New Hampshire 2016 Vacation | The Beauty Around Us

Posts tagged ‘New Hampshire 2016 Vacation’

Lincoln NH to Warren PA

We took two days for our trip back home from the White Mountains of New Hampshire. On the first day we drove from Lincoln, NH to Weedsport, NY. On the second day we drove from Weedsport, NY to our home in Warren, PA.

On Thursday, August 4, we awakened early, which enabled a departure an hour or two earlier than expected. We departed the Rodeway Inn (Lincoln, NH) at 6:00 am, leaving the room keys in our room because the hotel office was closed.

Our first photo stop was in Woodstock, Vermont, after driving for about 2-1/2 hours.

“Bob, stop! There’s a covered bridge!”
Taftsville Covered Bridge, seen as we were driving through the village of Taftsville

Taftsville Covered Bridge

Taftsville Bridge is a two span 189 foot long Multiple Kingpost Truss with an arch. Spans are 89 and 100 feet. This bridge was built in 1836 and is one of the oldest covered bridges in Vermont.

It carries River Road the over Ottaquechee River in Taftsville Vermont.

Taftsville Covered Bridge spans the Ottauquechee River.

About an hour later we stopped for breakfast at The Maple Diner in Bridgewater, Vermont.

The Maple Diner

Great breakfast! We highly recommend this small family restaurant, if you find yourself in Bridgewater, VT some day.

We passed through Killington, VT where we couldn’t miss the ski slopes of Pico Mountain. We stopped for gas in Rutland, VT. What a busy and congested city that is!

We stopped briefly at Moreau Lake State Park near Wilton, NY. Using our NY Empire Passport we gained admission into the park. We followed Lake Road from the entrance gate to the beach. There was a nature center located near the beach. The beach and picnic areas were in heavy use, and we were not able to find any nearby parking. We skipped the nature center and made our way back to the park entrance. We made a photo stop near the boat launch area.

Moreau Lake

We passed through LOTS of small towns on our way to Interstate 90! We avoided Albany, NY. We skirted around Saratoga Springs, NY. We finally reached Interstate 90 W at 2:33 pm, about 10 miles or so east of Utica, NY (near mile marker 222).

We checked into the Rodeway Inn in Weedsport, NY around 4:00 pm. This hotel used to be a Best Western, as it is still identified in the GPS and on Facebook.

The only meal we ate out was breakfast. We didn’t stop for lunch and opted to eat a picnic lunch, with food items brought from home, for dinner.

On Friday, August 5, we ate breakfast at our hotel, packed the car and left a little after 8:00 am en route home.

We made a few stops along the way.

Weedsport, NY
“Four Freedoms” mural

The four train cars on the mural are based on the four freedoms Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke of in his 1941 State of the Union Address.

The four freedoms are:
Freedom of speech, Freedom of religion, Freedom from want and Freedom from fear.

Also in Weedsport are the remains of the Centreport Aqueduct, which is the centerpiece of a small park located along NY Route 31.

We walked the towpath (on the right) to the towpath bridge.

The towpath bridge was reconstructed to be nearly identical to the one built here in 1854.

Remains of Centreport Aqueduct, as seen from towpath bridge

We stopped briefly in Port Bryon. While Bob took our Nissan Xterra through a car wash, I photographed a colorful mural.

Port Bryon, NY
Erie Canal Mural

We rode through the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, in Monezuma, NY, where we saw a few species of waterfowl. The majority of the waterfowl that we saw at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge were Canada Geese.

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
I cannot identify these flowers, but aren’t they pretty!

We drove through Ovid, NY and along Seneca Lake. We drove through Watkins Glen. We had planned to hike the gorge but decided against doing so because of the heat and humidity but also dry conditions. When we passed by Hector Falls, just before reaching Watkins Glen, there was very little water falling. We had never seen Hector Falls so dry!

We stopped for a short time in downtown Corning.

Corning, NY

The clock tower was built in memory of Erastus Corning in 1883. The clock tower is located in the center of town, just north of Market Street in Center Square.

We thought we would eat lunch in Corning, but opted instead to eat lunch a little closer to home. All we did in Corning was photograph the clock tower, before continuing on our way home.

