Press Kit

Good news from Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce – April 10, 2018

Contact:  Marti Mayne, 201-846-6331, PR@mtwashingtonvalley.org

                                                       What’s new for the summer in Mt Washington Valley, NH?

North Conway, NH – As we approach the busy spring and summer season, the Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce is delighted to welcome some exciting new additions to the tourism scene.  From new stores and museums to hotels and programs, there’s plenty of novel places to discover this spring and summer in Mt Washington Valley, NH.

The New Glen House at the Mt Washington Auto Road: With an aesthetic nod to its ancestors, the new Glen House Hotel is nearing the completion of construction in Pinkham Notch near the base of the Mt Washington Auto Road. This 68-room, 60,737-square-foot hotel is being completed on the west side of Route 16 in Green's Grant, better known as Pinkham Notch.  With a classic New England vernacular, complete with traditional clapboards, and painted trim, the design is similar to the previous four Glen Houses that have stood on this site since 1852. The guestrooms will be reflective of the simplicity of Shaker design while the lobby embraces both the history of the Mt. Washington Auto Road and its local Native American roots. While inspired by the past, modern technology separates the new Glen House from its predecessors. The Glen House Hotel will be close to energy self-sufficient and carbon neutral, thanks to a geothermal system that will provide heating and cooling as well as two offsite energy-generating projects harnessing hydro and solar power. The hotel will feature a pool, restaurant, and meeting rooms, with half of the guest rooms featuring balconies facing Mount Washington, the highest summit in the Northeast. The Glen House Hotel is scheduled to open in Summer 2018.  For more information and updates, visit theglenhouse.com/.

New reserved guided tours at the Mt Washington Auto Road: Guided tours have always been available on a first-come-first-serve basis at the Mt Washington Auto Road. New this summer, guests will have the opportunity to reserve online a specific time for their tour. Driven by one of the Auto Road’s experienced tour guides and “stage drivers” offering stories, anecdotes, legends, history and insight into the ecological wonder of Mount Washington, the guided tours are a wonderful way to experience the scenic opportunity of traveling from the base to the 6,288-foot summit. For those who prefer to plan the time for their guided tour up the Auto Road rather than waiting for a van to fill, limited spots will soon be available once the Auto Road opens for the 2018 season for reservations, which must be completed online.  Click here for more information and to make online reservations.

New Aquarium at Heritage NH: According to an article by Tom Eastman in the Conway Daily Sun appearing in February, history is being made once again at the former Heritage-New Hampshire building located next to Story Land on Route 16 in Glen. Opened to celebrate New Hampshire history in the bicentennial year of 1976 and closed in 2006, the Heritage-New Hampshire building has been vacant for the past 12 years. That's about to change, as a Story Land spokesperson confirmed to the Conway Daily Sun in February 2018 that the site will be become home to what will be known as Living Shores Aquarium.  The article goes on to explain that the work started around the beginning of 2018 and will continue throughout the spring and summer.  According to Story Land Marketing Director, Lauren Hawkins, the aquarium will operate year-round and offer a hands-on educational experience. Hawkins told the Conway Daily Sun the aquarium will have a tidal pool exhibit and an interactive aviary area, as well as a mix between tropical and New England salt and possibly fresh-water fish. Currently there is no information about a completion date.  Updates will be provided as they are known.

New show at Story Land: Story Land has partnered with The Fred Rogers Company to debut a new musical show for the 2018 season. Daniel Tiger and friends will be joining the Story Land family of characters in a new musical stage show, Daniel’s Grr-ific Day. Daniel’s Grr-ific Day will open summer 2018 starring Daniel Tiger, the main character from the award-winning PBS animated preschool series, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood  along with his friend Katerina Kittykat. After the show, kids will have the opportunity to meet and greet Daniel Tiger and his friends this summer.  For information, click here.

New in North Conway, the Eastern Slope Branch of New England Ski Museum:  After a six-year planning and fundraising campaign, the new Eastern Slope Branch of the New England Ski Museum opened in late February 2018 in the building that formerly housed the North Conway Community Center, adjacent to Schouler Park.  In keeping with its historic significance, the former North Conway Community Center was created by Harvey Dow Gibson, a giant in the history of skiing. Founded in 1977, the original New England Ski Museum is still headquartered at the base of Cannon Mountain.  The new Eastern Slope branch is a wonderful extension of the original Ski Museum, offering innovative and educational exhibits to delight ski history buffs. Some of the exhibits depict the vison of ski legends who brought the sport to the Eastern Slope Region, which we now call Mt Washington Valley.  In addition, another display offers a nod and kudos to many local Olympians, such as Tyler Palmer of Kearsarge and Leanne Smith from North Conway. As they enter the museum, visitors are treated to a wall-sized photo of Tuckerman Ravine.  To get a sense of the steepness of this adventure precipice, small steps are cut into the wall to allow visitors an understanding of the kind of courage and skill it took ski legends in the past and skiers today to tackle the wall. The Eastern Slope Branch of the New England Ski Museum is open daily, 9:00am-4:00pm. For information and photos of exhibits, visit http://newenglandskimuseum.org/eastern-slope-branch.

