House Swap Holiday in New England: Part II, New Hampshire

Saying 'au revoir' to Maine

After spending two nights with our friends on their return from our house in the UK, we set off on a road trip through New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts. Here are the photos from the New Hampshire leg; we spent just three nights in the state, all based at Christmas Farm Inn & Spa in Jackson, which was absolutely lovely. We had a little two-bed cabin set up high on the property (but handily located close to the spa where I had a fabulous facial one evening), which was just right for us.

Our first stop in New Hampshire was at the fabulous Castle in the Clouds, a large Arts and Crafts style country house built by a millionaire shoe manufacturer in 1913-14. We all absolutely loved our visit, and we were so glad to have fitted it into our trip. The grounds, house and, probably above all, the views were all stunning. On the way up to the house you drive through shady glades with the opportunity to stop off to visit 'The Pebble' and the waterfall; a little further along there's a scenic spot where you can look out over some of the 5,200 acres that make up the estate.There's a lovely restaurant with fantastic views in the old carriage house; we had to give it a try. Then it's a short journey in a trolley car up to the main house, which was just stunning. I love the Arts and Crafts style, and ooohed and ahhhed my way round practically every room, suggesting to hubby that perhaps we should move to a house built in that period and style. DC had fun filling in the scavenger hunt card and collecting his prize at the end from the treasure chest. All in all, it was a great day and I'd thoroughly recommend a visit if you happen to be in the area.

And now I'll shut up and let the photos do the talking!

This is 'The Pebble', a lesson in understatement

The beautiful 'Castle in the Clouds'

Imagine that view from your back garden!

Someone took a shine to his reflection

This made me want to put a table in our bedroom for breakfasting in style!

Our place of lodging in New Hampshire

 

Making 'smores round the nightly campfire

Yup, it's steep

The weather changes by the second

At the second time of trying, we made it to the summit!

I'll explain the caption to the photo above that says 'at the second time of trying, we made it to the summit'. Back in 2008 when hubby and I went travelling for six months (oh, to be able to do that again!), we spent some time in around New England. One day we decided to drive up Mount Washington, except that not far into the journey along the very narrow, gravelly, hair-pin bend-y road I had a bit of a funny turn/major meltdown and insisted that we turn the car around and head back down pronto. Unbeknownst to be, but clearly well known to my hormones, I was pregnant. Looks like my body had gone into 'protect the baby at all costs' mode and realised that we were undertaking a perilous mission.This also happened again when we were due to get on a flight to Australia about four weeks later, bags checked in, waiting in the departure lounge, etc, but that's a whole other story...