Loch Lyme Lodge

70 Orford Road, PO Box 239

Lyme, NH 03768

(603) 795-2141

Welcome to Loch Lyme Lodge. Whether this is your first visit, or you are returning for your 50th visit… we are glad you are here to help us celebrate our 101st year!

Here you'll find information for your time on the Loch Lyme Lodge campus as well as some ideas about what to do when you visit the Upper Valley.

Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you. We truly hope you enjoy your vacation!

Jay and Amy Kelly – Innkeepers

Rich Brown, Lin Brown, Faith Catlin, Liz Ryan Cole, Jenny Littlewood - Managers

EMERGENCY? CALL 911

Our address is 70 Orford Road, Lyme, NH 03768. If summoning help to your cabin at night, turn on all the lights, including the porch light so your cabin is lit up like a beacon. Have someone outside to direct emergency services.

You can always contact our Innkeepers Jay or Amy Kelly by calling or texting: (603) 306-4267

Welcome to Loch Lyme Lodge

OFFICE: The Office is in the front of the Lodge and is open from 8am to 8pm. That’s the place to check in and out or just ask questions or for assistance. The Innkeepers are often out on the grounds: please text them if no one is in the office. If you need help before 8am there is often someone in the kitchen early and if you need help in the night, you can always text Jay or Amy Kelly (603) 306-4267.

2024 Highlights

Ice cream treats, snacks, and drinks, including cold brew coffee are available 24 hours a day on the honor system in the barn.
Breakfast and lunch are served at the walk-up window from 8 am until 3pm from late June until Labor Day. Ice cream is available till 4pm. See our menus here.
We will be serving three weekly dinners this year.
- Sunday Summer Soirées with a buffet from Fresco Catering and live entertainment from local musicians. $30 (half-price under 14). BYOB. Reservations strongly preferred. Call (603)795-2141.
- Monday nights the Green House pizza truck will be on site from 4:30-7:30
- Tuesdays we'll have a cookout by Fresco Catering with more live music. Please call ahead for groups of four or more. (603) 795-2141.
Guests are welcome to dine outside, in the barn. or at the dining room tables in the Lodge. (8AM-8PM).
We have an online store and there is a display of Loch Lyme Lodge merchandise and work of local artists in the Sun Room inside the Lodge.
E-Bikes (pedal assisted) can be delivered to LLL for multi-day rentals with discounts for Lodge guests (VTBikeandBrew.com)

Our 115-acre campus and waterfront is ideally suited to maintain the health and safety of our guests. The private cabins spaced across the property naturally allow groups to relax within their “bubble” and distance from others should they want to. All our staff are vaccinated. Please be respectful of those on campus and in the Upper Valley who mask and be ready for elbow bumps and back hugs.

LOCH LYME LODGE - THE GUESTBOOK
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Waterfront at Loch Lyme Lodge

Loch Lyme Lodge Bed and Breakfast/Wedding Venue

BEFORE YOU SWIM: Waterfront – Liability Waiver

Our insurance company requires all guests to sign a liability waiver form before using the property at Loch Lyme Lodge. If you didn’t sign a form when you checked in, please return to the office to sign the waiver before using the Pond. Guests are welcome to use the swim beach and any of the kayaks, canoes, paddle boards or rowboats.

Note: there is a special area of the waterfront for guests who are enjoying Post Pond with their dogs.

WATERFRONT RULES

Our own slice of heaven on the Pond, but please remember:

There is no lifeguard on duty, swim at your own risk.
Children MUST be supervised by an adult around the water.
Boaters, kayakers and canoeists must have a life jacket in their boat and people aged 12 and under MUST wear life jackets (NH state law)
No boats are allowed in the swimming area. Please use common sense.
Tie up boats to the boat dock or to the post at water’s edge when you’re finished.
No wearing of disposable diapers in the water, swim diapers only.
No glass on the sandy beach, and please be careful anywhere on the waterfront.
No diving anywhere but the outer floats.
We keep a bin of fresh beach towels in a “clean towel” bin in the boathouse by the swimming beach. After you use them, leave them in the “used towel” bin so we can launder them.
The boathouse also has life jackets, paddles and toys. Please return/hang up items when you finish using them.
Do not fish near the beach or swimming areas. Fishing hooks are terrible on bare feet. Instead, fish from boats, or use the fishing dock (it’s at the far-right of the waterfront.)
Enter the water from docks, sand approaches, and steps.
Please do not allow your dog to swim from the main steps, or at the perched beach. Dogs may swim at the dog beach, which is to the right as you face the pond.
When you leave your table, please remember to put your umbrella down, big winds come up fast and we don't want umbrellas to break in the wind.

