Archive for the ‘New Hampshire’ Category
August 30th, 2011 by billwebb
As we get to the end of August the days are cooling down slightly and the evenings are definitely cooling down. It’s a great time of the summer, but as the days get shorter we realize fall is just around the corner.
Fall is our favorite time On Golden Pond. Now is the time to be thinking about booking an October visit to our Holderness B&B. The area surrounding Squam Lake and throughout the White Mountains will be ablaze with color. Reds, yellows, oranges… Mother Nature’s true art work is on display with the beautiful trees everywhere in the northeast.
Of course, what better way to enjoy the fall beauty than by spending a few days at a country inn/bed and breakfast. Experience our exceptional New Hampshire lodging where you’ll be pampered in our comfortable, spacious guest rooms and in the morning with our full country breakfast. Spend the days driving through the mountains or hiking the numerous trails in the Squam Range or the White Mountains.
And fall is also a great time to be on Squam Lake or Lake Winnipesaukee. Plan to include a boat tour on either lake during your visit.
Tags: B&B, bed and breakfats, country inn, Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire, Squam Lake
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July 17th, 2011 by billwebb
If you plan to visit Ashland, NH you’ll find that our Squam Lake bed and breakfast is close by. We offer quality lodging which is only 2 miles from downtown Ashland. Right off Interstate 93, Ashland lays claim to being the exact geographic center of New Hampshire which means we are close to virtually all of New Hampshire’s major attractions as well as the White Mountains. So whether you want to enjoy the lakes in the summer or ski the slopes in the winter this is the place to be.
Here’s a short history of Ashland as it appears in Wikipedia.
“Ashland was once the southwestern corner of Holderness, chartered in 1751 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth. But hostilities during the French and Indian War delayed settlement, and in 1761, it was regranted as New Holderness (although “New” would be dropped in 1816). Settled in 1763, the town was predominantly agricultural except for Holderness Village on the Squam River, with falls that drop about 112 feet (34 m) before meeting the Pemigewasset River. The falls provided water power for mills, and in 1770-1771, a sawmill and gristmill were built. The Squam Lake Woolen Mill was established in 1840. Goods manufactured at local factories included hosiery, gloves, sporting equipment, wood products and paper.
The Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad entered in 1849, carrying freight but also tourists bound for hotels on the Squam Lakes, to which they traveled by steamer up the Squam River. The interests of the industrialized settlement increasingly diverged from those of the farming community, however, and in 1868 Holderness Village was set off as Ashland, named for Ashland, the Kentucky estate of Henry Clay. The last textile mill, the L.W. Packard Company, would close in 2002, and Ashland is today a residential and resort community.”
An old grist mill (now an office building) and a covered bridge are two great sites in Ashland.
Tags: Ashland, B&B, bed and breakfast, Holderness, lodging, New Hampshire, Squam Lake, White Mountains
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June 22nd, 2011 by billwebb
August 5 – 8 will be a special weekend in the town of Holderness as it celebrates its 250th birthday. There are lots of activities planned ranging from a grand parade to a pancake breakfast hosted by our local fire department.
A group of wonderful volunteers has been planning the event for months and they’ve thought of everything. At various times throughout the weekend there will be a folk concert, a street dance and a square/contra dance. The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center will be offering free admission and the Historical Society will be the scene of many activities. There will be an appearance by the nationally famous Mattatuck Fife and Drum Band and lots of historic re-enactments and self guided tours of historic sites. You can get more details and updates at the Holderness 250th website.
If you’re planning to be in the Plymouth, NH or Meredith, NH area that weekend you should definitely make a point of visiting Holderness at some point. A celebration like this really represents small town New Hampshire at its best.
Of course, beautiful Squam Lake is a great place to visit anytime. Check out the quality lodging we offer at our lakes region bed and breakfast/country inn. We’ll help make your visit to Squam a memorable one.
We're not 250 years old, but here's a picture from the early days of the building we now call The Inn On Golden Pond. Time and lots of tender loving care sure makes a difference!
Tags: 250th anniversary, bed and breakfast, country inn, Holderness, inn, lodging, Meredith, New Hampshire, Plymouth, Squam Lake
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June 2nd, 2011 by billwebb
The Lilac season is just about over throughout New Hampshire and the beautiful purple blossoms with their wonderful fragrance will be but a memory for another year. The purple Lilac was named New Hampshire’s state flower in 1919 and the bushes can be found in all parts of the state. We have a couple of bushes here at our Squam Lake inn and as usual they produced numerous flowers. The season seemed a bit short which was probably due to the rain and drizzle we had just as things were blooming. The wet weather caused many blossoms to turn brown rather quickly.
