via Route 16 (Spaulding Turnpike) at Portsmouth; from I-93 take the Route 25 exit toward Meredith and follow it to Route 16 at Ossipee.
Stillman Rogers - Travel is an important method of learning about the rest of the world and finding our own place in it. Exposure to other culture enriches ...
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