Deals in Lebanon

The Boston Globe recently recommended the Blue Horse Inn as a chic getaway. TripAdvisors give the inn an average rating of 4.5 owl eyes:

Eco Bella Salon was opened for the purpose of offering quality hair and body care services and products to Upper Valley residents with a focus on health as well as beauty. We endeavor to find a harmonious balance between the aesthetically pleasing and the environmentally sound.

For over 100 years, The Aloha Foundation has operated renowned summer camps for girls, boys and families on two beautiful lakes in the Connecticut River Valley of Vermont, near Dartmouth College. The Foundation also offers year-round programs of outdoor education and wilderness adventure for young people and adults.

Though the views from Inn at Clearwater Pond's back lawn span 7 acres of hillside meadows, they aren’t the best views the inn can offer. For those, climb aboard the onsite hot-air balloon, where you can take in a bird’s-eye view of Quechee Gorge and the peaks of Vermont's mountains. Year-round flights take off directly from the backyard—just one of the many quirky features innkeeper Tina DeLuca uses to distinguish her inn from a typical B & B. Visitors are also charmed by the swimming pond filled with actual drinking water, the country barns that house horses, and the colorful antics of Mr. B the parrot.

A real gentleman's farm, Inn at Clearwater Pond encompasses both a main house with only four rooms and a private guest cottage. Built about 1800, the main house conveys an Old-World charm with brick and stone fireplaces and a wraparound porch. Its rooms come individually decorated with antiques and hand-woven rugs, and some rooms overlook perennial gardens that light up at night with the glow of fireflies and wild turkeys coming up with bright ideas. Though more modern, the cottage showcases plenty of bucolic flair with antique ceiling beams, a claw-foot tub, and a wood stove.

Because of the limited space, Ms. DeLuca can give each visitor more personal attention, starting with a home-cooked breakfast with hot entrees, fresh fruit, and granola. She also keeps the library stocked with board games and playing cards. But the expansive fields and nearby riverside hiking trails also make it easy find quiet solitude in the countryside.

You can’t talk about Eastman Golf Links without mentioning the scenery. Situated amidst 3,700 acres of environmentally protected woodlands, the 18-hole course tunnels through thick groves of trees and around six ponds. Its hilly terrain offers both elevated views of the unspoiled landscape as well as a safe place to look out for charging tribes of territorial sand trap rakes. The picturesque par-71 plays to 6,731 yards from the farthest tees—presenting a formidable challenge for experienced golfers—but shrinks to 5,499 yards when played from the shortest of four tee options.

Though the course is Eastman Golf Links centerpiece, guests can consider it a one-stop resource for all their golfing needs. A trio of experienced instructors lends their fairway-splitting savvy during private lessons, and also offers club-fitting services using FlightScope Launch Monitors. A driving range with both grass and turf hitting bays fosters practice sessions as does a practice green and a 9-hole short course. Guests can sample a collection of 150 demo clubs to find the one that best suits their game or scratches the parts of their back that are hardest to reach.

Course at a Glance: * 18-hole, par 71 course * Length of 6,731 yards from the farthest tees * Course rating of 72.8 from the farthest tees * Slope rating of 129 from the farthest tees * Four tee options * Scorecard

?Even though I?ve lived here all my life, I learn something new about the area every day.? This statement on Kearsarge Magazine?s website sums up the founders? approach to their quarterly publication, which corrals happenings and news about the Lake Sunapee/Kearsarge area for residents. The summer issue includes an Art & Gallery Guide that highlights local artists, theaters, and galleries.

Upper Valley Life

The team behind Upper Valley Life have lived all over the world, including Syracuse, NY, Grand Junction, Colorado, and Panama. But it?s the Upper Valley?an area along the Connecticut River that comprises both New Hampshire and Vermont?that they call home. Their articles showcase the region?s perks and recreational opportunities, such as attending events at nearby Dartmouth College or soaring in a hot-air balloon above the verdant landscape and its squirrel condominium developments.