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Loch Lyme Lodge Newsletter—Winter-Spring 2008[Note: This is a text-only version of the newsletter. You can also read the original PDF file that was mailed this spring.]
GREETINGS FROM THE INNKEEPERSAs we welcome 2008, we also look back to the past year, our first at Loch Lyme Lodge. It was exciting, busy, sometimes challenging but more often fun. We were delighted by all the wonderful guests. Many thanks for the warm welcome and words of encouragement we received. We heard some great stories about days past at the Lodge, and told a few new ones of our own! The town of Lyme itself is such small town America, it seems like something out of a storybook. We love the 4th of July fireworks over Post Pond, the flea markets and summer suppers, the elaborate Halloween parade around the common, and all the fun of winter skating and snowshoeing. We truly enjoy being part of this great community.
Now that we have a season under our belt, we are full of ideas for improving the Lodge and cabins. With time, patience and hard work we'll make them happen! Take a moment every so often to dream about long summer days by the lake, swimming, boating and relaxing, followed by a wonderful meal at the Lodge, surrounded by long time friends, or brand new ones. We'll see you soon!
ABOUT LOCH LYMELoch Lyme has been a favorite family vacation spot for over 90 years. The Lodge, built in 1784, is home to our dining rooms and kitchen headed by Chef Ron Perry. Our 21 rustic cabins are free of televisions, telephones, air-conditioning and the like. Guests enjoy fresh air, clean water, stars in a clear sky at night, 120 acres of fields and woodlands, ample play opportunities for children (and adults), a private waterfront on a lovely New Hampshire lake, cabins with fireplaces, a caring staff and a congenial clientele.We offer many possibilities for recreation. The waterfront is bordered by a grassy area dotted with lawn chairs. Stairs lead down to a dock, a swimming area with a sandy bottom, and a raft. Boats, kayaks, and canoes are available. The fishing in the lake is excellent, and some people are catching smallmouth bass. Licenses may be purchased locally. We do request that dogs be kept out of the swimming area. In Playwood, next to the Lodge, there's equipment for badminton, a ping-pong table, a DVD and video player and a lending library. It's a great place to spend a rainy day. On the lawn outside Playwood, there is a LittleTykes playground for the very young. Above the garden behind Playwood there are two clay tennis courts. Loch Lyme guests also have access to the Lyme recreational area one half mile away with its all-weather tennis courts and basketball court. Behind the barn at Loch Lyme there is a baseball field, soccer goal, horseshoes, and a basketball hoop with a small paved court. There is a one-mile hiking trail on the property that runs through the woodlands above the cabins. There also are several longer hiking trails close to the Lodge. Telephone and fax service are available at the Lodge as well as Wireless Internet access.
CHECK-IN, CHECK-OUTCheck-in time is 3:00 PM. If you arrive early and your cabin is ready, you are welcome to check in early. If a wait is necessary, you can change in the restroom located downstairs in the Main Lodge before heading to the lake. If you plan to arrive later than 9:00 PM, please contact us.Check-out time from cabins is 10:00 AM. On the day of your departure you are invited to continue to enjoy the property. SUMMER DININGBreakfast, from 8:00-9:30 AM each morning, is included in the Bed and Breakfast rate or may be purchased separately by guests in Housekeeping cabins. Enjoy juices, a fruit and cereal bar, eggs any style, home-baked muffins, and grill items such as blueberry pancakes, french toast, bacon or sausage to begin your day. For late sleepers, children needing a snack, or adults looking forward to another cup of coffee there is a self-service, cold breakfast bar available until 10:30 AM.From 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM, late June to early September, a lunch bar menu is offered to eat in the dining rooms or take out to enjoy by the lake. The menu features sandwiches, salads, beverages, ice cream cones and more, all reasonably priced. Ice cream and snacks are available until 4:30 PM. Dinner, from 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM, begins on Friday, June 20 and continues through Labor Day weekend. Dinners feature a choice of entrees and are served with an appetizer, a salad, fresh baked breads or rolls, locally grown vegetables and fruits and a variety of homemade desserts. Guests are welcome to bring their own choice of alcoholic beverages to enjoy with the meal. Parents whose children would rather play than dine can arrange for babysitting on the playground for a half hour or so. A children's menu is available and we also offer a discounted meal plan for weeklong stays. Call for details. Dinner reservations recommended. On Sunday evenings, a traditional New Hampshire buffet supper is served by the lake at 6:00 PM. Choose from a variety of cold and hot dishes, salads, breads, sliced meats and cheeses, beverages, and desserts.