We stopped for lunch at Sprague’s Maple Farms in Portville, NY. I ordered a center cut pork chop dinner with baked potato, apple sauce, carrots and tossed salad. My dinner included two pork chops. I boxed one and brought it home. Bob ordered a Sugar Bush Club (a Triple-decker sandwich filled filled with turkey, country ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayonaisse) with maple baked beans. We picked up a piece of peanut butter fudge for later, as we paid the bill on our way out. Lunch was excellent.

We returned home at 4:00 pm. We unpacked the car, putting away what we had taken with us. I uploaded to my computer the pictures that I had taken, while on vacation. I entered in Quicken our expenditures during vacation. Bob mowed the grass. With the exception of doing laundry the next day, I took it easy. Bob took it easy as well. Being on vacation seems to be more tiring than being at home, as we are always on the go. I have heard people say “I need a vacation after vacation”. I agree!

This blog post concludes the account of our 7-day New Hampshire vacation. I hope that you enjoyed your armchair travel!

Mt. Washington

This blog post continues my account of our 7-day vacation, in early August this year, in New Hampshire’s White Mountains region.

On August 3 we drove ourselves up the Mt. Washington Auto Road. In addition to driving yourself to the Mt. Washington Summit, there are other alternatives to include: hiking to the summit; riding a bicycle or a motorcycle; riding the cog railway; or paying for a guided van tour. The Auto Road is a toll road. After paying a toll of $29.00 for car and driver plus an additional $9.00 for me, we drove the 8-mile Mt. Washington Auto Road to the summit and back. The Auto Road is narrow, and there are no guard rails. I have ridden the Auto Road three times in my adult life. It doesn’t get any easier. It is a scary road! My heart feels like it is in my throat both during the ascent and descent! If you drive slowly and keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road, you will make it up and back safely. The views are amazing, both on the road and from the top.

Mt. Washington Auto Road
This is the view from one of the stops that we made on our way up to the top of Mt. Washington.
You can see part of the Auto Road that we had already driven.

At the summit it was 50 degrees, with winds less than 10 MPH.

Mt. Washington Cog Railway, arriving at the summit

Mt. Washington Observatory

Bob and I at Mt. Washington Summit

There are buildings at the summit to visit. We didn’t visit any of those buildings. We spent a little over 30 minutes at the summit checking out the view and getting our picture taken at the summit sign.

I took the following photographs during our descent.

I did not record the amount of time it took us to ascend or descend Mt. Washington. I did read on the Internet that the van tours take 30 minutes each way. I do know that we took longer than that, as we made a couple stops going up and going down.

Once reaching the base of Mt. Washington, we ate our picnic lunch at the Glen View Cafe, across Route 16 from the Auto Road. We chose to sit outside the cafe on an elevated deck. We enjoyed the view of Mt. Washington, while we ate lunch.

We ate lunch at the Glen View Cafe.
The deck provided an excellent view of Mt. Washington!

What a view!

After lunch we toured the Douglas A. Philbrook Red Barn Museum, located just outside the Glen View Cafe.

the Douglas A. Philbrook Red Barn Museum

This barn was built at the turn of the century. It is used to display objects and memorabilia from the Mt. Washington Auto Road’s history, as well as some of the horse-drawn and motor vehicles that once made the 8-mile journey to the top of Mt. Washington. Highlights include an 1870s Abbot-Downing Concord Coach, a 1918 Pierce-Arrow and a 1938 Ford station wagon.

Fabyan House Concord Coach

1918 Pierce Arrow 7 Passenger Touring Car

1938 Ford Station Wagon

No fee was charged to tour the Douglas A. Philbrook Red Barn Museum.

This blog post concludes Day 5 of our 7-day New Hampshire vacation.

More of New Hampshire’s White Mountains Region

On August 2, at 7:10 am, we departed our hotel for another drive around the White Mountains region. We had much better weather this day than we did the previous day. We began our drive in the opposite direction of yesterday’s drive. We drove the Kancamagus Highway from west to east, but not all the way to Conway. We turned off at Bear Notch Road.

We made several stops along the Kancamagus Highway.

This is a panoramic view from a pull off, located soon after the Hancock Overlook.

Pemigewasset Overlook

Lily Pond

Ledge Brook Falls

Bob climbed down to the creek bed to photograph Ledge Brook Falls through the underpass.

