Winter Wanderland

Monday, January 10, 2011

Begin at I-89 Exit 10 in Sutton, turning north on Route 114, passing Kezar Lake in North Sutton. On January 24, Muster Field Farm will be harvesting ice from the lake to store in sawdust at its Ice House. The event is free and open to the public, who can watch or participate in this old-time winter activity. Muster Field Farm’s trails are open for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing daily.

Continue north on Route 114 through New London, where a convenient cluster on Main Street includes a shop filled with contemporary American crafts at Vessels & Jewels, a fine art gallery with historic and contemporary paintings and photography at The Banks Gallery and the casual Ellie’s Café and Deli. At Colby-Sawyer College, in the center of New London, the Marian Graves Mugar Art Gallery in the Sawyer Center is open weekdays and often has exhibitions.

Route 114 leads north along the shore of Little Lake Sunapee to West Springfield and Grantham, where a side trip north on Route 10 leads to the Eastman Nordic Center. Along with 36km of groomed skiing and snowshoeing trails, a skating pond and sledding on the golf course, Eastman offers ski, skate and snowshoe rentals. Those who remember Claremont’s Bistro Nouveau fondly will be happy to find that chef/owner Doug Langevin has re-opened the restaurant at Eastman.

Backtrack to Grantham on Route 10, continuing south to Croyden, where a left on Cash Street leads to the settlement of Ryder Corner and eventually to Route 11. A left on 11 takes you to Sunapee. Turn right (south) on Route 103B, where in about half a mile, another right on Stagecoach Road leads to Dexter’s Inn. In addition to dining and Lodging, Dexter’s offers a network of trails groomed for cross-country skiing and showshoeing, equipment rental and lessons. The trail crosses the 20-acre estate onto neighboring conservation land with panoramic views. The center is open daily to guests and on weekends to the public.

Route 103B continues south to the access road for Mount Sunapee and a chance for downhill skiers to see the best view of Lake Sunapee, from the top of the mountain before they ski down the best groomed trails in the entire East (that’s not just a local skier’s opinion — it was also the choice of SKI Magazine readers).

Route 101 joins Route 103B,and follows the lakeshore closely to Newbury, where a left onto Route 103B follows the other side. Between the road and the lake sits The Fells, summer home of the writer and diplomat John M. Hay and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The house is closed in the winter, but its gardens and trails are open dawn to dusk year-round. The garden is as lovely in white as it is in summer green. Its stone walls and benches and architectural elements are easier to see without the greenery, but more importantly it’s a peaceful, serene place to walk in the snow. Route 103A continues north to Blodgett’s Landing and back to I-89 at New London.