I drove north to Concord, New Hampshire to pick the chair up from Nancy Henderson (innkeeper at Sunset Hill House in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire) to deliver it down to Connecticut to the Inn at Harbor Hill Marina.

One of the BEST things about the Red Chair project is the chance for innkeepers to step outside of the everyday, explore their own areas with fresh eyes, and then meet up with other innkeepers to continue the chair's incredible journey.  So as the northern inns head into their busiest season (read - they are busy showing guests a great time, not photographing red chairs!) we decided to MOVE the chair south to Connecticut which is in the tail end of summer season.  I was enlisted to make that journey happen.  The Red Chair does not travel UPS:)

Driving the New England states on a gorgeous fall weekend ... hmmm, it could get a lot worse!  The sun was shining, the roads were wide open and we made record time to the meeting spot in Concord -- the LL Bean outlet store.  Nancy Henderson was (as advertised on her website) the world's happiest innkeeper, and she shared with us photos of the wedding ceremony the Red Chair participated in while at her gorgeous place.

I had noticed in the recent shots of the chair, that she was looking a bit peaked on the face.  Someone seems to have put tape on her and removed a layer of her charming red paint!  So on the drive to our next stop, I sat in the back seat and gave her a bit of a touch up.  Call me a celebrity stylist, or the best hair and makeup girl in furniture-land, but I was able even with the rocking of the car on country roads to give her a bit of a face lift.  Here are the BEFORE and AFTERS:

I really wanted her to look great for a special meeting planned that afternoon.  I don't want to reveal too much about this visit, as there will be more to say about it on their website in the upcoming days, but for a piece of famous furniture touring New England, this meeting is much like Brad Pitt interviewing at Vanity Fair.  I will tease the story with this photo, and you can come back and read more soon...

We spent the night in Keene, New Hampshire then started south the next morning to drive back to the Atlantic coastline  -- Niantic, CT.

Along the way, the trees were just beginning to turn, and we stopped at this wonderful farm stand in Winchendon, Mass (we were on Route 140 South and you can't miss this place on the left) where we met Livvy Tarleton who allowed us to take a bunch of photos.  What a gorgeous place!  You can see Livvy herself in the lower left photo.  The fruits and vegetables at this spot, most grown right here on her farm (Sunset View Farm) were luscious and hard to leave without buying the place out, but we had no cooler with us so with a few firm Macintosh apples in hand, we waved goodbye and pushed onward.

The drive from Keene to Niantic takes about three hours.  We rolled into the Inn at Harbor Hill in the mid afternoon and were given a spectacular tour of this great spot by innkeepers Dave and Sue Labrie.  We were really impressed by the new building they just expanded into, with all the top of the line amenities and balconies overlooking the marina.

These guys have been inn-keeping for ten years and they are PROS with a great spot, right on the water and gorgeous water-view rooms.  We really enjoyed our time with them, and like all great innkeepers, they steered us to the best spot on the nearby coastline for lunch, the Dog Watch Cafe on the water in Stonington.  Check out the Salade Nicoise we ordered there:

All-in-all, it was a great trip and I will serve as Sherpa to this lucky chair any day.  I look forward to hearing and seeing more of the journey in the days to come, as this Red Chair continues to be embraced by the MOST hospitable and knowledgeable in the the travel biz -- the innkeepers of New England!

--Beth Colt, Woods Hole Inn

From the Sunset Hill House:

The Red Chair, symbol of all that is wonderful about the world’s Bed and Breakfasts and Inns, interrupted her travels briefly to marry in an afternoon ceremony at Sunset Hill House on Friday. 

 The chair, nearly late to her own wedding, arrived looking a bit battered from her whirlwind trip through Maine, NH and Massachusetts, on her world tour.  A poolside nap after a quick dip in the revived her.

After trying on several outfits, including a circa 1900 bellhop jacket from the original Sunset Hill House, the Chair elected to wed wearing only the innkeeper’s wedding veil, showing her legs to the public.  The tall, dark and handsome groom, Mr Black, who had hung out all day in the bar, was appropriately dressed in sober black. 

The reception was held on the deck and lawns and the bride made a point of chatting with the groom’s family as well as her own family from the Adirondacks. 

Later, the bride posed for photos and assisted the maintenance staff.  The groom returned to the bar. 

  The following morning the bride enjoyed  a sumptuous breakfast of the inn’s signature Maple Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast, made on homemade cinnamon swirl bread.  The groom remained in the bar, but the Red Chair brought him slow cooked oatmeal with local honey and cranberries.  

 

After breakfast Mrs Red Chair enjoyed a game of golf at NH’s oldest 9 hole course, built in 1897, quipping she was nearly as old as the course!

 After a tearful farewell to her groom (who would not leave the bar), and staff of Sunset Hill House,  and a quick hike to the top of the hill,  the innkeeper escorted the Red Chair to a celebrity photo shoot at Yankee Magazine, from whence she will continue on to explore exquisite inns and B&B’s throughout the world. 

The infamous Red Chair arrived in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire to discover the true "On Golden Pond."    Each day the Red Chair experienced the beauty that Ethel and Norman Thayer discovered back in the 1980's during the filming of the award winning "On Golden Pond" 

The Red Chair enjoyed a private boat tour of Squam lake from one of our local captains to many of  the movie shooting locations such as Purgatory Cove, the residence of the Thayer's and the Marina with the towering Texaco Sign.  The lake is a wonderful place to experience the days of  gone by.  The loons must have known that a celebrity was in the area because they were dancing and singing throughout the lake. The Red Chair was also able to enjoy some alone time kayaking in the serene coves of Squam Lake, and a minute to relax by the clear cool pool.  

