Wednesday, August 25, 2010

What's on the Menu?

Sugar Hill's finest chef will prepare a buffet of delicious options for you. Here is what you can expect for the wedding dinner buffet:

Hors d’oeuvres:
Local Cheese Platter
Cucumber & Boursin
Roasted Red Pepper & Sun Dried Tomato Crostini

Wedding Dinner Buffet:
Basket of Fresh Baked Rolls

Tossed Garden Salad with Choice Dressing
Mediterranean Rice Salad

Penne with Herb Marinara ~ Fresh Basil, Sun Dried Tomato & Mushroom
Fresh Baked Haddock with Lemon Caper Butter
Apple Wood Roasted Pork Loin with Port Wine Reduction

Roasted Red Bliss Potato with Herb Butter
Roasted Zucchini & Summer Squash

Bon Appetit!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Look What Just Arrived…

We received a pre-wedding treat from Justin’s cousin Eric!

Delicious home brew with an amazing custom label. We will try to sample just one so there are plenty of these 22oz bottles to go with the rest of the local microbrews on the wedding weekend!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Spend the Weekend Exploring NH...

...with us!

We know many of you will be around for a bit before the actual wedding on Sunday. Looking for something to do? Meet us for a hike or bike ride one day! Here is our tentative itinerary:

Thursday, September 2 –
Kingdom Trails mountain bike ride

Friday, September 3 –
AM hike
PM road ride

Saturday, September 4 –
AM local mountain bike ride w/ Justin
-or-
AM hike w/ Beth
PM bike polo and hanging out @ Franconia town park

Bring your bike and/or a study pair of shoes and let's have some fun! We'd love to explore the White Mountains with you!



More options and day trips can be found here.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

What to Wear

On our special day, it's our wish for everyone to be comfortable and enjoy themselves. When deciding what to wear, remember that this is a garden wedding--a button-down shirt, polo, sundress or slacks will do just fine. Formal wedding attire is just not practical for our home in the woods.

Also, because we are situated on a hillside, the terrain can be rather rugged. We strongly recommend leaving high-heeled shoes at home in favor of footwear that will provide sturdy footing on the gravel/dirt/sand that you will encounter on our property. Otherwise, it's quite possible that you may not make it down our driveway…

As our wedding nears, keep an eye on the weather in Sugar Hill, NH, as it can change quite rapidly--and will likely be pretty chilly in the evening.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Where to Eat

There are lots of restaurant options in the White Mountains, but to say they're hidden may be an understatement. Here are a few options we've found (so far) that will satisfy your hunger in the North Country.

Littleton:

Your best bet for a variety of food options is to hit up the larger town of Littleton, about 2o minutes away. You'll find chain restaurants (Applebees, Ninety Nine, etc.) and local dining establishments. Some of our favorite local hotspots are:

Alburritos A Mexican joint in northern New Hampshire?! It’s true. And it's goooood. They even have a nice selection of local brew on tap. Go there.

Miller's Cafe & Bakery - Fresh soups, salads, sandwiches and bakery items. Open for lunch year-round. Eat out on the back deck! You're right next to Littleton's Riverwalk Covered Bridge and just above the mighty Ammonoosuc river.

Chang Thai Cafe - Traditional Thai cuisine with a dash of contemporary flair. 77 Main Street.

Sugar Hill:

Polly’s Pancake House –Stop by this delicious pancake house for breakfast one clear morning. The view is to die for (and the food isn’t bad either)! It’s a tourist hotspot, so expect a crowd. Snap some family portraits outside while you wait. Absolutely stunning scenery!

Melanie's Bistro at the Ammonoosuc Inn - Beautiful setting, and a delicious, seasonal menu. Make your reservation online now. 641 Bishop Rd., Lisbon.

Franconia:

The Horse & Hound Inn - This beautiful inn offers good food, and indoor & outdoor seating, at the base of Cannon Mountain. Tucked away on a beautiful road lined with pine trees...it's well worth the visit.

Wendle's Deli & Cafe - Organic/local salads and sandwiches. Vegan/veggie/gluten concious.

Franconia Seafood and Dairy Bar – Sure it’s a strange name, but with items like lobster rolls (when in season), hamburgers, fried fish sandwiches and ice cream, how can you go wrong?

