Sugaring Season is Right Around the Corner

Maple Syrup (and other maple products) might as well be one of the four major food groups...at least in New Hampshire and the exciting news is that the maple sugar season is just about here.  The precise date of the start of sugaring season varies from year to year (depending on the right combination of cold nights and above-freezing temperatures during the day).  However, sap houses are gearing up for the season which could start in the next few weeks (the season in the Monadnock Region runs roughly from mid-February to mid-April).

In the meantime, mark your calendars for the New Hampshire Maple Weekend which will be held this year on March 23 & 24, 2013. During that time, you can visit one of the many sugar houses that open their doors and give you the opportunity to become maple connoisseurs.  You can learn all about how maple sap is collected and the process by which it becomes syrup.  Learn about the different grades of syrup and sample many tasty treats made from the sweet delicious liquid.

Learn more about the New Hampshire Maple Weekend and participating Monadnock Region sugar producers.

Snow Fun – Skiing and Snowshoeing -- in the Monadnock Region

The Monadnock Region doesn’t have the big (read: crowded) downhill ski resorts that the White Mountain region to the north of us does. But we do have some of the most beautiful and serene cross country and snowshoeing trails in the state.

Snow can be found in our region from about early December until March – and the latest snowstorms have dumped a foot or more of light powdery snow all over our region. It is a winter wonderland here in the Monadnock Region right now! Perfect for a jaunt out into our woods and forests on cross country skis or snowshoes.

There are endless Monadnock Region hiking trails waiting to be discovered by ski or snowshoe this winter.  You could also ask your local innkeeper for tips as there are too many trails to list in this blog posting.  If you prefer groomed trails, here is a list of maintained trails (some have facilities for rentals and lessons as well):

Granite Gorge Ski Area, Keene/Roxbury: Downhill skiing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, tubing park. Lessons and rentals.

The Inn at East Hill Farm, Troy: Cross country and snowshoeing trails.

Road's End Farm and Ski Touring Center, Chesterfield: (603) 363-4703. Cross country and snowshoeing trails.

Stonewall Farm, Keene: Snowshoeing. Daily snowshoe rentals: adults $3, kids $1.

Windblown Cross Country Ski Area, New Ipswich:  Cross country and snowshoeing trails.

Woodbound Inn, Rindge: Cross country and snowshoeing trails. (No trail fee for guests of the inn)

8th Annual Currier and Ives Cookie Tour

Cookie tours are a delightful cross between trick-or-treating (without going through the trouble of dressing in a costume) and the thrill of house hunting (without the impending mortgage payment).

You get to tour the inside of an inn, bed and breakfast, store, library or historical society with your friends, see enchanting Christmas decorations and ideas for your home – AND you get a cookie treat (and a recipe card)! It doesn’t get any better than this.

The Monadnock Region’s Currier & Ives Cookie Tour – held this year on December 8, 2012 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. -- takes you on a 13-stop tour through the quintessentially New England towns of Fitzwilliam, Jaffrey, Rindge, Troy, Marlborough, Peterborough and Swanzey. Tickets are $10; a portion of this year's proceeds will be donated to the Santa's House of Jaffrey, which provides toys to local children in need.

Tour Stops include:
Little River Bed & Breakfast, Peterborough*
Paper & Roses, Peterborough
Anytime Apparel, Peterborough
The Woodbound Inn, Rindge*
Jaffrey Public Library (Santa’s House), Jaffrey
The Monadnock Inn, Jaffrey*
The Inn at East Hill Farm, Troy*
Common Collections, Troy
The Fitzwilliam Historical Society, Fitzwilliam
The Troy Historical Society, Troy*
Inn of the Tartan Fox, Swanzey
Swanzey Historical Society, Swanzey
Unbridled Chocolates, Marlborough

*Tickets can be purchased at these locations from November 26 through the day of the tour. Cash or check only.

A tour map will be printed on your ticket. You can begin the tour at any location. The average time between locations is about a 10 minute drive. Make sure you bring a cookie tin or container to store your cookies.

So pack up your friends, your sense of adventure, and have a great time touring great local establishments and tasting delicious homemade cookies!  Turn your cookie tour into an overnight or weekend getaway by staying at a local B&B or inn.

