Come on for the ride and explore all the Things to Do in North Conway, NH!

​The other day, a friend asked me what my earliest memory was.

Hmmm... I had to give it some thought. Was it a toy I got for Christmas? The time we had a picnic at the beach? When Mom and I made an angel food cake with colored sprinkles? Or the day I got to row a rowboat all by myself?

It was most certainly the day when we were on a family vacation that my Dad let me row the rowboat all by myself.  I was about 5 years old and I was so happy and proud plus, I was having fun making memories with my family.

I started reminiscing about my childhood and all the fun, funny, happy, and memorable times I could remember were all "events with my family" and not "things".

My work gig is that I own Four Seasons Lodge in North Conway, NH and realizing that my fondest memories growing up were almost exclusively time spent with family or friends playing, vacationing, and celebrating was an epiphany for me.

I started to wonder if I was onto something - turns out I was.

East coast skiers are a tough bunch - even the kids!  I hear all my west coast friends serenading “powder days” and even the occasional comment that they don’t ski unless there’s at least a foot of powder!

No matter what the North Conway weather is, you will see the chair lifts packed with us die-hards making our way to the top for just “one more run”! 

Freezing temperatures, blowing snow or icy conditions will still bring out most everyone for a great day on the hill!

BUT...  if my kids were going to ski on sub-perfect snow condition days, I'd want to make sure they would be safe.  Skiing lessons are a great value when you think about the risks associated with your child making their way down a mountain without the knowledge of how to do so safely!

Here's my take on the best family-friendly ski resorts in North Conway, NH.

I'm a local and have skied all the local mountains for years. 

Check out this video for some tips about which North Conway ski resort would work out best for your family vacation.

I have lived and skied in in North Conway, NH for most of my life.  When I started skiing here I was a beginner skier and with lots of great lessons and help from talented instructors I progressed in my skills enough that I became an instructor with the Eastern Slopes Ski Club (ESSC)  Homeschool Ski Program!

During my journey I skied and took lessons at every mountain within 30 minutes of North Conway including; Cranmore Mountain, Attitash Mountain, King Pine, Black Mountain, Wildcat, Bretton Woods and even a private lesson at Tuckerman Ravine.

​Although they all have their strong points I always refer my guests at Four Seasons Lodge to my favorite three kid friendly ski resorts:

1. Cranmore Mountain Resort
2. King Pine Ski Area
3. Attitash Mountain Resort

I love all 3 for completely different reasons and hope you will enjoy them too!
 

​Calling all foodies to North Conway Restaurants!

Who would think that a foodie would find wonderful and interesting food in North Conway, NH... well, you will.

North Conway has restaurants in all shapes and sizes including; family restaurants, romantic hideaway restaurants, Italian, American, steak houses, and finally, Ledges Restaurants - my personal fav.

Let's be real, one of the most enjoyable things that we get to experience in life is food.  If you don't enjoy food, are you even human?  It may be a luxury to some but it is one of the most satisfying activities we partake on a regular basis.  (I partake if someone else cooks!)

North Conway, NH is not just for people who want to camp out in the woods cooking hot dogs, beans and bear meat over a fire (although you absolutely can and should do something like that, at lease for the experience).  North Conway, New Hampshire is a great place to do our favorite thing - EAT!
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Now, obviously we still have chain restaurants (yuck!!) and "regular" dining spots but you can to those anytime!  North Conway has restaurants that will surprise and reward you for seeking them out.

Here's where I'm going to beg you to steer clear of chain restaurants!  You're on vacation for Pete's sake, be brave and eat local!  In fact, keep your eye out for the Valley Original flag hanging proudly outside the North Conway restaurants that belong to that prestigious organization!

Whether you're into eating your food or taking pictures of it, this list if for you!  These are my top restaurant picks in North Conway for the "foodie".

Planning a family reunion can be stressful, annoying, and awful...but they typically lead to some great laughs and wonderful memories!  Once the planning part of a family reunion is out of the way, it's on to enjoying time with loved ones that you, typically, don't get to see very often.

Family reunion vacations in North Conway, NH come in all shapes and sizes. Most need to figure out how to get along on a family reunion vacation.

Some groups need to sleep a large group for their family reunion vacation.  I’d love to help you with family reunion vacation themes and cheap ideas for your family reunion!

