| Phone: |
800-233-5634 or 603-383-0999 |
| Address: |
153 Route 16, Jackson, NH 03846 |
| Email: | Email The Lodge |
Welcome to The Lodge - Your Innkeepers, The Belcher Family
Dana and Cathi Belcher have a passion for travel, nature, food and people (… and with a surname which literally means “good cheer” and “hospitality”, that should come as no surprise!) Being innkeepers allows them to share those passions, in hopes that their guests have a uniquely wonderful experience at The Lodge. Along with their four children, Dana and Cathi would like to welcome you to their home here in the New Hampshire White Mountains!
Before our lives as Innkeepers
When Dana and Cathi Belcher (and their 4 home schooled children) purchased The Lodge on January 24, 2005, they were embarking on a brand new family adventure! … but ‘adventures’ were no uncommon occurrence to them! While in college together in the early 1970’s, Dana and Cathi lived in a tipi, experimented with wind and solar power, and built 3 geodesic domes as an alternative to dorm living. After receiving their degrees, they moved onto the family farm in Chester, (Orange County) NY. Together they restored the old farmhouse while re-establishing the gardens, orchards and livestock there. As lovers of history, they also became assistant curators of a nearby Museum of 19th Century Technology, where they demonstrated blacksmithing, spinning & weaving, broom making, apple cider making and open hearth cookery.
In 1977, after the death of their first child, it was time to switch gears. Dana put his environmental science degree to good use as a biologist on the Hudson River, doing environmental impact statements on the power plants along its banks. He received a patent for an automatic plankton sampling machine he developed, and authored several scientific papers. Eventually, however, Dana spent almost as much time testifying in court as he did in the field, so that he switched his focus to follow in his (D.A.) grandfather’s footsteps pursuing the study of law, where he received a JD degree from Cardozo School of Law. During this time, Cathi had been running a restaurant she started in an art gallery, which culminated in her going to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, and developing a lucrative catering business. Years later, when Dana was in his 2nd year of law school in Manhattan (and tired of commuting), they both moved closer to his school, becoming the Resident Directors of the Penington Friends House, a 100-year old Quaker International, Multi-generational Community House with 32-rooms and about 50 residents. There they designed and oversaw a huge renovation of this 5-storey brownstone in Gramercy Park, ran the 2 meal per day restaurant for its residents, and brought its tenuous financial situation under control.
Their son Christopher was born there, but when their ‘next-in-line’ (Noah) was on the way 5 ½ years later, they decided that it was time to move back to the country to raise their growing family. They bought their dream property in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains – 25 acres of secluded woodlands on their own private lake, and once again pitched their 24’ tipi which they temporarily called home, and where Noah was born and spent his first 3 months! They first renovated a small cabin where they lived without running water or electricity until the main house, all the while designing and building their solar post and beam dream house. Bringing in a portable saw mill, Dana and Cathi cut down the trees and milled all the beams on site, spending the next 3-½ years completing every aspect of the house themselves. Two weeks after they officially moved in, their daughter Zia was born at home, with older brothers Chris and Noah welcoming her with open arms. Later that year they received a 1st Place award for their house for “Best New Construction” in their county. Dana established his own private law practice in the area, eventually becoming the Assistant County Attorney, while Cathi, a stay at home mom, home schooled the 3 children and pursued her other passion: writing. Living on their own nature sanctuary with such abundant wildlife provided a wonderful home school opportunity, and they became licensed by the DEC as Wildlife Rehabilitators. At one point they housed 3 baby beavers, 2 foxes, 2 fawns, a raccoon and a bard owl in their home! Their “school” day often began with a canoe trip around the lake or a hike on the “Beaver Trail”, followed by personal entries and sketches into their own Nature Journals. Dana was publicly awarded “Environmentalist of the Year” by Sullivan County for his local environmental work and contributions to the community.
When Chris was 7 and Noah 3, they began to play chess, which became a passion as well as a gift in their lives. Soon the boys started winning numerous local, state and National Championships against both children and adults. They eventually outgrew their dad’s teaching and had to have private Grandmaster chess coaches. Dana traveled with them all around the US, Europe and South America for tournaments. Noah won the Gold Medal for the US Chess team in Brazil when he was 10, becoming (at that time) the world’s youngest FIDE Master. From 2002 to 2004, the Belcher family was the Editor for the New York State Chess magazine, Empire Chess. Chris and Noah each had a column, and Cathi wrote for each issue as well. She won a National Journalism award for one of her articles, as well as for the magazine itself (“Most Improved Magazine”). Joshua joined the family in 1996, bringing their total family number to 6. Over the last several years they bought up properties as they could afford them, renovated the houses on them, and rented them out as a family business.
