A Gem In The Woods of New Hampshire

Mr. SevPrez just completed a half-Ironman in Laconia, New Hampshire called the Timberman. This was our third time at the race and though our accomodations were lacking (I think people actually start booking their rooms 364 days in advance, which leaves slim pickings for those of us who believe reserving a room in June is plenty early), we found the greatest breakfast place in the Northeast, the Heritage Farm Pancake House.

I have to give you some background here. One thing you must know about half-Ironmans is that it takes the pros more than 4 hours to complete them. Many people will take almost twice as long. Luckily Mr. SevPrez is a superstar so I don't have to hang around all that long, but you add gear set up and take down, these suckers eat up the majority of your day. Pun intended, because as a spectator, if you don't think ahead and bring food from the outside world, you are cruising for a bruisin'. The athlete you are rooting for may end up assisting you back to the car instead of the other way around. And even if you manage to eat a sandwich and a banana, by the time you get showered up and ready to go out into the world again, you will be hungry. You will also be going out to eat with a person who just covered 70.3 miles without any help from a gas powered engine. So you will end up consuming a large amount of fatty foods surrounded by senior citizens who are getting their early bird special on. This will be your only meal of the day. You've been up and at 'em since 6 a.m., and your triathlete companion will be more pooped than you are, so you will go to bed ridiculously early.

Therefore you will need to seek out the assistance of a Pancake House the next morning to restore you to normalcy. We'd been eagerly noting the sign for the Heritage Farm Pancake House since we arrived in Laconia, and our high expectations were met by this quaint, old style family restaurant. Located about 4 miles off the main drag down a windy country road, the ambiance and food were exactly what we needed. I am not going out on a limb by saying these were the best pancakes I've ever eaten. They were nearly an inch thick, with your choice of about twelve flavors. They also came with bacon, eggs, home fries, juice, and coffee. For $10 per person. Here's the menu so you don't think I'm just making this up.

See?

And there's a petting zoo in the back with goats, ducks, hens, lambs, cows, and a donkey. Accordingly, this place is very kid friendly. We left with restored spirits and full bellies, prepared for our long journey home. Lucky for Mr. SevPrez, the discovery of the Heritage Farm Pancake House means I will always be up for rooting him on at the Timberman.