One of your main concerns when you go on vacation should be (and if isn't, trust me.  It should be) when, where, and what are you going to eat?  In the Mount Washington Valley we have options of several awesome North Conway restaurants on a budget, kid-friendly North Conway restaurants, allergy sensitive North Conway restaurants, bars, pubs and you can put together a great North Conway pub crawl!

There are some wonderful bars and restaurants to be sampled here in the Mount Washington Valley and I'm here to lead you in the right direction!  Or you can stray away from these great options... up to you.  I'm just here to hand over the information. 

Don't Cry...  There are LOTS of Things to DO in North Conway, NH!

​Vacationing in North Conway, NH is fun, picturesque, and usually outdoorsy. If you've traveled to town expecting to hike, bike, or tube and Mother Nature throws a few inches of rain into the mix - fear not! There are plenty of kid friendly, indoor and outdoor things to do on a rainy day in North Conway, NH.

Our favorite rainy day activities include; Story Land, Diana's Baths, Mt Washington Valley Children's Museum, Uberblast, M&D Productions, Saco Valley Sports Center, Remick Country Doctor Museum, Tin Mountain Conservation Center, and Ham Arena.

My head spins when I think about how many family friendly things to do in North Conway, NH there are. Most of them are budget friendly too!

North Conway, NH is probably has the most family friendly things to do in all of New England. Tourism and the outdoors are the only industries in the area so you can be sure there are many fun, budget friendly, and outdoorsy activities close-by. A few of my favorites are skiing, doing a covered bridge tour or spending a day hanging out by one and splashing in the water below, and enjoying a day hike that's kid-friendly.

So, you think you know about covered bridges? Well, you don't! But New Hampshire sure does... well, maybe you build bridges and I shouldn't jump to conclusions but then, you must be interested in North Conway's historic covered bridges!

The White Mountains covered bridge history is wildly interesting. My favorite is the Jackson Kissing Covered Bridge. If you're looking for things to do in North Conway and photo ops, head to the Saco River Covered Bridge in summer, Albany Covered Birdge in winter, and the Swift River Bridge in a snowstorm!
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If you want to enjoy all the covered bridges that the White Mountains have to offer, you can easily create your very own White Mountains Covered Bridge Tour!

Thinking of heading to North Conway, NH and need a summer fun list of things to do? There are lots of indoor and outdoor things to do in North Conway, NH that will make everyone smile (even cousin Richard). Get your pencil and start taking notes. My top picks include; Saco River Tubing for all ages, hikes for tykes in North Conway, Diana's Baths in summer, relaxing on the Conway Scenic Railroad, enjoying the White Mountain National Forest, and Story Land for folks on a budget.

Remember folks, North Conway, NH is a tourist town so you can bet that there will be things to do that will slap a smile on everyone's face! 
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I took a chance naming my lodge "Four Seasons Lodge" because 28 years ago, we were essentially a one horse town.  Skiing was what we were known for and Settlers Green and North Conway outlets were Johnny Come Lately's!

Over the years, folks have become way more outdoorsy, (even though gaming seems to be the #1 sport among teens) and hiking, ice climbing, dog sled races, snowmobiling and more have become a thing.

Combine those sports with all the new and super fun White Mountain Attractions, and you'll need two pages for your list!

So, let's start.

Planning a gay family vacation in North Conway, NH? You've picked a perfect spot for it. North Conway, NH is an inclusive, welcoming, and family friendly town with many things to do. We have many gay family vacation tips for out LGBTQ friends. I've lived in North Conway, NH for a long time and like most vacation destinations, it's very gay friendly. Some of the events and highlights for you to consider are; Gay Pride Week in North Conway, NH, all the summer fun you can have in North Conway, NH, delicious North Conway restaurants, and last but not least, the Be Kind Festival at Schouler Park.

Have you started planning your summer vacation? I have many suggestions of fun things to do in North Conway, NH but Saco River tubing tops this list!

Many things that folks like to do in North Conway require you to be physically fit.  Not everyone is buff enough to climb a mountain or jog a few miles.  I dare to say that even the couchiest of couch potatoes can climb into a canoe or kayak and float down a lazy, perfectly clear, refreshing river and go Saco River Tubing!

