Tag Archives: food

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Resort hopping Part 3… The Eagle Mountain House.

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Last on our list of resorts that day was an old and well known establishment.

 

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New England is full of quirky places like this.

 

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With a nice big porch…

 

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And a nice big view…

 

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It was a pleasant spot to end the day.

 

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Charming…

 

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Cozy…

 

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And full of antiques….

 

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It was instantly welcoming.

 

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I can’t say it any better than that.

 

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The bar.

 

 

Oh, stuff it Dorothy.

You know us better by now.

 

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But amusing sign aside…

 

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The mushroom risotto cake appetizer left a lot to be desired, as did the cranberry gin fizz.

A definite meh.

 

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We only stayed for one round and then headed into the gift shop… where I saw a wine tag that made me laugh.

 

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As well as…

Are you ready for this?

A bucket of ducks!

 

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Christ on a cracker….enough with the rubber ducks.

This was getting creepy.

 

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Bidding farewell to the hotel, and the ducks….

 

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It took all I could do to convince the husband he could not go rummage in the establishment’s old slate roofed barn.

 

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The mere thought of not being able to gather up all the unloved tools and rusted treasures that must be stored in there? Practically ruined his night…

 

 

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Resort hopping Part 2. The Mountain View Grand.

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Hidden away in tiny Whitefield, New Hampshire is a gem.

 

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A sprawling hotel…

 

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Packed with old world charm.

Sadly they were renovating the front entrance when we visited so we had to sneak in the side.

 

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Look at those doors!

 

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Chess anyone?

 

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I’m a sucker for a good porch.

 

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And this one did not disappoint.

 

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I could happily plop here with a good book….

 

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A pitcher of margaritas…

 

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And never leave.

 

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Back inside, I checked out the wall of history…

 

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And some great old photographs…

 

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While the husband continued his “I shall pee everywhere I can in Western Maine and New Hampshire” challenge with an upscale rest room this time.

And speaking of rest rooms…

 

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Even I had to check out the pink marble in theirs.

But ooh la la…

 

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There were private sinks inside the ladies room stalls.

Is that some chic shit or what?

 

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Moving on through the lounge…

 

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We found a dining room… and the place where we would spend the next two hours.

 

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The bar.

 

 

Don’t look surprised, you knew it was coming.

 

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One Lemonflower Martini…

 

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One Cranberry Orange Margarita…

 

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And one Melon Margarita later…

 

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(Don’t judge me.

They had a 6 page cocktail list and tequila soaked cranberries…. I had to.)

 

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There were some crab cakes.

Some smiley face crab cakes… and yes, that was on purpose.

 

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Crab cakes weren’t supposed to be served that time of day, or at all in the tavern for that matter….. but when you make friends with the bartender?

Anything is possible.

 

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An afternoon well spent, we poured ourselves out the door.

 

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And lamented the fact we wouldn’t be back anytime soon.

 

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Even mid facelift..

She’s an elegant old broad.

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White Mountains trip… Day 7. The beginning of the end.

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On the 7th and final full day of our trip, the husband woke up and said no more hiking, climbing and jumping rocks.

Or rather his back did…

 

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So we did what any (not so) able bodied tourists would do…

We had a long lazy breakfast…

 

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And resort hopped the day away.

 

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Our first stop was a brand new place perched at the bottom of Mount Washington.

 

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While it didn’t look like much from the front, the views out back were wide open.

 

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With a large deck…

 

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Ample seating, and a fire pit to take it all in.

 

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Inside there was a nice dining room..

 

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Filled with old photos…

 

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And history of the area.

 

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But it was the lounge and bar that drew our attention.

(You’re shocked, I know.)

 

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It had my kind of moose head mounted over the mantle…

 

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And a wall of windows…

 

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That made for a damn near perfect spot to drink.

 

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So we drank.

 

 

(You’re surprised, I know.)

 

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My Thyme In Mumbai please…

 

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Yes, I believe that tasted like another one.

