No doubt about it, zip lines are just plain fun! And some of the best are found at Mt. Sunapee Adventure Park.

Before we get into those zip lines at Mt. Sunapee, let’s take a look at some of the reasons zip lines are so popular.

If you want to fly but don’t think hang gliding or bungee jumping are for you, zip lines are the way to go. They are an alternative that is both safe and a lot of fun. You have the options of sailing through forest canopies or down the sides of mountains at speeds up to 100 mph! All safely tethered to a strong support cable.

Zip lines are also called flying foxes or zip wires. The flying foxes are typically lower to the ground and are slower. These may be better choices for kids and those of you who are newcomers to the sport.

Adventure levels zip lines take you down mountainsides, across gorges, and through the canopies of jungles. They may be up to thirty feet off the ground and run for fifteen hundred feet.

Most zip lines consist of stainless steel aircraft cable stretched between two points. They start off higher than the landing in order to reach thrilling speeds at the end. The speed increases until the rider reaches the lowest point on the line. Here, the speed drops off, giving the rider an easier landing.

Riding a zip line is very safe. The rider is connected to the zip line by a trolley. This is a metal box with several pulleys inside. Each rider is also protected by a harness and safety line.

A helmet and heavy gloves are also used to protect the rider’s head and hands. Long sleeves and long pants are often needed to protect against scrapes from branches or the ends of tree limbs.

The Canopy Zip Line Tour on Mt. Sunapee’s south peak has a series of zip lines as well as rope bridges and rappelling. Eight zip lines in all culminate in a dual zip line for the last one thousand feet. This ends in the landing behind the Adventure Center and a rappel down from there. The entire tour covers about three-fourths of a mile through an evergreen canopy. The full tour with eight riders takes about two and a half hours.

When you decide to take advantage of the Mt. Sunapee area and riding the zip lines, there is no better place to stay than Follansbee Inn. The ideal bed and breakfast to come home to in the Sunapee/Dartmouth region is Follansbee Inn. Call 603-027-4221. Or visit www.follansbeeinn.com. Come see us along the shores of Kezar Lake for an enjoyable and relaxing time.

One of the many things to do when you visit Follansbee Inn in North Sutton, NH, is skiing. The entire family can engage in this winter sport, even if one of you may need some form of adaptive skiing equipment.

Plus, guests of Follansbee Inn get a discount on lift tickets at Mt. Sunapee!

What, you might ask, is adaptive skiing? It is the use of special adapted equipment that allows almost anyone with any kind of physical or mental condition that would prevent them from using standard skiing equipment to enjoy skiing with the rest of the family.

A program called New England Healing Sports Association, NEHSA, conducts lessons at Mt. Sunapee in adaptive skiing. These volunteers are well-trained and serve people of all ages and any kind of disability.

Some examples of adaptive skiing include:

Tri-Track Skiing – uses one ski and two outriggers for upright skiing.

Four-Track Skiing – uses two skis and two outriggers.

Other skiers who are blind, visually impaired, hearing impaired, or deaf can also ski with special instructors accompanying them. Those individuals who are developmentally delayed also can ski with instructors.

Some adaptive skiing equipment also allows people without the use of their legs to get out on the snow. Mono-skiers sit in a shell made of fiberglass on a standard ski. Short outriggers are also used for stability. Skiers who have little or no use of their arms/upper body can become bi-skiers, sitting down with two skis under them. They may be tethered to instructors.

What are some of the benefits of adaptive skiing?

For one thing, it allows the entire family to enjoy the outdoors and skiing. It gives parents an opportunity to ski on their own for the time the instructors are teaching their children to use the adaptive skiing equipment. Later, it gives the kids a chance to show their parents what they’ve learned and for the entire family to be proud.

In addition to the family benefits, adaptive skiing builds confidence in those who learn to use the equipment. It gives them the chance to socialize with others who are enjoying the same sport. Adaptive skiing helps develop balance, coordination, motivation, and fitness in a sport that helps people enjoy the outdoors.

