Distance: Varies
Difficulty: Easy
I love Groupon for many reasons, but the biggest reason is finding very inexpensive ways to visit local attractions. The Fells located in Newbury, NH on the shores of Lake Sunapee, is a wonderful historical mansion, gardens and hiking trails which are all my favorite things. The Mansion is open Memorial Day thru Columbus Day. The trails are open year round with a small fee at a kiosk.
We visited Columbus Day Weekend. I did make a reservation for the Mansion tour, which I highly recommend. We arrived about a hour prior to our reservation so we could explore the grounds.
The main parking is about a quarter of a mile from the mansion. There is small parking lot closer if you can not walk the distance. It is an easy walk down a dirt road.
The gardens were beautiful. The only downfall was the water features were not on because it was later in the season.
I loved the sculptures around the grounds.
I would love to see the gardens when everything is in bloom.
In order to view the mansion you can take self guided tour or you can join a tour. I highly recommend joining a guided tour to learn about the history of the John Hay family, the owners of the estate.
After our tour we hiked the trails around the mansion. Make sure you grab a map so you make sure you walk all of them. I loved how the trails took you along the edge of Lake Sunapee.
If you want a further hike make sure you check out the trails across the street from the parking area.
For the younger kids there is a fairy garden where they can build a fairy house, a couple tree swings and some fun paths to run down.
If you are in the Sunapee area I highly recommend spending a few hours at The Fells. While you are in the area make sure you check out Clark Lookout Trail for some spectacular views of Lake Sunapee. If you are looking for a bite to eat, I recommend grabbing a beer and food at the Flying Goose Pub.