Sugar Hill Scenic Vista

Our next stop was at Sabbaday Falls. According to a sign near the trail head, this is how Sabbaday Falls got its name.

Legend has it that one Saturday night, with winter rapidly approaching, workmen building a road from Albany Intervale to Waterville decided it was time to call it quits. They hid their tools, planning to return the following spring. Before leaving on Sunday morning, they named the brook Sabbady Brook for the Sabbath Day…The workers never returned to complete the road, but the name has endured.

Sabbady Falls, 0.3 miles straight ahead

Sabbaday Brook

Sabbaday Falls
See the bridge above the falls?
We climbed the trail to the bridge.

Sabbaday Falls, during our ascent

Sabbaday Falls, as viewed from the footbridge

Our last stop on the Kancamagus Highway was at the Russell-Colbath Historic Site. The Historic Site includes the Russell-Colbath House, a timber frame barn, and a cemetery.

The Russell-Colbath House was built in 1832.

The house is the only original structure left from the town of Passaconaway. Inside the house are old photos and household items of the time that show how life might have been in the early to mid 1800’s.

The barn was constructed in 2003 from rough sawn timbers,
milled from trees at this site using a portable saw mill.

The White Mountains National Forest employees were holding a meeting at the barn on the day we visited.

Passaconaway Cemetery

We reached Bear Notch Road at 10:00 am. Bear Notch Road also allows us to bypass Conway. You might recall from my previous blog post that traffic in Conway is heavy and stop and go all the way through the town. There are several scenic turnoffs along the road, none of which identified what you were looking at.

One of several scenic overlooks along Bear Notch Road

At the end of Bear Notch Road we turned right onto Route 302, toward Conway. We drove only as far as the Intervale Scenic Vista. The view was outstanding! We could see Mt. Washington way off in the distance.

The Intervale Scenic Vista provides a stunning overlook of Mt. Washington.

Intervale Scenic Vista
The clouds lifted enough that we could see the towers on top of Mt. Washington!

From Intervale we followed Route 16 north and soon reached the town of Jackson, where we saw two covered bridges.

the Honeymoon Bridge

This “honeymoon” or “kissing bridge” received its nickname from the tradition of lovers kissing under it for good luck. Jackson’s endearing symbol for over a century, the Paddleford truss bridge was constructed about 1876 by Charles Broughton and his son Frank.

The Honeymoon Bridge spans the Ellis River.

Jackson’s second covered bridge is located on a golf course.

Wentworth Golf Club Covered Bridge

A little farther north on Route 16 we saw a female moose alongside the road. I just caught a glimpse of her, as Bob drove by. We turned around and passed by the moose. She had not moved. We both saw her. We turned around again so that we would be on the same side of the road as the moose. When we returned to the spot where we had seen her, she was no longer there. I didn’t capture a photograph of the moose, but I can at least say I saw a moose!

Our two longest stops along Route 16 were at Glen Ellis Falls and Wildcat Mountain.

Glen Ellis Falls plunges 64 feet into a deep green pool. The waterfall is popular, based on the number of people that were there the day we visited. The trail is short (0.6 mi round trip) and not exceptionally difficult. The most difficult part for me was walking up and down the steps. When we were there three young men were jumping into the water at and near the falls.

My walking stick was useful on the uneven trail and on the stairs.
(Photo by Bob)

Glen Ellis Falls

At Wildcat Mountain Bob rode a zipline. It was Bob’s first time on a zipline. I refused to ride the zipline. I am quite happy to fly only in an airplane!

Bob’s zipline adventure began at the Snowcat Triple chairlift at the base of Wildcat Mountain.

The chairlift takes you to the Ziprider start platform.

Ziprider Start Platform

Bob, soaring through the air

We ate a picnic lunch at Wildcat Mountain. Bob said he really liked his zipline ride and wanted to go again. While he made his way back to the Ziprider start platform, I went to the car to change camera lenses from a 12-40mm lens to a 40-150mm lens.

Bob’s second zipline ride

With a longer lens I was able to capture Bob’s abrupt stop at the landing platform.

Ziprider Landing Platform

Oh, yes. I am glad that I did not go for a ride on the zipline. I would NOT have liked the stop at the end of the line!

