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:

• Take the tram up Cannon Mountain for spectacular 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains. On a clear day, you can see Canada!


• Watch the bear show at Clark's Trading Post! Local black bears--bribed with ice cream cones--play basketball, swing, skateboard and more. Don't miss it!


• Cool off at Whale's Tale water park!


• Challenge us to a game of tennis! The Sugar Hill tennis court is just a mile or so from our house!


• Go golfing! The Sunset Hill Golf Course in Sugar Hill boasts the best golf course view. The Lisbon Village Country Club is a historic 9-hole golf course that offers an alternative set of tees the second time around.


• The 16 Major Attractions in the White Mountains Cannon and Flume Gorge are especially close by.


• Three Itineraries to Help You Experience Classic New England


• White Mountain Covered Bridges Littleton Covered bridge is nearby...in downtown Littleton!


• Horseback Riding, a Moose Safari, Corn Mazes and More!


• Take a Hike! There's plenty of hiking in the area. One option is Artist's Bluff--it's super close, short and offers stunning views. Bridal Veil Falls is another closeby option. This 5-mile round-trip hike has you follow the Coppermine Brook until you reach a scenic cascade on the northwestern side of a ridge. We'd be happy to give you directions (and join you if we're not too busy)!
  
• Visit Mount Washington - The highest mountain in the northeast!


• Go For a Bike Ride! For the mountain bikers (we know you're out there): Kingdom Trails is just 30 minutes away! Ride endless miles of twisty, flowing singletrack. One-of-a-kind New England scenery--belted cows, maple syrup tubing and sugar shacks--dot the landscape. Or take the road bike out for a spin on the Franconia Notch Bike Path. Start just 10 minutes down the road and ride 7 miles to the Basin, a 30-foot wide, 15-foot deep crater swirling with fast-moving mountain water. You'll pass the historic Old Man of the Mountain site along the way. Hit us up for directions!


• Canoe or Kayak right down the street! We have extra boats.


• Scenic Byway Loop - A gorgeous driving tour of Northern New Hampshire!


• Take a tour of the Cabot Cheese Creamery in VT! Only an hour away.


• Visit and tour the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory in VT! (About 1.5 hours away)

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.