Cabins & General Info

Housekeeping: Your cabin will be completely cleaned and fitted out when you arrive. In the Housekeeping cabins we will do a mid-week refresh of your cabin. The B&B cabins include daily housekeeping.

There are beach towels at the beach in the boat house. Please don’t take towels from your cabin. If you need a picnic blanket or something to sit on outside, please ask us for one. Please do not use bedspreads outside.

Something not working or missing? We carefully check each cabin before you check-in. If, however, you find anything in your cabin that needs attention upon your arrival or during your stay, please call/text 603-306-4267. We will be happy to assist you.

Telephone: Most guests have cell phones. AT&T’s service seems to be best right now although Verizon has a better long-term track record. Many phones can also use “Wi-Fi Calling” to connect through our Wi-Fi internet if your carrier’s signal is weak.

Internet: High speed internet has finally come to Lyme. We provide free Internet access for guests in cabins and public spaces. You are free to use any of these Wi-Fi channels. No password is required.

LochLymeLodge-Guest
LochLymeLodge-Front
LochLymeLodge-Rear

If you have any questions about the network, or if you're having trouble, please call/text the Innkeeper cell phone at 603-306-4267.

Ice: You will find ice cubes in bags in the standup freezer (not the chest freezer) in the barn. If the chest is low or out of bags just text us.

If the power goes out: There is at least one flashlight in each cabin. We also have extra flashlights if you need one.

Newspapers: Let us know if you would like to purchase the Valley News, The New York Times or the Boston Globe. They will be delivered to the Barn each morning. A daily calendar of events and movies is printed in The Valley News. You’ll find a "Lodge

Copy" of the Valley News in the barn for your enjoyment.

Mail: Outgoing mail can be left in the office for posting or put in the mailbox at the edge of the driveway. If you receive mail, it will be delivered to your cabin. We have stamps for sale if you need any.

Recycling and Trash: At Loch Lyme Lodge we return, recycle, and reuse. Please use the blue bins in your cabin for the following ZERO-SORT recyclables:

Cardboard
Paper
Plastic
Glass
Metal

Please empty and clean containers before recycling them. Zero-Sort does NOT accept these items:

plastic bags
lightbulbs
Styrofoam
containers with food waste (food containers must be completely clean and empty).

Please review the handout in the back of this book that details what you can and can’t put in zero sort. If in doubt, you should throw it out in the regular trash rather than contaminate the recycling stream.

We have four recycling bins at the back entrance to the Lodge. Our staff empties these bins regularly. Please do not put trash in recycling bins.

Compost: We compost raw vegetable matter in cement block type bins next to the vegetable garden on the lower left side. We compost eggshells, coffee grinds and uncooked vegetable waste. (No meat or cooked food - we must be careful of bears, raccoons, skunks, etc.). We are happy to compost your own uncooked vegetables and fruits with ours. You do not need to bring your compost to the gardens. Instead, please use the small bin for compost we put in each cabin. We ask you to let us know when it’s getting full, and we’ll change it out. (Note that we do not have hot composting in the Upper Valley so many items that can be composted in your home cities must go into Zero Sort here).

The Cabin Crew collects trash and recycling regularly. If you need additional service to have your trash, compost or recycling emptied, before we would ordinarily do it, please let us know. There are two dumpsters behind the barn. One is for zero-sort recycling (for recyclables only) and the other is for garbage/trash. You are welcome to put your trash and recycling there directly.

Grills: Housekeeping cabins have kitchen facilities and outdoor grills. DO NOT empty burned charcoal in the woods. We will collect your wood ashes and charcoal ashes.