Bob’s first zipline ride cost $20.00; the second ride cost $10.00. A third ride would have cost $5.00.

Departing Wildcat Mountain, we turned right to continue driving north on Route 16. At Gorham we turned left onto Route 2, which we followed through Randolph. We turned left onto Route 115. From Route 115 we made out way to Route 3 and then to Route 302. We found ourselves back at the overlook of the Mount Washington Hotel. I photographed the hotel from this overlook the previous day, which was a gloomy and rainy day.

What a difference a day makes!

Here’s a photograph of the hotel from a slightly different vantage point.

Mount Washington Hotel
How grand!

Leaving the overlook of Mount Washington Hotel we turned left onto Route 302, retracing our steps back to Route 3. Heading south on Route 3, the road soon joins I-93/Franconia Notch Parkway. Our next stop was at the Hugh J. Gallen scenic overlook bridge. Mr. Gallen was Governor of New Hampshire from January 4, 1979 through December 29, 1982.

Hugh J. Gallen scenic overlook bridge

On the right-hand side of the bridge you can see Mount Lafayette.

Mount Lafayette
Its summit, at 5,249 feet, is the highest point in the Franconia Notch and the
ninth highest peak in the White Mountains.

Mount Lafayette is named to honor General Marquis de Lafayette, a French military hero who fought with and significantly aided the Continental Army and was loved and adopted by George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. Lafayette re-visited New Hampshire during 1824-1825, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Our last sightseeing stop was at the former site of the Old Man of the Mountain natural stone profile. We visited this attraction the previous day but wanted to see the Old Man of the Mountain Profiler Plaza, when it wasn’t raining. The Old Man of the Mountain collapsed on May 3, 2003. Today the Old Man of the Mountain Profiler Plaza honors the memory of the Old Man of the Mountain.

Old Man of the Mountain Profiler Plaza

The Old Man of the Mountain Profiler Plaza includes seven steel “profilers”
that recreate the visage of the Old Man looking over Franconia Notch.

You stand on the footprints that match your height, squint with one eye and magically the Old Man of the Mountain returns!

Return of the Old Man of the Mountain

It was dinner time, when we left the Old Man of the Mountain Profiler Plaza. We ate dinner at the El Charro Mexican Restaurant in Lincoln. It was an expensive, but excellent choice for dinner. We ordered Chicken Enchiladas (me) and Pechuga A La Diabla (Bob), which was grilled chicken smothered in a chipotle mayo sauce. We split a Helado Frito ice cream dessert. The food was delicious; service was great.

Helado Frito, a yummy Mexican ice cream dessert

This blog post concludes Day 4 of our 7-day New Hampshire vacation.

The White Mountains Trail

We spent the day on August 1 exploring New Hampshire’s White Mountains region.

We began our day with a breakfast of hard-boiled eggs, cinnamon raisin bagels, an orange and coffee/tea…all of which we brought from home. We sat at a small table inside our hotel room and ate breakfast. Shortly before 8:00 am we left on our tour of the White Mountains region. Our tour of choice was the White Mountains Trail.

The White Mountains Trail begins and ends at the White Mountains Visitor Center in North Woodstock. The trail is a 100 mile loop through sections of the 800,000-acre White Mountain National Forest and past many of the region’s most popular attractions. We drove the entire trail, making many photo stops along the way. We had a good day, although it was a rainy and gloomy day.

We began our tour of the White Mountains region from the Rodeway Inn, located along Route 3, 2.9 miles north of the White Mountains Visitor Center. Turning north onto Route 3 our first stop was 1.8 miles from our hotel. Seen on the western (left) side of Route 3 is the Indian Head Profile on Mt. Pemigewasset.

Natural rock profile resembling Indian Chief

Continuing our drive, we entered the Franconia Notch State Park, We learned that a “notch” is the pass between two mountain ranges. The lofty peaks of the Kinsman range on our left and the Franconia range on our right framed our passage through the park.

Our second stop was 2.4 miles farther north. We passed up The Flume Gorge, as it had not yet opened for the day. We planned to visit The Flume Gorge later during our vacation, but that visit never happened. Heading north on Rotue 3, the road joined I-93/Franconia Notch Parkway. Our second stop was at the Basin. It was a short and easy hike from the parking lot to the Basin. It had not yet begun to rain. We spent about an hour exploring the Basin area.

the Basin

A sign at this site provided information about the Basin.

