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Franconia/Sugar Hill/ By Nancy and Richard Woodworth The lines are from Robert Frost: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." They were written when the poet lived in Franconia beneath Cannon Mountain, and the road less traveled has made a difference historically in maintaining the Franconia area as an island of serenity just beyond the crowds. Even the opening of the beautiful Franconia Notch Parkway connecting completed portions of Interstate 93 on either side of the notch has failed to bring in the hordes. Many people don't know about the area's history and beauty, said one innkeeper. "They think that beyond the Old Man of the Mountains, there are just woods and Canada." Indeed, Franconia and its upcountry neighbor, Sugar Hill, are remote and relatively untouched by the usual trappings of tourism. They retain much of the look and the flavor of the late 19th century when they were noted mountain resort areas. In the 1930s, Austrian Sig Buchmayer established the country's first ski school at Peckett's-on-Sugar Hill (now designated by a primitive historic marker) and Cannon Mountain dedicated skiing's first aerial tramway. But for the mystique of the name, one might not be aware of the area's storied past. Gone are the large hotels and, as ski areas go, Cannon keeps a low profile. Today, the crowds and the condos halt below Franconia Notch to the south, leaving Cannon Mountain, Franconia, Sugar Hill, Bethlehem and even the "city" of Littleton for those who appreciate them as vestiges of the past. For those who want action, the magnificent Franconia Notch State Park stretching eight miles through the notch offers some of the Northeast's most spectacular sights and activities. But the road less traveled takes one beyond. There are few better places for fall foliage viewing than from Sunset Hill or the ridge leading up to Sugar Hill above Franconia. The heights afford sweeping vistas of the towering White Mountains on three sides and toward Vermont's Green Mountains on the fourth. In winter, downhill skiers revel in the challenges of Cannon Mountain, the venerable World Cup area so full of skiing history that the New England Ski Museum is located at its base. In spring and summer, the quiet pleasures of an area rich in history and character suffice. The Frost Place, the Sugar Hill Historical Museum and the Sugar Hill Sampler are classics of their genre. Don't expect trendy inns, fancy restaurants or tony shops. Immerse yourself instead in the beauty and the tranquility of New England as it used to be. It's little wonder that long after he left, poet Frost wrote, "I am sitting here thinking of the view from our house in Franconia." It's unforgettable. Material excerpted from Inn Spots & Special Places in New England, by Nancy and Richard Woodworth. Copyright 2004. Wood Pond Press E-mail feedback to: Home
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