Santa's Village

For three months, my sister-in-law and I had been planning a visit to Santa's Village in Jefferson, New Hampshire.  Finally, last weekend was THE WEEKEND.  Both our families left on Friday night (to avoid a snowstorm) and arrived safely in New Hampshire in the wee hours of the morning (around 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. to be exact).

Around noon on Saturday, we began our day in the snow.  We stayed at the Evergreen Motel (right across the street from Santa's Village), so the entrance to the park was only a quick walk away.  We made sure to bundle up with layers of clothes including snow pants, boots, hats, scarves, gloves, hand warmers, and foot warmers.  With 20 degree temperatures and the prediction of 6+ inches of snow, we knew we had to try and stay warm and dry for the day.

The best part of the trip was watching the kids (Lewie and his three girl cousins) get excited about playing in the snow and seeing Santa,  However, there were many more highlights; for example, one of my favorite experiences was going on the sleigh car monorail ride shortly after sunset--the lights in the park were beautiful, and the ride made you feel like you were going through a true winter wonderland.

On the train...the Polar Express...

We met all of Santa's  "real" reindeer except for Rudolph.

After Santa's Village, my husband took Little Lewie and his cousin Sarah to see the new Star Wars movie.  The next day, we packed up, had a yummy breakfast at the Water Wheel Breakfast and Gift House up the street, and then stopped to visit Yankee Candle Village in South Deerfield, MA before arriving home.  (Little Lewie surprised me by wanting to make his own candle; he enjoyed the store way more than I thought he would...)

The weekend, not surprisingly, went by way too fast, but it was exactly what we needed to get in the winter and Christmas spirit.  I'm so grateful to have had these wonderful memories with family.  This trip was good for the soul.