This large pothole in the Pemigewasset River, 30 feet in diameter and 15 feet deep, had its beginning some 25,000 years ago as the Ice Age came to a close. Water flowing from the melting glacier that filled Franconia Notch eroded the solid granite bedrock. During the thousands of years that followed sand and stones were whirled around by the force of the river causing a boring action that left the sidewalls smooth. The rock formation seen in the stream bed at the outlet has been known for generations as “The Old Man’s Foot”.

The great American naturalist, Henry David Thoreau (1817-62), on his first trip to the White Mountains in September of 1839 stood here, as you do, and watched the water cascade into the granite bowl and whirlpool around its walls. He would later write in his Journal, “this pothole is perhaps the most remarkable curiosity of its kind in New England.”

Samuel Eastman in his 1858 White Mountain Guide called this spot “One of the beautiful haunts of Nature, a luxurious and delicious bath fit for the ablutions of a goddess.”

From the Basin we drove another 2.4 miles and stopped at Boise Rock.

Boise Rock

According to a sign at this site, Boise Rock has been a part of the history and folklore of Franconia Notch for generations.

Thomas Boise, a noted teamster of this region was sledding through the Notch in mid-winter, soon after the first road was built. Overtaken by a fierce snowstorm, he was unable to continue on. Realizing he must take drastic action to survive, he killed and skinned his horse. Crawling under the overhang of this rock, he wrapped himself in the hide and spent the night. Men sent out the next day to search for him found Tom still alive but encased in the frozen hide that had to be cut away with axes in order to release him.

Cannon Cliff is visible from Boise Rock.

Cannon Cliff, on the left
This is the direction we drove, when we left Boise Rock.

A mile further we stopped at the former site of the Old Man of the Mountain natural stone profile.

Old Man of the Mountain
August 10, 1999

The Old Man of the Mountain collapsed on May 3, 2003.

Today the Old Man of the Mountain Profiler Plaza honors the memory of the Old Man of the Mountain.

It was a short walk, along a paved path, from the parking lot to the Old Man of the Mountain Profiler Plaza.

The Old Man of the Mountain is back!

We returned to the Old Man of the Mountain Profiler Plaza on another day of our vacation. Other photographs will be shared in a future blog post.

It was raining, as we walked back to our car
from the Old Man of the Mountain Profiler Plaza.

Traveling north again on I-93, we took Exit 35 onto Route 3N. We passed by the Mt. Cleveland Overlook, the Beaver Brook Rest Area and trails and through the village of Twin Mountain. We turned right onto Route 302E. Our next photo stop was 18.1 miles from Old Man of the Mountain Profiler Plaza. We stopped an overlook of the Mount Washington Hotel.

Mount Washington Hotel

It was raining hard, when I took this picture. We returned to this overlook on another day of our vacation. Other photographs of this grand hotel will be shared in a future blog post.

We continued on Route 302 through Crawford Notch and Crawford Notch State Park. Our next two photo stops were within 4.2 miles of Mount Washington Hotel.

Elephant Head
This natural rock formation is located 3.5 miles from the Mount Washington Hotel.

Silver Cascade Falls
This waterfall is located 0.7 miles from the Elephant Head.

If I recall correctly, it was drizzling rain when we stopped at the Elephant Head and Silver Cascade Falls. There was a heavy mist all around us.

We continued on Route 302 past Bear Notch Road east to the Bartlett Covered Bridge, located 18 miles from our last stop.

Bartlett Covered Bridge with its unusual shop

Back on Route 302 we continued east to Glen, where it joined Route 16 south. Our next stop, which was 5.4 miles from Bartlett, was at the Intervale Scenic Vista from which one can see Mt. Washington.

Intervale Scenic Vista
Somewhere out there is Mt. Washington.

We ate a picnic lunch at the Intervale Scenic Vista. We sat in our car because it was raining.

After lunch, we continued on Route 16 through Conway. We stopped at the L.L. Bean Outlet store, where I purchased a raincoat. We avoided Conway for the rest of our vacation, as traffic was heavy and stop and go all the way through the town.