New at Cranmore:  Beginning June 16, guests can take Cranmore’s Scenic Chairlift Ride to the summit’s Meister Hut Restaurant and find an expanded lunch menu, brunch on Sundays, Tuckerman Brewing Tasting Room, Gifford’s Ice Cream and Summit After Hours event series.Lunch at the Meister Hut will be available daily from 11am to 4pm, with new fresh menu items, such as signature sandwiches, salads and other favorites from the grill. Brunch will be served on Sundays from 10am to 3pm. Brunch and lift packages can be purchased at the ticket office, or ala cart at the Meister Hut.  The Meister Hut will also feature a variety of Gifford’s Ice Cream. The Meister Hut is also home to Cranmore’s satellite Tuckerman Brewing Tasting Room, offering the most Tuckerman Brewing selections on tap in the Valley.  Flights of five Tuckerman samples will be available for sale, along with single tastings and full pints.

In addition, Knockerball made its debut at Cranmore last summer, and will be offered daily at the resort for summer 2018. The attraction will also be included with the purchase of a Mountain Adventure Park or All Day Play ticket. Organized “KnockerSoccer” games will take place in an 80ft by 40ft inflatable arena at the base of Cranmore’s North Slope. Open to guests 48” and up, a variety of organized games can be played based on the number, size and age of participants.  A Knockerball is an inflatable ball with inner handles and adjustable shoulder straps, which is worn like a backpack. The ball is designed with multiple sheets of a higher grade durable TPU plastic and tension cups and cords, which allows participants to knock each other around without feeling trauma from the blow. To learn more, go to www.Cranmore.com.

New stores, spa and baking school at Settlers Green, North Conway:  Mt Washington Valley’s largest outlet mall, Settlers Green, didn’t stop with the opening of Streetscape, a 10-store addition that came onboard in Fall, 2017.  Since that time, the new SoakingPot Infusion Spa™ has opened offering custom massages, foot soaks, teas and other treats.  In addition, The Met Coffeehouse has recently opened here, and last week The White Mountain Cupcakery, a locally owned bakery, announced the addition of a cooking school with dedicated space for baking, cake decorating, and other lessons and demonstrations.  Recently, Settlers Green announced the next addition to the outlet mall in the Summer 2018 is the opening of a Michael Kors outlet, a favorite brand name among shoppers.  From locally-created public artworks to streetscapes and now spas, coffee houses, restaurants, and cooking schools, Settlers Green continues to turn shopping into “shoptainment”, taking outlets to a new level in North Conway. 

New Laser-Tag Arena at White Lake Speedway, Tamworth: A new first of its kind, Sector-9 3000 square foot air conditioned Laser-Tag Arena opened at White Lake Speedway in Tamworth in April, 2018. The unique labyrinth playing field displaces players into a cool LED lighted world with laser accents and haze.  The lighting and state of the art equipment offers an immersive and surreal experience like none other.  White Lake Speedway is open for year-round fun in Tamworth, NH. For more information on the new Laster-Tag Arena, click here.

Backcountry skiing thrives in Mt Washington Valley:  Back country skiing has found a home in Mt Washington Valley.  From the addition of the Ski the Whites program and events at Black Mountain to the efforts of Granite Back Country Alliance to grow the sport, back country skiers are finding a new haven in Mt Washington Valley.  Last week, additional progress was made in growing the sport of backcountry skiing in the Valley when two glade-clearing projects were approved by the White Mountain National Forest’s (WMNF) Saco District. The two projects include the Maple Villa Trail on Bartlett Mountain in Intervale, and additional terrain on Baldface Mountain in Chatham. In a decision memo published at the end of March, the White Mountain National Forest’s Saco District Ranger, Jim Innes, asserted that the WMNF will work in partnership with the Granite  Backcountry alliance to protect and  guarantee the stewardship of forest resources and wildlife while providing the opportunity for expanded backcountry skiing experiences.  For more information, see this article published recently in the Conway Daily Sun.

For more information about visiting Mt Washington Valley, NH and for full trip-planning resources, visit www.MtWashingtonValley.org or call 1-80-367-3364 (800-DO-SEE-NH).  To learn more about visiting New Hampshire, go to www.VisitNH.gov.

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Photo caption: Artist rendering of the new Glen House Hotel, provided by Mt Washington Auto Road.