As a New Englander, no summer is complete without a family trip to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Located just a few hours away from Boston, the White Mountains offer lots of family-friendly hotels, restaurants, and attractions. For families looking for a little more space, there are also plenty of family vacation home rentals available.
The 16 major attractions of the White Mountains will all be open within a few weeks – with most of them opening this Memorial Day weekend. Lost River Gorge and River Caves, the Conway Scenic Railroad, the Flume Gorge, the Polar Caves, the Mount Washington Cog Railway, and the Auto Road in Pinkham Notch are all currently open, while everything else (except for the Whale’s Tale Water Park) is opening over the weekend.
Our two favorite White Mountains attractions, are Story Land in Glen, NH and Santa’s Village in Jefferson, NH, because of the rides they offer. Geared towards children aged 10 and under, these two parks are a great way for young families to enjoy the White Mountains. Both parks are easily doable in a day or a day and a half, and both offer attractions that appeal to the whole family.
Another of our favorite spots is Attitash Mountain Resort, which is actually a ski resort. My daredevil daughter couldn’t get enough of the alpine slides, mountain coaster, climbing walls, and Eurobungy, and my son, who’s a little more timid, actually loved the rides too. There are also several water slides, and a pool, which are a great way to cool off when the weather gets warmer.
If you go: Both Story Land and Santa’s Village offer you a free ticket for another if you arrive a few hours before closing (check the websites for details). We usually take advantage of that promotion and visit over two consecutive days.
This is a guest post by Jodi Grundig of Family Travel Magazine. Photos are courtesy of Jodi Grundig.