En Plein Air: Art in the Great Outdoors

“En plein air” is a French term that translates to “in the open air.” In the art world, the expression is used to describe artists who take their canvases, brushes, paints and create their art outside, in the natural light.

Much like creating art “en plein air” is an exceptional way to capture nature’s beauty on canvas, viewing art in the great outdoors – in the natural light -- is quite a different experience than viewing artwork in an indoor gallery.

In the Monadnock Region, the biggest outdoor art exhibit is “Art in the Park,” which takes place at the Ashuelot Park on West Street in Keene every Labor Day weekend. This year’s 54th Annual Art in the Park, which is run by the Monadnock Area Artists Association falls on September 1-2, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

More than 80 artists from around New England are represented and will exhibit and sell their work; there is also an area for students from the region’s two high schools to exhibit their artwork. There is also a raffle to fund art scholarships.

For more information visit Monadnock Area Artists for more information.

Once Art in the Park is over you can get your local artist fix in a few more weekends of art events this fall.

These two events are studio tours that take you right into an artists’ working environment:

September 15-16: The 7th Annual Hillsborough Open Studio Tour. This take you to artists’ studios within a 20 mile radius of downtown Hillsborough.

October 6-7 (Columbus Day Weekend):

17th Annual Monadnock Open Studio Art Tour: This tour travels through the towns surrounding Mt. Monadnock: Chesham, Dublin, Hancock, Harrisville, Jaffrey, Marlborough, Peterborough and Sharon.

Fall Foliage Art Studio Tour: Another wonderful tour that takes you through the Monadnock region including the towns of New Ipswich, Rindge, Swanzey, Spofford, Keene, Nelson, Stoddard and Antrim.

28th Annual NH Wool Arts Tour: The tour features fiber artists who work in wool from local sheep and alpacas, and farms that sell yarn and wool.  This event is fun for the whole family and is great for people who enjoy the fiber arts or would simply like to meet the animals, enjoy the fall colors and visit some farms.

November 3 & 4:

Keene Art Tour. A self-guided art studio tour featuring 19 artists in 13 studios in Keene, New Hampshire.  Featuring painting, pottery, furniture, jewelry, drawing, sculpture and more.  Free and open to the public. Pick up your brochure and map at our headquarters, Creative Encounters at 18 Main Street in Keene.

A Sanctuary Among the Pine Trees

Even if you are not particularly spiritually or religiously inclined, a visit to the Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge will soothe your soul.

This nondenominational open air cathedral sits on a restful hilltop with a splendid view of Mt. Monadnock in the distance. While the pine trees that make up the seating area in the cathedral were hit hard in a 2008 ice storm, there are enough trees still standing to give an “enclosed” feel to the outdoor chapel.

Outdoor cathedral with views of Mt Monadnock

The Cathedral of the Pines was created by Sibyl and Douglas Sloan III to honor those who sacrificed their lives in World War II, including their son Lt. Sanderson (“Sandy”) Sloan, a pilot who purchased the land in Rindge in hopes of building a home for him and his bride when he returned from the war.

But the young B-17 pilot’s life was cut short when he was shot down over Germany; he died and never returned to build his home. His parents created Cathedral of the Pines on the property he purchased as an interfaith shrine to Sandy and a national memorial to those who have served their country.

Cathedral Tower

The Cathedral’s website notes: “It was their hope that interfaith understanding would help bring world peace.”

Today, the Cathedral of the Pines, a nonprofit organization that is supported 100 percent by private donations, is the site of many weddings, ceremonies, church services and events. The Cathedral of the Pines, which encompasses 236 acres – some of which are beautifully landscaped with flowers and pathways – is open free to the public daily from May through October. The site welcomes visitors to participate in events, mediate in the outdoor chapels and learn about its history in the small museum on the grounds.  There is also a small gift shop on the premises.

So, if you are visiting the Monadnock Region, stop by the Cathedral of the Pines for an hour or two of respite from the world. Bring your lunch (there are picnic tables), walk the grounds, stay a while to gaze at the splendid view … and prepared to be rejuvenated.

The Cathedral of the Pines is located off Rte. 119, a few miles east of Rte. 202. 
Follow the signs upon entering Rindge, NH.