Thursday, December 20, 2012

A Christmas Miracle!!

In these all-too-familiar days of warm winters and rainy summers, we sometimes forget that old-fashioned miracles do happen ... And we got one here in Jackson this week in the form of a foot of snow, with more on the way! It is going to be a white Christmas after all!!

If you're looking out your window to a sea of brown grass and bleak scenery, do not take this to be the state of the winter in other parts of New England.  We have indeed been blessed with  some long-awaited snow and both the weather forecast as well as the skiing is great. Who could ask for more? But don't take my word for it...

This comes from today's Mountain Report from Wildcat Mountain: 'Thank you for the snow, Mother Nature!  Keep it coming because we are loving it. Here at Wildcat we've received a ton of snow and the skiing and riding has been epic. Today looks like a great day to enjoy the slopes. Some trails are natural snowcover and ungroomed, while others are fully groomed for your cruising pleasure ...'

On the other side of the mountain, Bretton Woods has this to say: ' Come ski and ride the mountain with the most open terrain in NH -- over 200 acres!! With over half a foot of new snow we're dropping ropes left and right and have doubled our trail count in the last 48 hours! ... also 5K of cross-country trails...'

Thom Perkins, Director of the Jackson Cross-Country Ski Touring Foundation, called us yesterday positively giddy over conditions of the XC trails! His description was confirmed for us as we watched an entire ski team sail over the Ellis River Trail in an almost-unending chain this morning while we were eating breakfast. What a beautiful sight!  But Thom, in particular, was especially excited about the Prospect Farm Trail, up at the end of Carter Notch Road. Higher elevations like Prospect Farm received pure, fluffy snow the other day when we got some mixed precipitation. You can see it in the hills this morning ... winter is here!

So if it is not going to be a white Christmas in your neck of the woods, we can wrap up some wholesome winter adventure for you and your family in the form of discount ski tickets to all 5 downhill ski areas (Wildcat, Attitash, Cranmore, Bretton Woods and Black Mtn.), and free passes to XC, snowshoe or go tubin at Great Glen Trails!  Jackson Ski Touring, as always, grooms right up to our door! 
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, and we hope to see you in the wonderful week between Christmas and New Years ... and in the winter of 2013!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

This Week at The Lodge: April 8 - 14, 2012

Spring has sprung in New Hampshire …

Buds, Bulbs, Birds … and Spring Skiing at Tuckerman Ravine!

It’s a great time to be living, as everything comes alive in the North Country! Now is THE perfect time for viewing waterfalls and hiking the trails in the White Mountain National Forest. No traffic, no bugs, and low, low rates!

“Tea with Cinderella” Story Land  Special   - NEW this year!

The Lodge at Jackson Village, your Story Land Experts, are excited to announce their awesome new Package for 2012. Included in this package are…

·        2 FREE tickets to “Tea with Cinderella” Event

·        2 nights lodging in a double room – Kids stay FREE!

·        Breakfast each morning in July and August (weekends only in June & Sept.)

·        Royal Hanneford Circus: Returning again this year with spectacular all-new acts, the circus shows are 12, 2 and 4 pm daily under the Big Top.

·        FUNsation Celebration: A Dance Party for Kids! Let your children dance to the music with their favorite Story Land characters.  Meet at the StoryLand theme gazebo one-half hour before the park closes.

·        PRICES are based on number of people and dates of reservation. Call for details.

·        Optional Weekend Package Upgrade: Story Land Character Dinners: $20/adult, $10/child (under 12. Starting July 6 through August 18, Story Land is offering Character Dinners every Friday and Saturday evening from 6-7:30 pm at their Friends Around the World Pavilion.  Enjoy an All-You-Can-Eat Dinner Theater extravaganza while watching your favorite characters perform.



2012 Polar Express Packages on sale NOW!

As one of the area’s largest sponsors, once again we are known as The Polar Express-perts! Book your package by June 15, and receive 2 Free StoryLand Tickets or $50 discount off your package. Included in this package:

·        2 Nights Lodging in a Double Room

·        Polar Express tickets (under 1 year old FREE)

·        Tickets to the Miracle at Nestlenook Pageant

·        Horse Drawn Sleighride through the woods, and feed the LIVE reindeer!

·        Homemade New England-style Continental breakfast featuring our famous Maple Bread pudding, Wild Blueberry muffins, Old Fashioned oatmeal, our Signature Cinnamon Coffee Cake and Homemade Granola.

