IS NOW WORLD-CLASS.
AUDREY COX CHECK IN BEFORE US
AND GIVES US A TOUR.
AUDREY: SURROUNDED BY THE BEAUTY
OF THE MAJESTIC WHITE MOUNTAINS
-- IN FACT, ON A CLEAR DAY, YOU
CAN SEE THE MOUNT WASHINGTON
OBSERVATORY -- THE MOUNTAIN VIEW
GRAND RESORT BECKONS TRAVELERS
WITH LUXURY ACCOMMODATIONS AND
OLD-FASHIONED HOMESPUN FUN.
>> IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
YOU CAN SEE 57 DIFFERENT PEAKS
FROM THE PROPERTY.
THE PRESIDENTIAL RANGE RIGHT
OVER THERE.
IT'S JUST GORGEOUS.
AUDREY: LOCATED ON 1700 ACRES,
THE RESORT OFFERS YEAR-ROUND
ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES.
>> THERE IS A PLAYGROUND FOR
KIDS, AND MASSIVE AREAS YOU CAN
PLAY SPORTS.
ASK THROWING -- AX THROWING, OUR
GUIDED HISTORY TOUR, HIKES,
WE DO LANDSCAPE PAINTING CLASS
THIS TIME OF YEAR.
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DO
ANYTHING, YOU CAN SIT ON THE
VERANDA AND ENJOY THE VIEW.
IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING, YOU
-- WE HAVE A FULL LIST OF
ACTIVITIES THAT HAPPEN EVERY
DAY.
>> SO MUCH STUFF FOR THE KIDS TO
DO HERE.
THAT WAS OUR BIGGEST DRAW.
I LIKE TO JUST RELAX AND ENJOY
.
IT IS NICE, AGAIN, THAT I CAN
JUST, AND TAKE A WALK, STARE AT
THESE BREATHTAKING VIEWS, AND --
>> SWIMMING IS THE BEST,
!
>> SWIMMING IS THE BEST!
[LAUGHTER]
AUDREY: THE MOUNTAIN VIEW GRAND
BECAME AN INN BY ACCIDENT,
REALLY.
THE YEAR WAS 1865.
TWO MEN WERE TRAVELING FROM
MONTREAL TO BOSTON, WHEN THEIR
STAGECOACH BROKE DOWN LATE ONE
NIGHT IN WHITEFIELD.
THEY WALKED TO AN OLD FARMHOUSE
AND ASKED IF THEY COULD SPEND
THE NIGHT.
>> GAVE THEM A PLACE TO SLEEP,
FED THEM DINNER.
IN THE MORNING, THE STORM HAD
CLEARED.
THEY SAW THE BEAUTIFUL,
360-DEGREE VIEW OF THE MOUNTAIN,
SMELL OF BREAKFAST COMING FROM
DOWNSTAIRS, AND THEY WERE LIKE,
THIS IS A PRETTY NICE SPOT YOU
HAVE.
AUDREY: ONE YEAR LATER, WILLIAM
AND MARY JANE DODGE OPENED THE
INN, CALLING IT THE MOUNTAIN
VIEW HOUSE.
GENERATIONS OF THE DODGE FAMILY
OPERATED THE RESORT, BUILDIN
ADDITIONS, ADDING A GOLF COURSE,
THE RESORT BECOMING A
DESTINATION FOR THE POWERFUL AND
FAMOUS.
>> PRESIDENTS HARDING, COOLIDGE,
CLEVELAND, BOTH ROOSEVELTS, AND
EISENHOWER.
EISENHOWER STAYED HERE QUITE A
LOT.
AUDREY: FOUR GENERATIONS LATER,
THE DODGE FAMILY SOLD THE RESORT
IN 1979.
BUT THE NEW OWNER FAILED TO MA
THE MOUNTAIN VIEW A SUCCESS, AND
THE BANK FORECLOSED ON THE
PROPERTY IN 1986.
THE MOUNTAIN VIEW SAT EMPTY FOR
16 YEARS.
>> THERE WERE ANIMALS LIVING I
IT.
TEENAGERS BREAKING IN.
IT'S A MIRACLE IT DIDN'T BURN TO
THE GROUND.
THAT'S PRETTY INCREDIBLE.
AUDREY: IN 1988, A NEW OWNER
CAME ALONG AND PUT $20 MILLION
OF RENOVATIONS INTO THE RESORT.