Indoor Fireplaces: Firewood is delivered daily – as needed. Please do not clean out your fireplace. A quick anecdote: Applewood II had a predecessor cabin, but some guests put their ashes in a bucket on the porch, and Applewood I was history. Remember too, that it is easier to build a fire when there are some ashes already in the fireplace (even cold ashes). When you need your fireplace emptied, let us know. Cabin staff will come to your cabin and safely dispose of any ash from the grill or fireplace.

Most cabins have outdoor fire pits for campfires and marshmallows. There is also a lovely fire pit on the pond side. When the weather is dry, please check with Jay and Amy about the safety of outside fires.

Laundry Facilities: The nearest public Laundromat is The Wash Cycle is in Fairlee, Vermont, on Route 5 about half a mile south of the Orford bridge on the right. Take Route 10 North to Orford, NH and cross to the Vermont side by bridge. Then take Route 5 South.

Another laundromat that is a bit farther away, but which has excellent reviews, is the Laundry Spa in Lebanon. It’s at 2 Mascoma St, Lebanon, NH 03766, right on the Town Green. They have many large and extra-large washers, and just installed all new dryers.

Both can use cash or credit cards. They have Wi-Fi, TV, and tanning booths if you have

a need. They are open 9am-7pm every day, with an attendant during the day.

Common Areas

The Barn: You are welcome to use the tables and sofas in the barn as a space for eating meals, playing games and just hanging out. There is a bathroom in the back corner. Note that the staff who stay in the barn use that bathroom as well.

The Barn also has a freezer, two small refrigerators and a red plastic bin, all filled with snacks and various cold drinks for those times “the window” is closed for food service. For coffee drinkers check out a canned cold brew from a wonderful local business,

Abracadabra Coffee. These items are available on the honor system; sign up for what you take, and we’ll add it to your bill before you check out.

Waterfront: Guests are welcome to swim or use any of the boats, kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, or other equipment at the waterfront. You’ll find fresh beach towels in the shed by the beach along with a bin for used towels. Please tie up the boats and neatly put away any equipment you’ve used, to help the next guest enjoy it.

Play Areas and Equipment: Playwood is the cabin across the driveway from the Lodge. It is full of games, books, and toys. We continue to be cautious about how we shared use. Please respect anyone who masks when inside. You are welcome to check out games and books for your own cabin. Of course, many of the items, like ball bats, tennis racquets and the croquet set, are for use outside. Behind the barn you’ll find soccer goals, horseshoes, tether ball and a basketball hoop on a small, paved court. There are balls in a bag by the court. If we have run out of ping pong balls or badminton birdies, text Jay and Amy. (603) 306-4267)

PLEASE help us keep the equipment in good shape, return them to where you found them, and report broken equipment to the office. Report any broken toys to us immediately so we can take them out for repair.

Tennis Courts: Above the garden behind Playwood there are two clay tennis courts. Most tennis players bring their own tennis racquets, but we do have tennis balls available for sale. Text Jay at (603) 306-4267. Loch Lyme guests also have access to the Lyme recreational area one half mile away with its paved tennis courts and basketball court.

Please treat our clay courts with TLC. USE ONLY SMOOTH-SOLED SHOES ON THE CLAY COURTS. No track shoes or rough-soled shoes or bare feet are permitted as they dig up the clay. After rain, please check with the office to see if the courts are dry enough to play on without damaging them. Do not play on them when you see the sign across the entrance that says, “Keep Off”, as you will dent the clay. The paved courts at the public beach are available for our guests. There may be a sign-up sheet posted by the town courts.

Gardens: On your way to the tennis courts please stop by and visit our gardens. We grow vegetables and herbs to serve in the restaurant and for local members. Sometimes we have enough produce for guests to enjoy. If you see something in the garden you

might like, just ask a gardener (Liz can be reached at 802.274.1511).

The garden is fenced (deer and woodchucks love our vegetables too), but feel free to open the fence (closed with cup hooks) and show your children what cherry tomatoes taste like when harvested warm from the sun. Note - You don’t have to ask about cherry

tomatoes; if they are ripe you may pick. (Please don’t bring your dogs into the garden).