·        Book Grab Bag

·        FREE Tubing, Snow shoe and XC Ski passes at Great Glen Trails (weather permitting)

·        Golden Souvenir Tickets for the kids

·        Afternoon candy canes and homemade cookies

·        Santa’s Surprise Goodie Bag in each room with presents for the children

·        Personalized Christmas letter for each child

·        View our Signature Christmas “Critter Tree” and the Lodge’s amazing  annual Gingerbread House.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

This Week at The Lodge - April 1-7, 2012

April Fools Day came and went at The Lodge without a single LodgeLady prank ... which was an historical occasion! But then Mother Nature seemed like she had already played enough tricks on us with the weather, after having given us temperatures in the 80's one week and in the teens the next. Mt. Washington had a 90 degree fluctuation in one week ... amazing! Obviously the unseasonable temps put an end to maple syruping and most skiing, but Wildcat Mountain is still going strong! With 4" of new fluffy Snowfall on Sunday night and the return to winter-like temperatures at night, they plan to stay open as long as they can into the spring. Guests say the spring skiing is awesome.

Our week at The Lodge started out with a full house as we opened our doors to two wonderful groups: a Singles group, and a Corporate retreat. We were bustling -- full to the brim -- and enjoying every minute! Things have calmed down now to the normal spring pace which is "PEACEFUL" -- it's a fabulous time to be in the Mount Washington Valley! Enjoy low spring rates, no traffic or crowds, and an awakening spring bursting with new growth, moose sightings and waterfalls galore!  It is one of our favorite times of year.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

This Week at The Lodge: March 25 – 31, 2012

Here we are at the end of March already … for all intents and purposes cross-country skiing is over, (unless you hit the higher elevations in the backcountry) but downhill remains a Rite of Spring! Wildcat, Mountain is the diehard that is going strong.  If you’re a real adventurer, check out the Snow Bridge up at Tuckerman Ravine, or hike up with your skis and ski down the bowl. 
Not a skier? As we transition into this new season, however, there are many other activities that start coming to the forefront which you will NOT want to miss! Waterfalls, for example! Never have I seen so many waterfalls in an area as I have here in New Hampshire ( … er, well …  except maybe when hubby and I went to Hawaii before our kids were born!).  But barring a trip to the south Pacific, New Hampshire is THE place to be for the best waterfall tours that I know of. This time of year the rivers and streams sound awesome!  We can direct you to a number of beautiful waterfall hikes of all levels, lengths and abilities to get you your “waterfall fix” for the spring. With temperatures warm, and spring snowmelts a daily occurrence, the water is flowing for some great photo-ops and romantic water-side picnics.

Secondly, we are right in the thick of Maple Syrup season, with sugar houses all over Jackson boiling up a storm! Take a sugar house tour, and as a special gift, when you come to The Lodge this week we’ll give you a little jar of syrup to take home as a souvenir!  Isn’t spring ‘Sweet’?!


Sunday, March 18, 2012

This Week at The Lodge: March 18-24, 2012

This may be ‘it’ for Cross Country skiing by the end of the coming weekend, but downhill conditions are still great. Great Glen Trails has closed its doors to XC-ers, but Tom Perkins of the Jackson Ski Touring Foundation says deep snow still covers cross country trails in our neck of the woods. Just bring sunscreen and sunglasses! 
There is nothing like downhill  ‘Spring Skiing’!   First there’s the ‘culture’ of it … groups of buddies getting away together to enjoy the exhilaration of a hard day of skiing, and good food at a local pub in the evening.  Then there is the pure comfort of warm temperatures and the birds and scent of springtime that make it extra enjoyable. Combine that with no crowds or traffic, and low springtime rates, and you’ve got a recipe for success!  Until April 1, eat at any of the Valley Originals restaurants for Buy-one-Get the other at Half Price!  Get a special voucher for this at check-in.  If you’re having a hard time imagining snow when your backyard is pushing up daffodils, then take a look at this video snow report from Cranmore!!  Seeing is believing! Hope to see you this weekend!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

