Summer Family Vacation at Red Jacket Resorts in North Conway

Summer Family Vacation at Red Jacket Resorts in North Conway
​By: Amy​

We recently took our annual family vacation up in the beautiful White Mountain region to North Conway.  Last year Red Jacket Resorts had invited us to stay with them at Fox Ridge where we had an amazing time. This year they invited us to check out Mountain View Resort as it had been a while since Meghan Kemp  from our team had visited. 

We invited some good friends of ours to come with us and it turned out to be the perfect way to celebrate the end of the school year and the beginning of summer.  Choosing Red Jacket Resorts turned out to once again be the best decision we made when deciding what family friendly hotel to stay with.

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As many of you know I prefer to maximize my family vacations with the most time and least stress and traffic possible. Kids on vacation already are off the walls and over stimulated anyway, no need to make it even harder on myself. With this in mind we scheduled our trip to Red Jacket Mountain View for the latter part of Father’s Day weekend. We decided to come up very early on Sunday and stay thru Tuesday.  This allowed us to leave at 6:00am from Cape Cod on Sunday morning, arrive by 9:00am and be relaxing by the pool while we waited for our rooms.  It was honestly the easiest drive I have ever done and would highly recommend this strategy!  We even had time to drive part of the Kancamagus Highway to get a few pictures of the kiddos.  Going up Sunday also enabled us to visit Storyland on a Monday while school was in session making it easier to ride the rides repeatedly and having less people in the park. ​

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​Upon our arrival I was pleased to discover that our rooms were already ready so we quickly unpacked, changed into our swim suits and relaxed. The kids took part in the daily craft activity making a bird house while we got our water park bracelets and lounged around.  During our stay the regular family/kid activities were not taking place during the week however the schedule looked like it was packed with fun consisting of: pool popsicles, movie nights, wagon rides, games, wii tournaments, fun crafts, and campfires!  They had a fire pit set up right near the playground which was perfect for early evening fun and treats!

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While the family relaxed I was treated to a tour of both properties that Red Jacket Resorts owns in North Conway.  They offer a few different types of rooms at Mountain View with views of the garden or the mountain. 

We stayed in the Mountain View Alcove room which had two Queen beds and a small side room with bunk beds and a tv for the kids. I love not having to share a tv before bedtime and the kids enjoy having their own private space!

Our room also had a gorgeous view of the mountain range and I pulled up the comfy chair and foot rest right in front of that huge window so that I could read and enjoy the view over a coffee in the morning.

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Some of the other rooms include regular guestrooms including some with a jacuzzi as well as some with lofts. There is also a beautiful 3 bedroom suite that is located in a quieter part of the hotel and features a lot of room plus 2 bathrooms. ​

They also have several town homes and presidential homes which were stunning. I could see this would be very useful room to reserve if you are traveling with a lot of family.  On average most families are now only staying typically 3 days (some do stay longer) which is how we also vacation. However there is just so much to do up in North Conway and at the Red Jacket Resorts that I could easily stay a week and enjoy myself.  ​I am hoping to make next year a family affair with the grandparents and cousins too!

Fox Ridge Resort went thru a few updates since our prior stay last year.  Did you know when you stay at any of the red Jacket Resorts that you can hang out and play at all of them?  Fox Ridge has the cutest little mini golf course that brings back memories of the old days at StoryLand and a perfect way to prepare for your trip to the park. The kids love playing and checking out the old car too! At this location they only serve breakfast but it’s a complimentary full breakfast every morning.  Also  you can travel just a few minutes down the road and eat at Mountain View for lunch and dinner and even use the pool if you want. You also have the option to visit the water park for an additional charge. During the summer season the resort offers transportation between the two properties which is awesome! Fox Ridge also boasts the largest indoor pool in North Conway. Last year the kids loved hanging out in both the indoor and outdoor pool which overlooks the mountains.

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Now let’s talk about the food!  Mountain View has 3 different venues to eat: Champney’s, Palmer’s and the Tiki Tide Café in Kahuna Laguna water park. Our son has a peanut and sesame allergy and the chef was very accommodating with us.   I have to say I really enjoyed the breakfast buffet on Monday the best.  They had everything you could possibly wish for available: eggs benedict, fruit, bacon, sausage, cereal, pastries, bagels, and more. They even had a chef at an omelet, waffle, pancake station! I made some mini Belgian waffles which I sprinkled with chocolate chips, whipped cream and strawberries. It was absolute heaven.  The second morning was table service and I enjoyed the eggs benedict and the kids gobbled up their waffles. Our servers on both days were fantastic and friendly. ​

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Sunday evening in honor of Father’s Day we celebrated by going to one of our favorite restaurants in the region: Moat Mountain.  If you have never been here then you are missing out as it has some of the best BBQ I have ever had.  My eyes were a lot bigger than my stomach and I could not decide so I ordered a little bit of everything for us to share.  I was a little embarrassed though when it came out on a kitchen tray. But it is always a fantastic meal and a must try if you are in the area. 

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After dinner we decided to turn in early to rest for the day of fun we had planned the next day.  The next morning after breakfast we ventured on over to StoryLand where we had way too much fun, interviewed some of our favorite characters and got soaking wet. Be sure to read our 2018 review here to see what the kids thought and more!  

After our day at StoryLand, we spent some time at the water park again. Check out what the kids liked best about the water park:

The food area was closed which was disappointing but they did have a phone and a message saying that guests were welcome to call for food service which would be sent down from the hotel restaurant. I thought this was a nice touch.  We decided against eating at the pool and instead returned to our room exhausted from all the fun we had been having.  We chose instead to order some room service which I am pleased to say was absolutely fantastic especially the Jacket Beer cheese fries, the Smoked Mac & Cheese bites, the pizza and the salads!  Lucky for me everyone else fell asleep before they discovered the smoked gouda mac & cheese bites – lucky mommy! Seriously those are a must try!

The next morning after breakfast we spent a little time in the arcade.  We checked out around 11:00am and headed over to  the North Conway train station where we took a ride on the Conway Scenic Railroad.  The kids enjoyed the ride and we saw some beautiful scenery and even learned a few things. Check out our favorite parts of the train ride here.  We then began our long trek home just after noon time.  In hindsight this was the only error I made when arranging our family trip as we got stuck in Boston for a few hours despite hitting the city on a Tuesday by 2pm. This made the return trip last 5 hours. Next year I will probably just spend the whole day in North Conway and head home around dinner time.

Overall I think it was another successful family vacation.  It wasn't completely smooth sailing but I judge success based on the amount of smiles, laughter and family memories we are creating.  Based on this scale, we were definitely successful. It was mainly due to positive family time but the huge assist was really finding such a family friendly resort to stay at.  Red Jacket Resorts has truly cultivated and nurtured an atmosphere that is welcoming to children. They clearly value positive family interactions and go out of their way in all aspects to help you ensure you are spending quality happy time with your family. These are the memories that matter at the end of the day and having a place to stay that helps make the experience better is always a win. Kids will quickly forget most things but they won't forget the quality meaningful time that you spend with them. These are the smiles and memories I will remember long after they are grown and gone.  If you are thinking about planning a trip to the White Mountain region then we highly recommend booking with Red Jacket Resorts, a true family business.

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Amy is the Cape Cod Moms blog founder and a working mom of two children, a son and daughter.   A native Cape Codder she is extremely passionate about her community.  She works full time in the accounting & financial industry, is a current director and former Treasurer of the Falmouth Rotary Club, co-founder of the former Falmouth Young Professionals and volunteers actively in the community. Amy has a background in elementary education, special education and was a former competitive swimmer for 15 years.  

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