New Hampshire White Mountains Expedition

May 31 – June 1, 2025

Madison – North Conway – Jackson – Mount Washington – Jefferson – Bethlehem – Littleton – Sugar Hill – Franconia – Lincoln – Kancamagus Highway

Come spend a long weekend in the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire with your Claus friends. All activities are by choice. “Buy” tickets below for the activities you plan to attend with the group. Deadline is May 20 to order tickets for Conway Scenic Train, Mt. Washington Cog Railroad and Auto Road Tour, Cannon Mount Tramway, and Clark’s Bears. Order promptly since some events can sell out. Many are free or you pay as you go such as for meals but we still need you to register for those too. All event fees are standard or senior rates with no added charges.

You are certainly free to choose your own itinerary and meet up with the group at any time. Or attendees may link up with others in the group for activities not included here. In addition to the activities offered for the group, there are many more  attractions, shops, natural sites, and activities your can do on your own or with other members. We tried to allow time for you to explore on your own. Here’s a link to the Mount Washington Valley Digital Guides and brochures.

Overnight Lodging is on your own however we will have a recommended “headquarters” hotel to stay at in Attitash Mountain area on Friday night and in Littleton on Saturday night. Information on reservations and special hotel rates is below.

New England Santa Society Itinerary

Friday, May 30 – Santa Barn & North Conway, Jackson, Bartlett

10:00 am-5:00 pm Santa Barn Video Workshop, 180 Lead Mine Road, Madison, NH – FREE

Start your day at Larry Vigus and Laurie Corron’s festive Santa Barn in Madison, NH. Everyone is welcome to make this their first stop even if you aren’t planning to record videos. Folks may want to use the setting for promotional photos as well.

A professional videographer will be on hand to record short promotional videos for free. This is funded by SANTA BARN for all our NESS members.  Videos will be professionally lit, with multiple takes and professional editing. Videos are important—they help clients see the magic you bring. Reserve your spot in one of the hourly sessions to record short promo videos to use to promote your business or share on social media. These will be short (30-60 seconds) “elevator speech” video recordings. You may be able to record a few different messages if time allows.

Come prepared with a written script(s). Folks will be available to help you polish your script, practice your presentation, and record the pitches for you. Suggestions on editing and finishing the videos for use will also be provided.  We are planning on 10-15 minutes for the actual recording. Plan to be there for about an hour so you can get a great finished product to use right away.

Bring whatever outfit(s) you want to appear in. There are plenty of decorations and props at the Santa Barn for you to use.

Sign up for the time slot that works best for you. You need to select just one ticket if you will be presenting with another person. Only six slots are available per hour. There are additional activities planned for the afternoon so if you plan to go on the train ride 2:30, you’ll want to reserve an earlier time.

Noon-12:45pm Photo Opp at Bavarian Chocolate Haus, 2483 White Mountain Hwy, North Conway, NH (Open 9:30 am – 5:30 pm) – FREE.

A landmark in North Conway for over 30 years, they feature handcrafted chocolate confections, candy, fudge, chocolate dipped fruits, cashew and pecan turtles, and much more. In addition to the photo opportunity, we will receive 10% off our purchases. They will have available some very special treats just for us – Sugar Plums!

2:15-3:30 pm Vintage Train Ride on Conway Scenic Railroad, 38 Norcross Circle, North Conway, NH – $40 per person. We need 20 people to receive the group discount.

Conway Scenic Railroad’s Valley excursions to the Conway Station allow you to experience the thrill of Golden Age of American railroad travel when trains connected towns and cities. We will ride together in the first-class car (accessible) for this hour-long trip back in time.

4:00-5:30 pm Photo Event & Fundraiser at The Christmas Loft, 2028 White Mountain Hwy, North Conway, NH (Open 9:30 am – 6:00 pm) – FREE

Join in the media event at this huge Christmas shop. It’s a photo opportunity to raise funds for the non-profit Angels and Elves Organization. All Clauses that attend will get free ice cream.  Claus attire, formal or casual is requested. For those who want to stock up on their Christmas decorations and collectibles, the store is extending a special 10% discount to all of us.

6:00-8:30 pm Dinner at Abenaki Trail Restaurant & Pub, 2284 White Mountain Hwy, North Conway, NH – Pay Your Way

For those who want, we will gather for dinner and social time. Everyone will be responsible for your own meals.

Friday Night Lodging at Attitash Mountain Resort, 775 Route 302, Bartlett, NH 03812. – Pay Your Way

We have reserved eight King rooms at $98/night and 17 Studios at $116/night. These rooms are available through Monday 5/19/25 (sorry short notice). To reserve, call Lisa at 603-374-2330 ext 2153. Identify as NESS member. At time of booking 50% deposit is required.

Saturday, May 31 – Mount Washington, Bethlehem, Littleton

Breakfast on your own. Plenty of good spots available. Local is best.