To the right of the tennis courts, we are working on berries (mostly raspberries but also gooseberries and black raspberries and blueberries). We also grow flowers for the dining room and barn. The berm holds many day lilies that bloom from late June until August.

Crossing Route 10: Please cross Route 10 only by the mailbox. Do not step off the lawn in front of the Lodge as the bank is quite steep. We put the orange flags in buckets on each side of the road to help children be more aware of the road, and more visible to traffic. Parents: please accompany your kids. Even though we ask all kids to take a flag before crossing, DRIVERS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO STOP, although sometimes they do. The intent of the orange flag is to raise the consciousness of the child crossing the road, not to flag down the drivers.

The speed limit through the village of Lyme and around Post Pond varies from 20 to 35 miles per hour. Our local police try to ensure that drivers obey the speed limit, but drivers often go too fast.

Speed Limits: There is a 5 MPH limit on Loch Lyme Lodge property. That is slow enough to stop if a child runs across the driveway in front of you. (We have several speed bumps in the driveway to watch out for.)

Check-In/Check-Out

Check-in time is 3:00 PM. If you arrive early and your cabin is ready, you are welcome to check in early. If a wait is necessary, you can change in the bathroom in the barn before heading to the lake. Please sign a waiver before swimming or boating.

Check-out time is 10:00 AM. Saturday departures are especially busy. There are a couple of things you can do to make checkout easier. Consider settling your account and making reservations for the following year in advance of check out. On the day of your

departure, you are invited to continue to enjoy the property, but after you check out, please park your vehicle behind the barn.

Gratuities: The restaurant, grounds and cabin staff pool tips. While gratuities may be presented personally, most guests leave their total tip amount through the office upon check out.

Rooms & Meals Tax: New Hampshire charges 8.5% on all room and meal sales.

Reservations for 2025: Our general practice is that members of Pinnacle have first ‘dibs’ on cabin reservations (they may reserve more than 12 months prior to their arrival). Other guests may reserve a cabin 12 months before their desired arrival date for the following year. One year out is a good time to talk with Jay and Amy about different dates or different cabins.

We give first preference and a discounted rate to guests who book for a week or longer. We open B&B cabins for shorter (under a week) stays in January. We open cabins with full kitchens for shorter (under a week) stays in June.

Pets, Plants & Animals

Loons, Water Lilies, and Other Plants and Wildlife: State law protects water lilies and loons. Do not pick the water lilies. Do not go near the loons by boat or canoe. Please remind children that we share Post Pond with many living things including freshwater mussels, crayfish, snails, turtles, and frogs. Please teach your children the concept of "catch and release”. Walk into the water carefully – that rock you see might be the back of a turtle who needs time to get away from you. Treat living things carefully.

Please secure the top of your garbage can at night or bring it onto your porch. This will prevent a noisy and messy middle of the night raid by our dexterous local raccoons. Please do not feed the wild animals or leave open packages of food lying around your

cabin, as this is an invitation for animals with a keen sense of smell to come inside the cabin. The bear population is increasing in this area. Fisher cats, coyotes and bobcats have been sighted in Joe's Sunday Field, just above the tennis courts, and there are many

deer, chipmunks, and squirrels in the woods. Moose and beaver are coming back. These are WILD animals. Do not approach them. Do not feed them. Let the Innkeepers know if you see them.

Bugs & Plants: Please remember that in the country we have bugs and plants that can make you uncomfortable. If you didn’t bring insect repellent, you may get some from us. The tick population (and tick-borne illnesses) are on the rise. Use bug-spray with Deet, stay out of un-mowed grassy areas and check yourself. Consider buying a can of permethrin and spraying your pants and socks. Check yourself, your children, and your pets for ticks. Most of the ticks are the larger dog ticks, but we’ve seen an increase in smaller (apple seed size) deer ticks. We have a “tick key” in each cabin and one you may borrow should you need it to remove an embedded tick. Transmission of Lyme disease generally takes 24 hours of the tick being attached, (and is not associated with the larger dog ticks) so it’s best to check yourself and others daily. Showering can wash off ticks that haven’t attached.