The Governor’s Lilac and Wildflower Commission sponsors a photo contest each year. Check out their website to see the winners from 2010.
Throughout the summer season the New Hampshire landscape will be dotted by numerous wildflowers. If you visit our lakes region bed and breakfast we can help you plan a great day trip which will take you on some of our back roads where you’ll be sure to see the colorful displays. We’ll provide the luxury lodging here in Holderness, mother nature will provide the luxurious scenery throughout your visit.
Tags: bed and breakfast, Holderness, inn, Lakes Region, lilacs, luxury lodging, New Hampshire, Squam Lake
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December 3rd, 2010 by billwebb
The ski season has started here in central New Hampshire. Loon Mountain, Cannon Mountain and Waterville Valley are all open and satisfying the desires of those skiers who’ve been waiting for the new season to start ever since last season ended. These three mountains are about 30 minutes from our Holderness/Plymouth area bed and breakfast. So if you stay for a weekend or a few days midweek you can ski a different mountain each day.
There’s new ownership at Waterville Valley with indications there will be many upgrades and improvements. At Cannon Mountain there’s been some expansion with the addition of Mittersill ski area and some new lifts. It’s great to see the industry continuing to add new features all the time.
Cross country skiing will start up later this month assuming Mother Nature provides us with some natural snow. Temperatures are cold enough so it shouldn’t be too long. We are cross country skiers and one of the things we like to do is return to the Inn at the end of the day and curl up next to a crackling fire in the sitting room. Add a glass of wine or a cup of hot chocolate and you feel like you’ve found your little piece of heaven! Of course, besides the inviting fire our guests get a great breakfast to start their day and the opportunity to retreat to a cozy guest room when all is said and done making for the perfect New Hampshire getaway weekend.
So if you’re going to ski NH and are looking for quality lodging give us a call.
Skiers enjoying the slopes at Waterville Valley
Tags: B&B, Cannon Mountain, cross country skiing, getaway weekend, Holderness, inn, Loon Mountain, New Hampshire, Plymouth, quality lodging, ski NH, Waterville Valley
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October 31st, 2010 by billwebb
Happy Halloween to everyone. Of course, Halloween means that November is up and that is the time of the year when our loons leave the lake and head for their winter habitat. Loons
Squam Lake loons gone until next year
are a fascinating bird and while they have been around for millions of years they seem to have found their way into our consciousness as a result of the movie “On Golden Pond.” They certainly hold a special spot in the hearts of lake residents all around Squam Lake.
When people visit our Holderness bed & breakfast they almost always ask where they can see loons. The best way is on the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center boat tour which departs from Holderness village three times a day during the summer and fall seasons. Occasionally we see them from the road, but it’s rare.
Loons will gather in groups before departing their summer home. They migrate to open water anywhere from the Maine coast to the Gulf of Mexico. Their plumage turns a dull gray during the late fall and winter months. They’d stay all year, but the ice which forms on the lakes throughout the New Hampshire Lakes Region means they can’t swim and dive for fish. So off to the open water they go. Males go one place, their female partners go elsewhere. An interesting phenomenon – married for life, but taking separate vacations!
As the cool weather settles in our attention turns from the many outdoor activities available to us during the summer and fall to the warm and inviting inside of the Inn. This is a time when our guests really appreciate the cozy feeling of our beautiful guest rooms and our main sitting room where people relax next to our fireplace where there’s always a crackling fire in the evening.
Tags: bed & breakfast, Holderness, inn, Lakes Region, loons, New Hampshire, Squam Lake
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September 13th, 2010 by billwebb
Fall foliage season is just a couple of weeks away and some of our trees are beginning to show signs of the changing colors. If we had to name our favorite season of the year fall would definitely be it. Our Holderness B&B is ideally located for folks who are coming to New Hampshire to see the colors. The brilliant colors of our hardwood trees not only cover the hillsides surrounding our lakes, but the clear calm waters of Squam Lake also reflect the shoreline trees giving an added visual bonus.
Throughout New Hampshire’s Lakes Region we have miles of walking and hiking trails providing the opportunity to get out and see those colors up close. There’s something very special about walking a trail covered with fallen leaves and breathing in that crisp fresh air that has a particularly clean smell to it in the fall. The air is dry, the temperatures are moderate and the mosquitos have disappeared. Of course, we’re in the foothills of the White Mountains so for anyone who would like to combine some leaf peeping with a more challenging hike you won’t have to go far.
