White Mountains Perfect for HoHo Holiday Fun

NORTH WOODSTOCK, NH - Cold north winds are blowing over New Hampshire's White Mountains, bringing with them snow and the holiday spirit, making it a perfect time to plan a visit that could be the start of new family traditions.

Ride a train and meet Santa Claus. Choose the perfect Christmas tree - and then cut it down yourself. Drink hot chocolate and sing Christmas carols. Pet Santa's reindeer and feed them a snack before their big night.

 "The White Mountains are a favorite summertime destination, but during the holiday season, it truly becomes a wondrous, magical place," said Jayne O'Connor, president of White Mountains Attractions. "The snow-covered mountains, the Christmas lights and decorations in our small towns and villages are a perfect backdrop to some memorable experiences, especially for children.

Santa Claus takes center stage for many of those activities and Santa's Village in Jefferson is a great way to get in the holiday spirit. Millions of lights glow in the winter sky and Santa is available to hear the whispers of children.

New this year, Santa's Village will be open the Saturday after Christmas. The park opens for the season the day after Thanksgiving. Hours that holiday weekend are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

After that, it will be open each Saturday until the end of the year from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 28); Sundays, until Dec. 23, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Most, but not all, of the rides will be open.  Santa's Skyway Sleigh, which circles
the park, offers a beautiful look at the twinkling lights. After that, it will be open each Saturday until the end of the year.

Sundays tend to have lighter crowds and guests are encouraged to dress warmly. Admission is $21 per person; children under three are admitted free.

If there is anything synonymous with Christmas, it's children, trains and Santa Claus and during the holiday season, the three go together like candy canes and hot chocolate.

At the Cog Railway in Bretton Woods, the Santa Train runs twice daily at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Tickets are $31 for adults and $26 for children; youngsters age 3 and under ride free on an adult's lap. Reservations are recommended and tickets can be booked online at 
www.thecog.com.

All trains depart the Marshfield Station, located six miles off Route 302 in Bretton Woods. Santa rides with children and their families in a heated coach for the one hour roundtrip to Kroflite Kamp, located about halfway to the summit of Mount Washington and the North Pole. At that point, passengers can depart the train and have their pictures taken with Santa.

On the other side of Crawford Notch, the Jolly Old Elf hollers 'All Aboard!' for the Santa Claus Express at the Conway Scenic Railroad. Trains depart each Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 a.m. for a one-hour roundtrip to Bartlett and at 1:30 p.m., for a 55 minute excursion to Conway.

Santa Claus will be onboard visiting with everyone and will have a small surprise in his bag for each child. Tickets for the "Santa Claus Express" will be on sale prior to each departure in our ticket office. For fare information, visit www.conwayscenic.com.

Over in Lincoln, Santa hops on the Hobo Railroad Nov. 23 and 24 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and each Saturday and Sunday until Christmas at 1 p.m. Trains depart from the Lincoln station and tickets are $13, free for children under 3.

During the 80 minute trip along the banks of the Pemigewasset River, Santa will visit with each child and gives them a small gift.  For more information, go to www.santatrains.com.

After visiting with Santa, families looking for the perfect Christmas tree will want to head to The Rocks Estate in Bethlehem for an afternoon of looking for a tree to bring home. Other activities include horse drawn wagon rides around the property, hot chocolate and carol singing and parents will enjoy looking for unique gifts at 
the craft fair each weekend through Christmas.

The Rocks is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Nov. 17 to Dec.  24. For more information, go to www.therocks.org.

White Mountains Attractions, founded in 1957, is the marketing association for 16 attractions within the White Mountains region, including Attitash, Cannon Mountain, Clark's Trading Post, the Cog Railroad, the Conway Scenic Railroad, Flume Gorge, the Hobo Railroad, Loon Mountain, Lost River Gorge, Mount Washington Auto Road, Polar Caves, Santa's Village, Six Gun City, Story Land, Whale's Tale and 
Wildcat Mountain.

For information about the White Mountains, the visitors' center is located off exit 32
on Interstate 93 in North Woodstock; visit www.visitwhitemountains.com or call 800-FIND-MTS.


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