When you decide to take advantage of the Mt. Sunapee area and adaptive skiing equipment, there is no better place to stay than Follansbee Inn. The ideal bed and breakfast to come home to in the Sunapee/Dartmouth region is Follansbee Inn. Call 603-027-4221. Or visit www.follansbeeinn.com. Come see us along the shores of Kezar Lake for an enjoyable and relaxing time.

Spring skiing is often the best because days are longer, sometimes a little warmer, prices may be lower, and there aren’t usually as many people on the slopes. There can be some difficulties that crop up during spring skiing that you don’t face during the colder winter months. Having ways to deal with these possible difficulties can make or break your spring skiing trips.

One of the issues you’ll run into during spring skiing is ‘corn’ snow. This is very different from the powder snow you may encounter during the colder months.

Corn snow is called that because the crystals are larger and rounded off like the kernels of corn you may enjoy eating. This comes due to the thaw-freeze cycle often found in spring skiing.

The sun and warmer temperatures during the day melt the upper layer of the snow. Then this layer re-freezes during the night when temperatures drop. The longer this thawing-freezing cycle goes on, the larger these crystals become.

In the early morning, the top layer of snow may be very solid. This shouldn’t last long once the sun hits it. This is one reason you may want to sleep in a little during spring skiing. You don’t have to be in a hurry to get out on the slopes.

Much of the time, spring skiing brings with it lower prices for ski lift tickets, cheaper lessons, and package deals for not only this spring but possibly also next year if you purchase now. In addition, many lodges offer discounts for spring skiing.

One thing you’ll have be more careful about is watching for rocks and downed trees that may be uncovered due to melting.

Always wear sunscreen. Spring skiing will give you more exposure to the sun with the longer days. Be certain to re-apply the sunscreen often.

Check the weather reports for your spring skiing. Dressing in layers is very important now because of the greater variability in temperatures during spring. Shedding and adding layers as needed will keep you comfortable.

Always wear waterproof pants during spring skiing. If you fall, the snow will still be wet. You don’t want to add to your discomfort by having wet pants.

Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.

When you want to get away and enjoy spring skiing, the ideal bed and breakfast to come home to in the Sunapee/Dartmouth region is Follansbee Inn. Call 603-027-4221. Or visit www.follansbeeinn.com. Come see us along the shores of Kezar Lake for an enjoyable and relaxing time.

One of the many activities available in the area around Follansbee Inn is hiking in early spring. There are a number of things you should keep in mind if you’re going to engage in this sport.

One of the main things to do in preparing for hiking in early spring is to get in shape for it. Not a large number of people continue their hiking during the winter, so you may be a little out of shape from taking things easy during the winter.

Even the easiest hiking in early spring, or any time for that matter, requires good balance and strength in order to avoid injury. Ankle rolling and ankle sprains are the top two injuries involved in hiking.

There are quite a few things you can do to get ready for hiking in early spring and make it enjoyable without injury. Running or walking in sand is a good way to strengthen the muscles that protect your knees and ankles.

Squats and lunges are good for developing your core and improving overall strength. Do them slowly to get the most benefit.

Push-ups will help strengthen your shoulders and back for the times you do hikes with backpacks.

Cardio exercises help build lung capacity for hiking in the spring and for any higher altitude hikes you might take. This can be done by running or walking. If you don’t have a place outside for running or walking, consider going to a gym and using the treadmill.

Go out for a walk several times every week. Wear the same shoes or boots you’ll wear when hiking so your feet get used to them again. Walk at a brisk pace to get your heart rate up. Carry a light backpack to get yourself used to carrying packs again.

Before setting out to go hiking in the spring be sure to check your gear. Make sure you have everything you need and it’s in good repair. There’s nothing so bad as going out hiking in the spring and suddenly find you don’t have something you really need or, if you have it, it doesn’t work or is broken.

Be sure to check the weather before you go hiking in the spring. Know what you may run into. Have the necessary clothing and gear for rain, snow, mud, and sudden cold snaps.

Bring layers of clothing. Put on and take off as needed. Also, be prepared for bugs. Hiking in early spring means you’re going to run into bugs that come out at the same time.

