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.
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.
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 Holderness 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 Holderness 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 Holderness School lodging give us a call. We’re only ten minutes from campus located in Holderness by Squam Lake.
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.
The start of the school year is right around the corner. Our bed and breakfast accommodationsoffer 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.
The weekend of August 20 – 22 will feature the White Mountain Boogie N’ Blues Festival which takes place just to the north of us in Thornton in the Pemigewasset River Valley. The three day event is the largest outdoors Blues festival in New Hampshire and is now celebrating its 14th year. If you’re a Blues fan this is the place to be. The lineup of performers includes 4 of this year’s Blues Music Award winners.
This festival is just one example of the wonderful entertainment opportunities near our Squam Lake bed and breakfast. We offer quality lodging near Plymouth, NH which is where the New Hampshire Music Festival performs throughout the summer months. During the school year the Silver Center for the Arts at Plymouth State University has a full schedule of music and theater and that venue is only 10 minutes from our Holderness inn.
We have some great summer theater in Meredith which is just to our south at the tip of Lake Winnipesaukee. So if you need accommodations and are looking for a Meredith, NH inn or bed and breakfast you should give us a call.
No matter what your taste in music you’ll find something to your liking here in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. But hurry – summer’s almost over!
A great day at the White Mountain Boogie N’ Blues Festival
One of the most rewarding parts of being an Innkeeper is having a chance to talk with so many people who come from all over the world and have or have had very interesting careers. I once thought it would be fascinating to make a list of the various professions we’ve had represented in the breakfast room at our New Hampshire inn and post it on the wall. What a source for conversation that would be!
Recently we had two guests who I discovered had written books. The first was Huck Fairman who authored “Noah’s Children” a story of an individual who awakens to the many environmental crises threatening our ways of life. Huck and his wife Pam were visiting friends on Squam lake, but spent a leisurely breakfast with us comparing the challenges of parenting teenage girls.
The second author/guest was Bob Isett who wrote “Think Right, Feel Right” a building block guide for happiness and emotional well being. Bob and his wife Karen were visiting the New Hampshire lakes region for a wedding. While relaxing on our front porch they shared some of their spare time with me to engage in some conversation which is when I discovered that Bob was an author.
Both books are available at Amazon.com. I’m hoping to find time to read both once our season winds down.
We hope you’ll choose the Inn On Golden Pond for your lodging when visiting the area. We offer quality accommodations, friendly conversation and as you can see we host fascinating people.
Well after 26 years in business you’d think we would have seen it all, but this past weekend we had a first at the Inn On Golden Pond. A wonderful couple visiting us from the Philippines collided with a Moose while driving to visit their sons at camp! First, I want to report that neither passenger was injured. Second, the Moose while stunned managed to remove himself from the top of their car hood and wander off into the woods on the side of the road. No report on how he felt when he woke up the next day. Damage to the car – dented hood.
There are an estimated 6,000 Moose in New Hampshire, the majority of them found in the Great North Woods and New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. Over 200 are killed by cars each year. Given the average size of Moose (some weigh between 800 and 1,000 lbs.) the cars and sometimes the drivers don’t make out any better than the Moose in a collision. We’re very thankful our guests were unscathed, although very shaken, by their close encounter with this Moose.
Seeing a Moose ranks high on the wish lists of our guests. While sightings are somewhat rare we have seen Moose in the yard of our Squam Lake bed and breakfast/country inn numerous times over the years. It’s always a thrill. The heavily wooded areas of Holderness, Ashland and Sandwich, NH which surround the lake provide excellent habitat for Moose. Clearly wildlife like this and the beautiful landscape of our state are prime reasons that people like to stay in NH inns.
All of the rooms in our inn are named after native New Hampshire animals and birds, but we don’t have a Moose room. Perhaps we’ll have to think about renaming one of them. And by the way, can you imagine the conversation our guests had when they called the car rental company to report their accident?
Last night we enjoyed an evening out taking in a wonderful performance of “Chicago” at the Summer Theater in Meredith Village. What a great job these young performers do! We are very fortunate to have such professional theater here in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. This particular troupe performs throughout the summer at the Interlakes High School in Meredith. “Chicago” will run for two weeks followed by two weeks of long time favorite “Camelot” and then the season ends with a two week stretch of the Broadway hit “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Performers are primarily college students and recent graduates who come for the summer from all over the country. We envy their energy and are in awe of their acting, singing and dancing talents.
The theater is an easy 15 minute drive from our Squam Lake B&B. With performances beginning at 8:00 pm it’s convenient to have a leisurely dinner beforehand at one of the area’s many excellent restaurants. And after an evening of great entertainment you get to retreat to your comfortable room here at the Inn On Golden Pond for a great night’s sleep. How can you resist?
Close by entertainment like this is just one more reason to choose our Holderness Inn when you’re looking for Lake Winnipesaukee or Squam Lake area lodging.
Roxy and her lawyer preparing for trial in a scene from “Chicago”
Ashland is the town next door and is known as the geographic center of New Hampshire. I guess you can’t get more central than that! Most of our guests pass through Ashland on their way to our Squam Lake bed and breakfast since the most convenient interstate exit for our inn is in that town.
At one time the towns of Ashland and Holderness were actually one. What is now Ashland was the commercial district and the part of town which is now Holderness was considered undesirable, non productive territory. So in the late 1700′s two separate towns were created. Of course, the undesirable land is now coveted as it is the home of Squam Lake (Golden Pond) and some of the most beautiful and valuable land in the state! So much for the foresight of government leaders back then. Ummm… thinking about it not much has changed.
Ashland is home to a small commercial district which is quite convenient for us. There are a few restaurants and shops, a small grocery store, a couple of gas stations and a state liquor store. The town also has a small amount of frontage on Little Squam Lake and their town beach is open to the public for a small fee. One of our favorite sites in town is the Squam River covered bridge which has a wonderful story better left for another day.
Given that our Holderness inn is only 1/4 mile from the Ashland town line and 2 miles from the town center we make a perfect choice for anyone looking for accommodations in the Ashland area. When you’re choosing your lodging at this end of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region give us a call – even if we are in that “undesirable” part of town.
New Hampshire’s Lilacs in Bloom
Black Bear around Squam Lake New Hampshire
Loon Mountain, Waterville Valley – Great New Hampshire Skiing
P.O. Box 680 | Route 3