The First Family Vacation, Nordic Village, Glen, New Hampshire

For the last three years we have been the masters of the staycation. Short of money and the motivation to pack a trailer’s worth of items to feed, clothe, and nap our two little ones, we have barely left our home town. However, we recently had the opportunity to take our first family trip. And it was a total success.

There are an overwhelming number of places to stay in the North Conway/Glen/ Bartlett/Jackson area of New Hampshire. You can find a wide range of price points and types from small, inexpensive motel rooms to plush houses. I initially looked into two cheap motel rooms with adjoining doors. However, just when I was about to sign the paperwork for lumpy beds, the generous folks at the Nordic Village Resort offered us an incredible deal to try out their property. It was a smart move as we fell so completely in love with the place that we are already figuring out how we can save enough to come back.

We were smitten by so many aspects of the place. First, the condo (listed as a two bedroom townhouse) was perfect in many ways. The boys had a nice sized bedroom with two twin beds. There was a large kitchen, dining area and an enormous sitting area that looked out onto floor to ceiling windows. But it was two other elements that captivated me. First, the screened-in porch on the side of the condo gave the illusion that you were literally in the trees, while the back porch had a gorgeous view of the White Mountains.
However, it was the master suite that was nicer than any I have ever stayed. Up a spiral staircase, it include a huge king sized bed, a walk in closet, a lovely sitting area and a nice sized bathroom. The bedroom was defined by French doors that were etched with beautiful stained glass. In the bathroom, a Jacuzzi tub was framed by more windows that opened so that you could bath while checking out the views of the mountains.

Although we ate out a lot (I desperately needed a vacation from dishes), it would be easy to stay here and never eat out, keeping the costs in check.

The other aspect of this place that was so fantastic was the facitilies (which did cost another 12 % more). First, they have 3 swimming pools. Two are outdoor pools that range in depth. There is a also huge indoor pool, perfect for rainy days along with two Jacuzzi tubs. Yet just up the hill in a spectacular building was another pool and hot tub, along with a fitness center-for adults only. (And after day 2, my 15 minute soak in the hottub, under the evening sky was worth every penny. My only complaint was that it closed at 8:30, just when the kids had settled down to sleep).Our kids loved the little beach area where they could take their first boat trip and that each night there is a campfire to roast marshmallows. In addition, they have special events, such as musicians, a clown. Our favorite was Todd the King of Silly who made the adults laugh as much as the children. He then patiently stayed to make every child their own balloon creature. There are walking trails and games throughout the property, a game room and horses for pony rides. We easily could have just stayed on the property for a few days. Finally, there is Internet access, making it possible to come up here, work and still feel relaxed.

Nordic Village isn’t perfect. First, it clearly isn’t cheap: our place is normally over $300.00 a night! However, they do have two bedroom suites for $159.00 in addition to chateaus that can be shared with other families.

Finally, although our condo was perfectly clean, the paint was chipping in places (e.g. along the deck) meaning we had to carefully watch our son. In addition, the two staircases meant that we had to babyproof each time we returned home. You can, though, rent baby gates from Nordic Village or bring your own. Finally, the furnishing is a bit dated (e.g. the comforter.) For us, all of these were minor issues and in fact, I liked that the place didn’t feel too fancy to put my feet up and relax. So, while we can’t afford to return as soon as we would like, we will at least treasure the memories of this for a long time.

Nordic Village Resort, Route 16, Jackson, New Hampshire 1-877-564-7829