Our next photo stop was at the Saco Covered Bridge, located 7.2 miles from Intervale. The bridge is visible from Route 16; however, you have to leave that roadway to see the bridge up close and personal.

Saco Covered Bridge is located on East Side Road (N.H. Route 153).

Saco Covered Bridge

We returned to Route 16. At the junction of Routes 16 and 113 we turned right onto Route 113. We turned right onto Route 112, the Kancamagus Highway. We had to pay close attention to the road, as Kancamagus Highway was located only 1 mile from Saco Covered Bridge.

We reached the Kancamagus Highway at 3:12 pm. The highway is a 34.5 mile scenic drive between the towns of Conway in the east and North Woodstock in the west. The Kancamagus Highway was named for an early Indian Chief of the Penacook Confederacy. We made several stops along the highway, as we made our way east to west.

It does not cost anything to drive on the Kancamagus Highway.
However, if you stop at any of the recreational areas, a recreation pass is required.

Our first stop on the Kancamagus Highway was at the Albany Covered Bridge.

The Albany Covered Bridge is located 6.2 miles west along the Kancamagus Highway.

The Albany Covered Bridge spans the Swift River.

Our second stop on the Kancamagus Highway was at Lower Falls Scenic Area, a short 0.7 mile drive from the Albany Covered Bridge. The Lower Falls Scenic Area, located on the Swift River, is one of several wonderful places to swim along the Kancamagus Highway.

Look at the low-lying clouds.
It was drizzling rain, when we stopped here.

Did the rain / the weather stop people from spending the afternoon swimming?

Not at all!

When we left the Lower Falls Scenic Area we passed by several points of interest, as the weather, for the most part, was not conducive for taking quality pictures. We did, however, make three more photo stops along the Kancamagus Highway..

Our next two stops were at scenic overlooks: the Sugar Hill Scenic Vista and the C.L. Graham Wangan Ground scenic overlook. The Sugar Hill overlook was 10.6 miles from the Lower Falls Scenic Area, and the C.L. Graham overlook was 4.4 miles farther east on the Kancamagus Highway.

Sugar Hill Scenic Vista

C.L. Graham Wangan Ground Scenic Overlook

I wanted to stop at these two scenic overlooks because the low-lying clouds over the mountains were beautiful!

Our final stop on the Kancamagus Highway was 8.3 miles from the C.L. Graham Wangan Overlook. We stopped at the Lincoln Woods trailhead, where we discovered a suspension bridge spanning the Pemigewasset River.

The Lincoln Woods Trail crosses the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River
via this 160-foot-long suspension bridge.

We walked across the suspension bridge.

Halfway across the bridge I took this photograph of the Pemigewasset River.
The bridge in the distance is the Kancamagus Highway.

It was less than a 6-mile drive to Truants Tavern in North Woodstock, where we ate dinner. Bob ordered a Mushroom and Onion Burger with Onion Rings; I ordered a BBQ Bacon Burger with French fries. Dinner was good. We returned to our hotel, after dinner, and were in bed by 8:00 pm!

This blog post concludes Day 3 of our 7-day New Hampshire vacation.

Bennington VT to Lincoln NH

On July 31 we were up, showered and dressed ready for breakfast by 6:30 am. Breakfast was included in our hotel accommodation. We had to wait, as breakfast didn’t begin until 7:00 am.

Breakfast was good, what we have come to expect when we stay at Best Western hotels…eggs, sausage, bagel and an assortment of pastries, waffles, fruit, yogurt,tea and coffee. I had an egg and sausage bagel sandwich and a banana for breakfast. Bob had eggs, sausage and a pastry for his breakfast. I brought a hot tea back to room with me. I sat outside our room on a chair on the covered corridor drinking my tea and listening to the rain drops fall. How very peaceful and relaxing!

We departed the Best Western Bennington at 8:00 am en route Cynthia (Bob’s sister) and Larry’s house. We followed VT 9 from Bennington VT to Brattleboro VT. The Molly Stark Trail, as VT 9 is called, winds its way through low-lying valleys, historic villages, busy towns, and the beautiful Green Mountains. This route passes through gorgeous scenery. It is the route I enjoy most when we travel between home and Bob’s sister’s house in New Hampshire. Had it been a sunny morning, we would have made a few photo stops along the way. It was a rainy morning, though, and the views were not very good or nonexistent. We did make one photo stop at a covered bridge. The covered bridge was located in Brattleboro, VT. It was raining, but I got out and photographed the covered bridge anyway. Bob walked with me, holding an umbrella over my head.

