Winter in New England

It's 4 degrees here in New Hampshire. We've seen lots of snow and had lots of fun!

On Sunday we went to Attitash to ski. It is a mountain ski resort in Bartlett, NH just a few miles from where we are staying. On the beginner slopes we had to decide whether to take the lift chair up 1/2 or all the way to the top of the mountain. After skiing the day before so successfully at Cranmore we were brave. We skied one time down the 1/2 way and then went to the top. Attitash was busier, the snow was more packed (tougher) and the slopes were more steep before curves. It was tough. Once we got to the top Chad and Jessica wondered what in the world we were thinking and how we could possibly get down. For us, we might as well have been on a black diamond slope! H and G didn't blink an email. Ethan and Angelea (the Mammy...Ethan calls her Layla) stayed in the lodge.

It was an interesting trip down. Chad had a tough time stopping at a few critical moments...and so did Jessica. The skiing is the easy part. The turning is easy but the stopping is tough, especially if you are going FAST. Chad hurt his knee by busting once. His skis stopped and his body fell back but the knee kept going....he's felt it every since, although it is better. Then before making it to the bottom Chad busted it again in a HUGE snow drift. He said, "Yesterday, I was having fun. Today i feel like I am fighting for my life!"

Jessica shot herself into a thicket of small pine trees, over a little snow-filled ditch that she couldn't get herself out of until she fell down and rolled out and even rolling out isn't that easy with skis. It was priceless.

They made it to the bottom (fyi H and G did perfect), took a break and then decided to only go back up 1/2 way for the rest of the day. From there it all went well.

Sunday night brought a little shopping in town, dinner at Horsefeathers in downtown North Conway and then Chad and Jessica went back out for dessert and coffee. We went to the 1785 Inn and it was wonderful.

Monday was COLD. Really 4 degrees and that doesn't include the wind chill. We stayed in until noon and then went back to Cranmore to tube. They hall you up the mountain and then you ride down in a tube. It was fun and we enjoyed it. We did it for about 2 1/2 hours and called it quits. We drove into the White National Forrest, saw Mt. Washington (highest peak East of the Mississippi), some quaint little towns, lots of neat homes and businesses. After the scenic drive we went to The Homestead Restaurant (which has been owned by the same family for SEVEN generations...that's right SEVEN!) It was wonderful food. We then went to Friendly's afterwards for a family dessert and coffee. It has been a great vacation.

We will take a scenic ride south to Manchester tomorrow and then fly out tomorrow evening. We will be back in Little Rock by 8pm and in our own bed Tuesday night.....we have had a great time....and as a side note, we will never complain about 30 degrees again!

More pics soon.