How to Vacation in New Hampshire the Inexpensive Way - Canon Mountain

New Hampshire is an amazing vacation spot if you want to find inexpensive fun.

After living in New Hampshire for 8 years I became pretty well aware of what New Hampshire has to offer in the inexpensive fun department. A few spots I will point out will ensure fun and possibly historical adventures without putting a strain on your wallet.Cannon Mountain
Cost: Adult round-trip ride - $10.00
Children 6-12 round-trip ride - $6.00
Children under 5 - Free with an adult
Adult one way rides - $8.00

Open: Daily from 9AM to 5PM May 27th through October 16th when they close for the ski season.

They call Cannon Mountain '7500 acres of pristine mountain splendor and fun' for a reason.

Cannon Mountain is one of my favorite places to visit in New Hampshire's White Mountains outside of Mount Washington. It's one of my favorites for it's
remarkable combination of a ruggedly beautiful setting, first class lifts and a relaxed State Park environment. The ride up the mountain is about 10 minutes long but the view is absolutely beautiful from the 80 person ski tram they take you up the mountain in. Once you get there you can take in the many trails they have all around the top of the mountain which is really fun and eventually takes you to dead ends, down the mountain itself or to the tower they have on top. We haven't hiked down yet but we might do it this year, but the hike down the 4200 foot mountain looks amazing and an adventure for anyone who is into down hill walking.

When you reach the top you can tell right away you are in a ski lodge with it's set up and winter-ish menu in the little cafe there, but the panoramic windows inside the cafe will give you an absolutely beautiful view of up to 3 states surrounding the area (Vermont, Maine and New York) and Canada. You can also get a better view of the area from the observation deck that has 2 sets of stairs you walk up to get to the top. I have a bad fear of heights so it was a slow journey up the stairs for me when we went there. The lodge at the top also has a supply of information about the mountain and includes a large map on the wall downstairs next to the bathrooms of the mountain's ski trails.