September 29, 2009

Windy Ridge Orchard in Haverhill NH - A Great Destination for People of All Ages!

Posted to Chrissy Smith

Windy Ridge, an incredible apple orchard in Haverhill, NH – it’s a must to put on your fall “to-do”activity list! Located off Route 116 in Haverhill, the Fabrizio family have created a true destination full of apple picking, the Cider House Café, an activity path, playground area, farm animals for the kids to feed, gift shop and more. This place has it all.


As a family, we go every year, but this was the first year we ever tried picking apples. Usually we wimp out and buy them in the gift shop, but this year we decided to give it a try – what fun! Having never picked an apple, it was a lot of fun. Although I discovered that it’s much like picking out a Christmas tree with my husband – we had to travel to the farthest part of the orchard, and find “the” most perfect MacIntosh apples. He wouldn’t travel to the Empire apples section, we had to have the Macs, and we had to have the Macs in the very back, but what a great time we had. Our 7 year old enjoyed pulling the wagon, picking the apples and then riding in the wagon on the return trip to the Cider House Café. Even the baby got into the action, she was able to get under a tree and giggled the whole time.

We had a great time, spending over 2 hours and taking it all in. Lunch in the café was delicious, one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in a long time - turkey, apple, maple mayo on a wrap! The cafe is also known for their Cider House donuts, they are yummy and you can eat them there or get some to go.We then visited the farm animals, and went through the adventure trail.

I noticed people of all ages and areas were there, and they all seemed to have a great time. In the winter, Windy Ridge also has Christmas trees to harvest. If you get a chance to visit, go see the Fabrizio family at Windy Ridge Orchard, Route 116 in Haverhill. And if you are lucky enough to live here, make sure you stop by!

If you are in that area this weekend, also make sure you stop by the “green” home we have for sale. This home is located in Woodsville, NH and will be part of the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association Open House tour going on all day on Saturday, October 3rd from 10-4 pm. This home will be part of the largest sustainable energy event in the Northeastern US.

Posted by:Chrissy Smith



September 15, 2009

Dodge Pond in Lyman NH - A Spectacular Sight

Posted to Chrissy Smith

This morning I got to take a side road through Lyman NH before I got to our Littleton office. In my travels I had the pleasure of passing by Dodge Pond in Lyman. Dodge Pond has some lovely little homes and camps that dot the landscape, and its a great neighborhood. I’ve traveled through before and have seen people out on the public beach, swimming, fishing, riding bikes and more. And the activity doesn’t slow down in the winter, at that time of year you can see plenty of folks out there ice fishing. This morning, there was one lone fisherman in his boat, taking it all in. The mist coming off the pond was stunning this morning, the foliage is starting to turn and the sun was in just the right spot to capture it on my camera as I drove through.

Dodge Pond is a 35 acre pond in this quaint town between Lisbon and Littleton. Lyman has some other lovely water spots including Ogontz, Round Pond and more. As I continued past Dodge Pond, I stayed on the road that also took me through Partridge Lake in Littleton this morning. What a great way to start the day. I envy those who live on Dodge Pond, and on Partridge Lake, it looks like it would be very calming each day to see the water with the morning mist rising above. If you think you’d like to live on Partridge Lake, we have a property just for you…take a peek !

And as an aside, taking a new road this morning made me think of the Robert Frost poem, “The Road Not Taken”, did you know that Robert Frost used to live in Franconia NH, we’ll tell you more about that in another post!

Posted by:Chrissy Smith



September 14, 2009

Northern NH & Northeast Kingdom VT Foliage Report

Posted to Chrissy Smith

This is such a beautiful time of year here in Northern NH and the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. This is fall, foliage season, leaf peeper season…a spectacular time of year. Shortly before Labor Day, I noticed a few trees starting to turn red. It takes a few weeks to have “all the colors” showing on the leaves, and its a real treat to live here and get to watch it change daily.

Scores of people visit our states to view the foliage, and the states of New Hampshire, and Vermont even have their own foliage reports. I thought I could bring you one each week, and show you the same tree on King Hill Road In Landaff, NH. We can watch the foliage turn together! There are some beautiful roads in this area, but two of my favorite to see the foliage are: the Mt. Eustis Road in Littleton, and King Hill Road in Landaff. What makes these roads so special is the way the trees curl over top of you, and you end up driving through a tunnel of foliage, its beautiful.