When you want to get away and enjoy hiking in early spring, the ideal bed and breakfast to come home to in the Sunapee/Dartmouth region is Follansbee Inn. Call 603-027-4221. Or visit www.follansbeeinn.com. Come see us along the shores of Kezar Lake for an enjoyable and relaxing time.

Few would argue the truth behind the observation that we have forgotten the value of rest. Today’s world is filled with a sense of urgency. We are admonished to hurry and get this or that done. We’re encouraged to spend every waking moment, even those not at work, in doing and doing and doing.

People in the U.S. take fewer of their paid vacation days than just about any other country in the world.

We truly have forgotten the value of rest.

Due to the competitive nature of humans, we tend to think of the value of rest in terms of doing restful things competitively also. Look at ads and commercials. They show people in what could be restful environments pushing themselves to get more done in their ‘rest’.

Being outdoors means hiking, running, mountain-biking, skiing, and boating in a hurry. The value of rest is lost in this kind of ‘resting’.

The value of rest comes from letting yourself go so you can recharge and recover from the stressful lives nearly everyone leads. Doing this will help you achieve greater things on down the road.

But it’s that ‘on down the road’ that keeps people from seeing the value of rest. We’re pressured to do it now and accomplish everything we can while we’re young. Few understand the wisdom in taking the long view.

Part of the value of rest, is to take time for yourself. Today, too many families are wound up in going and doing with none of the members having any time for themselves. There is something to be said about sitting down in a comfortable chair and reading a good book.

What too many people don’t realize is that continually working and pushing yourself will lead to sometimes significant physical problems. If these physical problems get serious enough, you can find yourself unable to work.

Research has shown your productivity will increase when you take time to enjoy the value of rest.

When you want to get away and enjoy a cozy and unique setting, the ideal bed and breakfast to come home to in the Sunapee/Dartmouth region is Follansbee Inn. Call 603-027-4221. Or visit www.follansbeeinn.com. Come see us along the shores of Kezar Lake for an enjoyable and relaxing time.

Bed and breakfast inns have been around for a number of years. They have become a really handy way to book a getaway weekend to enjoy each other and/or some popular area. The bed and breakfast inns you’re familiar with have been around for about a hundred years. But the idea and the type of accommodations have a history than can be traced back much farther into the past.

The typical arrangement for the more modern bed and breakfast inns has been the same for the entire hundred years of their existence. Usually one to six or so bedrooms serving two to twelve guests.

The early bed and breakfast inns were set up to serve people who were traveling through a region. These inns were usually established in the mountain regions of the West, like in Colorado and California. The New England states were another popular region for the early inns.

In the 1800s, travelers who frequented bed and breakfast inns were pioneers, gold seekers, miners, or professionals traveling from place to place. These early inns provided a bed and a hot breakfast the next morning to get these travelers off to a good start on the next leg of their journey.

Most of the time these early bed and breakfast inns were located in private residences. Local professionals might offer fellow traveling professionals a room for the night with breakfast the next morning. Other residents might offer other travelers the same thing.

In the 1900s more hotels and lodges were built. The bed and breakfast inns were seen as more affordable accommodations at that time.

With more students and others visiting Europe and bringing back tales of the bed and breakfast inns there in the latter 1900s, these inns became much more popular here.

Today, bed and breakfast inns provide a more cozy, warm, and attractive place to stay compared to modern hotels and motels. Rather than the seemingly sterile corporate places to stay, bed and breakfast inns give visitors quaint and cozy places to stop in locations that are popular and unique.

When you want to get away and enjoy a cozy and unique setting, the ideal bed and breakfast to come home to in the Sunapee/Dartmouth region is Follansbee Inn. Call 603-027-4221. Or visit www.follansbeeinn.com. Come see us along the shores of Kezar Lake for an enjoyable and relaxing time.

One of the great things about visiting a bed and breakfast in New England is the availability of winter sports. After all, no one wants to go to a wonderful place like Follansbee Inn in New Hampshire and just sit and look at the snow. There is no shortage of winter sports near Follansbee Inn.

