We have another gloomy, rainy day here today, and I got thinking about the families who excitedly set off to their cottage rentals on Saturday, anticipating the hot sunny weather that has characterized this summer. They will have woken up this morning in unfamiliar surroundings, looked out onto grey skies and drizzle and contended with fractious kids desperate to get out into the water and onto boats. Some seasoned renters will have a plan – after all it’s only weather – but others will be lost as to what to do to keep spirits up.
We know from a decade of experience of managing vacation rentals that more complaints come in during bad weather weeks. Usually spurious, they are generated from a need to blame someone or something for the disappointment in the weather.
On the other hand, many of our properties receive their best testimonials and reviews when the climate has offered a curve ball. Those that have big libraries of books, videos, DVDs & board games and have owners who care enough about their guests to make the rainy day experience a great one, come in for high praise. I wrote a post last year about writing a Rainy Day Book and I’m expanding this into an ebook with more suggestions for guests to enjoy less than the best weather. If you have ideas, I’d love to hear them and will include contributions in the book (accredited of course!)
Photo by Mattman4698 on Flickr
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Here are a few of the more popular Rain Day Activities to be considered when visiting Franconia Notch NH’s White Mountains… Take a tour of the area’s Museums such as The New England Ski Museum, The Old Man of the Mountain Museum, and the History of The Notch and Flume Gorge Museum & Video… all located in Franconia Notch State Park, or perhaps take a trip a tad north to Littelton, NH’s Main Street… home to Chutter’s General Store which features the world’s longest candy counter, plus a whole host of other great boutiques, restaurants and the such. If taking a rainy day drive is more your speed, grab a map of locations of our many Covered Bridges and start explorin’. The best web-site for finding our regions covered bridges and waterfalls is http://www.whitemountainattractions.com
and for the most cost effective family and group style accommodations go to: http://www.franconiarentals.com.
It’s good to read that complaints do generally go up in times of bad weather! We have just had three weeks of rain and three weeks of ever so slightly grouchy guests where we usually don’t get that all.
All of a sudden little things were being picked up on and becoming big things!
I had guessed that the weather was playing a large part but it’s good to have it confirmed by your experience
(Of course we have to sort out those little things as well, and it’s good that we get to find out about them so maybe every cloud does have a silver lining!)
We do provide games and DVDs and a PS2 and games etc etc and lists of things to do and places to go in the rain but you can’t change the fact that they al want SUNSHINE!