Where should you plan a trip this summer if you want to make special memories with your family? I’ve got one New England getaway and one Adirondack retreat for you!
I can’t believe I’m spilling the secret of these magical vacation spots in New Hampshire and New York.
Mountain View Grand
UPDATE: I just returned from our 5-day trip to New Hampshire with a stop in Vermont. I’ve got even more feedback and advice after our third stay at Mountain View Grand.
Do you want a trip that’s actually relaxing with kids?
When you pull up to the property you are greeted by a grand hotel and beautiful flowers, if you’re lucky you may even meet a visitor from the farm at the entry on your way to check-in.
The first time we visited was with an infant and a toddler. I was used to pretty much everything in life being exhausting, but this weekend trip was so relaxing.
So much so that on our last day my husband said, “go down to the front desk and see if the room is available for one more night”
amenities and activities
We love to visit in the summer when the view from the pool is spectacular. It feels magical and so relaxing that from the pool your view is solely of mountains.
At the resort the indoor and outdoor pools are the main attraction for my kids.
Also, very unique to Mountain View Grand is the farm. After breakfast, we take a walk over to the farm to meet the farmer and the animals, ask questions, and maybe even help collect chicken eggs.
We took a stop at the playground afterward while my husband gave the axe throwing competition a try, taking home first prize!
Mountain View Grand offers a 9-hole golf course, a lovely spa, clay tennis courts, game room, movie theatre, disc golf, mountain bike rentals, pickleball, needle felting workshops, and more.
I haven’t tried any spa treatments yet, but I’m hoping I will be able to on our next visit, and I will certainly post an update.
Check their activities calendar to find when they have live music, trivia, pick up sports games, and more. We thoroughly enjoy ending our evenings at the campfire making s’mores.
food
One major plus for me is the dining in the hotel is actually great. It’s farm to table and the breakfast buffet is extensive and delicious.
The first visit was pre-COVID and traveling with two young children I appreciated that they had a children’s buffet set up for dinner (and it was free for children under 5). This encouraged us to eat at the hotel’s restaurant, The Harvest Tavern each night of our stay.
If you’ve suffered through your hungry kids falling apart while you wait for your entrees, you know the value of this. I hope they bring this back.
This year (2021) they only offered a la carte menu for dinner, so we did have to order for our kids for dinner. Though, the dessert we ordered for my child’s birthday, a $22 Belgian chocolate bag filled with an ice cream sundae was a fun treat and worth it in my opinion since it served as dessert for our group of 8.
Our best meal of this trip was at The Beal House Inn. We were very impressed. The crispy broccoli appetizer had our whole table raving. It was so flavorful with carrots, celery, buffalo sauce and gorgonzola. Really, so good. I don’t even like gorgonzola but I want this dish again ASAP.
I believe their seasonal, locally sourced menu changes frequently. My only complaint is that my goat cheese agnolotti (which I learned are very similar to ravioli) with grilled peaches and basil cream wasn’t 3X the size. It was so good, I wanted way more! We will definitely be back again!
*Make sure you make your dining reservations before your trip for the hotel restaurant and The Beal House Inn.
On our last night of our family vacation we did not make reservations anywhere. After wading in the stream downtown by the covered bridge (highly recommend) we were able to get in at Schilling Beer Company .
We weren’t wowed, but it was pretty good. If you like beer (I don’t), you probably will like this place. It has a nice outdoor setting with picnic tables. The food served mostly consists of wood-fired pizzas, they do have a good gluten-free dough. There’s also a food truck with poutine and a few other meaty options. It was good for a casual inexpensive dinner.
Again, we made several stops at The Littleton Food Co-op which has excellent options for healthy and organic meals, snacks, and beverages.
hotel rooms
The guest rooms at Mountain View Grand are not super spacious, but the beds are comfortable.
We’ve stayed in three different room types. The cheapest was the classic room with 2 queen beds. I don’t think we would pick this again. The room was small, which is okay because we didn’t spend a lot of time in the room. It was a little too noisy in our room, and we did not have a nice view.
A little better than this is the grand view guest room. It was slightly more spacious and had a better view.
We have also stayed in a Vista Studio King room which provides more space, a better view, larger closet, larger bathroom, a king sized bed and a pull out couch in the same room.
Next trip I would choose the Vista Studio King room, or Heritage suite in order to have the kids sleeping in the living room and a separate King bedroom for us.
surrounding area
The mountain views are seriously special. We first went for my little one’s second birthday, and fortunately have planned two more trips since, each time making our visit longer.
The nearby town of Littleton is charming with a little downtown.
On our arrival day (Sunday), we stumbled across a wonderful farmer’s market. Around the corner is Chutters, the longest old-fashioned candy counter.
Also downtown is Little Village Toy and Book Shop with a truly wonderful selection.
What initially drew me to book a trip to this area is Santa’s Village.
Santa’s Village is a theme park perfect for young children. Their newly added Ho Ho H20 water park is elaborate and great for toddlers and older children. Bring bathing suits, dry clothes, and towels.
If your family mostly eats healthy (mine does) you probably won’t love the food options. We always bring food from the Littleton Food Co-op, a local natural foods store with an excellent and well-priced selection.
If you appreciate the kitschy retro nature of Santa’s Village you are sure to enjoy it!
