Just Where is a Skier’s Paradise?

East versus West. When I lived in New England, my friends and I wanted nothing more than to travel out west to more challenging trails and jaw-dropping vistas. That done, the next challenge had to be the Alps…and it was truly as if someone had dropped me off in the middle of a post card during the time that I lived and studied in Switzerland.  There, skiing is not a weekend hobby, it is truly a way of life.  Your work ( and study) schedules are determined by the opportunities to ski at the too many to name mountains and resorts.  Back in the real world which, for us is in the US of A, we plan for those precious moments in the mountains. 

And to be fair, we’ll feature great Go Here places without the east-west (or north south) bias. The picture show was taken last Friday, January 22 at the Adair Country Inn, Bethlehem, New Hampshire.  Here’s how the owners describe their Inn

“From its long drive bordered by stately pines, gleaming white birch trees and stone walls to its picturesque setting on a knoll with spectacular views of the White Mountains, Adair is one of New England’s most renowned country Inns.

The Restaurant’s relaxing ambiance and casual dress belie uncompromising attention to detail, highly personalized, warm service and flavorful food.

Adair Country Inn & Restaurant offers fine New England style cuisine in a cozy fireside atmosphere. Dinner reservations start at 5:30 – 8:30pm, Thursday through Monday.”

Guests are welcome to use the Inn’s full facilities, including the 200 acre grounds, library, living room, and granite tap room with pool table and large screen Television.

The Inn is rich in history, with scenic grounds and colorful gardens designed by the Olmsted Brothers (designers of New York City’s Central Park) providing an atmosphere of quiet splendor.

The country estate was built in 1927 by Frank Hogan as a gift to his only daughter, Dorothy Adair, upon the occasion of her marriage to John W. Guider.

Nick and Betsy Young and their children are the fourth and current owners of this romantic country inn and restaurant.”

Don Drumm’s Designs

Today we’re spotlighting the playful pieces of Don Drumm, whose outdoor sculptures are found all around the world

We have partnered with the sculptor to offer a special line of his works for your high country home.

His works are also commissioned for cities such as Sarasota, Fla., Baltimore, Md., all over Akron, Ohio, and in spots such as Honduras, too.

Here’s what else you may want to know about him before purchasing one of his pieces, according to his Web site:

• He opened his own studio in 1960 near the University of Akron in Ohio.
• The student has grown to eight buildings that house galleries for more than 500 artists and studio space for three resident artists.
• He pioneered the use of cast aluminum as an artistic medium in the late 1950s.

Click here to learn more about Drumm. And don’t miss our selection of his pieces.

The Avalanche Lily

We’ve been fascinated by this flower and the stories surrounding it’s name since we first saw them.  It was in March, in the midst of a brutal and unrelenting winter.  The day was sunny and milder than it had been in weeks , a cleft in a month of cathedral-gray skies and slicing winds. We launched ourselves out of the house  for a hike. 

As we emerged from a rocky outcrop, we found the entire hillside below  covered with a waving mass of white flowers growing so closely together than no earth showed through, resembling a shifting avalanche of snow . I had to know more about these amazing flowers:

Avalanche Lily: Erythronium montanum
Nodding lilies with 6 curved, upsweeping tepals. Each flower is usually on top of a leafless, unbranched stem. The leaves are typically leathery, arising from the base of the stalk. Unlike its close cousin, the Glacier Lily, the Avalanche Lily has white flowers with yellow centers. Also, the Avalanche Lily has non-mottled leaves, unlike another close cousin, the White Fawn Lily.

Tidbits:
This flower is closely related to both the Glacier Lily and the White Fawn Lily, and its name is oftentimes used interchangeably with both. . The Avalanche Lily is a distinct Northwest Cascades flower. Its corms were a frequent source of food for the indigenous Northwest tribes. It does not sprout up at the conclusion of an avalanche, marking the last breaths of those trapped beneath the snow (one of the stories I had heard) …it’s just a lovely harbinger of spring.

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