Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Now is the time to go Skiing in the Darmouth Lake Sunapee Region
Friday, December 17, 2010
Winter is a great time to check out the local covered bridges
Andover Covered Bridge
Bement Bridge Bradford Center Road Bradford , NH 03221 Location: One quarter mile north of the intersection of N.H. Routes 103 and 114 Built in 1854, this bridge carries Bradford Center Road across the west branch of the Warner River . Tradition has it that Colonel Stephen H. Long, a Hopkinton native and a member of the U.S. Army Topographical Engineers, built the bridge. While working for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Long developed a plan for a new covered bridge truss that became nationally known as the Long truss. Long patented his design in 1830. Long truss; 60 feet long.
Blacksmith Bridge Town House Road Cornish, NH 03745 Location: 2 miles east of Route 12A This bridge, built in 1881, carries a foot path over the Mill Brook in the town of Cornish . It is just a few miles south of the Cornish-Windsor Bridge , which crosses the Connecticut River between Vermont and New Hampshire . The name was derived from a nearby blacksmith shop. One-span multi-kingpost truss; 91 feet long. Parking available along Town House Road for two or three cars.
Blow Me Down Bridge Mill Road Cornish, NH 03745 Location: South of Route 12A, 1.5 miles southwest of Plainfield Village The Blow Me Down Bridge, built in 1877, carries Mill Road over Blow Me Down Brook. Multi-kingpost truss; 85 feet long. Parking available in pull off before crossing the bridge.
Cilleyville / Bog Bridge Andover , NH 03216 Location: At the junction of N.H. Route 11 and N.H. Route 4A Built in 1887, this bridge spans Pleasant Brook. It was bypassed in 1959 and restricted to foot traffic. The bridge was the model for murals of typical New Hampshire scenes which were once located in the State House in Concord . Town lattice truss; 53 feet long.
Cornish-Windsor Bridge Windsor , VT 05089 Location: Crosses the Connecticut River between Bridge Street , Windsor , VT , and NH Route 12A, Cornish, NH Probably the most prominent of all of Vermont ’s and New Hampshire ’s covered bridges, the Cornish-Windsor Bridge , built in 1866, is the longest wooden covered bridge in the United States and the longest two-span covered bridge in the world. At 450 feet long, the bridge consists of two spans supported by Town lattice trusses. The pier stands nearly under the midpoint of the bridge: the two clear spans measure 204.6 feet and 203.7 feet. The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Three earlier bridges at this spot, the first of them built in 1796, were destroyed by floods. The bridge, which originally cost $9,000 to build, was rebuilt in 1989 at a cost of $4,450,000 and reopened on December 8, 1989.
Dalton / Joppa Road Bridge Joppa Road Warner, NH 03278 Location: South of N.H. Route 103 on Joppa Road Built in 1853, this bridge carries Joppa Road across the Warner River . This is one of the oldest standing covered bridges in use today. It is also known as the Joppa Road Bridge . The bridge was rebuilt in 1963-1964. Long truss with an auxiliary Queenpost system; 76 feet long.
Dingleton Bridge Root Hill Road Cornish, NH 03745 Location: 1.0 mile east of Route 12A on Root Hill Road See Map This bridge, built in 1882, carries Root Hill Road over Mill Brook. One-span multiple kingpost truss with a total length of 77 feet. Parking available on left side of Root Hill Road after crossing the bridge.
Edgell Bridge River RoadLyme , NH 03768 Location: One mile south of N.H. Route 10, two miles south of Orford Village See Map Built in 1885, this bridge carries River Road across Clay Brook. The bridge was assembled on the town common and moved by oxcart to the planned location. In 1936, it washed off its northern abutment. It was moved back, and tied down with cables. Town lattice truss; 132 feet long.
Keniston Bridge Lorden Road Andover , NH 03216 Location: South of U.S. Route 4, one mile west of Andover Village See Map Built in 1882, this bridge carries Lorden Road over the Blackwater River . The bridge's name came from a prominent family that lived for many years in one of the old homesteads in town. The bridge has been damaged only once, in 1972, when ice tore off several planks. The bridge was rehabilitated by the town in 1981. Town lattice truss; 64 feet long.
McDermott / Cold River Bridge Landgon , NH 03602 Location: North of N.H. Route 123A, two miles north of Alstead Village Built in 1869, this bridge is the fourth on this site. Previous bridges were built in 1790, 1814, and 1840. A modern bridge which was built downstream in 1964 and the covered bridge was closed to vehicular traffic and retained for historic reasons. Town lattice truss with light arches; 81 feet long.
