Thanks in advance to everyone who takes time to reply. I have found the information on the site to be really wonderful.

We (two families, with a total of 4 kids ages 1-4) are planning a trip to the area for 3 nights starting 8/2. We would like to stay within an hour of Loon Mountain Resort, but somewhere that will be less crowded than Lincoln. We would need something with at least 1 bedroom, but are thinking about a 4 bedroom unit. Where would you suggest staying? We have a maximum budget of $125 per couple, per night ($90 preferred). It would be nice to be able to swim or have other distractions for the kids within walking distance of the accomodations.

Also, we are flying into & out of Providence, RI. (Pricing & schedules from Austin to the East Coast suck.) If anyone can suggest kid friendly stops along the way, it would be a big help.

topping

I grew up just across the border in Maine from where you are going. It is absolutely beautiful!! That time of the year you may have a difficult time finding a hotel in your price range...they jack it up for all the tourists. Have you looked in the Jefferson area? Hope you are planning a trip to Story Land...it is even better than when I was a child.

Can I ask why you are flying into Providence? That will be a lengthy drive for you. If you ever plan the same trip, you may want to look into flying into Manchester NH. It is about 45 north of Boston and about an hour from the White Mountains and pretty cheap to fly into.

Any where along the coast on your drive North is fun for the kids. In NH the must sees are the Old Man in the Mountain, The Flume, Story Land, Santas Village, North Conway(outlet stores galore) and a trip to the top of Mount Washington will top it all off.

I am driving back to Maine this summer with my kids and are planning more time in NH than Maine. I can't wait to show my kids all the places I visited as a child. I know this doesn't answer your hotel question, but I thought it might help.

Try Waterville Valley. They have several hotels and condos. It may be just what you are looking for. Have fun.
Our kids loved it when they were young. We stayed at the Snowy Owl Inn. We had a room with an attic.

The Meredith N.H. area has several family-friendly motels and cabins along the lake. The lakes of Maine and New Hampshire have become very popular in summer and $90 rates may be few and far between.

Around Providence, the Newport Creamery restaurants are popular with adults and kids alike. And in New Hampshire, Kimball's Ice Cream.

You've got Plymouth,NH and Waterville Valley to the south. Nothing to the west. North Conway to the East...but you said you didn't want crowds. If you think Lincoln gets crowded, stay as far away from N. Conway as you can.

There are many older properties on Rte 3, just south of Franconia Notch...Parkers Motel comes to mind. A great value if you can get in. North of the Notch, there's Mittersill (sp?) at the base of Canon Mtn., and look into Bretton Woods for condo and hotel opportunities.

Having said all that, the crowd problem during the SoulFest in Lincoln will be traffic getting through town and on / off I93. You might want to reconsider and stay in town. I'm pretty sure there'll be shuttle service to and from the mountain that weekend. You might want to call them to verify that.

I forgot to add this point. Tenney Mt. is in Plymouth, and they didn't open for skiing last winter. There may be some bargain condo deals there.