Other area attractions are The Weathervane Theatre, Cog Railway, Franconia Notch State Park, Mount Washington State Park, Week’s State Park. Storyland is also under an hour from the resort.
On our drive home we stopped in Vermont at Montshire Museum of Science. Wow! I’m now considering planning a trip to Vermont so we can go back. It was so amazing, whimsical, and beautifully kept up. This place is so worth the visit! I could rave for an hour about it.
The cost was $66 for our family of four. We only had about 3 hours free before we needed to get on the road. Next time I will allow more time.
The outdoor area is fantastic, and I would plan to visit during warm weather. I don’t know where to start, but the water play and exploration areas were so unique. My kids kept yelling “wahoo!” and were overjoyed.
Then, take a walk down the shortest trail (there are multiple walking trails with exhibits along them) to the Play Grove. The play grove is a magically whimsical forest playground. Ribbons hanging from trees to run through, a tree swing, hammocks, a fairy house building area, balance beams, a wooden fort, etc.
Inside the museum the exhibits are very much hands on, well kept up, and super engaging. A bubble area, dinosaur skeleton, very cool fog exhibit, tower with panoramic views and so much more!
White Face Lodge
Are you looking to head to the Adirondacks? Get ready to be transported to a time of good old fashioned rustic family fun, but in the comfort of an AAA 4 diamond resort with all the amenities.
Firstly, this is an all-suite resort. The rooms have so much space and so many conveniences that made it a much easier trip with young children.
Amenities
The grounds are peaceful and beautiful. While strolling to the pool pass a stone fountain that kids will certainly enjoy.
The pool is beautiful and was never crowded. It is heated to 98 degrees year-round. Swim under a little bridge from the outdoor pool and you are transported to the connected indoor pool.
There are three hot tubs as well. The pool was definitely the biggest highlight for my family, though I got a little tired of having to pretend for my kids to be the “troll under the bridge” over and over…and over.
Our second day was rainy and we reserved time in the bowling alley and game room. My preschool-aged children enjoyed themselves as much as the adults.
Similar to Mountain View Grand the game room has air hockey, pool, table soccer, and more.
We followed this by seeing a movie in the theatre, popcorn and drinks included. This is where you will also find the hotel’s ice cream parlor, the entrance to the spa, and the underground corridor to the pool building (especially good for winter visits!).
If you’re visiting Lake Placid in the summer the Canoe Club is private to hotel guests and is located minutes away from the lodge. It features a beachfront with canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, pedal boats, volleyball, badminton, and more.
You can be more adventurous for an additional fee and try tubing, water-skiing, wakeboarding, or pontoon boats.
suites
We booked a Superior One-Bedroom Suite. Upon entrance, there is a hallway with hooks, a coat closet, and a half bathroom.
Then there is a pretty well-equipped full kitchen and dining table. This room opens into the living room with a sleeper sofa, gas fireplace, and very cozy oversized armchairs. Off of the living room was a very private patio which was a nice spot for our kids to play while we prepared food.
The bedroom had a plush king bed, wardrobe, and second television.
The full bathroom featured a large jetted tub and heated tile floors. Another example of little conveniences that make things easier with children was the large laundry hamper in the bathroom and washer/dryer.
We found the suite to be very quiet, which is so important to us. My family does not do well without a good night’s sleep. I didn’t hear any other doors slamming or guests in neighboring suites.
food
While the ktichen is well equipped, you don’t have to worry about cooking breakfast, a breakfast buffet was included.
Looking for meals with local ingredients? Our favorite dinner out was at the local Big Slide Brewery. With outdoor picnic table seating available it was easy with the kids. The pizzas with very interesting toppings were the star of the show for our group. The cauliflower pizza crust was equally good when compared to its glutenous counterpart.
Just want to update that this trip was a few months ago, and we are still talking about the pizzas!
The other conveniently located and locally sourced organic food option is Green Goddess Market. They have a great organic smoothie and deli counter and a good selection, just a minute from Whiteface Lodge. It’s great having a convenient option for when we don’t have reservations.
local attractions
I have to admit, we mainly enjoyed this Lake Placid resort’s amenities. Some other area attractions are hiking, mini-golf, Olympic ski jump complex, the shops downtown. The bookshop had a nice children’s selection.
The theming and decor throughout really bring nature in. I’m not one for camping, so this was a wonderful balance of rustic and luxury.
Sign up for the “private deals” option on the website to get the best pricing.
I seriously cannot wait to go back. I’d love to travel with friends next time and book one of their super spacious three-bedroom suites.
Between the two resorts, it is impossible to pick a favorite. You can’t go wrong with either option! I’d love to plan a trip somewhere else in the Northeast with my kids soon. Any recommendations?
Rosemarie Maggio says
I loved visiting The Rocking Horse Ranch. My family visited four years ago and hope to plan another trip again soon!
info says
Thank you Rosemarie for suggesting this, Rocking Horse Ranch is definitely on my bucket list!
Maria says
Loveeeee reading about your trip! I noticed that you talked about the size of the beds because I am always dumbfounded at how many nice resorts/hotels/inns have full sized beds rather than queens or kings. My husband and I aren’t insanely tall but I definitely appreciate a queen bed at least. Your pictures are awesome and I love all the reccos! Definitely bookmarking this one!
info says
Oh gosh, we would never be comfortable in a double bed! I am happy to help you plan a great trip whenever!