Tag Archives: Dixville Notch

Back to The Balsams: Winter 2011 Edition

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The Balsams Grand Resort is beautiful in winter

The Balsams Grand Resort is beautiful in winter.

It’s my favorite time of year: I’m returning to The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel as Visiting Artisan for the week of February 21 – 28, 2011.

Felt hat embroidery workshop for guests at The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel.

Beautiful any time of year, The Balsams (located in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire) is especially enchanting in winter.

The scenery is gorgeous:
A dusting of snow frosts Dixville Notch & The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel.

The skiing (both downhill and cross-country) is fantastic:

Felt hat fiber artist, Carrie Cahill Mulligan enjoys the xc-skiing at The Balsams.

Guests at The Balsams enjoy access to fantastic wilderness skiing.

And the hotel architecture is always lovely:

Mismatched balusters of the grand staircase in the John Dix Social Room at The Balsams.

One of the many gilded cornices that grace The Balsams' grand dining room.

Winter is the perfect time to showcase my felt hats & demonstrate their construction to hotel guests. I especially enjoy teaching workshops to students of all ages:

Rachel's diary says: "On Tuesday I sewed my hat"!

But, of course, at The Balsams it always comes back to the food!

Mmmm... The Balsams has a fantastic breakfast buffet...


... with a dazzling array of tasty choices...


And an omelette chef, awaiting your special request!

The Balsams gets all the details just right:

Elegant silver service adds a special touch to an already special dining experience.

So if you’re up for a very special winter vacation, consider a trip to The Balsams. I promise, you’ll be glad you did!

Back to The Balsams’ Visiting Artist Series in Dixville Notch, NH

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It’s the most exciting phone call of my year: when the Balsams’ Activities Coordinator, John Kennedy, asks if I am able to return for their Visiting Artist Series this summer.

CCM at Table Rock above the Balsams Grand Resort in Dixville Notch, NH

CCM at Table Rock above the Balsams Grand Resort in Dixville Notch, NH

“Yes! Please!” is my unhesitating reply.

As a Visiting Artist, I have the pleasure of conducting knitting & embroidery demonstrations and workshops with resort guests.

Felt Hat Embroidery Demonstration at the Balsams Grand Resort in Dixville Notch, NH

Felt Hat Embroidery Demonstration at the Balsams Grand Resort in Dixville Notch, NH

My first year, I even attempted a felting demonstration, with fascinating results.

The Balsams is a treasure. Luxurious accommodations and to-die-for dining are set in the northern New Hampshire wilds of Dixville Notch (where the first voting in the country happens each election).

Enjoying the bike trails of the Balsams' wilderness in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire

Enjoying the bike trails of the Balsams' wilderness in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire

Hiking, mountain biking, swimming, tennis and golf galore can fill up your days, while fantastic food and dancing to Rick Erwin’s Orchestra in the ballroom complete your nights.

If you’re looking for a fabulous getaway this summer, I highly recommend a stay at The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel.

And if you happen to visit between June 29 and July 6, 2009, I will see you there!

Starving Artist? Not at the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel…

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The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, USA.

Last month I had the honor of being a Visiting Artisan at the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel, in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. 

Nestled into the rugged cliffs of Dixville Notch in the very north of the state, the Balsams is one of the old Grand Dames of the White Mountains.  Originally opening its doors just after the Civil War, The Balsams is known around the country as being the place where the first voting in the nation takes place each primary and general election.

Don’t get me wrong.  I am as politically minded as the next person, and I was intrigued to inspect the photos of various political dignitaries inside the Balsams’ Ballot Room.  But the political prestige of the hotel was the furthest thing from my mind once I arrived.

Enjoying the ride out to Mud Pond in the Balsams' Wilderness, Dixville Notch, NH

Enjoying the ride out to Mud Pond in the Balsams' Wilderness, Dixville Notch, NH

With several thousand acres of wilderness surrounding the resort, the Balsams is an active person’s dream:  hiking, mountain biking, fishing, swimming, kayaking and golfing are all available just outside your door.

And yet, despite these perks, I must admit that it was the food! the glorious food! that made my residency at the Balsams a week to remember.

Dining at the Balsams is a food-lover's delight!

Dining at the Balsams is a food-lover's delight!

At the Balsams, dining becomes an activity in itself.  Thanks to the students of The Culinary Apprenticeship Center at the Balsams, the food is delicious, abundant and beautiful to behold.  Featuring a full buffet for breakfast and lunch, along with a 5-course dinner, each and every day, I am surprised I was able to bike at all… but somehow I managed.

And what did I do to earn my keep during my stay?  I set up my hats and demonstrated for guests how I make them by hand.  Basically just make hats and chat, two things I love to do anyway.

So, thank you, Balsams Grand Resort Hotel… If ever there was a heaven for starving artists, surely this is the place!