User:AsukaSeagull/Mount Washington Valley

The Mount Washington Valley, also known as the White Mountains Region, the Saco River Valley, or often simply North Conway, is a tourism region in Northern New Hampshire. It centers around Conway, a major shopping center and the largest town by population in Carroll County. Since the mid 1800s, it has been one of northern New Hampshire's major tourism destinations and one of the most important urban centers.

Composition

Aside from Conway, which is always considered part of the Valley due to its size and importance, there is no strict definition. The Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce includes the following towns:

New Hampshire

• Bartlett including Intervale and Glen
• Conway including North Conway, Conway Village, Center Conway, and Redstone
• Albany
• Jackson
• Gorham
• Shelburne
• Tamworth, including the village of Chocorua
• Eaton

Maine

• Fryeburg

Other towns in the area include Chatham, Hart's Location, Berlin, and Madison, New Hampshire, and Brownfield and Lovell, Maine.

History

The area has been popular since the mid 1800s, when artists would travel to the area. King Edward VII purchased twelve paintings of the region for Windsor Castle. Artists such as Asher B. Durand and Benjamin Champney painted in the valley, the latter known to paint Mount Washington while sitting in the middle of Main Street.

The arrival of the Boston & Maine railroad in 1871 connected the area with tourists in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1936, Mount Cranmore opened its first ski trail. Austrian Hannes Schneider would open his first ski school in North America here in 1939. In 1959, the Kancamagus Highway opened, connecting Conway with Lincoln. It travels through Kancamagus Pass, named for a Pennacook chief, and at 2,850 feet (870 m) above sea level is the highest paved through-road in New Hampshire.

Economy

Tourism plays a major role in the Valley's economy. The area holds the largest concentration of ski areas in North America, with Mount Cranmore, King Pine, Black Mountain, Wildcat Mountain Ski Area, Bretton Woods, Shawnee Peak, and Attitash all within a half-hour drive of each other. There are also many mountains over four-thousand feet (so call four thousand footers) and the Appalachian Trail cuts through the White Mountain National Forest in the center of the region.

North Conway is a major shopping destination while several attractions such as Story Land, a storybook-themed amusement park, can be found in outlying towns. A small technology industry exists in Conway, anchored by software companies like The Echo Group. The Tuckerman Brewing Company microbrewery offers a trademark ale for the area, named for Tuckerman's Ravine.

Culture

The Valley grew steadily from a small community in the 1950s to today. Much of that growth came from the baby boomers, who enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and outdoor opportunities in the valley.

Transportation

The Valley is served primarily by New Hampshire Route 16 and US Route 302. The nearest airports are Portland International Jetport in Portland, Maine and Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, New Hampshire. Bus service connects Conway and Manchester via Concord Coach Lines.

Media

The free Conway Daily Sun is published in Conway, and serves as the primary paper of record for the Valley. Two free weekly papers, The Carroll County Independent (published in Ossipee) and The Mountain Ear (also published in Conway) are also available. A local RSN affiliate broadcasts from North Conway. Several radio stations are based in or have outlets in the Valley, including WHOM, WBNC, WMWV, WOKQ, and WVMJ.