This past weekend we went on a short family vacation to New Hampshire.  We weren’t sure how we would like the trip since we are typically used to beach resorts or sightseeing trips.  However, we were happy we chose to go.  We picked it because it is a place we hadn’t been and it was somewhere we could drive to but it ended up being so much more.

Our first destination was the Castle in the Clouds which was north of Lake Winnipesaukee, NH.  It is a huge estate with a mansion that was built by the businessman, Thomas Plant.  The mansion is impressive with its architecture and incredible views of the Lake and the Ossipee Mountains.  We were surprised at the cutting edge technology in the house as well, with its intercom, central vacuum, self-cleaning oven, etc.  My boys enjoyed the tour of the mansion since they made it kid-friendly with a scavenger hunt that resulted in a small prize at the end.  We also enjoyed exploring the hiking trails and the waterfalls.  My husband was thrilled at the chance to take some great photos.  We also visited the barn and saw many beautiful horses.  The boys even got a chance to go horseback riding and now want to do it often.

We all realized that even though we may not be the overly outdoorsy types since we like our luxuries and amenities, we still really do enjoy nature.  The boys felt free and adventurous and we could not stop admiring the views.  The next day we went to the other side of the lake and went to a moderate level hiking trail.  It was fun and serene and good exercise too.  We felt very accomplished at the end of it!  We even had a fun time just relaxing and feeding giant trout and ducks at a nearby pond or taking a boat ride to admire the lake.  It was just about simple pleasures.  There was no technology or other entertainment besides nature yet we found it quite entertaining.  It was nice for our family to disconnect from the world and reconnect with each other and our surroundings.  From now on I will be happy to go on these ‘nature trips’ and maybe even build my stamina for more challenging hikes and to keep up with my kids!