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USA - NEW HAMPSHIRE : THE PLACE CURIOUS GEORGE CALLS HOME by Kenneth M. Sheldon   Curious George, the lovable monkey whose antics have delighted children for decades, was born in the imaginations of H.A. and Margret Rey. But he and the Reys spent their summers in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, a place that epitomizes Curious George's spirit of fun and adventure.Early visitors to Waterville Valley hiked, swam, played golf and took part in cultural events, surrounded by the awe-inspiring natural beauty of the White Mountain National Forest. Today's visitors do all that and more – hiking, tennis, skateboarding, year-round ice skating, mountain biking, boating, stargazing, or simply looking for a retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life, just as the Reys did in the 1950s. The Reys were drawn to Waterville Valley because H.A. was revising his popular astronomy book “The Stars: A New Way to See Them” and needed a place away from the glare of city lights to do observation. They quickly fell in love with the valley and spent the next twenty summers there, writing, drawing, and charming the community. H.A. was a Renaissance man, versed in history and natural history. Margret was a potter, photographer and expert gardener. Villagers and visitors were drawn to their little home – now known as the Curious George Cottage – which soon became an intellectual and creative center for the town, and best of all, the magical opportunity to watch a children's book authors at work. Children would come and watch as H.A. drew new adventures for George or his other characters. At other times, Hans would take the children on nature walks and delight them with his talent of throwing his voice. "We would have conversations with imaginary people as we walked through the woods," says Nat Scrimshaw, who first met the Reys when he was 2 years old. Today, the spirit of curiosity and exploration lives on in the Margret and HA Rey Center, whose mission is to honor the Rey's legacy by recreating the rich intellectual and creative environment they provided. It does so through nature walks, literary groups, writers workshops, discussion clubs, a monthly lecture series, art shows, and of course, activities for children. The Curious Kids program takes children and families into the White Mountain National Forest around surrounding Waterville Valley for learning experiences. "Kids are naturally curious," says Scrimshaw. So are adults. "Waterville's forest and mountains are full of wondrous things – all you have to do is pay attention." H.A. Rey was known for his chalk talks, in which he would entertain visitors as he drew. (A few lucky children got to take a drawing home with them.) Today, Nat Scrimshaw continues the tradition as resident artist and Executive Director of the Rey Center, where he is working on a new series of books featuring one of H.A.'s characters, Whiteblack the penguin. He also coordinates a full slate of cultural activities for children and adults, part of the Rey Centers 'Arts in the Mountains' program— theater, music, art classes, literary discussions, readings, exhibits, and more. The Rey Center also organizes weekly hikes, including "walk-talks" with an invited speaker on topics such as the glacial history of White Mountains and alpine ecology. At times, hikers take part in the Appalachian Mountain Club's Mountain Watch program, identifying and cataloging wildflowers as a way of tracking changes in the mountain habitat. "The recreation always has an educational component," Scrimshaw says. Three times a month, the center hosts astronomy nights under the dark skies that first drew H.A. Rey to the valley. Local amateurs lead the stargazing sessions, along with a monthly visit by an expert from the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium in Concord. The Rey's love of nature is reflected in the Center's strong environmental and conservation bent. Volunteers from the Center work alongside the United States National Forest Service (USFS) and the Waterville Valley Athletic and Improvement Association (WVAIA – established in 1888) doing trail work such as building rock steps and waterbars. "It's heavy-duty work," says Scrimshaw, but worth it to maintain the oldest hiking trail system in the Northeast Margret Rey was an avid gardener, a passion the Rey Center celebrates through a program called Margret's Hat Garden, in which volunteers adopt one of several flower plots located around the valley and care for it. There are also community garden plots next to the Curious George Cottage where locals can plant gardens, and a cooperative farm called Curious Gourds Garden just down the road. Volunteers buy shares in the farm, work the garden, and enjoy a bounty of fresh vegetables in the summer. The farm also sponsors a farmer's market and provides food to local restaurants. The Rey Center is about to break ground on a new home, which will feature an earth and sky observatory with a telescope that can project the stars on a screen, making them visible to a larger audience. The million-dollar structure will be a "green building" in honor of H.A. Rey's interest in alternative energy, with solar arrays, geothermal technology, rain gardens, constructed wetlands, and a landscape that maintains and interprets the mountain environment. Visitors and vacationers are welcome at all of the Rey Center's events, where they will often find themselves rubbing elbows with locals. Today, as in the past, Waterville Valley welcomes the curious, the adventurous, and the inquisitive – young or old, human or monkey. Areas like Waterville Valley, to which families return generation after generation, allow parents to show their children what their most deeply-held values are. In Waterville Valley, those values are family, community, integrity, tradition and love of nature and the outdoors. But now, people are moving to this town of some 400 people to live year round. Being just over two hours from Boston, Waterville is a pristine resort of 500 acres surrounded by the White Mountain National Forest. Waterville Valley has a world-class ski area, award-winning tennis courts, golf, hiking, biking, lodging, water sports, indoor ice rink, tennis, boating, a skate park, and a host of outdoor activities. What it doesn't have are fast-food places, stoplights and big box stores. For more information on Waterville Valley call 1-800-GO-VALLEY. Photo courtesy Waterville Valley, New Hampshire
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