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Ralph E. Schlossman MD is a family practitioner and teacher, with professorial rank at two New York area medical schools. A former flight surgeon in the USAF, Ralph is currently a trustee and past president of the Medical Society of the
State of New York, and vice chairman of the New York delegation to the American Medical Association. He and his wife Ruth, Director of Community Services for Queens and Lower Manhattan for Visions-Services for the Blind, are well-traveled and reside in Jamaica Estates, New York. They
have three children and five grandsons. Here are his impressions of two notable New England resorts which the Schlossmans visited last fall.
Photos by Ralph Schlossman
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The Wentworth Country Inn
Rte 16A, P. O. Box M
Jackson Village, New Hampshire 03846
Tel: 800-637-0013 fax: 603-383-4265
e-mail: info@thewentworth.com
http://www.thewentworth.com
Overall Impression –
   
Ruth and I recently paid a nostalgia visit to this lovely inn in the heart of the White Mountains, a six-hour drive (325 miles) from our home. As "Wentworth Hall," it was my parents' favorite vacation spot. Hardly a summer went by that they didn't spend two or three weeks there. It was my Dad's R&R haven, after weeks of a punishing schedule as a
general practitioner who never said no to a needy patient. Over the years they became good friends with the then manager Harry Scheiner, who was a guest at our wedding. To paraphrase Michelin: more than "worth a journey."
Jackson Village's own covered bridge
1) Physical Plant -
  
Though 134 years old, The Wentworth has been maintained and refurbished to its pristine beauty when, at the turn of the 20th century, Wentworth Hall sported what was described in a booklet as "an attractive Casino, with spacious smoking and billiard parlours, cafe, et cetera." Guests danced every Wednesday and Saturday evenings in a brilliant,
electrically-lit ballroom. "Wentworth Hall," the booklet continued, " is situated in an amphitheater, rimmed by the noblest mountain peaks of the region."
2) Guest Rooms -
  
Our bedroom was comfortably furnished with charming appointments and antiques reflective of the local countryside with a cozy gas fireplace. Our bathroom contained an outsized whirlpool, complete with bath salts.
3) Dining -
   
Full dinner and breakfast were included with our room rate, and under The Wentworth's MAP, it's a good value. Just as outstanding as the traditional entrees of steak, rack of lamb, chicken and salmon, I was intrigued by such ingenuitive creations as wild mushroom strudel, confit of duck over linguini, roasted Bermuda onion, stuffed with roasted vegetable cous
cous and a walnut vinaigrette, and especially Executive Chef James Davis's "Untraditional Shepard's Pie," containing layers of pheasant sausage, roasted shallots and potato. Much better than you'll find in most public houses in Blighty.
4) Recreation -
   
I can think of no place in the world where I can indulge my favorite outdoor diversion of serious fast walking, where the cool mountain air is intoxicating to the lungs and the soul. Since antiquing is Ruth's and my favorite sedentary pursuit, there is cause to rejoice here for the numerous antique shops in the area, all reachable after a scenic drive through
mountains and fresh water streams. For those disposed to golfing, downhill and cross-country skiing, there are challenges for every skill level.
If hiking is your passion, you will be mesmerized by the panoply of autumn leaves set against the palette of the mountains as you "take five."
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