Opening weekends on tap for popular family attractions

Memorial Day is the unofficial (but, really, let's call it official!) kickoff to summer. In New England you need to embrace every warm weekend you possibly can. Sun, sand, and quintessential attractions are all yours.

July and August are peak times to visit the Mount Washington Valley, but we're here to share a secret--June is pretty darn nice, too! Traffic is light on the Friday escape from Boston, family-fun is less expense and boasts short lines for all the good stuff.

We got our first taste of Santa's Village last December and LOVED it (minus the drive back in a snow storm that took us on some very dark, questionable, and treacherous road)! It's very Buddy the Elf and Christmas cheer is everywhere you go. The ride lineup is definitely geared to the under 7 set. Other than that, you'd need to be a Grinch not to love this place.

As for Story Land, le sigh! I just have a special place in my heart for this magical little place. I love the nostalgia factor and am more excited than the little guy to see the old women in the shoe. I need to sit on the tuffet every time we visit. And the day isn't complete without a spin on the Huff Puff and Whistle Railroad. The adult in me loves the Roar-a-sauras, Bamboo Chutes, and great customer service and cleanliness. The adult in me DOES NOT love the Turtle Twirl!  

Visit our partner booking sites and get your June weekends on the books. Full weeks in July are also available and you can really maximize the fun of the region while being able to soak in relaxing on Silver Lake.

Plan your April School Vacation Getaway

Seeing this list of options makes me sad that we're going to have a "working" vacation in the White Mountains--but you can plan for your family's fun adventures!

Go sightseeing!

Mount Washington Auto Road
Hiking galore!

Take a ride!

Cog Railway
Wildcat Gondola Ride
Conway Scenic Railroad

Have an adventure!

Mountain Biking at Great Glen Trails
Horseback Riding at Farm by the River

Shop 'til you drop!

Settlers Green
LL Bean Outlet
North Conway Village
Bavarian Chocolate House
Zeb's

Spring in the Mount Washington Valley

Check out this video...what are you inspired to try this spring?

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Do go chasing waterfalls...

Check out this link from NewEngland.com to see their 10 best New Hampshire waterfalls to check out. We're personal fans of Diana's Baths and are excited to take our own spring hike to see the rushing water--it certainly won't be like summer and the lazy river atmosphere! 

Keep in mind that with snow quickly melting as the weather warms up, you want to hike around waterfalls with great care. This article gives some practical tips for hikers of all stages. 

If you'll be visiting a number of locations, the White Mountain National Forest Pass is a best bet. $30.00 covers your parking and any entry fees (and, yes, you will get ticketed!) at the many parking areas and trail heads. This pass is for sale at Watson's, next to Yankee Smokehouse on Route 16--just a short drive from the Silver Lake Vacation House.

Maple...mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

This is my brain on maple candy...

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Full disclosure. I'm a sucker for Vermont maple products, having grown up with family in Vermont and with an uncle that has his own sugar shack. We call maple syrup "Vermont Liquid Gold." That said, I am going to try to get on board with the New Hampshire Liquid Gold and share some local spots to see sugaring in action (which is such a cool process).

While I love the comforts of home, I love having a home in an area surrounded by a national forest and historic farm land. Lucy Brook Farm, in North Conway, was built in 1912. "Arthur and Irene Lucy lived in the house, and then their oldest son Fred took over the farming. Fred and his wife Hester raised Hereford beef cattle, made maple syrup, and sold wood and hay. In 2009, after fifty five years of marriage and working together, both passed away within six months of each other. The farm is now owned by their daughter, Mary, and her son Randy, and his wife, Kim. The farm now raises alpacas, chickens, pork and natural produce which is grown as the first families did......naturally."

White Pine Farm is located in Tamworth, NH. From Christmas Trees to pumpkins to beef this farm has it all. The farm also offers Farm to Table dinner tours with seven course meals, and a mobile pizza oven with "Sunset Pizza" nights (which I can assure you we'll be checking out this summer!).

Olkkola Farm is located in Ossipee in the White Mountains on New Hampshire.  The farm will be tapping its trees in the coming weeks. With a stretch of cold nights and warm days, the clear sap will be transformed into sweet syrup. Fun fact from the farm? It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of sweet golden syrup.

Crawl through the Whites

Looking for a spring getaway? If you live in New England, you'll agree that it's been one cooped up March. Plan a weekend away in the Whites with a group of friends and check out this itinerary:

Moat Mountain Remember when drinking beer in cans was frowned upon? Not anymore. While the cannery isn't open to the public, Moat is. Eat all the smoky meats and try some delicious craft beer. Moat Mountain was established in 2000 and has years of experience under their belt.

