A little getaway...

This weekend we left the kids with G&G Zafft for a 24-hour getaway to the beautiful White Mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. We stayed at a lovely hotel called the Castle Hill Resort which is in the Okemo Mountain area (we stayed in the less exotic hotel at the resort but it was still very nice).

We checked into the hotel and headed for a nearby attraction: Buttermilk Falls! The Buttermilk Falls is a series of small falls on the Branch Brook river. The falls are small but very pretty and we enjoyed a very low-key hike around the winding river.

The main falls and beautiful pool below.


The rocky traverse.


Dipping our toes in the "non-designated swimming area."


After our "hike," we headed to the charming town of Ludlow and found an Irish pub for dinner. We enjoyed some good food, got a suggestion from the server for a place to have breakfast, and headed back to the hotel to take some gorgeous evening photos of the "castle."

The front of the mansion.


Our view of the mountains at dusk.


And here are some shots of the castle and grounds in the daylight after we'd had breakfast and checked out of the hotel.


The grounds are gorgeous!


We managed to capture a shot of ourselves.


We then headed for Ruggles Mine outside of Manchester, New Hampshire.




The mine produces mica, beryl, quartz, and uranium (yes, the stuff that makes you glow in the dark)!


Some pretty amazing holes and crevices to explore.




You're allowed to take anything you find out of the mines though some of the quartz I likes was a bit big to take with us.


So I left my mark instead.


We had a great time and Vermont and New Hampshire are quickly winning me over. Feels like home...