Thursday, April 17, 2008

Greetings from New Hampshire!

Last week was what is becoming our annual family vacation. We went to New Hampshire, Attitash Mountain. Let me answer the first question:
"No, we didn't ski."
Do you honestly think skiing with these two would be fun?
Our days consisted of mainly waking up at the same insanely early hour, trying to keep the children occupied until the indoor pool is open while wishing we were still sleeping and trying our best to enjoy a cup of hot coffee.
Once the pool opens (9:00am), it's time to help them "swim" for about 45 minutes. Even though I absolutely hate the thought of putting on my bathing suit, it's all worth it when they are so tired out that Declan will nap and Ava will actually chill out for an hour or two while I read a book!




After the pool and a big snack, it's time to explore the town. Which really entails me scouting out good places to eat. You may be surprised but the little village of North Conway,NH has a lot to offer.
Super fabulous bakery, off the beaten track and located next to a barber shop full of dogs. (Yes, dogs.)

Old Village Bakery, 50 Seavey Street, North Conway, NH. Incredibly delicious and fresh baguettes (among other types of breads) as they make them in house, daily. No place to sit, but definitely worth the stop. Be sure to get some of their other treats that are big enough to share.
The Red Fox Bar and Grill in neighboring Jackson, NH practically saved our lives, but not for the reasons you think! They have a play room adjacent to the booths in the back. This was by far the most relaxing night for me and Rob as the kids played while we ate and had a few. (Thanks for the tip, Deb!)

Chef's Market, Main Street, N. Conway, NH is not what I thought it was going to be: a place to buy a few things to take home...like a market. No, it's better! A funky sandwich and gourmet take out place with comfy chairs, great music and beer and wine. That's my kind of sandwich shop! Our best meal and coolest place award goes to Moat Mountain Smoke House &Brewing Co., N. Conway, NH. We were actually on our way to Horse Feathers on Main Street when we happened to stop in at the Bavarian Chocolate Haus, Rt 16, N. Conway, NH. Not only did we get some delectable hand-dipped chocolates but we got a great recommendation from the very informative and chatty 20 something chocolate man to check out Moat. It seems he just recently had a great steak there.
Not much to look at from the outside. (This is why we drove by every day, sometimes twice a day and never stopped until our last night in NH.) Super cool old farmhouse with neat murals on the walls inside and big tables all around. Nice looking bar, too. I'd like to check that out sometime!
Anyway, killer fries, great beers and super attitude. Rob had a flavorful steak with some kind of buttery shallot sauce and I had barbecued beef nachos. Mucho delicioso! (Bet you didn't know I speak Spanglish.)
We decided to bring a souvenir home to share with the gang. It went pretty quickly. I think we have some converts!
This trip was short but relaxing. Lots of good places still left to explore. Who knows? We may end up here again next year. Rob thinks we might do some skiing!