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Monday, February 23, 2015

Ice Castles at Loon Mountain...a Winter Wonderland Date Night

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a fan of winter. I think snow is beautiful in pictures, but the multiple layers of warm clothing, the treacherous driving and walking, and the perpetual snow clean-up has me pining for more temperate places to call home. 

Nevertheless, I try to find something fun to do in the long New England winter, and this fit the bill. Ice Castles, at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire's White Mountains, was the setting for a very fun weekend away with friends. 



Between the picturesque main street  and the onset of another snowy evening, Mother Nature helped to set the scene for a New England winter wonderland. 




Dinner and laughs first. 


Ice Castles are a collection of ice caves, sculptures, archways and tunnels made of snow and ice. Colored lights are embedded within each piece and flicker on and off, set to music, such as songs popular from movies, like Frozen. 



The idea for Ice Castles was born from the mind of a dad who built an ice rink in his back yard, after moving his family from sunny California to snowy Utah. The rink evolved to include a slide, cave and tower that his children called the Ice Castle. Ice Castles have two New England locations at Loon and Stratton Mountains, as well as one in Minnesota and one in Utah.  


The displays are built by fusing icicles together. There is no internal sub structure within the ice. They create a lattice and spray it with water to solidify, thicken, and grow each piece. 

My throne...

Wait...are we taking a selfie or is someone else taking it? Who knows?




For this weekend anyway, winter wasn't so bad. We shared plenty of laughs, good drinks and good food. And we took in the sites of the White Mountains' version of a winter wonderland. 

The view from our hotel room.

We made our fair share of memories with great friends...memories that will last long after the ice of these castles melts away. 

Have you been to Ice Castles, or something similar? If you live in a place where you experience a cold, snowy winter, how do you pass the time?









34 comments:

  1. I just recently heard about this and I would love to take the kids to see it! The pictures look awesome!!

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  2. Pretty!....but so so so cold!

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  3. Wow that is so beautiful! I love that these exist - were they warm inside?

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  4. Just told my husband we should go, it's only 6 hours away! He squawked (?) and said we will "visit" by passing by on our way to lobster this summer. Men. Don't think they appreciate castles the way us women do!

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  5. I love the pic of you on your throne. That's a keeper!

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  6. Hi Kelly, wow, this place looks magnificent! Sounds like a super fun weekend, and a constructive way to appreciate the finer points of what has been a very trying season in your neck of the woods! Thanks for sharing.

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  7. Oh winter. Every year I pray we somehow fast forward from fall right to Spring. It hasn't happened yet but I'm keeping the dream alive! Either that or it's time for me to relocate. I've never been to a place like this but it does indeed look lovely, and a little magical!

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  8. Beautiful!

    I also hate winter but this weekend was at least a little warmer. Never been to one of these grand ice displays but would definitely enjoy it!

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  9. What a fun date night! It looks so beautiful. I think I could handle the cold for a night full of ice sculptures. :)

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  10. This looks really fun!!! I have never been but I have heard great things!

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  11. We had a great time, Lindsay. It was a nice after-dinner walk. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  12. We had a great time, Jessica. It was a nice after-dinner walk, and not too cold...relatively speaking. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  13. We had a great time, Bonnie. It was a nice after-dinner walk, and with proper layering, it really wasn't too cold. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  14. Me too, Jill. We had a great time. It was a nice after-dinner walk and not too cold...relatively speaking. :-) Thank you for stopping by!

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  15. We had a great time, Peggy. Thank you. We had a great time with friends, so it makes it all worthwhile. :-)

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  16. Thanks, Steph! Never would I have opted to sit on a throne of ice, but when Frozen, do what the ice princesses do. ;-)

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  17. Summer is a popular time for the White Mountains. It takes us 5 hours to get to Montreal via NH. I guess it all depends on what you want to see. We had a great time, though. I hope you and your hubby are faring well this winter.

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  18. Nothing was warm. Em, but it was manageable with the right layers. And it wasn't windy, which helped a lot.

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  19. It was manageable with the right layers. And it wasn't windy, which helped a lot. It was really pretty all lit up. :-)

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  20. It was fun, Allie. Your kids would probably get a kick out of it. :-) Enjoy!

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  21. My friends were there this weekend too. How fun! I've never been.

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  22. I'm totally with you on being SO OVER winter, but I love taking advantage of what it has to offer while it's here. Looks like you guys did just that! Yay for weekend getaways and beautiful ice castles! We went for a hike yesterday across the river and it was pretty cold, but I'm glad we got the fresh air.

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  23. It looks cold but beautiful! Definitely a date night that can only be done in the winter!

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  24. What lovely pics! They really reflect the wonderful time you all had. I would love to spend a weekend there too! Thanks for the great idea!

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  25. This is just unbelievable!! So beautiful!! Thanks for sharing....I didn't even know places like that existed. LOL

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  26. Whoa that's awesome! I'm also so over winter... but since I'm in Texas I guess I really shouldn't be complaining.

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  27. Add it to your winter bucket list one year. It's fun. :-)

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  28. I have to do something festive, or else my own SAD takes over. The fresh air and winter sun do wonders for the body, mind, and soul.

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  29. It was a lot of fun, and getting away with friends was a real treat.

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  30. Thank you! We had a great time. The White Mountains of NH are great in any season.

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  31. It was a lot of fun, Kim. A great winter bucket list item for sure.

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  32. I'm over winter too, but admittedly, this was a lot of fun. I was in Dallas last weekend and experienced Texas snow! :-)

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