This Week at The Lodge: March 11-17, 2012

The Lodge Lady has returned, and with her she has brought some spring-like weather!   Having spent a week in the Hudson Valley of New York, where T-shirts, robins and crocus’ were the norm, it was a shock to return to NH and see snow everywhere … even where it WASN’T when I left!  When I departed, my travels took me through Bretton Woods on my way to Route 91 South… and when I left the Lodge, I could not believe my eyes when I got to the OTHER side of Mount Washington!  BARE GROUND! NO SNOW!!  It was a reminder just how idiosyncratic the weather can be around this mountain.  As I passed through the area, I took a photo with my cell phone and texted it to my husband, who had stayed home to mind the ‘store’ while I was away! I knew he wouldn’t believe me, when we had so much still on the ground.  However, when I returned, the Bretton Woods side had received considerable snowfall, and was looking like winter would be hanging around for some time.  This is just a reminder that just because spring has sprung in your neck of the woods, don’t overlook outrageous spring skiing in the mountains of NH.  We may be only a few hours distant, but this time of year, our weather can be WORLDs away!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

This Week at The Lodge: March 4-10, 2012

The Lodge Lady is taking a spring vacation this week … a rarity for an innkeeper!  And although when I originally made my plans our reservation calendar looked a bit sparse, my hubby will be hosting  guests nearing the 75% occupancy mark this weekend.  This is unusual for this time of year.  The reason for so many reservations?  Fantastic spring skiing! Cross country and downhill centers alike are seeing record numbers, and the temperatures are delightful.  Come check it out for yourselves!

Sunday, February 26, 2012

This week at The Lodge: February 26 – March 3

I feel like a broken record … and the topic (thank goodness!) is SNOW!!! For whatever reason, winter has finally decided to show her true colors lately: a beautiful, abundantly fluffy WHITE!!! In fact, it’s become an almost daily occurrence in Jackson. Now I guess if there is bare ground, and thermometers that read in the upper 40’s where you live, you might have a hard time making the mental shift required to imagine awesome skiing in New Hampshire … but I can enthusiastically say that the skiing here is great. As a recent guest from Massachusetts just told us after an afternoon of skiing, “You just have to see it to believe it!”

And it is just in time! This upcoming weekend, March 3rd & 4th is the Bill Koch Festival up at Great Glen Trails. We are very excited to be a Lodging Partner for their 2012 New England Bill Koch Festival! This festival is a weekend long celebration of Nordic skiing for children, which will bring families from throughout New England and New York to the base of Mt. Washington. Activities will feature relay and individual races, a non-competitive ski tour, an on-snow obstacle course, opening ceremonies with a parade and a Saturday evening dinner. Great Glen Trails anticipates more than 400 children and their families will take part in the Festival. As of this writing, we have only 1 King room available for Friday night only, and it won’t be available long. Any takers?

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Ski Conditions Excellent!!

Two to Four inches of snow coming this Friday night ... February 24th!!  Added to the new snow we got last night, and the excellent base we've maintained all season, the weekend is looking to be a sellout for skiing of all kinds!  Call us today at 603-383-0999 to book your room ... complete with a homemade European breakfast buffet.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

This week at The Lodge: 2/19-25

The big news: Vacation Week has begun!  The weekend, as always, has been a sellout and we ended up turning quite a few walk-ins away. (Hate doing that!!)  If you were one, we hope you’ll try us again … and remember that during holidays and vacations, prior reservations are almost a MUST!  Loved seeing all those cars in the parking lot … but for the Downton Abbey-addicted Lodge Lady, it has posed a bit of a withdrawal problem: No rooms available to sneak into to see Season Two’s 2-hour finale  of this wonderful British period drama on Sunday night!  All in all, too much business is  not a bad problem to have!!  (… especially considering that I can download the entire season  on Amazon in a couple of days!!).

Looking ahead, the rest of the week looks fairly brisk for business here during New Hampshire’s Vacation week, and during the following one when Massachusetts schools get their spring break. Lots of skiing to be had here in Jackson, despite the fact that we haven’t had any major recent snowfalls.  We’ve been saved by the cold weather, it would seem.  Mount Washington loomed large and luscious today against a bright blue sky, looking blazingly brilliant all covered with snow. Had to go out and snap a photo or two, and of course I couldn’t resist taking a few of all the XC skiers on the trails.  The parking lot was full at Jackson Ski Touring and Great Glen Trails … skiing is awesome! If there’s no snow where you live, don’t forget that WE have plenty to satisfy all your winter adventures and desires!