As an adjunct to their home school curriculum, Chris, Noah and Zia all became involved with Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the Air Force. Chris and Noah proceeded through the ranks to Lt. Col., also achieving the status of Cadet Commanders and "Cadet Officers of the Year". They became certified Ground Team members for Search and Rescue missions, and Noah was awarded the prestigious Spaatz Award in 2005, ‘retiring’ from CAP as a full Col at age 15.
Chris, also a chess master in his own right, was presented in 2004 with a Congressional Award Gold Medal in Washington, DC by Congressman Maurice Hinchey, for his work with CAP, chess and various community service and personal development projects. Immediately after, he was selected to attend a special PJOC program in New Mexico, an Air Force Para-rescue school. Chris was also chosen by the Civil Air Patrol as a "Young American Ambassador to China" in 2007 and spent a summer there in China and Hong Kong.
Both Chris and his brother are home school graduates. Noah is also an amateur photographer and an excellent bagpipe player. In 2005 Noah started his own company, Granite State Internet Marketing, that provides website design, web optomization, and custom software development services. Noah is also a Computer Programmer and Software Designer. Recognizing their talents, both boys were chosen as "Young Entrepreneurs of the Year" by the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce in 2006. Later that year, at the age of 17, a facial recognition software company, Animetrics, learned of Noah’s computer talents, and hired him as a part-time contractor. After working with their company for six months, Animetrics offered Noah a full-time position as one of their Software Engineers, with salary, benefits and stock options. It was an offer no one could refuse, and Johns Hopkins would have to wait a few more years!
Only daughter Zia is the resident ‘night owl’ at the Lodge. She’s an artist, singer and dancer, who loves children and had a sell-out babysitting business for guests and local families until she got too busy with other things! She and her mom are learning to play their Celtic lap harp. Zia attends a private school in Tamworth, NH, studying the arts and theater. She loves to write poetry and paint. She currently works for two local restaurants: The Thompson House Eatery and Christmas Farm Inn. Her plans are to go to the Culinary Institute of America.
Joshua, the official “Social Director” here at the Lodge, is a LegoManiac who also loves to study science, read books and twirl wooden staffs. He is the first in the family to attend “ real school”, as the Jackson Grammar school was a unique opportunity just too extraordinary to let pass by!
In the summer of 2004 on a trip to visit Cathi’s Uncle George Tolley in Glen, NH, the family fell in love with the White Mountains and their lives were changed forever. That very weekend they started looking at numerous Bed and Breakfast properties to buy as a family business, all of which needed too much work to consider seriously. When they discovered The Lodge, they knew that “THIS was IT”! They went back home, started selling off the properties they owned, secured financing from a bank, packed up and moved into The Lodge a short 5 months later … never looking back!!! So much transpired in such a short time, that it could only have been “meant to be”. They have never once regretted their decision, and in fact, pinch themselves regularly to make sure it is all still ‘real’! Innkeeping uses every skill they have ever acquired. They love being Innkeepers and meeting new people and The Lodge makes good use of everyone’s skills and talents. From business and management (Dana & Chris), to website development and internet marketing (Noah), to cooking and front desk operations (Cathi), housekeeping (boys and Zia) and babysitting, they all work together as a family to make it a success. Cathi became the Jackson Town Columnist in 2006, and for about a year and a half had her own radio spot on the Jackson Public Radio Station. She makes the annual “Ducky Cake” for the Memorial Day Wildquack Festival, which measures 4’ x 8’ and weighs about 600#!! You can watch her make it in the lobby each Memorial Day weekend (she even give you some samples!). She also makes very elaborate gingerbread houses during the holidays, and has won an award for them each year since moving to New Hampshire, which she donates to local charities.
In the summer of 2007, they added a new dimension to their Innkeeeping pursuits when they decided to run with an option to buy the Christmas Farm Inn and Spa, also here in Jackson NH. Everyone is involved in the daily operations and oversight of both properties. They love the little town of Jackson and it’s friendly, welcoming residents who never once made them feel like “outsiders”. They love being part of a small community and its many activities (especially the Historical Society, Library, Grammar School, Sewing & Garden Clubs, Hiking & Skiing) and have no doubt that they will make Jackson and the White Mountains their home for the rest of their lives.