Tag Archives: Mount Washington resort

Mount Washington resort.. the finale.

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As we were winding up our tour of the resort we wandered into the conference center….

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Which was just as attractive as the rest of the resort though in a newer building addition. There were multiple meeting rooms of which I’ll spare you the details…

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But we did find a plethora of fascinating old maps.

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And since I included the word old in that description, you know who enjoyed them the most.

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Random grand piano…. because you never know when the Brotherhood of Orthopedic Shoe Manufacturers will feel the need to break into song.

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The indoor pool required a paying guests only entry card so here’s a shot of it through a window. I thought it was very nice they had a handicap lift machine.

If I haven’t mentioned it before, this hotel was built in 1902. And though they do an amazing job of upkeep, the old broad is beginning to show her age and needs some serious restoration in spots.

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Underneath decades of crisp clean white paint? Rotted wood.

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And a side porch rotunda that’s undergoing some major repairs.

They try to keep as much of the original structure as possible which I’m sure is an engineering nightmare.

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So there you have it, The Mount Washington resort. An area landmark that shouldn’t be missed.

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Porches and decks. Decks and porches. They’re everywhere…

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If there’s one thing that struck me as we wandered around this grand old dame of a resort…

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It was the feeling that it wanted you to sit, relax and simply… be.

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Everywhere we went there were long porches with ample seating. Upstairs, downstairs, all with fabulous views.

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On top of the east wing?

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An outdoor bar with covered porch…

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And open deck Adirondacks.

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Around another bend?

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Another covered porch with ample seating. If you can’t find a chair here, there’s something seriously wrong with you.

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Around back? The pool, complete with mountain view.

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Lunch in the basement.

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When I think basement, I imagine dark corners, cobwebs and mouse turds. Clearly there was none of that here.

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How big is this resort?

It has its own post office.

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And a line of high end shops down the hallway. One of which I was forbidden to enter by my spouse…

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Did I mention the carpet?

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Trees, pine cones and woodland creatures. Very whimsical.

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Since we were visiting off season for lunch there were only two options, an upstairs restaurant offering small plates and tapas or downstairs which had a full menu. I think you know by now my husband is not a small plate kind of guy.

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Another cocktail? Don’t mind if I do.

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The menu was a bit smaller than I expected from such a big place, and as I scanned to the bottom I was seriously hoping my spouse would find something he wanted before he found the filet. Gulp!

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We elected to split a bowl of clam chowder to start and instead of bringing two spoons, they divided it in cute little square bowls. Very tasty.

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One shrimp scampi and a crabmeat sandwich later…

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We were replete and ready to continue exploring.

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The Cave at the Mount Washington resort

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The best thing about this basement… aside from the carpet?

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It had a genuine prohibition era speak easy…

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That you enter through a tunnel of rock! Be still my heart.

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Okay, I was extremely disappointed it didn’t open until 9:00pm when we’d be long gone, but still.

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It was a funky space.

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Burrowed in the ground, no windows, only one access port.

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They took their drinking in secret seriously.

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The bar itself was behind this locked gate but that didn’t stop me from sticking my nose… and camera… inside.

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No flash.

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Flash.

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How cool is that!

If you can, enlarge this article and read the middle and right hand columns for its history.

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I really hope we’re back in the area some night.

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Because I’d love to stroll through here with a martini in hand.

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Mount Washington resort part two.

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Stepping inside this splendid hotel is like walking through a time machine. Back to the grand old days of luxury accommodations…

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When you “summered” in the mountains and the resort was your seasonal home.

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Elegant, but warm and inviting at the same time.

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Walk through the first floor to the rear of the building….

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Into the rotunda with fabulous views…

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Even when you look up.

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Step outside on the massive panoramic covered porch…

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And you get an idea of how large this resort really is.

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10,000 acres to be exact.

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The porches go on forever, positively begging you to grab a cocktail and relax. Which we did. Because who am I to ignore a begging porch?

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One cocktail down, we made our way back inside, found an elevator…

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And rode it down to the basement where we continued exploring.

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In case you were wondering, our basement does not look like this.

To be continued.

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The Mount Washington Resort.

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If you’ve ever visited Mount Washington and driven through the valley, you know there’s one structure that dominates the landscape.

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The regal Mount Washington resort. Built in 1902 she’s been the hotel to the rich, the famous and everyone in between. The cheapest room is over $500 a night and if you want a king size bed with a view? Prepare to pay $1,500.

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As you turn in the driveway, geese.

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Geese… everywhere.

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Circle past the front door to the parking lot, which is a bit of a hike if you’re too cheap to pay valet… which we were… and then stroll back.

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Past some climbing vines….

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And an impressive row of chrysanthemums.

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Everywhere you look? It’s spectacular.

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Even the portico ceiling.

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And then you walk inside….

To be continued.

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