First family trip to N.H.

We are making our first trip to North Conway this summer. June 30-July 3. Kids ages are 8,10 1nd 12. We enjoy shopping,nature, hiking, museums and great steaks and pizza. I also love U.S. history sights. Would appreciate any info on lodging, restaurants, day trip options. Thanks.

First family trip to N.H.

What took you so long??? Those are great ages and a great time to visit.

You should check out visitNH.gov and http://www.mtwashingtonvalley.org/ for lots of great information. Things for both parents and kids include swimming in Jackson Falls and Diana%26#39;s Baths. A drive up Cathedral Ledge and/or the Mt Wash Auto road. There are lots of posts about the pros and cons between driving yourself, Cog railway or Glens Falls Stagecoaches. A ride across 302 to visit MW Hotel, walk the Flume Gorge or Lost River Gorge and maybe a stop at Clark%26#39;s trading Post.

Breakfast at Peaches is a treat. The NH crafts guild has a store in NH well worth stopping by. Zeb%26#39;s is enchanting.

Red Fox Grille has great family fare, Muddy Moose is my kids%26#39;s favorite, Moat Mtn pub has great craft brewed beers and good food.

I like to suggest picking up sandwiches for lunch or a quick cheap good breakfast sandwich at Kringle%26#39;s - a small store about 1/2 mi north of Storyland before you get to Jackson on the same side of the road. You can save alot of money and time not having to stop for a sitdown meal.

Have a wonderful trip!! I am pretty sure you will find plenty to do with enough left over to come back again.

First family trip to N.H.

';The NH crafts guild has a store in NH well worth stopping by.';-- Correction the store is in NC, not just somewhere in NH. Sorry.

You gotta go up Mt. Washington!! You can drive yourself, take the tour van up or the Cog Railroad. It is a trip to remember for all the family. In the village of North Conway itself is the Scenic Railroad, with short trips on scenic trains and the station itself is quite beautiful. For great steaks, there is the Red Parka Pub in Glen which also has a big menu. Attitash Mountain, which is a ski resort in Bartlett in the summer transforms itself into a family fun spot, with alpine slides, waterslides, mountain biking etc. For lodging, you can stay across from Attitash at Attitash Mountain Village and stay in a condo with kitchen facilities, which would save some money. In the village of North Conway, we love the Golden Gables Inn. It is so clean, remodelled, close to everything and very reasonable. Have fun!!

I wouldn%26#39;t waste my money riding the train from the center of NC. We did that one time and you really don%26#39;t see anything scenic. It goes through the woods and you only see back yards. Check out the reviews. They are not good.

You definitely have to go to Attitash and do the alpine slides. They are so much fun. Your younger child can ride with you if they want to.

There is horseback riding at Black Mtn located in Jackson.

For restaurants we liked Up Country Saloon and Muddy Moose. The Shannon Door pub in Jackson is also a good place to eat.

There is so much to do you%26#39;ll have a great time.

There is also a Mt Washington Observatory Discovery Center located at 2779 White Mountain Highway, P. O. Box 2310, North Conway, NH 03860 鈥?Tel: 603-356-2137.

It is interactive and will give you an idea of extreme conditions on the mount. You will also be able to stand in a hut and experience what it was like on top of the mt when the 230 plus mph wind was recorded.

Wherever you end up staying, ask at the front desk for directions to:

Diana%26#39;s Bath -- A relatively short, easy hike into the site of an old water-powered mill. It%26#39;s cooler than most spots on a real hot day and offers some interesting pools that provide a fun, safe place for the kids (and mom and dad for that matter) to get wet and cool off.

Cathedral Ledge -- You can drive or walk up -- and the view from the top opens up the entire valley...great spot for a picnic.... or, find a cool, open spot down below and watch the serious rock climbers work their way up one of several trails to the top.

Would also ';second'; previous posts about Mt Washington as a ';must do'; and the Mt Washington Observatory as a great destination -- especially on a rainy day....it%26#39;s at the north end of the North Conway business district opposite the Eastern Slope Inn.

If you do go up Mt Washington, be sure to pack some extra clothing. Not unusual to see a 30-40 degree temperature difference between bottom and top.

Great steaks and pizza? Our favorite for steak is a place called the Red Parka Pub in Jackson....it%26#39;s on the left just beyond the intersection of Routes 302 and 16....or, check out Decade%26#39;s Steak House in North Conway village -- they often run a two-for-one night on Tuesday nights... For a different pizza, and a bit of entertainment for the kids, check out Flatbread and Company, the restaurant at the Eastern Slope Inn on Main St in North Conway. Their flatbread pizzas don%26#39;t ';rise'; like conventional pizzas....they feature ';natural'; healthy ingredients (don%26#39;t tell the kids though), and the wood-fired brick oven for cooking the pizzas is in the dining room -- you can watch them assemble your flatbread, put it in the oven, watch the flames dance as it cooks, and then watch them take it out, cut it, and serve it. They also heat the brownies for their killer brownie sundae desserts in the same oven! Good fun for the entire family....and on our must-do list whenever we%26#39;re in town.

Lots of good suggestions here - although I found the Observatory a little boring. When it rains, it is a good fallback. I would also recommend grabbing a picnic lunch and heading to the Kank (Kancamagus Highway). Very senic and lots of little waterfalls to play in. If you like nature - perhaps consider a canoe trip along the saco river. It was an annual tradition for me and my husband, but our little ones are too young now. Have a wonderful trip!

www.sacorivercanoe.com

Oh, I forgot to mention - your kids are the perfect age for the easy family hike up Jockey Cap in Fryeburg. Great view and lots of fun. The hike is about 15 minutes....