Farewell New Hampshire, Hello Vermont Here We Come

Great fall reflections at Red Pond on the Kancamagus Hwy

New England weather can’t seem to make up its mind from day to day between rain or sunshine. There is definitely a nippy chill in the air now which is helping the fall colors on the trees along. It would be easy to spend more time in New Hampshire as there is lots to see and do especially with hundreds of hiking trails. We’ve covered just about everything imaginable in the White Mountains as far as roads, waterfalls, covered bridges, and grand hotel resorts.

Mt. Washington Resort... Just a little stop along the way

The Mt. Washington Resort in Bretton Woods had to indeed be the grand daddy of Eastern Great Hotels in terms of size. The White Mountains has several notable gaps otherwise known as “notches” between ridges. In the Franconia Notch we found Sugar Maple Hill having its Saturday Market with lots of handmade artisan crafts. Tapping trees for maple sap doesn’t occur until March.The government has stiff regulations and controls over who can do it, how the processing and sale of real maple syrup must occur from designated “sugar bushes”. Every farmhouse seems to have a pumpkin display of some sort in its front yard. Often there are some houses with large stands of pumpkins for sale along their country roadside. 

Lots of organics for sale at this farmhouse huh... Makes you wanna bake a pumpkin pie

Most of the covered bridges we’ve spotted have been around since the late 1700s and early 1800s. Several bridges were for foot traffic only, while others allowed for one way traffic by car. Two reasons for bridges to be covered were to keep the snow off and to keep horses from being spooked by the sound of rushing water. 

Swift River Bridge

One of 40 covered bridges in New Hampshire

 The Robert Frost Place nestled out in the country was thoroughly enjoyable. A ¼ mile trail into the woods nearby where Frost found inspiration for some of his poems actually had large wooden plagues on numerous trees with his poems posted. It was rather touching to come upon two well-known favorites “The Road Not Taken” and “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening”. Fall foliage is breathing like a ferocious dragon as we cross into Vermont. 

Frost lived here in Franconia, NH between 1915-1920

 

Along the Trail at the Robert Frost Place many of his poems can be seen.

Autumn colors at Silver Cascade Falls, NH

                                 May the Great Pumpkin be with you dear family and friends.

Hello and Happy Fall from New Hampshire

Balsam Resort Hotel

There has been lots to see and do in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. A loop drive through the Nash Stream Forest in the North Woods brought lots of autumn fall colors. The first breathtaking views came in Dixieville two miles up the mountain behind the Balsam Hotel resort where we enjoyed lunch at the golf club Panorama Restaurant. Picture us mid week at 3:00 o’clock up a top a mountain top having a relaxing lunch. Naturally a bottle of Samuel Adams for JR and glass of Pinot Grigio was just fine for starters. We marveled at the ambiance surrounding us while seated at a table with white linen tablecloth sharing yummy grilled reuben and lobster sandwiches while marveling at the fall foliage in New England. For shear decadence the day’s dessert special of raspberry moose layered cake couldn’t be passed up. A stroll outside on the restaurant’s patio deck to enjoy the spectacular view of the golf course and fall colors of the surrounding mountains in the Nash Stream Forest had to be savored. 

Who wouldn't love a round of golf in New Hampshire fall colors?

We were the last folks to leave the restaurant but the waitresses did not hurry us along. Afterward we stopped in at the Balsam Hotel in Dixieville to find the ballot room where the nation’s first election results are always posted in New Hampshire. It was exciting to see all the historical photos of presidential candidates displayed upon the walls. There are over 20 covered bridges in the state, but so far we have only seen three. 

Off on a road less traveled by up to Mt. Washington. Little did we know it would take us above into the clouds.

The Mt. Washington Auto Road after paying a $32 toll fee allowed us a thrill experience to climb a narrow road to the highest point in the Northeast to a summit at 6133 feet. Next stop found us at Glen Ellis Waterfalls down a canyon gorge trail with small rocks and a hundred stairs to descend. It has been rainy off and on a lot in NH so we plan our excursions out with the Toad around the weather forecasts. Today we are nestled in the motor home at the Country Bumpkin Campground in Lincoln keeping a watchful eye on the nearby creek rising about 50 yards away as the rain heavily pours. 

Gotta say "Nothing beats fall in New England...other than CANADA and CALIFORNIA"

Singing "I Got You Babe" and "On the Road Again"

More adventure tales from NH to come so keep posted.

Greetings from Maine “The Pine State”

"Wow Maine roadsides are really cool huh," says the Buckingham Bears.

Colors in Maine have just begun in late Sep

Every roadside is an array of autumn col

We’ve been enjoying the upper and central parts of Maine this week. A scenic byway through the Kennebec River and Moose Lake Valleys gave us a glimpse at the early signs of fall foliage. Mind you this is just the beginning of autumn colors showing their hues. 

Toad travels discover a road turning off the beaten path

JR puts us in four wheel drive up the mountain in the Kennebec Valley

See us Buckinghams out amongst the trees of Maine anywhere? It is like

"Where is Waldo?"

Moose River Valley on a hazy late September day

It usually begins at the higher elevations the last week in September and gradually increases in color to the lower elevations during the first two weeks in October. The weather has been mostly foggy or rainy as we’ve zigzagged our way along on three major scenic routes. The Mountains and Lake Region found us at the tip of the Appalachian Range high up mostly in the mist of clouds.