Evenings at the Manor were so romantic that even wedding parties cannot resist the ambiance that is offered.  Julie and Bernie had a spectacular destination wedding and allowed the Red Chair to crash their wedding.  Proudly they took a picture with the Red Chair. Memorable  to all.

The panoramic views of the foothills of the White Mountains are a great setting for the Manor On Golden Pond. The Red Chair could not resist enjoying the views which set the tone of the tranquil sensation that surround you. All the Red Chair wanted was a good book and a Manor cocktail.  Great way to end a wonderful On Golden Pond experience.

The Red Chair crashed a wedding at the Manor on Golden Pond this weekend!  Congrats to the happy couple, Bernie and Julie Salvatore,  and thanks for letting the chair play along on your big day!

When the Red Chair arrived in Eaton Center and Snowville, New Hampshire, it was the guest of the Snowvillage Inn and guest of honor at their Tuesday Locals Night. Each Tuesday, our Chef Brian Anderson offers a special menu to our locals (Good news for the red chair: everyone is a local on Locals Night:).

The next morning, Snowvillage Inn keeper Kevin Flynn took the Red Chair on a tour around the village stopping at the Eaton Village Store (a wonderful full-service country store that offers breakfast and lunch, convenience items, a glimpse into the laid-back welcoming folks in Eaton and Snowville as well as the Eaton Center Post Office).

The chair took a ride to the beach of beautiful Crystal Lake where locals and visitors alike enjoy swimming, ice skating and cross-country skiing.  Looking at that crystal clear water, the Red Chair thought the lake was well-named.

The Red Chair visited their quintessential New England Little White Church where couples from all over the United States and abroad have celebrated their wedding in a beautiful and most memorable setting.

The chair made its own tour of The Snowvillage Inn – gardens, porch, and welcoming main entrance. Our inn keeper Jen Kovach gently carried the Red Chair and hiked up to the top of Foss Mountain to honor the Red Chair with a photograph on the mountain’s plateau.  A hike up Foss Mountain is just up the road from the Snowvillage Inn. Foss Mountain is treasured for its 360 degree view of the Mount Washington vistas and is a wonderful place to wile away the hours enjoying the views with a group or spending time in quiet meditation.
And Jen paused to enjoy the red chair's company, and the unique feeling of accomplishment that comes with hiking a chair to the top of a mountain!

First of all, let me introduce myself. I'm Taavi, the intern at The Inn at Thorn Hill & Spa in Jackson, NH.

The Red Chair was here few days ago and I took taking pictures as my responsibility. My photos were taken are mostly at the Inn's premises. Pictures by the falls were taken at Jackson Falls, which is approximately a 10-minute walk from our front doorstep.  I also took a photos at the famous Jackson Covered Bridge -- one of the innkeepers helped me to stop a traffic for a bit!

Then I decided to do something different. I hiked up to the Black Cap Mountain, which actually didn't take me too long. You should have seen the faces of people who came down!  I mean, I would be surprised also to see a guy walking up the hill with the red chair on his shoulder.  For first few couples of interested hikers, I explained all about the Red Chair Travels.  Then I started saying..."You know, once I'm at the top of the mountain, where I'm going to sit?"...and I got some pretty good faces!

This whole idea of traveling chair is just great -- I've never seen anything like that in Europe!   Thanks for the chance to meet the Red Chair!  regards, Taavi

This blog post from the innkeepers at the Mt. Washington B&B who hosted the chair for three lovely days in early September 2012:

Happy Labor Day!  After guests were served another yummy breakfast, Mary Ann and I (that's me, the Red Chair talking again) headed down to Reflection Pond just below the B & B – it did not live up to its name today but it is beautiful!  We had views of the Mahoosuc Range across the Androscoggin River and Mt. Madison to the West end of the Pond.  It was so peaceful there, we just sat and relaxed for a bit.  Then we headed into Gorham where Mary Ann gave me a tour of the town with its quaint shops and great restaurants.  We then headed back to the B & B where Mary Ann told me that we were going to go to the Mt. Washington Auto Road for a trip to the top of Mt. Washington!  Wow!  Mt. Washington is the home of the worst weather in the world and the highest winds recorded.  We were driven up by Ernie who told us about the landscape, the tundra, and the peaks.  I had the best time!  It looks like you are on another planet up there!  All the glacial boulders.   No wonder it is called the pile of rocks!

We stayed up on the peak for quite some time and I met quite a number of people who wanted to know my story – so Mary Ann filled them in and told them about my website.  I was amazed at how many people stopped to talk to me.  I met the nicest people.  Then we saw guests of the Bed & Breakfast who had just finished hiking up the Huntington Ravine Trail to the top of Mt. Washington – wow!   They rode down the mountain with us.  We saw the top of Huntington Ravine which they just finished climbing – holy cow!  The cairns up there are wonderful – they mark the trail but also many have popped up as spiritual cairns too, built by hikers.  The Alpine Garden was in foliage season already – just beautiful in its fall colors.  I’m so excited I don’t know if I will be able to sleep tonight!  Mary Ann must have taken two hundred photos today – I can’t wait to see them!  You can see more photos on the B & B’s facebook page!