Mount Washington State Park, a 60.3-acre parcel perched on the summit of the Northeast’s highest peak, is surrounded by the extensive 750,000-acre White Mountain National Forest. On a clear day, views from the 6,288-foot summit extend beyond New Hampshire as far as 130 miles to Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Quebec, and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Sherman Adams building houses The Sherman Adams Visitor Center, a cafeteria, restrooms, gift shops, the Mount Washington Observatory and its museum. The historic Tip-Top House is located adjacent to the summit building.

You have many choices to get there. Hike, bike, drive your own car or join one of two options for reaching the summit with a group.

9:00 am-noon Mount Washington Cog Railway, 3168 Base Station Road, Mount Washington, NH 03589 -$95

Ride the Cog Railway powered by a custom-built biodiesel locomotive. The approximately three-hour round trip is an exhilarating journey through history, technology and nature, including about an hour to explore the State Park at the summit.

9:00-11:00 am Mount Washington Auto Road Tour, 1 Mount Washington Auto Road, Gorham, NH 03581 – $52

Ride in 8-10 passenger vans driven by experienced tour guides who provide a curated mountain experience filled with history, nature and stories. The trip up and down takes about 30 minutes each way. There will be about an hour to visit the summit.

1:00-3:00 pm Super Secret Ice Cream Fundraiser, 2213 Main Street, Bethlehem, NH 03574 – FREE

We will be helping Super Secret Ice Cream Shop raise funds to support local school food programs by offering photos with us for donations. Secret says we will also get to sample this James Beard nominated ice cream – maybe something with a Christmas theme.

3:30-5:00 pm (Tentative) Little Village Toy & Book Shop, 81B Main Street, Littleton, NH 03561 – FREE

Plans are still in the works but a visit to this shop is a treat. Loaded with a wide variety of toys, this is a perfect spot to study up on what will be hot this year. They also have a great selection on books. They will be featuring Pamela McColl’s Night Before Christmas books.

6:30-8:30 pm Littleton Freehouse Tap Room & Eatery, 28 Cottage Street, Littleton, NH 03561 – Pay Your Way

For those who want, we will gather for dinner and social time at Littleton Freehouse Tap Room & Eatery. Everyone will be responsible for your own meals.

Saturday Night Lodging – Hampton Inn Littleton, 480 Meadow Street, Littleton, NH 03561 -Pay Your Way

We have a discounted room rate of $189/night. To reserve call them directly at 603-444-0025 and mention NESS.

Sunday, June 1 – Sugar Hill, Franconia, Lincoln

7:45 am Polly’s Pancakes Parlor, 672 Route 117, Sugar Hill, NH 03586 – Pay Your Way. Please arrive promptly to be able to be seated together.

Join for breakfast at one of the best pancake restaurants anywhere. Due to the high demand, we are scheduling an early arrival, so we won’t need to deal with the long wait lines. Everyone is responsible for their own meal.

Alternative breakfast recommendation is Littleton Diner, 145 Main Street, Littleton, NH 03561. They are known for their pancakes made with flour milled just down the street.

10:00-11:30 am Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway, 260 Tramway Drive, Franconia, NH 03580 – $25. Need 20 people for group rate.

Ride the famous first-in-USA Cannon Aerial Tramway to the top of the mountain for fantastic views of the White Mountains and Franconia Notch. There are short scenic trails and observation tower at the summit along with snack bar, gift shop and exhibits. The tickets are good for the trip up at 10:00, 10:30 and 11:00 am. Return down trip can be anytime.

12:00-4:00 Clark’s Bears, 110 US Route 3, Lincoln, NH 03251 – $28

The ticket gives you admission at any time for the whole day and for all attractions and shows. In addition to a historic trained bear show, the trading post has loads of other activities including multiple museums, scenic train ride, and much more. The bear show is scheduled for noon and 3:00 pm. We are hoping to make the noon show and have a reserved section for us in the bleachers. We will also plan to take a ride on the train together time TBD.

Don’t miss The Kanc! 

While not on the itinerary, don’t miss the exceptionally scenic drive along the Kancamagus Highway. The Kancamagus Highway is a portion of NH Route 112 spanning east to west from Lincoln to Conway. The 34.5-mile drive is a recognized National Scenic Byway, offering travelers rich history and natural beauty in addition to being considered one of the best fall foliage viewing areas in the world. The byway winds across the state through the heart of the scenic and mountainous White Mountain National Forest. A number of scenic vistas are plotted along the way offering remarkable views of the White Mountains, the Swift River, Lower Falls, Sabbaday Falls, and the Rocky Gorge.

Plan your travel route to provide time for the drive and stops along the way to catch some of the natural sites. For those coming north on I-93 or from the west on Friday, pick up The Kanc in Lincoln. You’ll come out in Conway at the other end. For those who came up Route 16 from the south or from the east, plan your drive on The Kanc on Sunday at the end of activities. From our last event, travel south to Lincoln and join Kancamagus Highway for the trip east to Conway and your route home.