Meriden / Mill Bridge Colby Hill Road Plainfield , NH 03781 Location: 1 mile northwest of Route 120 in Meriden Village See Map This bridge, built in 1880, carries Colby Hill Road over Blood Brook. Two-span multiple kingpost truss with a total length of 80 feet. Large parking area available on right side of Colby Hill Road before crossing the bridge.
Packard Hill Bridge Riverside Drive Lebanon , NH 03766 Location: On Riverside Drive in Lebanon Between 1780 and 1790 an open timber bridge was constructed at this location for Ichabod Packard. In 1878, the open timber bridge was replaced by a Howe truss covered bridge. It was replaced in 1952 with a Bailey Bridge. The Bailey bridge was replaced in 1991 by the current bridge, which carries Riverside Drive across the Mascoma River . It was constructed in a manner which replicates the traditional style of covered bridges. Howe truss; 76 feet long.
Pier Bridge Newport , NH 03773 Location: East of Chandler Station and west of N.H. Route 103 on the Concord and Claremont Railroad line spanning the Sugar River. The current bridge was built in 1907 by the Boston and Maine Railroad to replace a wood lattice bridge constructed in 1871-1872 by the Sugar River Railroad. The double Town/Pratt lattice trusses with laminated arches were long favored on the branch lines of the Boston & Maine Railroad. In 1900 at least 100 of this type of truss were in use on the Boston & Maine system. Double Town-Pratt lattice truss; 216 feet long.
Prentiss / Drewsville Bridge Old Cheshire TurnpikeLangdone , NH 03603 Location: One-half mile south of N.H. Route 12A Built in 1791, this bridge, the smallest covered bridge in New Hampshire , carries the Old Cheshire Turnpike over Great Brook in Langdon. It is the third bridge on this site. It was bypassed in 1954 and now serves foot traffic only. Town lattice truss with light arches; 34 feet long.
Waterloo Bridge New Market Road Warner, NH 03278 Location: South of N.H. Route 103, two miles west of Warner Village Built in 1840, this bridge carries New Market Road across the Warner River . The structure was completely rebuilt in 1857 and a second time in 1970, and it was rehabilitated in 1987 at a cost of $3,000. Town lattice truss; 76 feet long.
Wright’s BridgeNewport , NH 03773 Location: Two miles south of N.H. Route 103 and one-half mile west of Chandler Station in Newport This bridge, on the Concord and Claremont Railroad line spanning the Sugar River , was built in 1906 by the Boston and Maine Railroad. It replaced a wooden bridge built by the Sugar River Railroad in 1871 and 1872. The Concord and Claremont Railroad was well known for its use of the double Town/Pratt lattice truss. In 1915, there were 15 such bridges on the rail line.
descriptions courtesy http://www.visit-newhampshire.com
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Winter visitors to the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee area, area birds
read more and see some beautiful winter bird pictures at http://sunapeenews.com/2010/12/16/winter-visitors-to-the-dartmouth-lake-sunapee-area/
Mount Sunapee Sugar on Snow Celebration
Sample delicious sugar on snow from Valley View Maple Farm in Springfield, NH. Other maple products are on sale on the patio at Sunapee Lodge. http://www.mountsunapee.com/mtsunapeewinter/onthemountain/events/winterevents.asp
An Interview with Linda and Brian MacKenzie, Inn at Pleasant Lake
1-800-626-4907 | Pleasant St., New London, NH
Website: http://www.innatpleasantlake.com
Relax in our elegant ten room inn overlooking Pleasant Lake and Mt. Kearsarge. Gourmet Dining.
An Interview with Linda and Brian MacKenzie
Linda and Brian have owned the Inn of Pleasant Lake for 14 and half years. Linda lived and worked in the hospitality field in Colorado, New York State and Virginia. Charlottesville, Virginia was where she learned inn reservations and other aspects of running an inn with a fine dining restaurant. Brian after attending university he worked in hospitality in Colorado, then attended the Culinary Institute of America. His first job out of CIA was at an upscale inn in Charlottesville, VA. After a year and a half in Charlottesville they bought The Inn at Pleasant Lake.
Linda and Brian's favorite thing about owning a Country Inn is their daily routine, which goes beyond the guest rooms, guest service and breakfast. Linda says, "We also incorporate into the daily mix our fine dining dinner service. When looking at the whole daily routine, We find that our favorite one thing is basically making our guests happy. Not only just happy, they tend to leave totally relaxed by the inn and its surroundings. A stay at the inn can be mentally and physically therapeutic by removing people from the hustle and bustle of their everyday lives."
