The Beal House, Arethusa Falls, and a quick trip to the White Mountains in October.

October has been a wash of yellows, some reds, the smell of damp wood and leaves, and sun streaming into the windows in the morning, casting such warmth in my living room that I can’t help but sing praises to this complicated beautiful life we all live. I’m a deep feeler, and October’s rapid changes bring them all out. Last weekend we stayed in Littleton, NH and, if you’re looking for a perfect spot in the White Mountains to enjoy the beautiful scenery while also having access to a brewery or a restaurant or a movie theatre, look no further. It’s the sweetest mountain town (2.5 hours from Boston straight up interstate 93) and so the views are cheap–they’re everywhere you look. Just behind the shops on the main road, the mountains are there in the distance, so you don’t have to go searching. Here’s our last trip to Littleton… when we decided, we love this place!We stayed at The Beal House this time, perfect rooms for a couple, or a small family, and with a restaurant attached to boot. And not just any restaurant, but fine dining (but not fussy fine, just delicious fine) right downstairs. So, hypothetically, you could put kids to bed and even have a date night. Our room (the Flume Room) had a huge bathtub. You can imagine the boys’ excitement when they discovered it, and we all got in and watched the Grinch from the bath. They thought it was just about the coolest.Here’s Parker showing off another of the Beal House rooms. I love that bathroom sink a lot.When we got there, we checked in with Adam–owner and chef!–and unloaded our bags in our room. He recommended we stroll Littleton and include Schilling Beer as a stop when we do. Well, he was right. Schilling Beer is maybe the coolest brewery ever? Above is the tasting room and brewing headquarters, and it’s situated right on the Ammonoosuc River. Sit outside and hear the water rushing by; sit inside and get warmed by the fire. Neither is a mistake. Next door is their restaurant, where you can try a flight of beer to see which you like best. (P.S. Wait staff was awesome. Waitress chose one of my beers for me, and it ended up being my favorite.) Beal House hats that the boys were psyched to wear around town. Parker takes after my Dad — the boy loves a good hat, and loves to collect them too.Erastus was my favorite beer–reminiscent of Chimay, which is the best. We brought home a 4-pack which was a mistake, because there’s only one left now with no return to Littleton on the horizon. We also got the soft pretzels with beer cheese for dipping… ohhhhh yeah. We didn’t eat an entire meal because we had dinner plans at The Beal House that evening, but the pizza looked delicious. {outfit: sweater; jeans; shoes} A really beautiful October day might trump all the other beautiful days. Something about the chill in the air, with the promise of colder temperatures to come that makes you savor it all the more. This day made me wish October was three months long, and was always like this.There’s a great covered bridge right outside Schilling. Fun for running (boys) for pictures (me) and for nature observing (everyone!). After Schilling, we stopped at Chutters. “Home of the longest candy counter ever”. And it is long. You know that an impressively long line of candy is probably not Bridget Hunt’s first stop since I’m (loosely) anti-sugar, but it was impressive. Jars and jars and jars of candy I’ve never even heard of. We bought two packages of M&Ms (daring, I know)–peanut and peanut butter, and then brought them back to our room for after dinner.That night we ate at the Beal House. It was really wonderful. A candle-lit restaurant is not the best place for pictures, though, so you’ll have to take my word for it. We got a little of everything on the menu. Crispy broccoli, local beets salad, brussels sprouts, mac and cheese, and a burger. I got a glass of wine and Steve got an old-fashioned (and said it was one of the best). The ambience is perfect any time–that sweet low-ceiling cozy tavern feel. Imagine it in the wintertime! (Indeed, what a great spot to stay for weekend ski trip to Cannon Mountain just minutes away. Or even Loon Mountain or Bretton Woods.) Our waiter was fantastic too.And then going straight upstairs to our room? It was awesome! Any time of year, you’ll feel right at home at the Beal House. Next morning we went to Polly’s Pancakes. I’ve mentioned this place before because, two years ago, we were in the White Mountains considering it for breakfast and it was a three-hour wait. I couldn’t believe it. This year I called at 7 am for reservations–necessary! Your waitress makes any of the pancakes ordered at the table and there are all kinds–cornmeal, buckwheat, buttermilk, gingerbread, and more. Then add-ins from chocolate chips to apples to coconut. The boys each got pancakes, but Steve and I got eggs, hash browns, and toast. Given that we were going straight to a hike, I felt like I needed some protein! It was all really good (of course, I tried some of their pancakes). Highly recommend! Plus the views from Polly’s are really great.And now HIKE TIME. There are about a million October-in-the-mountains-during-peak-foliage photos coming at you in 3… 2….1…I’m so proud of these boys and how well they did on the hike. Everything was awash with a warm glow. I can’t even describe it! The entire trail was blanketed in yellows and oranges and browns and it was spectacular.  I’ve been wanting to do the Arethusa Falls Trail for awhile now. We got there by way of Bemis Brook, and the whole thing was about 3 miles total. We weren’t certain how Anders would do, but he did great. Never really needed to be carried. A lot of enthusiasm and cheering on from all of us helped. At one point, “do you think they’ll write about me in the paper? Youngest boy to do this hike?” I’m not sure, buddy, but I’m writing about it here! Look at these little evergreen sprouts! Nature is so cool. If you go the Bemis Brook way, you’ll be along the stream and then also a few other waterfalls. It made me want to come back in the summertime and do this slide-style in bathing suits. These moments are some of my favorite. {my jacket}  The last section of the Bemis Brook portion of the trail is practically rock-scaling. It’s short, fun, but perhaps not ideal for very, very young ones. At the end you can hear that you’re coming to Arethusa Falls, and you can see bits of it through the tree branches. I saw enough to know it would be incredible. And it was.  Thank you to the kind man who took a picture of us after we scrambled to this spot. We were surprised by how few people were there at this peak weekend in October.  One of the unexpected treats on this special day was the way Parker held my hand the whole way down the trail. When a tree limb, or a rock to scramble over interrupted the hand holding, he’d find mine again, and I can’t tell you what a gift it was. He is growing up so fast. There is so much of him now–long legs and arms–and before I know it he will be double digits. It’s flying by. I loved connecting with him in that small way on our hike. A little (big) gift from nature, it sort of felt.  It’s just magic out there, you guys.  Thank you to the Beal House for the accommodations, and the amazing meal this weekend. Lori and Adam (owners) are fantastic and there will be a giveaway with them coming on Instagram later today so stay tuned, and happy fall!