For many fall is the perfect time to take a driving trip. The most popular drive for fall foliage is through the White Mountains and across the Kancamagus Highway which is a perfect day trip from the Inn. We’ve included this route on our website. But there are other lesser known drives that offer wonderful views of Mother Nature’s work as well which we’ve also included in our day trip section. We suggest you stay at least a couple of nights so you can take in some local scenery and get to see some of the off the beaten path side roads which offer a real insight into New Hampshire.
For those who may not have time to take a hike or devote an entire day to a drive in the area you’ll be happy with the spectacular scenery you’ll get looking out from our breakfast room or from our spacious guest rooms to our back yard and surrounding woods. We’ve got Maples, Oaks, Birch, Beech and the evergreen Pines – a terrific mix of colors. If you haven’t made your plans yet don’t delay. Available rooms are getting scarce for our peak foliage season.
Beautiful New Hampshire roadside color
Tags: B&B, bed and breakfast, fall foliage, Holderness, inn, Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire, New Hampshire Lakes Region, Squam Lake, White Mountains
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August 30th, 2010 by billwebb
As we enter the fall season one can’t help but think that this is really the best season for hiking in the White Mountains and around New Hampshire’s Lakes region. Temperatures during the days are generally very pleasant and the summer humidity has disappeared. And if you hike mid week most of the crowds have disappeared as well.
We like hiking on the many trails in the Squam Range which runs along side of Squam Lake between Holderness and Sandwich. They’re some of New Hampshire’s best trails maintained by the Squam Lakes Association. Most popular are Rattlesnake Mountain and Mount Morgan. But there are others which offer great views and good exercise. We’ve always liked Mt. Livermore which is relatively easy and is a good starting point if you want to hike the Ridge Trail which crosses the entire range. You can hike without seeing another person on several of the lesser used trails.
The Inn is also located about a half hour from Franconia Notch which has several great hiking opportunities. Artist’s Bluff, Mt. Pemigewasset and Lonesome Lake are three excellent hikes ranging from relatively easy to challenging.
Of course, one of the great things about hiking in this area is that at the end of the day you can return to the comfort of our Holderness inn. Our spacious guest rooms are just the answer for those who want to be pampered after a day of recreation. So if you want to get out and enjoy some great outdoor recreation in the Holderness, Plymouth, or Sandwich, NH area give us a call.
A great view from Rattlesnake Mountain
Tags: Artist's Bluff, B&B, bed and breakfast, Holderness, Lonesome Lake, Mt. Livermore, Mt. Morgan, Mt. Pemigewasset, new hampshire hiking, New Hampshire Lakes Region, Plymouth NH, Rattlesnake Mountain, Squam Lake, White Mountains
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August 20th, 2010 by billwebb
The start of the school year is right around the corner. Our bed and breakfast accommodations offer a great lodging choice for those seeking a New Hampton, NH hotel or an inn near New Hampton School. Parents who are dropping off their sons or daughters should check out our quality lodging. Each room is uniquely decorated in traditional country style with our highest priority being your comfort. We blend a comfortable, home-like atmosphere with great professional service. It’s just the right balance.
Of course, drop off day is not the only reason New Hampton School parents may want to visit campus. There are athletic events, musical and theater performances and much more throughout the school year. So if you’re looking for New Hampton lodging give us a call. We’re only 15 minutes from campus located in Holderness by Squam Lake.
Tags: bed and breakfast, Holderness, inn, New Hampton, New Hampton School, NH, Squam Lake
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August 17th, 2010 by billwebb
The start of the school year is right around the corner. Our bed and breakfast accommodations offer a great lodging choice for those seeking a Plymouth, NH hotel or an inn near Plymouth State University. Parents who are dropping off their sons or daughters should check out our quality lodging. Each room is uniquely decorated in traditional country style with our highest priority being your comfort. We blend a comfortable, home-like atmosphere with great professional service. It’s just the right balance.
Of course, drop off day is not the only reason Plymouth State parents may want to visit campus. There are athletic events, musical and theater performances and much more throughout the school year. So if you’re looking for Plymouth State lodging give us a call. We’re only ten minutes from campus located in Holderness by Squam Lake.
We love this Robert Frost sculpture on the PSU campus.
Tags: bed and breakfast, Holderness, inn, NH, Plymouth State Unnversity, Squam Lake
Posted in New Hampshire, Plymouth State University | Comments Off
NH Dog Sled Adventures Near Our Bed and Breakfast/Inn
Cut your own Christmas Tree in New Hampshire
Plymouth NH entertainment and bed and breakfast lodging
P.O. Box 680 | Route 3