Family vacations in North Conway, NH are a huge portion of tourists during every season. There are several great North Conway restaurants when you’re on a budget. Some folks are looking for tips for Saco River tubing and Conway Scenic Railroad for families. Are you worried about surviving North Conway weather? Most visitors don’t know that Mt Washington Auto Road is family friendly and you can enjoy Story Land on a budget too!

North Conway, NH is a very family friendly spot to host your family reunion or friend getaway. Four Seasons Lodge is a wonderful North Conway lodge and perfect for a large group gathering.

I have 7 favorite restaurants in North Conway, NH and they are a mix of family friendly, foodie, moderately priced, and local North Conway restaurants.

In no particular order, my tip picks for restaurants in North Conway are; Stonehurst Tavern, Almost There, Red Fox Bar and Grill, Taste of Thai, Jalisco, North Conway Country Club, and Horsefeather’s and are all within minutes of Four Seasons Lodge - the best North Conway lodge.

Food is not that important to me plus I'm not a foodie and I'm cheap so so those characteristics are absolutely going to influence my top 7 picks.

In no particular order, here are my top 7 North Conway restaurants.

Saco River tubing with kids in summer is an amazing experience for everyone! There are lots of places but we know the best places to tube on the Saco River.  Saco River put-in and take-out can be tricky to check out our articles for Saco River tubing tips. My best tip is not to put-in at First Bridge in North Conway. It's very crowded and the water quality is iffy due to all the pee pee (if you get my drift).

You'll want to pick a really hot summer day to partake in one of my favorite things to do in North Conway, NH - Saco River Tubing.  The Saco River is the hottest location for tourists and locals alike during the summer--and by hottest, I mean coolest!

Have you ever ridden the Polar Express in North Conway?  The Conway Scenic Railroad does an amazing job with the help of several hundred volunteers every yeaour!

Come decked out in your matching pj's, bring Grammy and Grampy, and you'll have the time of your life on the Journey to the North Pole that recreates in a magical way, the story of "The Polar Express".

​Let's get started...

We've all read the brillaint book, "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburgh, either to your children or you had it read to you as a child! And if you have not done at least that then I'm sure you've seen the movie with Tom Hanks.  Either way, we've all longed to ride along Allsburgh's magical train in our coziest Christmas pajamas and we've all dreamed of what treasures we would ask Santa Claus for. 

North Conway is full of gorgeous views that are completely worth exploring to get those great Instagram moments

Let's be real, Instagram has taken over as one of the leading social media outlets that we have available today--and if you're looking for views, likes, and hashtags then New England is the choice for you! North Conway, NH is stock full of locations to capture all of the pictures, Boomerangs, and videos worth showing off to the world, or just to your close friends and families. 

Come to North Conway, NH for a great getaway and great spots to take beautiful shots! Whew...all that rhyming is exhausting. Back to our list!

As you may well know, New England is the haven of four seasons of weather and the Four Seasons Lodge isn't named that by accident.

Yes, we have long winters followed by muddy springs, with a quick spout of gorgeous summer weather and we finish it off with our infamous autumn.

Once fall hits you just have to walk outside and look around to see why we've made this haven our home. 

In the winter we are well equipped to deal with snow and we provide numerous things to do in North Conway for any age.

Springtime brings beautiful rainstorms and earthy smells of soil and trees blossoming while summer gives us wonderful temperatures, insane amounts of greenery and a great excuse to go outside and enjoy some fresh air. 

Well folks, summer is here! We can't let it escape without taking a hold of it and reaping the benefits it brings us. 

Here is a list of things to do in North Conway, NH that embrace our beautiful summer weather with open arms (and some bug spray)!

​Planning a vacation at a New Hampshire cabin rental opens up two worlds; one is a world of opportunities and the other is a world of tough decisions.  This happens to us all, especially if you're planning a large family vacation at a NH cabin rental.

How do you know that North Conway, NH or a North Conway lodge is best for you?

How do you choose between a hotel or a North Conway lodge?

How do you know which option will make everyone in your party happy?

How do you find a cabin rental in New Hampshire?

What are some things to do in North Conway?

​Let's be real, you don't know anything until you do some research.  Unfortunately, a decision needs to be made at some point!