There are still a few openings left for registration in the Bill Koch festival at Great Glen Trails the first weekend in March.  As of today, we have one or two rooms left for that sell-out weekend as well.  Have a great week … and hope to see you at The Lodge!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

This week at The Lodge - February 12-18, 2012

It’s not that I’m bragging or anything … it’s just that when you’re good, you’re GOOD!!! For years Yankee Magazine has named Jackson NH one of the Top Ten Most Romantic places in New England. Trip Advisor has Rated us the #1 Small Hotel in Jackson. And now National Geographic has named our area one of the WORLD’s 25 BEST Ski Towns, an accolade we share with such places as Girdwood, Alaska; Fernie, British Columbia, Canada; Zermatt, Switzerland; Bozeman, Montana; Chamonix, France; Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy; Whitefish, Montana; Crested Butte, Colorado; Aspen, Colorado; Niseko, Japan; Kitzbühel, Austria; Bend, Oregon; Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada; Taos, New Mexico; Park City, Utah; Truckee, California; Whistler, British Columbia; Banff, Canada; Steamboat Springs, Colorado; Telluride, Colorado; Jackson, Wyoming; Wanaka, New Zealand; Stowe, Vermont; and Ketchum, Idaho.


We’re listed on this impressive line-up between Whistler British, Columbia and Banff, Canada ... and that’s pretty good company to keep … though, as I say, we’re not bragging or anything!!

This week at The Lodge there is continued great skiing, thanks to the additional snowfall over the weekend …
and thanks to Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, there are all kinds of Romantic things to share here with your sweetheart. From romantic dinners-for-two, to sweet deals on skiing and shopping all over the area, you’ll love (and BE LOVED) if you make a visit this week!

Looking ahead, Vacation weeks are coming up for both New Hampshire and Massachusetts schools. Rooms fill fast for this traditionally family-oriented, fun-packed two weeks, so make you reservations soon!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

This week at The Lodge: February 5 - 11, 2012

We’re starting off another great week here in Jackson with some powdery new snow! What could be more perfect on the 2’ base we already have?! However, a recent guest reminded me that the old adage, “Out of sight, out of mind!”, is all too true. Other parts of New England such as Massachusetts and Rhode Island are seeing bare ground out their windows these days, and thinking this must be the case everywhere. NOT!!! While it hasn’t been a record-breaking year for snow here in New Hampshire, I’m here to state for the record that we have more than enough of the white stuff for as much fabulous winter fun as you can take. Our guests agree! In fact, the Jackson Ski Touring parking lot has been filled to capacity so many times, we have given them permission for overflow XC skiers to park here at The Lodge, where they can put on their skis, hop on the trail and GO!!



As partners with Great Glen Trails, we all tend ski there a lot with the FREE ski passes we give to our guests. The trails are well-groomed and as scenic as it gets!! Of course they also have snow shoeing or tubing for good old-fashioned fun and exercise. The Snow Coach is also running and ready to take you for an unforgettable trip up Mount Washington as far as tree-line. But we have also been told by a lot of the locals that the XC trails at Bear Notch in Bartlett have beautifully groomed trails, fabulous homemade soup and bread (it can’t be beat I’m told), and the trails are beautiful and protected from the wind by the snow-studded trees. Think I’ll head out that way after I finish writing this. I’ve only mentioned XC here … but all the downhill slopes, being higher in elevation, have LOTS of snow for alpine skiers!

Although the spectacular January ice carvings have diminished in stature by this time, the amazing snow sculptures carved last weekend at the State competition are still worth the trip up to Black Mountain to amaze you. The temperatures have been very cold this week and they have been preserved well. Check them out when you visit, and don’t forget to bring your camera. Which one is YOUR favorite?

If you’re into adventure of another sort, neighbor Lisa Gardener (who lives just up the block from The Lodge) is launching her new book ‘Catch Me’ on Tuesday at 7 pm in North Conway. Wednesday brings professional geologist Brian Fowler to the Jackson Library for a presentation on “The Presidential Range During and After the Ice Age”. He has spent his life in the field of geology around Mount Washington. His talk is free and starts at 7pm.