Linda says, "We were looking to open a fine dining restaurant and preferred to purchase in a country location in New England versus a large city. To make the financials work in this type of demographic we figured it would make sense to do both an inn and fine dining restaurant. Our goal was to turn our inn into Destination Dining where guests would want to come for the food and extend the experience by staying over in a guest room."
Brian and Linda comment that most challenging about running a B&B is the transient nature of staff in their industry, although they have been lucky to have many great staff stay for many years and they supplement their busy times with additional support staff. Linda says, "Still there is a steady in and out of part-time help that can be challenging to manage."
"Time off can be elusive, " Linda mentions, "But we do try to schedule time away from the inn. In these times we enjoy doing things with our children. We enjoy the lake during the summer and snow sports in the winter. Our lives are really full so a nap always sounds great, but is rarely available."
Linda handles the marketing, payroll, wine list and ordering, bills, the ordering of supplies for guest rooms and the gift case, and décor changes and assists Brian when needed in reservations, with weddings and wait staff.
Brian is the executive chef, handles all ordering for the restaurant, catering agreements, restaurant staff, is the manager on premise and is responsible for anything that comes up. He handles broken things, guest relations, cooking, and much, much more.
The inn is located on Pleasant Lake and has a sandy beach for their guests to use and swim from. The inn supplies two canoes, one double kayak and a rowboat for guest use. A short walk from the inn is the entrance to a great hiking trail system offering easy, moderate and challenging hikes. New London has a nice mix of shops and is home to The New London Barn Playhouse which does summer stock theater.
Linda comments, "Many people come for a vacation or to visit people who live locally. We get many guests attending weddings at our inn or other nearby wedding sites. We get a good amount of parents from the local colleges and boarding schools and we have some customers who come for business."
From check in to check out Linda and Brian try to meet the guest's needs. They provide an afternoon tea each day of their stay and a hearty breakfast. They also have coffee and water available at all times and Wifi and a guest computer for those interested in those amenities. Some of the rooms have whirlpool tubs. They spend a lot of time on the gardens and making their grounds beautiful and peaceful.
The inn attracts all kinds of guests. They do weddings, they accept children so they have a lot of families too. Linda says, "The baby boomers are a big segment of our market as well, but truly it is a pretty good mix of all ages which keeps us competitive in our location."
Linda says that she would say to people who have never stayed in a bed and breakfast before that she would encourage them to try it and notice that a stay in an inn is much more memorable than staying in a routine hotel room. She adds, "Many of the little extras such as WIFI and snacks are included in the rate. It has a homelike feel with sitting rooms and a home cooked breakfast."
Linda feels that their B&B is different from other B&B because they cater to customers that want to enjoy a full breakfast, afternoon tea and the availability of an amazing prix-fixe dinner. They pride themselves on consistency and cleanliness. The inn is their career and they run it very professionally gauging the guests needs for interaction or privacy.
The Inn's signature dish's are their frittata or their Baked French toast get rave reviews at breakfast.
Their prix-fixe dinner is a very special evening featuring a soup, followed by a salad, an entremezzo to cleanse the palate, a choice of entrée and then dessert. Many of their guests have them at the top of their list of favorite dinners of all the places they've traveled in the world. They love that compliment!
Featured Recipe: Dragonflies Bed and Breakfast, Quesadillas with Avocado and Tomato
603-927-4053 | 9 Kezar St. , North Sutton, NH
Website: http://www.dragonfliesbnb.com
Convenient at pretty village center with lake frontage.
Quesadillas with Avocado and Tomato
Ingredients
- 1 cup white corn kernels
- 1/4 cup cream cheese
- 1/2 cup aged grated cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 4 Tortillas
- 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
- Tabasco
- 1 sliced avocado
- Tablespoon of chives
- 1 Large beefsteak tomato
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Brush baking sheet with half the olive oil.
- Mix cream cheese with lemon juice, curry and a little salt and pepper.
- Stir in onion, cilantro and corn.
- Spread quarter of the mixture over each of the four tortillas.
- Cover with cheddar cheese and fold each tortilla firmly in half.
- Brush tortillas with remaining olive oil.
- Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes (until golden).
- Slice into wedges and serve with avocado and tomato slices.
- Sprinkle sparingly with chives and tabasco.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Gallery of Gifts 2010
Runs from 11/12/2010 - 5/20/2011
For more information visit
http://www.libraryartscenter.org/
Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum Annual Winter Celebration
Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum will hold it's annual Winter Celebration. Demonstrations of Twined containers, Northern powwow music, working with black ash. Make your own snowflake using black ash. Regular admission applies to galleries and activities. Visit our website for more details indianmuseum.org
Dream Catcher Store Sale. Fundraiser: large used book sale. Admission not charged to enter book sale or Dream Catcher Store.
Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum is a nonprofit dedicated to connecting people of today with 20,000 years of ongoing Native American cultural expression.
Contact: Shawn Olson, Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum, 18 Highlawn Road, Warner, NH 03278
456-2600 ext 223
email: director@indianmuseum.org
http://www.indianmuseum.org
An Interview with Linda and George West of Sunapee View Bed and Breakfast
Baked Eggs with Summer Vegetables from the Candlelite Inn
This award winning, country Victorian Inn has
all the grace and charm for that perfect getaway.
- 5 eggs
- 6-8 fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
- 1/2 tsp oregano minced
- 1/2 cottage cheese, small curd
- 5 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- butter
- tomato slices
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into pieces*
- 1 medium summer squash, cut into pieces*
- salt & pepper to taste
- Put a pat of butter in a sauté pan and melt; add the zucchini and summer squash. You only need to cook it until it get limp. You will be baking it in the oven to finish cooking.
- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, salt, pepper, basil and oregano.
- Stir in the cottage cheese, half of the parmesan cheese and the vegetables.
- Divide the mixture between 4 mini quiche dishes.
- Place a slice of tomato on top and then sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese on top.
- Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Inn to Inn Snow Shoe Advenbture
Jan 14-16th and March 4-6th. Experience the warm hospitality of two award winning
Candlelite Inn
5 Greenhouse Lane
Bradford NH 03221
888-812-5571
www.candleliteinn.com
Elegant, yet warm & friendly
Monday, November 8, 2010
Christmas at The Fells: Santa's Workshop
Twin Doors Bed and Breakfast's Baked Eggs Florentine
- 1 package (10 oz. or a little less) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry- I usually
- microwave for 4-5 minutes
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup light sour cream
- 8 large eggs, I use x-large
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon of freeze dried chives
- Pepper
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese-I use Cabot's seriously sharp
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In large bowl combine seasoning and cheese products and mix well.
- Add spinach and mix well.
- Beat eggs in a separate bowl and add to mixture.
- Pour in non-stick sprayed 8"X11" baking dish.
- Bake, uncovered for 40 minutes or until eggs are set.
- It will brown around the edges and on bottom and a bit on the top.
- Let stand for 10 minutes.
- Cut into squares.
An interview with Dick & Lesley Marquis, Innkeepers of the Rosewood Country Inn
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
January 28-30, 2011 : New London Winter Carnival
Dinner with Jack FrostThis is the 5th Annual event and is a Fun Family Function!
As a family you will snowshoe or sled around the New London Town Common via tiki torches to 6 - 8 designated bonfires. Each bonfire will be a sponsoring restaurant from town which will provide one of their trademark entrees, beverages and/or desserts for your family. There will be a large tent in the middle of the town green with a band playing for your enjoyment. 6pm- 8pm, New London, NH Town Common, Snowshoe Rentals available through Rec. Dept. and Village Sports.
2011 Info on rates, etc. will be on www.campfiredining.com soon. That site also lists the other events similar to this one going on in the area. One at Eastman, one in Lebanon and one in Hanover.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
NESJA Ski Joring EventNew London Town Common (daytime)
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Snow BallAn adult dance set under the tent on the town green in New London, NH
more info coming….
Sunday, January 30, 2011
NESJA Ski Joring EventNew London Town Common (daytime)
New London Rec. Department. Chad Denning: 603-526-4821
www.nesja.com (Ski joring website)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Zesty Orange Ginger Fruit Cobbler
- 4 cups fresh blueberries
- 16 ripe peaches or apples cut into thinly sliced segments
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tea cinnamon
- 1 tea nutmeg
- 1/2 tea ground mace
- 2 tble cornstarch
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled (reserve 1 tble butter for glazing)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tble pure vanilla
- 1/4 cups orange zest
- 2 tble fresh grated ginger
- 2 1/3 cup AP flour
- 2 tea kosher salt
- 4 tea baking powder
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine peaches/apples and blueberries in a bowl.
- Mix together sugar, dry spices and cornstarch.
- Toss fruit with the sugar mix and set aside.
- Whish together the eggs, the melted butter, ginger, orange zest and the cream in a bowl.
- Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder.
- Make a well in center of dry ingredients, and pour egg mixture into well.
- Mix by hand, incorporating just until ingredients are mixed and form a loose dough.
- Divide the fruit between individual ramekins.
- Pat in dough mixture just to cover the tops of the ramekins.
- Brush tops with remaining butter.
- Bake until crust golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes.
- Serve hot, with ice cream or whipped cream