Driving curvy narrow roads has been a challenge but JR amazingly gets us through safely. Maybe it is time for him to try the next step and get his seaplane license.

Sell the boat, Buy the plane

Small Falls, Maine  brings a great picnic rest area

Just another sugar maple leaf. No sugar tapping on maple trees until February

 It is interesting what we have seen while driving here. Things have kept us entertained such as a blue heron in flight leading us for a full minute down the road, a flock of wild turkeys forging for grub, a big bull moose lumbering across the road, two young sheep frolicking and leaping with one another, lots of loaded logging trucks in transit, lovely colonial old homes, covered bridges, and colorful tree after tree after tree. If you believe in unicorns perhaps you might imagine a flying moose as well

Guilford Covered Bridge

Any one care for a moose ride?

A typical 1873 Colonial Church appears in most Maine towns

Maine averages 12 feet of snow each year. They say there are more snow mobiles on the roads in winter than there are cars. As lakes and rivers freeze folks drive pickup trucks on them, go ice fishing, ice skating, and sleigh riding.Come next spring we plan to return and drive Maine’s Atlantic seaboard to catch Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, and Roosevelt’s Campobello. We are leaving the rig in Tennessee with relatives for the winter while we fly home in mid November. For the time being more of the autumn fall colors are beckoning us on toward the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont.

Happy Fall Blessings to you.

Hello from Our Final Hoorah in Canada

We crossed New Brunswick fairly quickly cutting through the heart of the province.It was a pretty drive as the autumn leaves have just begun to show a bit of fall color changing. We had a lovely time along the St. John River all day walking around King’s Landing. It is a 19th century reconstructed historical village depicting life in early New Brunswick. The various interpreters dressed in 1800s period costumes were ever so willing to share many interesting and fascinating tidbits with us. Entering the settlement’s numerous buildings we were able to see an old saw mill in operation, a printer making signs, blacksmith forging iron fittings, the King’s Tavern serving food and drink, and various farmhouse folks performing their daily tasks.

King's Landing ladies visit the Hagerman House 1880

Ladies dawning their fashions around the village

Sawmill runs from the nearby pond feeding the water wheel turning

Betsy the horse walks on a thread mill which turns the blade to cut logs

Finally a drive about 15 kilometers north to see the world’s longest covered bridge at Hartland, New Brunswick was a must do before departing Canada. As we pulled up to the entrance of the bridge there was a height restriction of 10 feet posted, so unfortunately the rig couldn’t cross the bridge. 

Hartland Covered Bridge

Canada has been a grand odyssey filled with terrific memories these past four months while traveling across its wonderful nation. There are doers and dreamers and we DID IT in the best way possible. The border crossing put us into the USA at Houlton, Maine today. 

"We LOVED being along for the ride. It was a BLAST!"  Madeline, Yukon, and Gaspe (The Three Little Travelin Bears)

The next phase of the trip finds us heading off as leaf peepers to enjoy quaint little hamlets in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.






"Hey honey wanna find a summer cottage in New England to buy?"
"Well how about a grand B&B Inn along a river so all our family and friends can come join us as guests too. "
"There ARE possibilities you know."

Feel free to tune into the blog any day to keep up on the road adventures ahead throughout October. Blessings and Happy Fall to you...

Good Tidings from the Bay of Fundy’s Hopewell Rocks and Cape Enrage

Hopewell Rocks at low tide in the Bay of Fundy

Well, we have crossed back into New Brunswick starting off with visiting the Bay of Fundy. At Hopewell Rocks where they have pillars of eroded sea cliffs called ”the flower pots”people can walk around in the mudflats during low tide. The catch is you must walk down this steep stair well along the sea cliffs to get to the bottom at the shoreline. Since it was low tide we dawned our rubber boots so we could walk out quite a ways and take a look at the awesome rocks and scenery. You could see where the algae line was as to where the tide will rise and return six hours later. The tidal change the day we came varied 27 feet. On a blue moon it has been as much as a 44 foot tidal change. Christa maintained she planned to give herself a mud facial at the flats, but at the last minute chickened out settling for a face tattoo instead Always a kid at heart. 

Remember what does down has to go back up

This stairwell photo is only half of what there was to climb. You gotta just do it and forget the metal see through grates below your feet. Vertigo anyone?

Mid tide level here about 10 feet

Best to skiddadle folks as the water level rises to the algae on the cliffs

Kayakker bliss... they won't be climbing the stairwell

The following day we returned to catch the high tide and took a drive to Cape Enrage near Fundy Bay National Park to explore the lighthouse grounds. 

Cape Enrage Lighthouse

And to imagine a year ago the lady could barely make it up three stairs learning how to walk again.

 

Sawmill Bridge in Harvey, New Brunswick

It was windy and cold up there so splurging for lunch at the light keeper house café proved to be an epicurean delight. Chef Jeremy Wilbur actually came to the table to chat and serve us with an incredible scrumptious meal. He had prepared the best sea chowder we’ve ever tasted, tossed walnut salad with fresh blue berries and figs, and lobster poutine in moray cream sauce with Armenian cheese curds topped with piri piri sauce and fried yam strips.

Returning to camp we spotted a prairie chicken crossing the road, blue heron standing in the marshland, and wooden covered Sawmill Bridge built in 1905 along the way. Now this is one way to enjoy the good life in retirement. We plan to explore through New Brunswick in the coming week before crossing back into the USA to catch the changing autumn foliage in upper New England. 

Taking the road less traveled by through the woods while leaving only footprints behind