Historical Resort on Shores of Contoocook Lake

After New England's famously vibrant fall foliage gives way to winter weather, the woodlands surrounding New Hampshire's Contoocook Lake fill up with snowmobilers and snowshoers crossing through the forested terrain near majestic Mount Monadnock. The Woodbound Inn sits amid 120 acres of idyllic lakeside land, a prime locale for taking in the area's year-round recreational opportunities. Yankee magazine was inspired to name Woodbound Inn New Hampshire’s Best New Old Inn after renovations were completed a few years ago.

Set on farmland originally purchased in 1760, the resort offers a nine-hole golf course. The property has maintained many of its original buildings, but multiple upgrades have endowed the inn with modern comforts and amenities. In the heart of the resort, the Main Inn harbors a charming lounge outfitted with a large fireplace, upholstered wingback chairs, and eclectic artwork. Upstairs in queen rooms, hardwood floors, crisp white linens, and traditional decor recall the inn's 18th-century roots, whereas the two-room suites provide some extra room and luxury bathrooms. Rooms in the newer Edgewood building are elegantly simple.

In the downstairs kitchen, chefs prepare upscale American cuisine ranging from savory meat dishes such as pan-roasted duck breast with apple-cranberry gastrique to hearty seafood like pan-roasted scallops and seared ahi tuna. In the morning, a complimentary hot country breakfast features maple bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes, and french toast.

Rindge, New Hampshire: Small-Town Charm in Rustic New England

Located in southern New Hampshire less than 5 miles from the Massachusetts border, the picturesque town of Rindge epitomizes classic New England with its covered bridges, rolling hills, and dense woodlands. Eight miles north stands Mount Monadnock, a 3,000-foot-tall peak with towering oaks, pines, and red spruces. Forty miles of hiking trails ascend through alpine vegetation to a bare summit offering views of Boston skyscrapers and Vermont mountain ranges.

The MacDowell Colony, one of the country’s oldest artist colonies, is located 12 miles north. The 450-acre creative retreat, which was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Clinton, hosts composers, writers, photographers, and butter sculptors who live in near silence to focus exclusively on their work.

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