We are in the beginnings of what is to become a long time tradition. Being tied up in our busy day to day lives between kids, work, relationships, home remodeling, house shopping – you get the picture – we are all always overdue for a well deserved break from life. Last year we celebrated one of the girls’ 30th birthday in Vermont and we had a wonderful time. I didn’t realize, and none of us did, that our tight circle of ladies all had birthdays between October and December. We realized we now have two excuses to get together, number 1 “because girls trip” and number 2 “because birthdays”.
This year we decided on North Conway, NH as it holds a very special place in one of the girls’ hearts. She used to live there, her father passed there, and it’s basically her old much loved stomping grounds. I always have a place in my heart for experiencing all the “feels” of a friend so off to North Conway we went!
We stayed in an Airbnb in the middle of nowhere on 50 beautiful acres of property surrounded by an additional 100 acres of protected land. It was one of the wonderful places where the host had literally thought of every single detail. I have yet to stay in an Airbnb that had a crock pot and additional coats for hiking – the place was amazing! We kicked off our first night with a delicious home cooked meal, courtesy of our own skills, of steak, baked mac n cheese and all the fixings and a glass of champagne to wash it down. We laughed our way late into the evening catching up, walking down memory lane and sharing thoughts and opinions on all things here and now.
Saturday morning was so nice to catch up on sleep and have the sun beat us up for once! We spent our whole Saturday exploring most of what North Conway had to offer. We started out at the outlets for some shopping, cupcakes, and olive oil tastings. I had a a refreshing lemon cupcake from White Mountain Cupcakery that was so delicious, you could taste the freshness. And who doesn’t love lemon anything in the middle of the day – especially when it’s a cupcake! After a little sugar rush we perused through the Christmas Loft, a store filled with Christmas everything – even a Christmas village in the middle of it! It was the cutest little place and a great escape from the outside world and into all the fuzzy feelings of December.
Right next door was a Halloween themed store and attached to that was an ice cream shop that offered huge milkshakes piled high with candies, chocolates, and anything your heart could desire. We had to skip the milkshakes for this trip but we’ve already agreed that will be a must try next time around. Looking for a meal that offered a little more sustenance, we decided to try a little place called Underground Bakery & Cafe. It took us a little searching to find, as it’s quite literally underground through a door attached to Sea Dog Brewing Company. After walking through a little gift shop you come around a corner into a little cafe with exposed rock and low lighting. We were happily greeted by the owner who invited us to sit down and relax, which after all the walking we were more than happy to oblige. The home-like atmosphere and delicious warm sandwiches warmed our tummies and our hearts. Along with our lunches we also snatched up some desserts to go. I took home a little spice cake that was absolutely divine! The frosting literally – LITERALLY melted in my mouth! I talked it up so much once I was home that Carlos had to steal the last piece to see what I was talking about. It melted in his mouth too. : )
After all the walking and exploring, and lunch, we decided to head back to the Airbnb for some r&r. We warmed up in front of the fireplace and binged Lucifer until dinner time. We weren’t super sure on where to go for dinner since there weren’t too many options where our Airbnb was located but we decided to take a chance on a place called Harley Jacks Burgers & brews. Reading up on it on Google we knew we were in for a short ride but a chilly night since it was going to be outdoor seating only.
This place was the cutest! You could definitely tell right away this is a local spot. There was a fire pit table with chairs around it, heaters in a separate covered section, or you could sit among some trees stringed up in white lights. It was perfect – we actually had to take a minute to decide where we wanted to sit! The lady at the counter was awesome – she threw together a few generously strong margaritas and we ordered food. The menu was your typical local pub spot. There were nachos, burgers, and other sandwiches – the food was perfect for the atmosphere. Being a total foodie snob myself, I wouldn’t say this was the best food I’ve ever eaten but it was still good and decently priced. There’s just something about nachos, margaritas, and classic rock in the middle of nowhere that makes you feel like in that moment – all is right in the world. ❤
Sunday was bitter sweet as it was our last day at the Airbnb. We packed our stuff and promised to be back next year for a couples trip, it was a lovely place. We started our Sunday morning at the perfect little breakfast spot called Rosie’s. I chose this spot for two reasons: reason one, 4.8 stars and reason two, my mom’s name is Rose and my grandma always calls her “Rosie”. I thought it would be a cute addition to the trip. Our waitress was this little old firecracker who kept us laughing the whole time and the food was so so so good! Another locals spot which was a given seeing as how everyone knew everyone but that made the atmosphere that much sweeter.
After breakfast we headed off to Castle in the Clouds for some beautiful views and a little hiking. Unfortunately we weren’t able to access the castle itself without a ticket due to COVID but we were able to walk around the back of the castle. The views were amazing! Next we headed off along a trail that promised views of 7 waterfalls. The weather was perfect with a slight chill in the air. The hike itself wasn’t super long and the terrain was a little rocky but not impossible. Each waterfall had a sign telling it’s name and history along with a picture of what it looked like many years ago. The last one was my favorite! There’s a long wooden bridge that takes you almost right up next to it and there’s some seating in case you wanted to hang out and enjoy the sounds. After our waterfall hike we trekked back the way we came to our final goodbyes at the parking lot. I don’t think either of us was ready to leave. There in the parking area you’re surrounded by mountains of yellow, orange, and red trees. The sun was gently shining and although there were a lot of people there, it was peaceful and quiet. It was a perfect moment.
Even though this was only year two for us, this was definitely my favorite girls trip spots so far. Until next year!…
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