IN 2002, THE MOUNTAIN VIEW
REOPENED IN ITS FORMER GLORY
THERE IS CASUAL DINING IN THE
HARVEST TAVERN, AS WELL AS FINE
DINING IN THE DARK AND INTIMATE
1865 WINE CELLAR, TABL
SURROUNDED BY 6000 BOTTLES OF
WINE, FROM INEXPENSIVE TO
EXTRAVAGANT.
>> VERY NICE WINE, WE SELLING IT
FOR $785 HERE.
AUDREY: PAIRED WITH A MENU THAT
CHANGES WITH THE SEASONS.
SPRING IS THE TIME FOR
MUSHROOMS, HEAD CHEF NATE VARNEY
CREATING WHAT HE CALLS THE
FOREST FLOOR
>> WE HAVE A LOCAL FORAGER WHO
WORKS WITH US.
AS THE SEASONS GO ALONG, WE LOOK
AT -- OUR FORAGER COMES TO THE
BACK DOOR AND SAYS, PORCI
MUSHROOMS JUST CAME INTO SEASON,
DO YOU WANT SOME?
AND WE SAY YES, AND BUY 20
POUNDS, AND WE CHANGE THE MENU
AND PUT IT ON THIS DISH OR -- OR
A SIMILAR DISH IT WOULD GO WELL
WITH.
AUDREY: FINISHED WITH A FRAGRANT
BROTH AND A REALLY COOL EFFECT.
>> THIS IS MADE FROM BURNT
APPLEWOOD FROM OUR FARM AND
JUNIPER BRANCHES THAT COME FROM
OUT IN THE WOODS
AUDREY: FROM FOOD TO THE FARM --
THE RESORT HAS A WORKING FIB
FARM, FILLED WITH SHEEP, ANGORA
AND NIGERIAN DWARF GOATS
ALPACAS, LLAMAS, CHICKENS, AND
RABBITS.
OUR NEW PAL, CLOVER THE SHEEP,
EVEN POSED FOR A SELFIE.
>> WHAT WE DO HERE IS, WE
OBVIOUSLY SHEAR THE ANIMALS ONCE
OR TWICE A YEAR.
WHAT WE DO HERE IS WE DO ARTS
AN CRAFTS DOWN HERE WITH THAT
YARN, AND PEOPLE COME DOWN AND
DO WET FELTED SOAP, FELTED
ANIMALS.
AUDREY A POPULAR PASTIME I HAD
TO TRY -- AX THROWIN
>> IT'S KIND OF OUR SIGNATURE
ACTIVITY.
I GUESS IT SPEAKS TO SOME OF THE
LOGGING INDUSTRY WE HAVE UP
HERE, BUT REALLY, IT'S JUST FUN.
AUDREY A FEW PRACTICE SWINGS,
AIM HIGH, AND
AFTER THAT UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORT
TIME TO SOAK YOUR SORE MUSCLES
AT THE SPA.
A PRIVATE INFINITY POOL AT T
TOWER SPA, WITH OUTSTANDING
VIEWS FROM EVERY ANGLE, PERFECT
FOLLOWING ONE OF THE SPA'S
SIGNATURE MASSAGES.
YOU CAN RELAX IN THE LOBBY WHILE
YOU PLAN YOUR DAY, OR HEAD UP TO
IN T ELEVATOR, WHICH HAS ITS
OWN STORY TO TELL.
THE OLDEST ELEVATOR IN THE
STATE?
>> INDEED, THE OLDEST OPERATING
ELEVATOR IN THE STATE OF NEW
HAMPSHIRE, FROM 1931.
IT IS ACTUALLY 86 YEARS OLD THIS
YEAR
HERE YOU ARE, SECOND FLOOR.
AUDREY: THE ROOMS AND SUITES ARE
SPACIOUS.
MANY HAVE BALCONIES OVERLOOKING
STUNNING VIEWS OF THE WHITE
MOUNTAIN
OFF THE LOBBY, THERE ARE SITTING
ROOMS AND LIBRARIES WHERE YOU
CAN CURL UP WITH A GOOD BOOK AND
CHECK OUT THE OLD PICTURES AND
MEMORBILIA
AND OF COURSE, RELAX ON THE
VERAND
>> I THINK WE REALLY DO A GOOD
JOB THAT, LETTING YOU JUST
PUT THE PHONE AWAY AND ENJOY
YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND WHAT THE
RESORT HAS TO OFFER.
WHICH IS A LOT.
IT'S A SPECIAL PLACE.