From Lake Kezar where Follansbee Inn is located, there are several well-known ski areas within a short distance. These areas provide skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and ice skating.

Located about twelve miles from Follansbee Inn, Mount Sunapee is “the largest New Hampshire ski resort closest to Boston.” Sunapee is an Algonquian Indian word meaning ‘Goose Lake’ and is known for giving skiers goosebumps. Upon arrival, you get the sense that this ski resort might be an extension of your family. It’s familiar, it’s warm (even in the middle of a cold winter’s day) and it’s a place where everyone in the family has fun. Sunapee is renowned for its snow grooming; indeed, every night the Sunapee groomers take to the slopes to make sure the snow is prepared for the next day’s skiing.

Also located about twelve miles from Follansbee Inn is Ragged Mountain Ski Resort. Ragged Mountain’s 2,286 foot tall summit is one of the highest peaks in Merrimack County. Ragged is a wonderful venue for families looking for a ski vacation.

Pine Hill Ski Club is in New London, not far from Follansbee Inn. Cross country skiing is their specialty. All volunteer and non-profit, the club keeps up miles of trails offered by generous landowners for cross country skiing. There is a section of trial open for Nordic skiers who want to bring their dogs along.

You might also choose to cross country ski just outside the Inn’s front doors, around Kezar Lake and through Wadleigh State Park. Or perhaps you would rather borrow the Inn’s snow shoes and trek to Blueberry Island in the middle of Kezar Lake. On the way to Blueberry Island you might visit the many people ice fishing on Kezar.

So, winter sports are available all around Follansbee Inn. There’s no reason to let winter weather keep you home and not taking advantage of this wonderful bed and breakfast treat.

If you need a getaway place to de-stress and just relax for a few days, Follansbee Inn is your kind of place!

When you want to enjoy time away, the ideal bed and breakfast in the Sunapee/Dartmouth region is Follansbee Inn. Call 603-927-4221. Come see us along the shores of Kezar Lake for an enjoyable and relaxing time.

Not many bed and breakfast facilities are located as fortunately as Follansbee Inn. It is on the shore of beautiful Kezar Lake and close to Lake Sunapee. This location gives those who stay at Follansbee Inn the option of several lake-oriented activities.

Kezar Lake carves its curving, inviting way along the eastern edge of the White Mountains. Ten miles long and not more than a mile wide, it is a beautiful setting for Follansbee Inn.

Not a lot of people see Kezar; they’re too busy cruising along Route 302 by Sebago Lake. This latter lake is the opposite of Kezar. It’s boisterous and popular, crowded by many more people.

Staying at Follansbee Inn, you’ll be delighted with the quiet calmness of Kezar Lake.

Even though it’s smaller and quieter, Kezar Lake offers a ton of things to do. Its water is exceptional for either getting on it and doing water activities or sitting beside it and enjoying nature.

Speaking of nature, there is an opportunity for spotting the loon families that make their home on the lake. You could even see a bald eagle or three.

Another delightful thing about Kezar Lake is that it is kept entirely hidden by woods from the roads that surround it. This gives the lake the feel of a country pond.

And you’ll have access to all this when you stay at Follansbee Inn.

But suppose you want more to do on a lake as you stay at Follansbee Inn. There’s Lake Sunapee only a short distance away.

Sunapee is a larger, with 70 miles of shoreline and eleven islands. It is the fifth largest lake contained entirely in New Hampshire.

There are seven sandy beach areas on Sunapee, although some have restricted town access. You’ll also find six boat ramps available on the lake.

The water in this lake is so clear, much of it coming from cold underground springs, that you can see 30 feet down in some places.

There are also activities on the shore for those who don’t care as much for the water. Craft fairs and activities “under the tent” are available in late summer.

All of these activities on two lakes are available for you when you stay at Follansbee Inn.

When you want to enjoy one of two lakes, the ideal bed and breakfast in the Sunapee/Dartmouth region is Follansbee Inn. Call 603-027-4221. Or visit www.follansbeeinn.com. Come see us along the shores of Kezar Lake for an enjoyable and relaxing time.