A castle in the clouds - the Castle in the Clouds in New Hampshire
As a castle in the clouds I would not designate the magnificent house on the summit of the Ossipee Mountain Range in New Hampshire, but the house is impressive in any case. Above all, the view from his terrace and many of his rooms on the lake landscape of Lake Winnepesaukee is breathtaking. From there we look down on the various bays of the lake with the unspeakable name, and in between we see again and again small villages that nestle against the lake.
The Castle in the Clouds at Moultonborough
We drove from our accommodation, the Boathouse Lodge at Church Landing in Meredith, New Hampshire, less than half an hour around the north shore of Lake Winnepesaukee and are greeted by a friendly old lady at the gate to Castle of the Clouds, the castle in the clouds who hands us a card with the words: “Everything you want to see you have to do on the way up the mountain. Otherwise you won't be able to get there any longer. ”We immediately realized that this would not work because the paths through the grounds below Castle in the Clouds were designed as one-way streets. And so we stop at a parking lot halfway up, from which a hiking trail leads to the “Falls of Song”, a waterfall that we can already hear rushing from afar. A boardwalk runs along the stream and we enjoy the morning coolness, which is intensified by the splashing water that accompanies us. At the end of the path we stand on a wooden platform and watch the masses of water falling, which finally flow further down the mountain in the stream.
A few hundred meters further up the mountain we have a first - wonderful - view of the lake landscape below us, and we get a taste of what awaits us in the castle in the clouds on the top of the mountain. We do not reach this with our own car, but with a trolley that drives from the visitor center to the main building on the mountain top at regular intervals. Again, the meaning of this connection quickly becomes clear to us: the road is so narrow that no two cars can get past each other here. And so our driver is connected by radio to the trolley at the other end of the route before he starts. It turns out to be a real chat and tells us what we shouldn't miss here. Above all, he raves about “Gretchen's” culinary arts, which are “out of this world”. And we can be in the castle and on the premises all day if we want.
We don't have the time for Gretchen's kitchen and a whole day on the premises, but we take a look at the Castle in the Clouds and above all enjoy the wonderful view from its terrace. "In autumn, the view must be fantastic," I think to myself as I look at the deciduous forests below, which extend to the horizon. The mansion was built by Thomas and Olive Plant from 1913 to 1914. Tom had made a fortune in shoe making and had sold his business at the age of 51. Newly married to his second wife Olive, he settled in Lucknow, as he called his home on the summit of the Ossipee mountain range. However, his dream of a quiet retirement was not fulfilled. Some of his investments turned out to be bad investments, so the couple wanted to sell the house and property during the Great Depression. Unsuccessful. They lived in it until 1941 when Tom Plant died. After his death the house was sold and has been open to the public since 1959.
Inside, we see how the family lived: in large, bright rooms furnished with the latest technological advances of the time. Spacious staircases connect the ground floor with the first floor, which houses the bedrooms and guest rooms of the Plants. The living room below is decorated in dark tones. Next to the master of the house is a knight's armor. On the dressing table of the housewife is a heavy silver hand mirror with thick floral decoration, which is repeated in the handle of the hairbrush and the comb. Crocheted blankets serve as bedspreads on the guest beds. In the lady's room there is a table set for a tea ceremony - with fresh strawberries, home-baked muffins and a teapot waiting for guests. The hostess seems to have just got up, because on her bed is still - unused - the breakfast tray with a boiled egg and a fresh bouquet of flowers, which seems to announce a good day. The Castle in the Clouds gives us an authentic look into the lives of affluent Americans in New Hampshire during the Great Depression.
Castle in the Clouds
RT 171
455 Old Mountain Rd.
Moultonborough, NH 03254
www.castleintheclouds.org
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Source: own research on site at the invitation of Discover New England. Our opinion remains our own.
Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
Video: © Copyright Petar Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