Brattleboro, VT
Creamery Covered Bridge

We walked through and around the bridge.

Creamery Covered Bridge

Creamery Covered Bridge is 80 feet long and 19 feet wide.
The bridge spans the Whetstone Brook.

We arrived at Cynthia and Larry’s house in Amherst, NH shortly before 11:00 am. We spent the next 4 hours eating lunch, conversing with each other and playing with their dog Weezie. Cynthia and Larry recently converted their screened porch into a sunroom and shed. We spent the majority of our time there in the sunroom. The sunroom was very comfortable and quite cozy.

We enjoyed a selection of appetizers before lunch which included crackers, meat, cheese, smoked trout, shrimp cocktail, an assortment of vegetables and a few other things I can’t recall.

Yummy, smoked trout!

Our lunch entree was lobster rolls, accompanied by pasta salad.

Table set for lunch
How elegant!

For dessert we split large peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes.

Lunch was exceptionally good.

The four of us and Weezie

To take this picture I used my selfie stick, which had been sitting in my camera bag unused for quite a while. My selfie stick came in handy, as I forgot my tripod at home.

Thanks for everything Cynthia and Larry.
We enjoyed our visit with you very much.

We left Cynthia and Larry’s house at 3:15 pm en route Lincoln, NH. We arrived at the Rodeway Inn a couple hours later.

Rodeway Inn – our home for 4 nights

Our hotel room was on the ground floor, Room 104, and faced Route 3. Our room was simply furnished with two double beds, a nightstand, a table and two chairs, refrigerator, dresser and flat screen TV. There was plenty of outdoor seating, under cover. Our room was small, nothing fancy. It was clean; the air conditioning worked; and it was quiet. We spent 4 nights at this hotel and had only one complaint. We were told not to use the toaster that we brought with us in our room. We were allowed to use our electric teakettle, but not the toaster. There was a toaster in the breakfast room that we could use. However, the toaster was on a timer. We were out and about in the morning before the toaster became available for use.

At dinner time we drove into North Woodstock, located about 3 miles south of our hotel.

We were welcomed in North Woodstock by the “mayor”.

We ate dinner at the Landmark II Greek Restaurant. Bob ordered a chef salad; I ordered a meatloaf dinner accompanied with mashed potatoes and a tossed salad. Our meals were excellent. Our waiter was personal and attentive. We met the owner, who was personable as well. We didn’t meet the chef but learned his name is Andre. He is a very good chef.

After dinner we returned to our hotel and went for a walk along Route 3.

During our walk, we stopped for a look at the Pemigewasset River.
The river is located on the opposite side of the road from the Rodeway Inn.
(Photo by Bob)

A very rocky Pemigewasset River!

Each evening and each morning I sat outside our door, admiring the view.

This mountain range is to the north, toward the east.
According to our brother-in-law, this is the Franconia Ridge.

This blog post concludes Day 2 of our 7-day New Hampshire vacation.

Warren PA to Bennington VT

Bob and I had planned to attend a Vulcan Riders and Owners Club (VROC) motorcycle rally in Interlochen MI from August 4 through August 7. We were notified on July 23 that the cabin we reserved in Michigan was not habitable. It was filled with smoke and water, when another cabin, attached to ours, was consumed by fire. I took the fire as an omen…do not go to Michigan. So, we made plans to vacation in New Hampshire instead. We visited Bob’s sister and explored the White Mountains region.

Our New Hampshire vacation began on July 30. We departed our home in Warren en route Bennington, VT a little after 6:30 am.

Around 9:00 am we made a bathroom stop at a rest area just before Corning, NY. Free coffee / tea / hot chocolate and various snacks were available under a canopy set up by a local high school senior class. I saw hot dogs, chips and soft drinks, too, so it appeared that the kiosk would be there through lunch. We picked up coffee and tea and Grandma’s oatmeal raisin cookies, which we shared. Donations were accepted. We contributed to their donation jar.