Pets: The staff at Loch Lyme Lodge love pets. We know how heartbreaking it can be to have to board your pet while the rest of the family goes on vacation. We have a long tradition of allowing pets to accompany their family members on their Loch Lyme getaway. We’ve had dogs, cats and even birds as our special guests! Loch Lyme Lodge only has a few simple pet rules:

Pets must be leashed at all times while outside on Lodge property and must be up to date on all vaccinations.
Dogs are not invited into the Lodge.
Owners must always clean up after their pets using a disposable bag.
Owners must dispose of waste bags properly in a garbage can.
Please keep your pets off the cabin furniture. If this proves impossible, bring a pet blanket or ask for one. We do not charge a damage deposit, but guests agree to be responsible for damages caused by their pet and agree to pay for those damages. You may also be charged a fee if additional cleaning is necessary on check-out.
Pets are not allowed to swim in the main swimming areas or by the stairs or on the beach. Dogs have a swim area to the right of the big stairs and swim dock.
Please do not leave your dog alone in your cabin if they bark. Arrange for a dogsitter if necessary. Remember that animals can behave much differently in unfamiliar surroundings than at home. No pet should be left for more than 2 hours. It is the responsibility of the pet owner to prevent the pet from disturbing other guests.

That’s all it takes for your furry loved one to enjoy a relaxing vacation! Please note: there is a rescue pup named Andi living with the Innkeepers at the Lodge. Please report any stray dogs you find on the property. A couple of local dogs are known

to want to vacation here.

Medical Care

For emergency care, we have two local 24-hour emergency rooms. Dartmouth-Hitchcock is closer, but the wait at Alice Peck Day is often much shorter than DHMC. Call ahead if you can.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) (603) 650-5000
Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital (APD) (603) 448-3121

Directions to DHMC: from Lyme, take Route 10 south to Hanover and then turn left onto Route 120 at the first light (Park St). Go south toward Lebanon. There are access roads to the medical center, both located on the right side of Route 120. The first is at the light at the mini-mart and the second is just half a mile further south. Follow the signs. 603-650-7000 is the emergency department number.

Directions to APD located in Lebanon, take exit 18 or 19 off I-89. From the Lodge, follow the directions to DHMC but continue on Route 120 another 2 miles until you come to I-89. Take I-89 north one exit to exit 18, turn left and follow the signs. They are smaller than Dartmouth and often their emergency room wait is also shorter. 603-448-3121 is the general number.

ClearChoice Urgent Care Medical Center has an office at 410 Miracle Mile in Lebanon, NH. 8 am until 8 pm 603-276-3261.
CVS Pharmacy in West Lebanon has a MinuteClinic Walk-in Clinic (866) 389-2727 Hours: M-F 8a-7p, Sat 9a-5:30p, Sun 10a-5:30p. Clinic closing times may vary due to the number of patients waiting to be seen. Additional patients may not be able to sign in when the wait time extends past the posted clinic closing time. Practitioners take a daily, required lunch break each day (usually 1pm-2pm). Please note that lunch times shown are approximate and may vary.
CVS Pharmacy in Hanover: No clinic, but a shorter drive from Lyme. 79 South Main Street, Hanover, NH 03755, 603-643-3178.

Child Care

Yes, we love children and children love being here. But, unless you have made other arrangements with us, parents must take their children with them when they leave the Lodge. We regret that we cannot take responsibility for children ages 17 and under who are left at Loch Lyme Lodge on their own. We can help you arrange childcare services. Advance notice is essential, especially on weekends and some restrictions apply.

Caring for Children: One of the lovely aspects of our long traditions at Loch Lyme Lodge is the connection families make. Do not be surprised if an adult you don’t know well suggests to your child that throwing sand (for example) is not welcome behavior. Parents will look for the adult in charge of another child, but we often work together to help protect the little ones here.

Loch Lyme Lodge Store and Newsletter

LLL merchandise is for sale in the Lodge in the front hallway. We also have an online store.

