The magic of Christmastime is epitomized at the
Omni MountWashington Hotel. Thanks to last week’s
long-awaited snowstorm, the evergreens are now frosted with a treat that looks
good enough to eat and it’s feeling like old man winter has finally decided to
grace us with his presence, filling our lungs with a sharp reminder of cold air
and of how good it is to be alive here at the base of the
Presidentials.
Given our close proximity to Bretton Woods, I love to take
advantage of a trip to the Mount Washington Hotel to take part in their special
Christmas
activities. The Hotel is
dressed up for the occasion, kissing balls lined up along the 903-foot long
veranda and twinkling lights and greenery draped over grand entryways and
banisters. The Great Hall is flanked
with towering Christmas trees on both ends, and the smell of gingerbread wafts
out from the life-size gingerbread house.
Bridget and Timmy are now entering that magical age when
Santa is as real as Mom and Dad and the enchantment of Christmas is palpable
with anticipation. So their eyes lit up
when I told them that we were going to stay at “the big hotel” for the night
and that one of Santa’s very own elves was coming to read them a bedtime story
and tuck them in. I reminded them that
Santa’s helper would be returning to the North Pole after her visit, and she
could report back with any special requests as well as a determination of
naughty or nice behavior.
Even though I know that the Mount Washington Resort relishes
the opportunity to entertain and delight young ones, I still gave the requisite
speech to my pre-schoolers about the importantance of the magic words please and thank
you. But it’s hard to squelch the
unadulterated joy at the prospect of spending the night in a castle with pools
and treats and elves, and I too was infected with that spirit of celebration
that sometimes gets lost in the seemingly endless holiday tasks of making lists
and checking them twice.
After a quick stop at
TreeTop Sports at Bretton Woods to
pick up some
Skida hats for family in
Colorado,
we headed up the long driveway to the Mount Washington Hotel, its red roof in
stark contrast to the white hotel and mountains. We were greeted kindly by
everyone we saw and the kids marveled over the Christmas tree in the Great Hall
while I checked in.
Our room, the Luxury Family Suite, was both luxurious and
sweet! Although all the four of us have
very happily shared the close quarters of a tent for many nights in the
summertime, it is wonderful to find accommodations that allow us to put the
kids to bed at the early hour of 7:00pm and still allow my husband and I to
stay up after the kids have drifted off to dreamland. This room was perfect for that. Two kid’s rooms, with a twin bed in each,
flanked the entryway, which then opened up to a spacious and comfortable
sitting room, with a gas fireplace and windows facing
Mt. Washington
and its presidential partners. A
half-bath to the right and a full bath to the left of the sitting room meant no
one was waiting for the potty. Adjacent
to the sitting room, our bedroom offered an inviting king-sized bed with more
views of the outdoor pool, cross-country ski trails, and
White Mountain National Forest. I especially loved the motif in each child’s
bedroom – one, with fun 1950’s retro drawings of a map of the world, and in the
more feminine room, wallpaper and shadowboxes of butterflies and
grasshoppers.
Once settled in, we took the grand staircase back down to the
Rosebrook Bar, with promises of hot chocolate and adult beverages on our
minds. We found a seat along the
panoramic windows, the alpenglow just beginning to color the faces of the
mountains with pinks and oranges. The kids relished their chocolatey drinks
while Matt and I indulged in creative concoctions of gin and champagne for me
and bourbon for him. To take the edge
off before dinner, we nibbled on the fruit and cheese plate that offered fresh
berries and some lovely blue, parmesan, and provolone cheeses with crusty
baguette slices.
Although Matt and I could have lingered there all afternoon,
the toddler attention spans demanded we wisk off to our next endeavor: the
indoor pool. I would have loved to take
in the contrast of cold winter air and warm bathing in the heated outdoor pool,
but I’m afraid the little ones may have been in and out of the water too much
for their comfort outside. The indoor
pool, just renovated along with the spa and conference center addition a few years ago, was perfect for us, with a shallow entry
for the little ones and plenty of space to splash around. What kid doesn’t love a pool, especially in
the wintertime, when memories of the summer seem so far away?
Dinner was at Stickneys, in the lower level of the
Hotel. Also recently renovated, we chose
a high-backed booth with a window view.
The kids stuck to tried-and true favorites of hot dogs and macaroni and
cheese, but Matt indulged in rack of lamb while I savored seared scallops with a
spinach pesto and creamy wild mushroom rice.
With our date with the Elf drawing near, we skipped lingering over
dessert in lieu of a stop at Morsels, the Hotel’s sweet shop, for a skewer of
gummy dinosaurs.
Santa’s elf, adorned in green and red velvet and the
prerequisite pointy hat and jingle-bell slippers, was waiting at our doorstep
on return to our suite, with a gift of a stuffed reindeer for each of
them. The kids sat pie-eyed in wonder
next to her on the couch as she read
The Night Before Christmas. Bridget
was eager to remind our elf of her Christmas wishes for a doll stroller and
bed, and Timmy listed a yellow truck and Thomas trains as his favorites. Without the usual delay tactics and
complaint, the kids quickly got into pajamas so that the elf could tuck them
in. She left us with the book and a
promise to relay to Santa their wish list.
Exhausted from a full day of enchantment, I’m sure visions of sugar
plums danced in their heads that night.
Following the kids’ bedtime, Matt and I enjoyed a glass of
champagne in front of the fireplace. The
flicker of the fire and some quiet conversation were all we needed for some
true relaxation, away from the distraction of phones and televisions and
computers.
Before the workaday world returned to us the next morning,
we lingered over fresh fruit, eggs, and malted Belgian waffles in the elegant
and bright Dining Room. None of us were
eager to leave, but I know that we’ll be back for more resort fun soon.
