CT Mommy Blog

Chris and I just got back from a weekend getaway at the Mountain View Grand Resort in Whitefield, New Hampshire.  It was exactly what we needed after our stressful trip to Disney.  We left the babies with grandma and auntie Jen and headed for a 4 1/2 hour drive to New Hampshire.  It was only my second time being away from the girls for the night and I had a little bit of “mommy guilt” in the pit of my stomach, but I knew they were in good hands.  I also knew that relationships need attention when you’re consumed with preparing meals, doing the laundry, and changing diapers day after day. We needed the time away to relax and reconnect as a couple.

The drive was mostly through the scenic mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire.  We usually vacation near the water so it was a nice change to be in the mountains, plus we seemed to escape a very hot weekend at home and lots of traffic headed to the beach. I’ll admit, the GPS saying “stay on I-91 North for 200 miles” was a bit of a shock, but the drive is easy and beautiful. I kept thinking how amazing it must be when the leaves change in the Fall.

The resort was gorgeous.  It dates back to 1886 with a complete remodel in 2002.  It’s on the list of Historic Hotels of America, so it has a lot of detail and charm.

I felt like I was walking around the hotel where they filmed Dirty Dancing.  There were lots of quiet nooks scattered throughout.  They had lots of old pictures of past generations at the same resort. The more time we spent at the resort, the more we wanted to learn more about it. President Dwight Eisenhower frequently stayed in the hotel and has several rooms named after him. We also learned that the resort gets its power from a massive wind turbine on the property, making it the rare combination of historic building with cutting edge “green” characteristics. Many of the fruits, vegetables, herbs, and dairy products served at the restaurants come fresh from the family farm located on the property.

The visit started off nicely. We booked our room as part of the “romance package” and received champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries at check-in.  Our package also included breakfast for both days of our stay (including room service) and a spa treatment. I have to say, Chris and I searched through a ton of hotels and bed and breakfasts in the Northeast while planning this trip. The package offered by the Mountain View Grand was fantastic.

We don’t get away from the twins that often and we really wanted to take advantage of our time alone.  We tried to pack in as many activities as we could while still enjoying our time together as a couple. On our first night we had a great dinner at the Tavern Restaurant and then sat outside on the porch with cocktails.

This was 4th of July weekend and we were hoping to catch some fireworks so we stayed on the porch until the sun went down.  The sunset was gorgeous.  The resort had their own fireworks the night before so we missed them, and the height of the mountains revealed only the top of fireworks exploding in the distant sky.

The resort had a campfire where you could roast marshmallows for s’mores.  The idea was great but the mosquitoes in New Hampshire are hungry and apparently we were their dinner.  We didn’t stay long.

The next day we attempted to sleep in.  We then hung out by the pool (the resort has both a nice, large outdoor pool in addition to a heated indoor pool as part of their fitness center and spa) and visited the Mountain View Farm in the back of the resort.

We were able to walk right inside the barn and see the llamas, alpacas, goats, sheep and chickens roaming about!

They even had mini donkeys that were extra friendly.

The part of our trip I was the most excited about was the Sok Tub treatment in the spa. They bring you into a room with 360 degree panoramic views of the mountains. The Sok Tub was like being in an overflowing hot tub meant for two people. There are several jets blowing bubbles. It was incredibly relaxing, and, if I am lucky enough to stumble upon $10k sometime soon, will make this a must-have in my dream bathroom.

We ended our day with dinner in their fine dining restaurant, The Wine Cellar.  As you can probably guess by the name, the restaurant was downstairs in the resort’s wine cellar.  The ambiance was quiet and intimate, and truly unique. There are only a small number of tables in the restaurant and they are all very private, which makes for a romantic, special dining experience.  I get a little intimidated going into restaurants that are so fancy but our waiter was fantastic.

We asked our waiter to suggest the best wines to pair with our food and he did a great job.  I had glasses of Lebanese and Portuguese white wine, and Chris had a Pinot Noir and Merlot. They were all fantastic, and we’re not really wine drinkers.

After several starter courses including salad, bread, scallops, and shrimp cocktail, it was time for the main event. For our entree, I ordered almond crusted chicken and Chris got the rack of lamb.  The Wine Cellar was less about eating and more about a full-on food experience. We were there for almost 3 hours, but the food was terrific.  I would rank it as one of the best restaurants we’ve ever been to.

Our trip to the Mountain Grand made for a great weekend in New Hampshire. Being there, away from the babies, reminded me of what it was like before the girls came. Life was so much easier then, but I wouldn’t trade what I have now for anything… except maybe another dinner in the Wine Cellar.