During February vacation week we usually take a couple days to explore somewhere around New England. It is always hard to pick a place, as there are so many good ones. Growing up I spent every summer visiting friends in the Lakes Region, but since our friends moved away we do not visit as much. When we were researching places to go we decided to head to the Lakes Region in hopes of spending time at Gunstock, cross country skiing, tubing and riding mountain coaster.
Our getaway started with a stop at Kettlehead Brewery in Tilton for a late lunch. The beer and food were delicious. I highly recommend stopping if you are in the area. They also have a small arcade, which was perfect of our daughter. This brewery is part of the Views and Brews list.
After lunch we headed to our hotel. The Summit Resort is located near Weirs Beach in Laconia. When I initially booked this room, I thought I was booking at Steele Hill in Sanborton, which we have stayed at many times. This is it’s sister hotel. Due to a deal through hotels.com we were able to upgrade to a suite. Which was pretty nice.
We spent the afternoon enjoying the pool area. Which had a hot tub, sauna, two water slides and a pool area.
They were both fast, fun and amazing. Lots of laughs on both rides.
We planned to do some cross country skiing, but with the rain it made for poor skiing conditions.
After visiting Gunstock for a few hours we stopped at Prescott Farm to explore their trail system. They hold a lot of different outdoor events throughout the years They also have a very cool Nature Playground.
The best part of these trails is they connect to the hotel we are staying at so I was able to hike back to our hotel.
The rest of the afternoon was spent enjoying the pool.
That evening we had dinner at Patricks Pub. The food was alright. It was not anything that impressed us, it felt like chain restaurant food. I would not want to visit again. When in the Lakes Region we always have difficulty finding a good restaurant. If you have a favorite I would love to know.
Day 3
On our last day we planned to head straight home. Since we were not able to get in a cross country ski we decided to venture north to try to find snow. After check out we headed towards North Conway. On the way to stopped in Moultonborough at Winnipesaukee Bay Gulls. These were some of the freshest bagels we have had. A must stop in the area if you love bagels.
We were able to find ample snow at Jackson Cross Country Ski Center and had a wonderful time skiing. Despite recent rains, the trails in the woods were perfect condition to get a good glide. If you love to cross country ski or have been wanting to, I highly recommended visiting Jackson.
Since we were in the North Conway area we stopped at the outlets for a little shopping then a drive home through the Kancamagus Highway.
The last stop was at Rustic River Restaurant in Lincoln for pizza. The staff were prompt and friendly. The food was fresh, flavorful and very tasty. We will keep this on the list of places to visit next time we are in the area.
Overall I really enjoyed our little mini vacation and cannot wait to plan the next one.