Tuckerman's Brewing Co. Tuckerman's in another North Conway area standard that you should not miss. Established in 1998, this brewery is nearing two decades of fabulous brewing. The production facility and tasting room are a great place to spend an afternoon--whether the weather is warm or cold. 

Hobbs' Tavern and Brewing Hobbs' Tavern is a 5 minute drive from the Silver Lake Vacation Getaway House. You can enjoy amazing food and even more amazing beers here. There are a few TV's around for some sports action, a great lineup of music and events, and a store to take and enjoy some cold ones!

Sap House Meadery New Hampshire's first mead pub is the Sap House Meadery, located a very short drive away in Center Ossipee. On Saturdays you can sign up for a "Hive-to-bottle" tour and learn all about the ancient process of making this warm, wonderful honey liqueur. 

Whipple Tree Winery is located in Tamworth..again just a quick drive from the house. We're a beer-loving family, but sometimes you need a nice wine to make a meal. I also personally love their preservation story. "The winery, housed in a 1940s summer cottage was moved from Ossipee Lake to Tamworth to save the building. The building was originally owned by Virgil D.White who patented the snowmobile in 1917."

Let us know if you try any places from this itinerary on your stay with us or if you have some fun additions to the list!

C'mon spring...we know you're out there

We've been able to welcome a full gammut of visitors with all sorts of interests in the White Mountain region. From Chinese hikers to a family from Massachusetts to a group of friends getting together for their fantasy baseball draft and hockey, we've had a lot of fun hosting people in Silver Lake.

There are just a few weeks between the end of spring skiing and the start of school vacation week. Spring is in the air. At work the tulips are shoving the snow out of their way and are ready to go. The sun is shining. The birds are chirping. Let's bring on some warm weather and prepare for spring and summer fun in the White Mountains.

April is actually a great time to visit the region. Attractions are just starting to open up, the outlets have some amazing end of season sales and the breweries are bringing out their light and bright beers. The waterfall trails are going to be ALIVE  with energy and whether you want to try something easy like Diana's Baths or one of the more challenging trails up north, you don't want to miss this season.

We've kept our March rates through the first couple of weeks of April. Getaway from the Boston area and enjoy some natural fun in this neck of the woods.

No end in sight for spring skiing

I love snow. I love winter. While many New Englanders are less than thrilled that things aren't in bloom, I can't say that I'm one of them. Bring on more winter.

I guess I feel a little differently now that the little guy in our house is up on skis and has been excited to hone in on that craft this season. We've got some time booked at the house at the end of March. It was going to be a time for spring cleanup, but I'm secretly hoping that we'll get to head to King Pine and sneak in a few more runs. 

If you're like me and can't wait for the pending Nor'easter, get yourself up to Silver Lake. We've reduced rates on all of our partner booking sites includings Airbnb and VRBO for the next few weeks. If school is cancelled, hustle the family and some friends up to New Hampshire for a few days of playing in the snow or relaxing by the fire. Play some hooky (we won't tell--promise!). Grab a weekend and feel the spring sun on your face as your cruise down the slopes.

Bask in the glory of Old Man Winter. He'll be gone soon enough...

Mount Washington Hill Swillers

A group of friends just booked the Silver Lake Vacation House for the Mount Washington Road Race weekend. What? A road race around Mount Washington? No--a road race up Mount Washington!

Typically held in mid-June, the Mount Washington Road Race opens up the auto road for a unique and exclusive experience allowing a few hundred runners from around the world to climb 6288 feet in 7.3 miles. Anyone who knows Mount Washington knows this is a totally unpredictable weather site, adding to the adventure of planning and training for race day.

I completed this race in 2012--and while the race itself is incredibly well organized and awesome, it was one of the worst races of my life. I felt very well trained for the experience having come off recovery from the very hot Boston Marathon. I did a lot of my training running loops of the Stonetower Hill in Lynn Woods. I was mentally and physically in the best shape of my life, but race day had other plans.

The race is a real mind-twist. Experienced runners tell you it's relentless and grueling but you really don't know what that means until you are about a mile in and you look up, down, and around and just see hills everywhere. Don't get me wrong--the scenery is breathtaking--but woof. It doesn't help that I was swiftly passed by the majority of runners including this man who was 92 at the time (and one of the friendliest guys on Earth!)

If you want to learn more about the race, click here. We're wishing our friends a happy training season and a great stay in Silver Lake this June!

Conway Scenic Railroad starts chugging on April 14

Want to get away for a weekend over April School Vacation? We've got a great home for you to enjoy AND it's the kickoff weekend for the Conway Scenic Railroad!