 

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The bartender/waitress was a hoot and had us sample a new hard cider by North Country called Squashed. I’m not a fan of all that pumpkin spiced crap but this was heavenly. Light, crisp with delicate undertones… I was hooked. Until I researched it and realized you could only buy it by visiting their tasting room.

Future road trip itinerary – check!

Thinking it might be a good idea to have some food to soak up the alcohol, I opted for a crab cake that was the size of a large saucer and pure crab. It was sublime.

 

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Tomato bisque for the husband.

 

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Which was small, but delightfully rich and creamy.

 

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Bacon wrapped pan seared sea scallops for him…

 

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Grilled chicken club wrap for me.

Good bye diet.

 

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We soaked in the wall of windows a little longer…

 

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Then headed out….

 

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To resort #2.

(You’re welcome food people. Breakfast and lunch!)

 

 

 

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White Mountains trip Day 6.. shopping and scenery.

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Bethel is a lovely little mountain village with some quirky shops.

 

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With a heavy accent on the Yeti for some reason.

 

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We stopped in a gallery….

 

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Filled with local artists…

 

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Moose…

 

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And numerous paintings of vegetables.

Thanks, but I prefer them on my plate… not my walls.

 

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Heading out of town we passed a gorgeous old Victorian.

 

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And a stately old colonial.

A home like that would be my dream… that, and enough money to buy one of those grand old dames and update their interiors.

New houses have no charm.

 

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We cruised along enjoying the scenery…

 

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And the views.

 

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Damn, could you imagine having that for your back yard?

 

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Not too shabby.

A little farther down the road the husband spotted some new construction and turned in to check them out.

 

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By the look of the views? I knew we couldn’t afford it.

 

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The properties were a good size.

 

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With special attention paid to make sure no home blocked another’s view.

 

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So if I win the lottery?

 

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Look for me living here in the autumn.

Number 15 looks just fine…

 

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We have a version of this sign over our way, so it tickled me to see one in the mountains.

 

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Yes, those really are all the names of Maine towns.

 

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Day 6 done, we headed back to our resort for dinner at Camp.

 

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I liked the upscale rustic theme…

 

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Sitting under a lighted canoe…

 

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And a yummy salt brined citrus roasted chicken dinner.

 

 

 

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I bet you didn’t know….

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A woodpecker pecks wood 12,000 times a day.

 

 

But I did, because…

 

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Did you know…

Welsh mercenary bowmen in the medieval period only wore one shoe at a time?

 

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Well, you have to admit, a pair will definitely last longer that way.

 

Did you know…

The liquid inside a young coconut can be used as a substitute for blood plasma in an emergency?

 

 

It’s official.

I shall never bleed out…

 

Did you know…

During his lifetime, Herman Melville’s classic novel of the sea Moby Dick only sold 50 copies?

That’s a frighteningly small number of Dicks….

 

 

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Did you know…

Alfred Hitchcock did not have a belly button?

 

 

It’s true, but you have to admire his work out routine.

 

Did you know…

Apollo 11 only had 12 seconds of fuel left when it landed?

 

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That’s some high tech NASA equipment right there.

 

Did you know…

Babe Ruth wore a cabbage leaf under his hat to keep his head cool and changed it every two innings?

Why not…

Anything beats eating it.

 

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White Mountains trip, Day 4. Mother Walker Falls

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Never let it be said I’m not up for a good waterfall.

Sadly, this Mother wasn’t.

 

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It sounded promising, so we headed down.

 

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And while it was a pretty spot, I didn’t see a whole lot falling.

 

 

 

Oh, there were stacked rocks.

 

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And precariously balanced rocks…

 

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But even when we followed the sound of running water, there wasn’t much falling.

 

 

I’m sure it’s much more impressive in the spring.

 

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But we still enjoyed the walk, the day, and…

 

 

The rocks.

 

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A scenic drive…

 

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Some foliage…

 

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Some mountains…

 

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And a lovely old bed and breakfast later….