All in all another busy week here at The Lodge. Good thing the days are getting longer to fit it all in! Have you noticed how light it is at dinner time these days? Have a great week, and come on up for a visit! -- xoxo The Lodge Lady


Sunday, January 29, 2012

This week at The Lodge 1/29 – 2/4

The big news is that (as always!) the NH annual Snow Sculpting Competition this past weekend was AWESOME! The temperatures were spring-like for the teams that had 2-days to complete their 4’ by 8’ cylinders, which they carved into amazing works of art. We had a full-house at The Lodge for the UNH Ski Competitions, for which we hosted the Boston College, Bowdoin and Dartmouth Ski Teams. Congratulations to all the skiers for this event. Six inches of new snow fell over the weekend, freshening up the trails at both Great and Jackson. If downhill is your thing, our guests come back every afternoon grinning from ear to ear! Conditions are wonderful here in Jackson, NH!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

This Week at the Lodge 1/22-28

The big news is SNOW … a rare commodity until now, but there’s LOTS of fluffy powder after the most recent storm, making conditions ideal for skiing. Cold temps have kept the awesome ice sculptures in town perfectly intact, and if planning a visit, they are definitely a ‘MUST SEE’! Dana and I have been cross-country skiing all week. After overcoming the initial inertia, I was in fine form and didn’t want to stop; I can’t think of anything that makes me feel healthier than XC skiing!

Two of our favorite guests, sisters Gene Fontaine and Eloise Brittain have spent the week with us here at The Lodge, inspiring everyone with whom they come in contact. At 90 and 91, they ski every day, and live and love life to the fullest. Gene, still the world traveler, has many adventures planned after she leaves us today. Eloise still composes music and plays in a praise band, and has recently been on the lecturing circuit. Their zest for life is marvelous as well as contagious. Gene’s son and wife spent the week with them this year as well, and cousins from Vermont also met them here for a couple of days. “Cousin Wilbur” could be heard to remark each morning as he came down the stairs, ”It’s another grand and glorious day of golden opportunity.” Wow.

The best bet for this week is skiing, either downhill or XC with the discount passes we have for our guests. The upcoming weekend will bring the annual Snow Sculpting Competition, an event that attracts a wide variety of sculptors, both amateur and professional. The winning team of this State Championship will receive a trophy and an invitation to compete in the United States National Snow Sculpting Competition, to be held at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in 2013. Each team will be given a cylinder shaped block of snow 4 feet in diameter by 8 feet tall to create their snow sculptures. Most of the teams will start sculpting on Friday, January 28th and continue working through the night on Saturday to complete their sculptures in time for the judging on Sunday afternoon January 30th starting at Noon. Judging is based on creativity, technique and message. Other activities planned for the snow sculpture weekend include a welcome reception dinner, with a bon fire and roasting of marshmallows, sleigh rides and more. Come on up for a visit to see this absolutely marvelous and enchanting art form!

Sunday, January 15, 2012

This Week at the Lodge: 1/15-21

For those of you who remember our dear friend and front-desk co-worker Carlene Sullivan … you’ll get a real kick out of this!! Carlene, aka The Snow Goddess, has been called upon year after year in the Mount Washington Valley to perform her famous snow dance whenever Mother Nature has eemed to abandon us. Bikini clad, Carlene would don her downhill skis and perform her snow making ritual … always with great results. This year Carlene has been teaching yoga in Goa, India since October … but that was okay, because we had a huge snowstorm at Halloween. The day before Thanksgiving, the snow gods were also smiling when they sent us 14” of snow perfectly timed for the Polar Express. After that we were blessed with a white Christmas on Christmas Eve. But since then … nothing! A HUGE snow drought. It was depressing for all of us anxious to get out on our cross-country skis. So last week I wrote an email to Carlene begging the Snow Goddess to do her magic, despite her being half way around the world. Unbeknownst to me, Dana sent her a similar email also, and Voila! We got an awesome storm right afterwards! A few days ago she sent a photo of the Snow Goddess to the local newspaper, where she appeared on skis, surrounded by sari-clad Indian women. It was just what the doctor ordered for the 3-day Martin Luther King weekend!


This week we were also  blessed with a visit from our son Christopher and his wife Elizabeth, and we tried out some of this fabulous new snow with our XC skis up at Great Glen Trails with our FREE Lodge Passes. It was AWESOME!! The trails were great, the views spectacular, and we got a healthy workout with our kids. So the news this week is come on up and try it out for yourself … we’ll give you free passes and a trail map. You’ll feel so exhilarated and healthy … a fun way to follow up on those New Year’s resolutions that are starting to fade from our minds!

