Northern New Hampshire may not have any gay bars, but gay-run accommodations make the White Mountains inviting

INN STYLE: Built in 1884, the Inn at Crystal Lake is a gay-owned property in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.

As New England ski destinations go, Vermont receives most of the attention from gay visitors. It's one of the nation's most progressive states, and it was the first in the nation to legalize same-sex civil unions.
But its neighbor, New Hampshire, boasts the White Mountains, which offer some of the most scenic winter sports and cushiest country inns in the Northeast.

The Granite State is definitely more conservative than some of its neighbors, but compared with much of the country, this is still a tolerant place. In fact, several of the area's most alluring accommodations are gay-owned.
Northern New Hampshire is easy to reach from Boston and six hours from New York City. There are no major cities up in these parts, but small towns in the area offer plenty of shopping, dining and lodging options, and prices are typically lower than in Vermont.

The White Mountains contain the highest peak in the Northeast (6,288-foot Mount Washington) as well as dozens of other peaks higher than 4,000 feet. Many of these slopes have been developed as ski resorts, including such well-respected facilities as Waterville Valley, Cannon Mountain, Bretton Woods, Attitash Bear Peak and Wildcat. There are cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails on the majestic slopes of Mount Washington, where you might also take a guided winter tour of the mountain on a SnowCoach.
If you're headed to the White Mountains another time of year, you can still count on plenty to do and great scenery, as long as you avoid the dreary, muddy months of April and May. The scenic Hobo Railroad offers narrated tours through the forest from May through October. And the Mount Washington Cog Railway leads visitors up the mountain from May through November.

You'll find excellent hiking just about everywhere you look, but especially at Franconia Notch and Crawford Notch state parks. And there's great scenic driving year-round, the most famous route being the Kancamagus Highway, which follows Route 112 between the towns of Lincoln and Conway and traverses the very heart of the White Mountains. It's an especially dramatic drive during the fall foliage season.Many of the best restaurants in the White Mountains are inside inns and hotels, so consider some of the lodging recommendations described later in this article when deciding where to eat.

Other hot spots for terrific meals include the Red Parka Pub, a great place for barbecue ribs, in the village of Glen; the Woodstock Inn, which has a microbrewery and a more formal dining room; Jackson's Thompson House Eatery, known for inventive contemporary American food; and the funky and inexpensive Muddy Moose in North Conway, where you can nosh on salads, burgers and chops.

New Hampshire's only lesbian-exclusive resort, the Highlands Inn, has been serving the community since 1983 and consists of a main inn with 13 guestrooms, a farmhouse with five guest rooms and a full kitchen, and a secluded cottage that can sleep up to four and has a sleeping loft.
The antiques-filled, pet-friendly Highlands is nestled in the woods with hiking and cross-country skiing trails, a huge outdoor heated-pool, two hot tubs and an inviting library-living room. It's in quaint Bethlehem, and there's great downhill skiing within a 20-minute drive.

Also in Bethlehem, but catering to a mixed gay and straight clientele, the lesbian-owned Mulburn Inn occupies a beautiful Tudor Revival mansion that once belonged to members of the famed Woolworth family. The inn contains seven opulent guestrooms and retains many original details, from stained-glass windows to fine maple and mahogany woodwork.

There are several other gay-owned inns around the area. Consider the Inn at Crystal Lake. The stately 1884 Greek Revival Inn overlooks the small but pretty lake for which it's named and contains 12 richly appointed but moderately priced rooms. Innkeepers Bobby Barker and Tim Ostendorf serve a hearty breakfast. The inn is also home to the cozy Palmer House Pub, which serves creative comfort food Wednesday through Sunday. It's 25 miles northeast of New Hampshire's other hugely popular vacation area, Lake Winnipesaukee.

Also convenient to both the White Mountains and Lake Winnipesaukee, the art-filled Riverbend Inn is nestled in the quiet town of Chocorua and contains 10 plush rooms with fabulous antique beds and smart, urbane, uncluttered decor it's a stunner, inside and out. Bargain-hunters might consider one of the two ground-floor rooms that share a bath.

In the town of Franconia, you'll find the Bungay Jar B&B, which is known for its brilliant gardens, but this converted 19th-century barn makes an inviting hideaway year-round. The eight rooms are beautifully appointed, with Heavenly brand mattresses and fine linens, organic soaps and toiletries, and tasteful country-house furnishings.

Common spaces include a two-story open living room with wide plank floors, a two-person sauna, and an airy dining room in which you might sample lemon pancakes or corn waffles with cilantro butter for breakfast.
Between Bretton Woods and Jackson, the upscale Notchland Inn is run by partners Ed Butler and Les Schoof. Nestled in the heart of the White Mountains National Forest, this 1860s stone mansion sits on 100 acres, and all 12 guestrooms, some with soaring ceilings, are warmed by a wood-burning fireplace. Rates include a full breakfast, and the inn's restaurant also serves a prix-fixe five-course dinner that showcases some of the finest Continental fare around, such as mustard-and-crumb-crusted haddock with a juniper wine sauce

There are loads of other great straight-owned but gay-friendly lodging options in this part of New Hampshire. Among larger properties, a top pick is the Bretton Woods Mountain Resort,, home to the stunning 1902 Mount Washington Hotel as well as town homes, motel-style units, eight restaurants, 27 holes of golf, 12 tennis courts and both downhill and cross-country skiing.

Luxurious, romantic country inns worth considering include the Darby Field Inn, which is also home to a fine restaurant; the Sugar Hill Inn on the north side of Franconia, which once hosted film diva Bette Davis; and the Beal House Inn, a handsome eight-room 1833 property with one of the area's best restaurants.

The White Mountains don't offer much in the way of gay-oriented activities. The nearest gay bars are in Manchester in the lower half of the state 90 minutes away. But you come to northern New Hampshire to partake of the amazing scenery, enjoy the great outdoors, snuggle with your honey in front of a fire at a country inn and swap ski stories with locals at area taverns.
And if you're in the mood to "tie the knot" someplace that actually sanctions gay civil unions, head west a few miles Vermont is just across the Connecticut River.

Andrew Collins is the author of "Fodor's Gay Guide to the USA" and nine additional travel guides.

E-mail: OutofTown@qsyndicate.com






This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, March 3, 2006.