IMPROVEMENTSThe plan for this year is put some serious work into select cabins, and then continue on to others as time and money allow. We have pored over your suggestions, along with a lot of good input from the owners group, and developed a course of action. Some improvements will be structural and some cosmetic. We think you will be delighted.We also plan to continue to improve and beautify the lakefront. We're going to try again to remove some underwater piers so the float can be more centered and away from the weedy area, as well as working on the "beach" landscape to allow easy access to the water. The main Lodge will get some painting and repairs. In addition, we are adding a new guest computer in the front office, as a new walk-in cooler will make the back kitchen area a "staff only" spot. Our ideas for Playwood involve a bit of a facelift with some nicer furniture, a bunch of new and better books for the lending library, and eventually a new deck and sitting area. We also plan to stay open until Columbus Day weekend! We invite you to book an off-season stay. May we recommend a leaf-peeping weekend? Come see the area with a whole different perspective! As a special offer, summer weeklong guests can receive a 10% discount on the already low off-season rates. ABOUT THE UPPER VALLEYThe Upper Valley is home to Dartmouth College, which has an excellent art museum (Hood Museum) and offers a full calendar of film, musical and dramatic events at the Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts. Consult the Dartmouth College web site for details (www.dartmouth.edu). The Upper Valley is also fortunate to have an outstanding science museum perfect for kids, the Montshire Museum of Science, located in Norwich, Vermont (www.montshire.org). There is also an old-time drive-in movie theater in Fairlee, just 15 minutes away. Visit the office for other ideas and excursions.
NO SMOKINGWe do have a no smoking policy in the Main Lodge all year.
2008 RESERVATIONSWe continue to take reservations for 2008. If you already have a reservation, it is listed on the enclosed reservation sheet.If you wish to keep the reservation, we must receive your deposit by 1 March 2008. The deposit amount is 50% of your total cabin cost. Please refer to your reservation sheet for deposit amount. We accept checks, Visa and MasterCard.
CANCELLATIONS/REFUNDSIf you cancel twelve or more weeks ahead of your arrival date, we will issue a full refund, minus a $30 service charge. If you cancel less than 12 weeks prior to your arrival day, we will return your deposit, less the $30 service charge, only if we are able to rebook the cabin.
2009/2010 RESERVATIONSWe are also accepting reservations for the 2009 season. Starting with the 2009 season, we will now ask for a $100 deposit upon booking. For guests who already have a 2009 reservation, we ask to receive your $100 deposit no later than 1 March 2008.We will begin taking reservations for 2010 in the summer of '09.
FAVORITE SUMMER ACTIVITIES AT LOCH LYME...tennis on the clay courts ...a hike around the Bridle Trail or to the Pinnacle ...watching the big kids spend an entire afternoon jumping off the float ...a second cup of coffee and the morning paper at the picnic tables overlooking the lake ...a softball game on the baseball field behind the barn ...kayaking across the lake on water so smooth that it mirrors the clouds ...not answering the phone for a week ...telling ghost stories in front of the fire ...reconnecting with old Loch Lyme friends ...making new friends at the Sunday night buffet ...antiquing up and down the Upper Valley ...taking a nap with the kids ...taking the kids to the drive-in movie in Fairlee ...exploring the many shops and outlets in the Upper Valley ...buying chocolate ice cream cones for the kids at the snack bar on a hot afternoon and not caring about the drip factor because they are all in their bathing suits ...sitting on the cabin porch at dusk doing nothing in particular ...fishing, fishing, fishing ...catching fireflies |
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