Something fun for everyone

No matter the forecast, the Sugar River Region knows how to keep the good times going.

ESCAPE INDOORS

The Escape Factory and Blackbeard’s Cove Mini Golf make any day enjoyable, no matter the weather. Owner Nicholas Kolowski designed attractions after seeing a need for indoor fun over the years.

“I would watch these outdoor places close due to weather conditions and decided we’d stay indoors,” he said. “As soon as the nice weather hits, people will be outside and we’ll see a dip, but then when the temperatures climb up again and it’s too warm out, people will want to be inside the AC.”

There are themed rooms at the Escape Factory, where you must solve puzzles to exit, designed to be larger

The indoor mini golf course offers 18 holes with interactive elements, like a cannon that fires on the final hole. A recently added amusement arcade and business center expand your indoor options. The space also features a full restaurant and bar.

Kolowski said he plans to add ax throwing and rage rooms due to popular demand from guests. He hoped those will be up and running by midsummer 2025.

A fourth-generation Sullivan County resident, Kolowski said the beautiful region is usually what brings people in initially. But the variety of options and a community that supports each other keeps visitors coming back. An annual school trip to the escape room was scheduled at a time when the on-site restaurant was closed, but staff recommended a local pizza joint, and the school trip followed that up with a visit to Meyer Maple Lanes, the local bowling spot.

“That was three Claremont businesses who benefited, just because one group comes back every year,” Kolowski said.

TEE UP

Eastman Golf Links pro Sean Edmonds said he was motivated to leave Cape Cod for Sullivan County last year because of how all of the area’s recreational elements are intertwined. The course is a part of the community, but it’s not the only facet of the region: The lake, the mountain and the trails all support each other and contribute to the area’s vibrancy, he said.

And Eastman offers much more than 18 holes of golf: Pickleball, tennis, disc golf and miles of trails are available across its 3,600 acres. Day passes and tee times are available to the public. Edmonds said the golf course stands out because of the changes in elevations and unique pitches. A forward tee has been added to make the course more accessible.

“When you’re out there, there’s this feeling of isolation, like you’re out there in the wilderness,” he said.

Other nearby courses are the Newport Golf Club, a scenic 18hole course with a new restaurant and the 9-hole Claremont Country Club.

Both have tee times available to the public.

Eastman Golf Links 6 Club House Lane, Grantham eastmannh.org

Newport Golf Club 112 Unity Road, Newport newportgolfclub-nh.com

Claremont Country Club 53 Country Club Road, Claremont claremontcountryclubnh.com

TAKE TO THE SKIES

Seeking a different kind of thrill than downhill skiing, mountain biking and water skiing in the region? Morningside Flight Park offers an awe-inspiring view of Sullivan County, where visitors can gaze at the surrounding farmlands from the handles of a hang glider, the seat of a paraglider or a ziplining harness. There’s outdoor laser tag, too, and cabins and camping if you want to stay on-site.

Assistant Manager Gisele Dierks said hang gliding can be as relaxing or extreme as you make it. “It can be pretty gentle and chill,” she said, depending on the conditions you’re flying in.

“It’s very rare to have people who went up come back down and say, ‘That wasn’t my thing.’”

Training starts on the ground and visitors can launch off 150, 250 or 450-foot high platforms, and pilots with the right skill rating can be aero-towed. The park’s camping faces Mount Ascutney in Vermont, where experienced gliders can start and ride the wind all the way to the runways.

HIT SOME LEFT TURNS

Need more speed than a golf cart provides? Claremont Motorsports Park hosts everything from dwarf cars to stock car racing on its ⅓-mile-long speedway. Pit admission is possible for diehard fans. There are occasional events for the kids, like an Easter egg hunt among the grandstands.

282 Thrasher Road, Claremont

Prefer racing on a smaller scale? The Smith Scale Speedway in Charlestown is home to 1/32-scale model car racing, with 20 different divisions on a six-lane oval. There’s no entry fee to participate, thanks to sponsors, and the public can get in on the fun with loaner cars and free admission to watch.

Call (603) 826-4242 for directions. slotcarhotrod.com