If you think you would like to move here and see the scenery change every fall, we can help. And if you are interested in Landaff, NH, we have a beautiful home to show you on the Mill Brook Road, and some other nice homes in the area, we’d love to show you!




Posted by:Chrissy Smith



September 08, 2009

Labor Day Weekend in the White Mountains of NH

Posted to Chrissy Smith

It was a great Labor Day weekend here in the White Mountains with lots of great activities. My family took in a few events, including the Lancaster Fair. But once a summer, we make it out to the town of Bethlehem to visit their summer concerts. We happened to make it Sunday night, to the last concert of the season. These outdoor concerts take place on the Main Street, overlooking the mountains on a great green space they have in the downtown. The performer was Mark Shelton, and he did a whole bunch of 50s and 60s music. What a sight, my mother said he was so kid friendly and I guess - there were children everywhere in front of him dancing away…adults were dancing also! Mark put on a great show -see some of his photos here! He has an excellent voice (obviously to be up there performing) and he had a great stage presence. He had a bubble machine creating some ambiance, he has a group of dancers, and a hula-hoop contest for those who want to participate. Every year I am astounded how many people come to these concerts in Bethlehem, and the other night was no different. It was crowded. I enjoyed seeing so many people who are proud to call the White Mountains home, but I enjoyed watching people who were traveling through on Route 302 pull over and sit down on the lawn.

These free concerts happen every Sunday through the summer, and I’m sure they are booking entertainment for next year. I had a great time seeing the families who walked to the concert from their home, and the rest of us who traveled in from nearby towns. The American Flag hung proudly from the gazebo, the mountain views were just behind. I loved watching the kids and adults dancing. And I can’t hide my pride when I saw I’m proud to live in the North Country of New Hampshire. Where else does everyone know your name, and if they don’t they ask where you are from. Where else can you see kids and adults dancing together on the green grass on a town common? Well, ok, I know there are other places that have similar concerts, but here in the White Mountains - I think its all pretty special. Check it out next year, you’ll see why so many of us make Bethlehem NH and the White Mountains our home!

If you have ever thought about living in Bethlehem NH, we do have some great homes for sale in this beautiful town. Here are just a few:

This one is just a few miles from the downtown, yet in the country on 20 acres.


And this condo is located at the Village of Maplewood, just a mile from the Free Summer Concerts in Bethlehem! A short commute for great entertainment!


Posted by:Chrissy Smith



September 01, 2009

Luxury Living in Sugar Hill, NH

Posted to Chrissy Smith

Well this past summer I have spent a considerable amount of time venturing out throughout the North Country of New Hampshire on all our lovely country roads. One of my favorite rides is on Route 117, the road connects Franconia NH to Lisbon NH and goes right through the picturesque town of Sugar Hill NH.


Driving through Sugar Hill last week, I turned onto Sunset Hill Rd., the most enchanting road in Sugar Hill and was captivated by the views of the Franconia Notch and the Presidential Mountain Range. At the end of Sunset, past the Sunset Hill Golf Course (a great 9 hole fun course if you ever get the chance go play there), sited on a knoll is this charming Cape Cod style home, which looks directly over Franconia Notch to the south and the Presidential Mountains to the east. I had a chance to finally go into this home, and this particular site was once the home of the prestigious Overlook Hotel, long past from the gilded age of affluence, however, the opulent view remains…

The home was completely updated in 1998 with a new state of the art kitchen with custom hand made cherry cabintry, cherry floors, new bathrooms and a new rear deck to capture the westerly views of the Green Mountains of Vermont. This home boasts three bedrooms, two baths, and two fireplaces with beamed ceilings in the intimate living room, the master suite looks over Cannon Mountain. This home is a real treat to enjoy here in the White Mountains of NH. It has a park like setting with lush perennial beds. Everything about the home is stunning.

If you ever get a chance to see Sugar Hill, make sure you check out some of the other local attractions also like the Sunset Hill House The Sugar Hill Sampler, Polly’s Pancake Parlor and of course, Harman’s Cheese & Country Store. Sugar Hill is a great place to call home, and it’s a great vacation destination!

In June, Sugar Hill and some of the surrounding towns host a “Field Of Lupine” festival. More on that next spring!

Posted by:Chrissy Smith