We stopped for lunch at the Worcester Rest Area (NY). It was a bit chilly sitting at picnic table. My hoodie would have felt good, but I forgot to bring it.

Lunch Stop at Worcester Rest Area (NY)

Our picnic lunch included Bumble Bee tuna and chicken snacks to go that included crackers, a fruit cup and a chocolate chip cookie, Cajun Trail Mix and beverage of choice. I saw what I considered an odd sign at the rest area.

Does anyone else consider a “no hunting” sign odd at a rest area?

We encountered the most traffic on Rt. 7E in Troy, NY. It was slow going for several miles. We arrived at the Best Western Bennington in Bennington, VT around 1:50 pm.

Our hotel room was on the second floor, poolside, Room 169.

Best Western Bennington
View from our second floor room

Our hotel room was spacious. As you entered our room from the outside, you walked into an entry of sorts. The bathroom was straight ahead; our bedroom was to the left. Furnishings included two queen beds, separated by a nightstand; a love seat, coffee table; a desk and chair; dresser with flat screen TV; refrigerator and microwave.

As we have driven through Bennington on past trips to visit with Bob’s sister, we were aware that the Bennington Battle Monument is one of Bennington’s attractions. I thought the monument might be visible from our hotel. So I went for a walk around the hotel and through the shopping center located behind the hotel.

Found it!
Bennington Battle Monument visible in the background

Later in the afternoon we drove to the Bennington Battle Monument. We have visited the monument at least two times before during earlier trips to New Hampshire.

Bennington Battle Monument

This 306-foot stone monument is dedicated to the Battle of Bennington that took place during the Revolutionary War in 1777. Visitors may ride an elevator to the top of the Bennington Battle Monument for panoramic views of the valleys and rolling hills of Vermont, Massachusetts and New York. In past visits the monument was closed for the season, and we were not able to go inside the monument. For the first time we were able to ride the monument elevator to the observation deck, which is located 200 feet from the ground. See those narrow vertical openings about 3/4 up from the monument base? That is the location of the observation deck. There were views to the south, north, east and west. Poster size photographs on the wall opposite the view highlighted points of interest.

Looking south from Bennington Battle Monument Observation Deck

Points of interest looking south included the Old First Church, the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center and Mount Greylock-Taconic Range. Mount Greylock (3,491 feet) is the highest point in Massachusetts.

Looking east from Bennington Battle Monument Observation Deck

Points of interest looking east included Bald Mountain and Willow Park.

Looking north from Bennington Battle Monument Observation Deck

Looking west from Bennington Battle Monument Observation Deck

I was disappointed by the view, as you could only see through four narrow openings at each compass point. Only two of the four openings were unhindered by glass. I am glad that it cost only $5.00 each for the elevator ride.

Returning to ground level we walked around the monument grounds.

Bennington Battle Monument
and
Seth Warner Monument

Seth Warner Monument

Seth Warner was the commander of the Green Mountain Boys who helped defeat the British forces in the Second Engagement of the Battle of Bennington.

Bennington Battle Monument
and
General John Stark Statue

General John Stark Statue

General John Stark and 1,400 New Hampshire men were involved in the Battle of Bennington. This large granite boulder with its bronze tablet honors those men. The bronze state portrays General Stark in a heroic pose, stepping forward with an outstretched arm pointing towards the approaching British.

We saw our first moose, while at the Bennington Battle Monument.

This is Bennington Benny, the Covered Bridge Moose.

Benny was the first of several painted moose that we saw, while in Bennington.

Leaving the Bennington Battle Monument, we drove to Madison Brewing Company Pub & Restaurant for dinner. Bob’s sister recommended the restaurant as a comment on one of my Facebook posts. Bob ordered a blackened chicken salad; I ordered fish & chips. Both meals were excellent, as was the ambiance and service.

From the restaurant we returned to our hotel, stopping briefly at the Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce.

Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce

There were more painted moose on the grounds of the Chamber of Commerce.

Upon returning to our hotel, we walked across the street to the Dairy Bar for dessert.

We found yet another painted moose at the Dairy Bar.

The moose statues first began to appear in 2005, during Bennington’s Moosefest. In addition to Moosefest 2005, I found references on the Internet to a Moosefest 2009.

This blog post concludes Day 1 of our 7-day New Hampshire vacation.