The Valley Train experience starts up for the season on April 14. The ride is an "old-fashioned railroading experience" that features historic routes and vintage passenger cars. The North Conway Station itself is an experience not to be missed!

We're actually looking forward to taking advantage of some rides on this and the Mount Washington Cog Railway this summer. Each year we said we would do this and keep saying no--which is easy to do when you stay near Silver Lake! Vacation hazard? We guess so!

Polish Hikers

We welcomed nine guests to our Silver Lake Vacation House this weekend and this is what the Polish Hikers had to say about their stay:

"We Visit NH as a group ( Polish Hikers) for winter hiking. Stays in this beautiful house for 3 days. It was very pleasure Experience. This house is not only located in gorgeous area, by the way it’s set up it doesn’t make you feel anything like you away from your own house, you feel like this is your house.

It’s very cozy and warm and spacious. Have everything you need ( and kids loved the board games , we did have fun with twister :))

Comfortable bads and big bathrooms are very nice ( specially for the ladies )

The dining area are great to , and can fit large group Which was awesome as we all can eat together before the hiking and after. Overall it’s a beautiful place very comfortable very homey. We recommend it to anybody and probably will be back again."

Well, Dziękuję, Polish Hikers! We'll look forward to welcoming you back!

St. Patrick's Day on the slopes

While I'd love to get in one more ski over St. Patrick's Day weekend, the odds aren't in my favor. My mother is having a hip replacement on March 12 and I'll be home in the 413 on and off next week--and celebrating Chicopee style with one last luau at the HuKeLau.

That said, the house is up for grabs that weekend and you can take advantage of some fun in the North Conway area for St. Patrick's Day weekend:

Cranmore Mountain in North Conway is offering $17 night lift tickets.

King Pine Ski Area is having a 24 hour ski-a-thon to to ease the financial burden upon children and their families associated with specialty medical needs. King Pine Ski Area supports Cynthia's Challenge with the support of local business and the surrounding community. 

Apres ski at Attitash will feature a party with The Conniption Fits--grab a post ski Guinness and enjoy!

Plus--if you book through our listing with Airbnb, you'll save 24% off your nightly listing as one of our first guests! May the road rise to meet you on your way to the White Mountains!

Let's learn about the region

While the purpose of this website is to share information about our Silver Lake Vacation House rental, I'm so excited to have an outlet for sharing pictures, information, and historical tidbits about Madison, the White Mountains, and the region! Now that we won't be in Madison for one rushed week per year, I'm excited to sink my teeth into all the area has to offer.

If you have any favorites that we shouldn't miss out on, please visit the contact page and give us a holler! Even when you think you know all there is to see and do, someone always has another hidden gem to add!

Launch!

Thanks for checking out our page! We're the Bishops and we're excited to share our Silver Lake Vacation House with you! 

A Little About Us

My husband and his family have been coming to Silver Lake for decades. It has been his dream to own a home here and enjoy some rest and relaxation. Before meeting him, I had never heard of Madison or Silver Lake, despite annual stops at The Yankee Smokehouse which is just up the street!

We've been coming as a family to Silver Lake for about five years and on a car trip from the area to my family in Vermont, we seriously discussed the possibility of making his dream our reality. In the fall we started looking at Zillow and this home immediately caught our eye. I'm a historic house buff (we live in a 1910 American Foursquare on the North Shore of Massachusetts) but this house was just loaded with CHARACTER! When we went to see it in person, with my mother-in-law in tow (since we knew she'd be spending lots of her time here) it truly was the one.

Why this house?

At our closing in November 2017 the previous owner took us through his projects on the house--a place he maintained with a great deal of pride. He told us about pine floors, custom counters, and stunning fireplace. His family dynamics changed, but we assured him the house would be in good hands.

In our first weekend we scrubbed, cleaned, enjoyed the fire, hiked through the woods, and feasted on stew. For the rest of November we made some trips for furniture and appliance delivery so that the house was prepared--not only for us to enjoy, but also for you!

This vacation house is family-owned and we hope that you'll consider renting from us. It's a wonderful place to gather and sleeps 10 comfortably. My husband and I both cook so the kitchen has all you need to cook up a feast. The living room is the perfect spot to get cozy with a movie. The dining room table is perfect for a meal or some Cards Against Humanity. We travel and rent homes and wanted to be thoughtful about things we love in other homes. 

How can we help you?

Check out the reservations page for links to our partner booking sites or to inquire about available dates. We'll be happy to help you book your stay. We're offering a great introductory rate for March and April so why not plan a getaway to the Whites? Take in a spring hike or just enjoy some time away from home for a weekend with family or friends.

We can't wait to welcome you! Contact us with questions!