Mar 9, 2014

We got up early this morning to spend our full day at Bretton Woods. This place was a little farther from the hotel, but still much closer than we expected. It's the biggest ski resort in New Hampshire, so we needed all the time we could get. It was a little chillier than yesterday but still very nice. The view was even better than yesterday somehow. We were much closer to Mount Washington and we could see it in great detail. I spent quite a bit of time just standing and looking at it.

Again, the trail conditions were perfect and there were virtually no lines at the lifts. Also, I was surprised at the black diamond trails and how they weren't overly difficult. They were steep, but I didn't see many moguls. They were all fun and Brenda was able to join us on all of them. There were a few pretty steep sections that I paused at for a moment before dropping in, but they were within my ability. We did one glade trail that was listed as blue. It wasn't too bad, but I wasn't interested in doing it again right away. 

One of our favorite trails was Granny's Grit/Herb's Secret (Granny's Grundle). It was a narrow trail covered with bumps, drops, and moguls that required sharp turns and a lot of leg work. We did it twice, and I wish we could have done it a few more times. We did a mostly straight diamond trail three times in a row and then headed back up to the top for a few more long runs down before ending the day with one last race run down which ended with a trail of moguls under the lifts that Ryan and I did extremely well. Another great day of skiing.

I wanted to check out The Cave, a pre-prohibition tavern underneath the Mt. Washington Hotel, but it didn't open until 9 so we couldn't do that. We headed back to the hotel to change and then headed out to get Thai food for dinner. I had spicy red curry that was exactly what I wanted and Brenda and I split a ginger fried ice cream that was really good but hard to eat.

When we got back we went down to the pool and swam for an hour or so before it was closed. Ryan and Bree didn't spend much time, so Brenda and I passed the time by swimming underwater as far as we could, talking about sea monsters, and trying to do backflips and handstands in the water without getting water in my nose. Not that easy. We got in the hot tub for a few minutes after swimming because you can't go the other way.

We went up to Ryan and Bree's room to play Cards Against Humanity next. It was a ridiculous game of hilarious statements. I left with things like "dick fingers" and "shooting a rifle in the air while balls deep in a hog" stuck in my head. We played for quite a while and weren't feeling like playing another long game so we called it a night there. I tried Peak Organic's Fresh Cut Pilsner, which was really refreshing and good company for games with friends. I was really tired and falling asleep as soon as we got back to the room.

Mar 8, 2014

We started the day with a quick stop at Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast and then down the road to Attitash. It was only about fifteen minutes from the hotel. We put our stuff on at the car and walked over to get started. For a Saturday there weren't too many lines at the lifts and the conditions were great. It was so warm from the start that I was taking off my gloves and hat on the lift. The view from the lift was amazing, and when we got to the top there was an observation deck that Brenda and I climbed for an even better view of the gorgeous White Mountains.

We skied a few trails on the Attitash side and then headed over to Bear Peak, which required a long flat push to get there. Bear Peak had a lot of ice on the few trails we tried out so we headed back over and spent the rest of the afternoon at Attitash. It was a great day of skiing, but when the sun went away at the end of the day it got quite a bit colder so we were ready to go.

We headed back to the hotel to change and then headed out for dinner. We went to Moat Brewery & Smokehouse to satisfy my desire to try their beers and Ryan's taste for ribs. We were told there would be over an hour wait, but it turned out to only be about twenty minutes! We got lucky. Bree and I split the beer sampler; they were all great! The Bone Shaker Brown, Matilda's Rage Red, East Intervale IPA, and the Cathedral Ledge Lager were somewhat tied for a favorite. I was very impressed. The food was great as well. We had hush puppies, and I had a delicious sandwich.

We headed back to the hotel after eating and went down to the hot tub after a while. The indoor hot tub was nice, but then we moved to the outdoor one. It was much better. Something about being outside in a hot tub is great. It was easier to cool off when it got to be too much. This is one of many attempts at getting a good shot of us. Brenda and I returned to the room to hang for the night. She made some awesome kava stress relief tea and put on some relaxing music while she did yoga. I sat in bed sipping my tea, and I really did feel relaxed and happy. It was a nice end to the day.

Mar 7, 2014

After getting home late last night I decided to sleep in a little and take an afternoon job at Vineland Memorial. It ended up being only one double period math class so I was in and out. I was able to get all my laundry done in the morning so I just had to pack up my stuff and decide what to bring with me once I got home. I picked up Brenda then got Ryan and Bree and we were on our way after a stop at Shop Rite and Taco Bell. To New Hampshire!

It was a really long ride, taking us about 9 hours with stops included. We stopped a few time for gas, snacks, and bathroom stops. During our late delirium Brenda and I got chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches. They were wonderful. The final part of the drive was a series of winding back roads in the woods that eventually led us to North Conway and the Eastern Slope Inn. We headed to our respective rooms and were quickly ready for bed. After we pulled it out of the wall, that is.