Monday, January 9, 2012

This Week at the Lodge - January 8-14

1st Place 2012 Ice Carving  Competition
Top carvers from around New England returned on Monday morning for the 17th annual Great Ice Carvers of New England Invitational Ice Carving Competition at the Wentworth, starting at 10 am. Competitors have 3 hours to transform a 300-pound block of ice into amazing works of art, and we are always amazed to see the results.  The temperatures look to be cooperative this week, so hopefully they will last well into the month. They are very definitely worth coming to look at. We can give you directions once you are here.

The results are in!!  Dennis Hickey, co-owner of Ice Breakers, won first prize for his magnificent dragon.  Second place winner was Chris Gould for his carving of a fish swimming through the sea grass, and third prize went to David Soha for his carving of Tinkerbell.  The ice carvings were judged on workmanship, creativity and technical difficulty.  Nine extraordinary ice carvings will be displayed on the veranda of The Wentworth.  As always, Fritz Koeppel of The Wentworth was an elegant host.





The weather has been cooperating and snowmaking efforts continue up at Great Glen Trails. The teaching area is open with plenty of manmade snow, good tracks set as well as good skate lanes - all at no charge. They also have 20 km of carriage trails open for snowshoeing, and the tubing hill is also open. All Lodge guests can enjoy these activities FREE of charge with our guest vouchers. 


2nd Place Winner

3rd Place Winner
We are ending the week with an awesome snowstorm that has delivered almost a FOOT of snow. One of our guests told us that his Thursday XC-skiing was the BEST he has ever experienced. Time to dig out my XC equipment!

Our dear friend Gail
On a very sad note, we are shocked and saddened beyond words to hear that our friend and mentor, Gail Olson,  from The Lodge at Jackson Village passed away last Thursday. When we bought the Lodge 7 years ago, Gail was such a blessing to us, showing us the ropes on a day to day level, as well as becoming a valued co-worker (once we knew what we were doing!), and a good friend. We all had such fun here together that even putting in the long hours required by the hospitality business didn’t seem like’ work’ when Gail was around. I will never forget her telling me during those first few confusing weeks that I was a “quick study” as she helped me learn all the 'ins and outs’ of the computerized reservation program. I don’t think I was a quick study at all –in fact I felt totally overwhelmed and incompetent – but her positive outlook and encouragement kept me going in a way I will always remember and appreciate. Our very first afternoon check-in “alone” (after Gail had gone home for the day) came about 4 days after we purchased the Lodge, and was a comic disaster!! All the guests arrived at once, the credit card machine stopped working, the computers went down and we were in a total panic! Gail told us to call if we had any problems, and I don’t think she’d been home for 10 minutes when we gave her that desperate SOS phone call. Gail was walking back though the door minutes later, smile on her face, and put everything to rights. Everyone who knew her here (our family, employees and guests) loved her, and still ask about her. She was a beautiful spirit and we will all miss her very much.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

This Week at The Lodge … January 1-7

Hallelujah! It was a white Christmas in Jackson after all! We were beginning to wonder about that when the Polar Express train visited a snow-free ‘North Pole’ this year … but Christmas Eve Day dawned white and snowy and beautiful! It was a veritable wonderland. Despite the lack of ground cover, 2011 was the happiest and most successful Polar Express season we’ve EVER had! Happy guests, happy staff … it was the culmination of a great 2011 for us. But out with the old and on to the new…
New Year’s Eve rolled in with mixed precipitation in the morning, a fire crackling in fireplace from morning till night, and wine, cheese & crackers, homemade cookies and cocoa available for nibbles for old and new friends alike. It was a relaxing day for all. A fabulous moon shone amongst a sky full of stars in the evening; a great way to start out the year.

This week in Jackson the temperatures have dropped, making the snow-making efforts on the slopes quite productive for skiers, until Mother Nature cooperates later in the week with some snow in the forecast for Wednesday and Friday. The lower temps have made ice skating over at Nestlenook Farm totally wonderful!  Skate under 3.2 million lights or take a horse-drawn sleighride under the warmth of a 'buffalo robe'.  Rent your skates or bring your own!  Looking to next week, we’re anticipating the annual Ice Carving Competition coming up in Jackson on the 9th … but more on that next time! Have a great week,

-- The Lodge Lady