If you're looking for a great vacation spot that will provide things to do in North Conway with kids, elders and everyone in between then Four Seasons Lodge is for you!

Grab your family and bring them to North Conway, NH where there are endless things to do and adventures year-round.

If this list doesn't give you perfect suggestions for you and your group, type in "things to do near me" and you'll get an endless list of activities in North Conway.

Take this historic scenic route up the Mt Washington Auto Road and breathe in the panoramic views. It is an adventure for the whole family and can be remembered through gorgeous photos, videos and an earned bumper sticker that says "This Car Climbed Mt. Washington" which you earn only if you drive yourself.

The Auto Road has been open since 1861 and starts just north of Pinkham Notch. It is a measly 7.6 miles of winding, narrow road all the way up to Mount Washington's Summit.

You can take your own car up there a jump on a guided tour and witness the beauty of the White Mountains while to traversing up this 4618 foot road. 

​You've been planning on vacationing in North Conway, NH for a long time.  Your bags are packed, you got someone to house sit while you're gone, and the last thing you do is check the weather in North Conway.

Egads, rain is predicted for your family vacation!

Don't lose heart, there are lots of things to do in North Conway no matter the weather!  You can have lots of fun walking around Settlers Green outlet shopping mall, getting awesome deals, shopping for New England made creations in the specialty shops in the Village, catch a movie, and last but not least, learn some cool stuff in the Mt Washington Observatory Weather Discovery Center!

Whether your idea of a fantastic ski vacation is making fresh tracks in black diamond glades OR making sedate runs on a freshly groomed blue trail with some time in a toasty sauna after, the ski mountains in and around North Conway will fit the bill!

Even if you are traveling with someone that likes the cold, crisp mountain air but doesn't want to get too far from the niceties of city living, North Conway, NH will work!  Toasty saunas, candlelit dinner, spa afternoons, and outlet stores as far as the eye can see will satisfy those that appreciate the finer things in life.

Traveling with little ones?  Check out North Conway's kid friendly ski resorts.  If skiing doesn't tickle their fancy there's always these things to do in North Conway; tubing, skating (in Schouler Park), exploring, hiking, making snow angels and selecting their favorite candies at the North Conway 5 & 10 Cent Store.

Most vacationers drive about three hours to North Conway and vacation heaven!  The Mount Washington Valley has been a vacation destination since the early 1800's. 

North Conway abuts the 800,000 acre White Mountain National Forest which is home to 5 ski resorts, is a perfect haven for cross country skiing, winter hiking, and for the brave at heart - ice climbing.  (contact IME for ice climbing info)

North Conway originally was a one horse town with skiing being the only thing to draw folks to town.  The opening of Settlers Green in 1988 changed all that!  

​You've decided to go on vacation in North Conway.  It's winter.  You don't ski.  Hmmm...  in the past you would have spent all your free time at the outlet mall in North Conway.

Today's vacationers have a much more exciting and cheaper thing to do in North Conway, NH!

The Snowcoach at Great Glen Trails has fast become "the" thing to do.  In fact, if your heart was set on a sunrise coach ride, forget it.  They are sold out ALREADY for the season!

You're probably traveling with several families if you're vacationing at Four Seasons Lodge.  A snowcoach ride will provide you some serious bonding time as your coach careens down the snow packed Mt Washington Auto Road with everyone screaming wildly - ONLY KIDDING!  

The ride up and back is very gentle and the snowcoaches are operated by well trained and very knowledgable drivers!  Pick their brains about the snowcoach and Mt Washington.  You'll see wildlife, bond with family members you didn't even think you liked, and get great pics you can post and brag about on social media!  

 
There are plenty of family friendly things to do in North Conway, NH during the winter.
 
There is nowhere better than New England to get you into the Christmas spirit! 
 
Why would you want to spend Christmas anywhere besides a winter wonderland?  You wouldn’t!
 
We all want to cozy up in a North Conway vacation rental by a roaring fire with a big mug of hot chocolate with your entire family and admire this beautiful time you get to spend together. 
 
I don’t know about you, but the thought of cozying up next to a roaring fire in Florida literally sounds like hell.
 
Here are the top reasons to spend any winter holiday in North Conway and the White Mountains.