Above the Notch Restaurant & Tavern at Cannon Mountain View Motel - good food, Friday night music, and views of Gale River and Cannon Mountain.

Dutch Treat –Restaurant/bar that doesn’t look like much, but dishes up surprisingly good food!

About Our Wedding

Justin’s cousin Eric is flying in from California to spend a week mountain biking with us...and he'll also be officiating our ceremony. This is why we love him!

A reception will immediately follow. Expect good music, gourmet food from the former chef of the Sunset Hill House and top quality local brew from the Moat Mountain Brewery in North Conway, NH. Homemade Italian cookies (Beth's grandmom) and wedding cake (Justin's mom) will be the highlights of dessert.

Keep in mind that this is quite literally a mountainside ceremony/reception (see photo for proof). You will need to walk up and down a steep gravel driveway to get to and from the festivities. We encourage you to wear appropriate shoes. (Ladies: high-heels are not a good idea!)

Photo taken from our deck.

As for the weather, September in the mountains can go either way. Keep an eye on the weather (zip code 03586) and bring layers, as it will most likely get chilly as the night goes on, even if it’s warm during the day. We don't want you to leave our wedding early because you didn’t pack a sweater!

Monday, June 28, 2010

What to Do in the White Mountains

There is really SO much to do in this region of New Hampshire. Full of natural beauty and excitement, the White Mountains are easy to fall in love with. If you extend your stay, we promise you won't be sorry!

Make the most of your stay in New England:


Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Where to Stay

We've blocked off ten rooms each at two different hotels in Franconia (a five minute drive). Stay at the Best Western White Mountain Resort for $109 ($99 once 15 rooms are reserved) when you mention our names. Or stay at Hillwinds Lodge for $69 when you mention our names.

But there are plenty of places to stay in Sugar Hill and the surrounding towns. From cozy bed and breakfasts to rustic cabins to luxurious inns, here's a list of places to suit all tastes.

Sunset Hill House
Sugar Hill Inn
The Franconia Inn
The Hampton Inn (a 15-minute drive)
Franconia Notch Vacation Rentals
Cannon Mountain View Motel
Kinsman Lodge
Lovett's Inn
Stonybrook Motel and Lodge
Rustic Log Cabins

Getting Here

Flying?

Here are directions from the Manchester Airport.

Driving?

Here are directions from the Philadelphia area.

No matter where you are driving from, the following is very important:

GPS, Google Maps, Mapquest, and any other mapping programs DO NOT find our house or our correct street. They will get you as far as the town of Sugar Hill.

From route 117, it is important to take Center District Rd. (left coming from 91, right coming from 93). Follow Center District Rd. for 1.2 miles and turn left onto Gilman Hill. If you are coming from route 91, this will be the SECOND time you see Gilman Hill road. (The first is off of 117).

After .8 miles on Gilman Hill, the road will bend to the left and turn into Kathy Rae Dr. As you crest the top of Kathy Rae Drive, our house will be on the right (#248).

*IF YOU PASS A SIGN FOR GILMAN HILL OF OFF 117, DO NOT TAKE IT - This portion of Gilman Hill Road is a jeep trail and you will bottom out and scratch your car. Instead, as the directions state, proceed to Center District Road, make a left, and then make another left onto (the opposite end of) Gilman Hill.

**Please park your car on the right-hand side of the road.

About Sugar Hill, NH

We're getting married at our home in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire. If you've never been to the area, you're in for a treat! New Hampshire's youngest town gets its name from the large grove of sugar maples in the hills--yep, the same trees used to make maple syrup! (Sidenote: There are no sugar maples on our property--that we know of.)

Sugar Hill has the best view of the White Mountains in all of New Hampshire. The view from our deck isn't so bad, either! ;) The beautiful, rural landscape is like nothing we've ever experienced--both calming and inspiring.


Back in the day, the community was a fashionable Victorian resort. People from all over arrived by train to escape the heat, humidity and pollution of summers in Boston, Hartford, New York and, yes, even Philadelphia.

Out of all the hostelries built, the grandest was the Sunset Hill House, built in 1880. It has the longest porch on a single side in New Hampshire and the oldest 9-hole golf course in the state (built in 1897).

The first resort-based ski school in the U.S. was opened right down the road from our house in 1929 by Katharine "Kate" Peckett with her husband, Austrian ski instructor Sig Buchmayer, both important figures in the history of skiing.