We love postcards. We are collecting older post cards to see what the area looked like many years ago. If you have any old pictures or postcards or other memorabilia of your own, we’d love to see them or have copies. We'll probably use them in our newsletter, which you can sign up for here.

If you want to send us a postcard from around the world, please mail it to:

Innkeepers

Loch Lyme Lodge

70 Orford Rd.

Lyme, NH 03768

USA

Own a Cabin

What will Loch Lyme Lodge look like 10 years from now? In 100 years? We created the Loch Lyme Lodge Cabin condominium (each cabin is a condominium unit) to make sure Loch Lyme Lodge is still here, rustic but comfortable, providing a welcome for guests for generations to come.

The barn will be more substantial and better able to host events.
Our septic and water systems will be modernized (you can see that work is well on its way)
We're adding insulation and heating to make our cabins comfortable in October and May as well as in high summer. (Balsam, Edgewood, Glenwood, Fernwood, and Wildwood have already been started).

Loch Lyme Lodge will operate as it does now; we will do the work of rentals and management; cabin owners will receive a share of their own cabin's earning. This means Loch Lyme Lodge can continue to operate as it has run historically, while making those improvements owners and long-term guests would love to see - a community septic field, buried infrastructure (water, electric, septic) so cabins can be upgraded, a gazebo on the waterfront for shelter in light rain, buffet service in the shade and easier walking to access the Pinnacle right from the Lodge.

Cabin purchase prices range from $103,000 to $174,000. There is a book with more information in the barn and a second copy in the Lodge. Reach out if this is even of passing interest (Liz (802) 274-1511 or Rich (603) 252-7005.

We are not hard sell people, but we know and love our guests and know some of you would love to have a cabin of your own– that could put a little money in your pocket each year, and that could appreciate in value over the years, which you could eventually sell or pass on to the next generation of your Loch Lyme Lodge family.

Not interested in a cabin, but want to be able to make reservations in advance of other guests and get a discount on what you spend? Want to support the next 100 years of Loch Lyme Lodge at little cost to yourself? Talk to us about becoming a shareholder. That costs $21,000 and when you no longer want to be a shareholder that $21,000 (without appreciation) is returned to you. (Certain conditions apply).

For details, read more here. Thanks!

Rich Brown, Liz Ryan Cole, Judith Klavans – Loch Lyme Lodge Managers

Cohousing - The Spirit Behind Pinnacle

Did you ever wish you had a big rambling house on a pond with fruit trees and gardens – a place you knew and loved and could always return to? Do you love gatherings with family and friends enjoying great food and stimulating conversation? Are you interested in reducing your carbon footprint and your living costs? Do you enjoy living around mixed age people who reflect your values? Do you want a home where you can raise your children? Age in your own home in your cohousing neighborhood? Live in a place your children and grandchildren love to visit?

Pinnacle Cohousing at Loch Lyme Lodge was founded to create private homes and shared spaces that will help us meet those dreams. We own 115 acres on Post Pond in Lyme, NH. The property is home to Loch Lyme Lodge which has a restaurant and kitchen in the old cape, rustic cabins with fireplaces, gardens, a lovely large barn and even clay tennis courts. Loch Lyme Lodge provides a vacation home for guests, some of whom have been coming for decades! Loch Lyme Lodge organized a cabin condominium to help Loch Lyme Lodge thrive in our next 100 years. Our cohousing will add year-round homes to complement the rental cabins. Our time frame assumes balancing septic and barn work and cabin upgrades for Loch Lyme Lodge with site work and building for homes as members are ready and allowed (Lyme zoning) to build.

Pinnacle members are a mixed group. Some are in couples and others are not, some have young children, some have grown children, and some are not parents. Some have known each other since college days, others met here in the Upper Valley and still others were long-term guests at Loch Lyme Lodge who wanted to make the Lodge a more permanent part of their life. We work (or have worked) in law, medicine, teaching, computing, and retail. Our broad interests reflect the members - who are passionate about many things - from gardening to hiking to reading by the pond, and from baking and other cooking to making music and creating in wood, clay, and metal.

Learn More about cohousing

Learn more about Pinnacle