Mt Chocorua and Middle Sister Loop Hike - White Mountains, NH

As a working parent, business owner, mother to two toddlers and a 1 year old doberman, my schedule is constantly overflowing and I'm rarely alone. I jumped on an opportunity to visit four properties in Maine for work, with one of them being just  over the New Hampshire border and a 20 minute drive from one of New Hampshire's popular peaks. 

It was a quiet Sunday morning, the first weekend of November and I had an extra hour as we moved the clocks back for Daylight Savings. I kissed my sleeping babies goodbye and wished my husband luck as I put my bags in my Atlas by 5am and made the 4.5 hour drive north to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I was going to tackle all of my site visits Monday and planned an epic Sunday to myself. I found a hike close to my first site visit, found a hotel in North Conway on hotel tonight, and headed north with a 10am planned start at the trailhead. 

A quiet car ride with an audiobook is just what many parents need after a long week of working and parenting. As I neared the parking area, I could see the mountain in front of me and was giddy for a long day in the mountains, no kids, no dogs, no headphones, just my pack of snacks and water along with my thoughts. 

Conway Scenic Railroad, New Hampshire

New Hampshire is beautiful any time of the year but there is something about the Granite State when the leaves begin to turn in the fall. While the foliage is beautiful in Connecticut in mid to late October, we love to head to New Hampshire to get an early start on the foliage. After coming to the Whites to hike in the humid buggy summer air, there is something special about the early crisp in the air, the changing colors, and all the fun that can be had in the White Mountains. 

If you want a quiet way to take it all in, the Conway Scenic Railroad is a perfect way to do it and great for any age and recreation level. You can choose from a quick 1 hour ride or a 5-8 hour journey which takes you into Crawford Notch. Our train loving toddler and his little sister were excited to ride the train so we opted for the 1 hour ride, a perfect amount of time for littles. 

Winter Hike - Mount Pierce (via Crawford Path) White Mountains, New Hampshire

Unpopular opinion...Winter is an amazing time to head to northern New Hampshire and hike.

I know, I know, we love the sunshine and shorts weather, sitting on top of a summit with a snack and a view while the cool breeze goosebumps your sweaty skin, but here's the thing. We tend to glamorize the glory and we forget about all the less-than-ideal conditions. We forget about the early bird start times to guarantee parking, the swarms of mosquitos and flies, the scorching humidity, and the crowded trails. Winter hikers are a different breed from summer hikers. While I truly think the outdoors are for all, the bluebird sky and mild temperatures bring about a different crowd of hikers that don't always have the same respect for nature. It was a different scene to see clean trails, sans toilet paper and food wrappers as winter conditions truly calls a more seasoned hiker into the woods.

Loon Mountain (summer skyride) - Lincoln, New Hampshire

Visiting ski mountains in the summer has quickly become a new favorite when we travel around the Northeast. It's my new lazy summer activity - taking the gondola up mountains, walking around the tops, and taking them right back down. It's kind of like the reward of hiking to a summit to enjoy the views, minus the whole hiking up a mountain bit. Truthfully, it's a great family-friendly alternative to long summit hikes to take in a view. If you have a small babe, and are out and about with family/friends that do not enjoy your level of hiking, take a gondola or a lift, or even a tram to the summit and enjoy the views. 

It's a super "inclusive" activity and a lot of the lifts even allow dogs. Drawbacks? It can be a bit pricey, around $100 for a family of four. 

Lonesome Lake - White Mountains, New Hampshire

New Hampshire is so damn dreamy. It's always suprising me with the vistas you have to earn, the European style huts placed in the middle of the woods, and lakes and ponds on top of the mountains. Lonesome Lake was one of those hikes that offers a big bang for your buck - a lot of lovely for minimal to moderate effort. I used to head to New Hampshire and tackle the bigger hikes, Franconia Ridge, backpacking the semi pemi loop and so on. But for now? An older dog and a baby in tow means our priorities have changed and now we spend a lot of time looking for those low effort high reward, family-friendly hikes. Lonesome Lake is just that. 

You will not be lonely at Lonesome Lake because of it's easy to get to status. It's a quick 4-mile loop to a beautiful lake you can swim in. Dog-friendly, kid-friendly, swimming, a short distance (but a bit of a climb)...you will have some company but it's worth the crowds.