Unfortunately this is one of those rare days when the weather is not so glorious. It is raining today, but we forged ahead with raincoats on.
First stop was to check out Storyland, a cherished institution here since 1954. Despite the rain, at 9 a.m. there was already a line of families forming, all wearing ponchos, and ready for fun, despite the weather. Don and I looked a little odd to be standing amongst so many little ones, minus a little one of our own. We thought of borrowing a child for the morning, but I didn't think that would go over too well. A mother in line chatted with us and declared this place to be "awesome!" for anyone age 3 to 10. Mothers always know best.
When you enter the park you are greeted by Mother Goose herself. Our tour guide explained to us that the Morrells built this fantasy land over 50 years ago, with a vision not to build buildings, but to paint pictures. There are fairy tale characters everywhere, and not an interactive computer in sight. Storyland has 21 rides, which can all be enjoyed by the entire family and three shows. The old fashioned premise here is that simple is better. There is no commercial advertising displayed and the grounds themselves are extremely clean.
I loved this park for three reasons. First of all, I valued the entire premise, built upon acquainting children with well known fairy tales and Nursery Rhymes, many of which are unfortunately not too well known for our children today. Secondly, I appreciated the lack of computer and high tech displays, putting instead the emphasis on reading. Thirdly, I was so impressed when I saw a family stop between rides and make a visit to a non-denominational Wayside Chapel for a quick prayer. I can't wait to bring my grandchild back here.
From Storyland we traveled down Route 16 through North Conway Village and explored some of the gift shops and various stores down this main street. We grabbed lunch at Flatbread Pizza, which turned out to be a fascinating place to eat and they have good pizza too. Coming from Brooklyn and being Italian, I think I know pizza.
For those Flatbread Pizza novices like me, this company was founded in Vermont with a "dreamy vision." Little quotes are scattered throughout the store, hinting at the store's mission. "Food is Fundamental," "Integrity of the Food" and "The Very Best Pizza That We Can Imagine" are just a few. There's a throw back to the 60's atmosphere, with quilts hanging from the windows and hand painted banners displayed.
"Center stage" is the stone and clay oven where diners watch their pizza being made over dried Vermont hardwood. The menu like their atmosphere is simple and fun. Don and I enjoyed refreshing lemonade, sweetened with a touch of maple syrup, salads, pizza and a warm brownie sundae.
There are now seven Flatbreads so if you find one, stop in for pizza and a refreshing atmosphere. If you are a child of the 60's, like we are, you will really feel at home.
Traveling further down Route 16, we passed Settler's Green OVP, which is a collection of national brand-name outlets but the GPS unit told us that we did not have enough time to shop if we were going to make the town of Eaton by dinnertime. That GPS unit was beginning to get on my nerves.
Since Donald is never late for dinner, we made it to the Inn at Crystal Lake in time for another delicious meal. This inn is owned by Tim and Bobby and their distinctive stamp of identity is everywhere. The small bar area is filled with their collected memorabilia of all kinds and the formal dining room sits aside an operatic "shrine" in tribute to Tim's formal vocal training. If you are lucky, you might even have dinner on a night when Tim will perform an aria or two.
The Alpine Chapel at Storyland
The building was built in 1884 and it is currently celebrating its fifth anniversary as an inn and its third anniversary for the restaurant. There's an air of relaxed elegance and the menu reflects that. My creamy chicken soup had a little kick to it and even our salads had a surprise with refreshing pieces of watermelon tossed in. The shrimp primavera was light and tasty and the blueberry cobbler topped off a great meal.
This place is hidden away in a tiny and serene town that swells to 400 in the summertime. It's literally a great stop at a sharp turn in the road and if you blink driving through town you might miss it, so don't blink.