 

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We followed someone’s advice and stopped for a meal at the Sudbury Inn in Bethel.

 

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Tucked away out back, down some dark steps… we found what I can only describe as the local dive bar.

 

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Local workmen at the bar (shooting us disgusted looks) and slumming prep school students from Gould Academy made up the clientele. Uncomfortable chairs, spotty silverware and a disinterested (borderline surly) bartender/waiter… who made us wait longer than he had to… made us question why we were there.

 

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But despite the business card decorated ceiling and questionable decor…

 

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There was surprisingly good food and at least 2 dozen beers on tap.

Mr. Personality even accommodated the husband’s preference for grilled chicken with his chicken parm.

 

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Which just goes to show you can’t judge a bar if you’re from out of town…. or something like that.

Our 4th day ended at our resort with us walking past the strange carved bear out front.

 

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If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he was praying for new carpet.

 

 

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White Mountain trip Day 3… Random scenery.

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No, the vacation series isn’t over yet, I just thought I’d give you a few days break.

 

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Leaving the Sculptured Rocks geological site, we drove through the Cockermouth Forest.

Yes. I swear….

We did.

 

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I’m reasoning that Cocker Spaniels are bird retrieval dogs, and therefor have tender mouths.

Yes.

That’s my explanation… and I’m sticking to it.

 

 

We headed back to our resort through Franconia Notch which was starkly devoid of leaves.

 

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And went through the town of Carroll, where moose are clearly being held prisoner.

 

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The Mount Washington valley still had snow..

 

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And loomed majestic.

 

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Back in the Bethel/Newry area, we regained the foliage.

 

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And headed for beer.

 

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Sunday River brewery is a large restaurant and pub that seemed to be packed with locals and tourists alike every night. We did a flight, and weren’t overly impressed with the quality…. so I switched to an Apple Smash, which was a wonderful concoction whose list of ingredients I don’t recall. But there were copious amounts of apple Crown Royal…

And isn’t that really all you need to know?

 

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Seeing that I love soft bar pretzels and the husband doesn’t, I ordered some for my appetizer.

 

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Holy Mother of God! Served with warm blue cheese beer sauce, they were absolutely the best I’ve ever had. I instantly forgave them their lousy beer and planned on filling a dump truck with these and riding off into the sunset.

 

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Husband had a tasty salad..

 

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And we both had the baked haddock, which sadly was dry and uninteresting.

Back at our resort for the night, we opted for the stairs instead of the elevator and were bombarded by yet another section of hideous carpet.

 

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Christ, if that doesn’t give you nightmares…

Nothing will.

 

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I love my town… Part 5.

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It’s time to take a look at the riveting happenings posted on my town’s FB page again.

 

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There are the usual missing critter reports.

 

 

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Though pigs have taken a back seat to birds this week.

 

 

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Snakes are actively being sought.

 

 

 

 

As are nuts.

 

 

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*Note to male readers – I do not support the crushing of nuts between your legs. No letters, please.*

Artful pumpkins are being carved…

 

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And grapes are plentiful.

 

 

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Syrup is available.

 

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As are extremely round sheep.

 

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Then there’s the woman who wants everyone to watch a program about garbage.

 

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Garbage…

 

 

 

You’re doing it wrong.

 

 

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White Mountains trip Day 2…. Upper Jackson Falls

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Yes… we’re still on the second day of our trip.

And yes, we’re still at the Falls.

 

 

Hey, just be glad I’m weeding through the 1704 photos and only giving you the highlights.

 

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Working our way up the falls took some time.

 

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But it really was lovely.

 

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Nothing like hanging out with Mother Nature to lower your blood pressure.

 

 

The closer we got to the top, the more people just plunked themselves down on the rocks and made themselves comfortable…

 

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And why not?

It’s a great place to read, unwind…and enjoy the day.

 

 

At the top you cross a wonderful iron bridge…

 

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Look both ways…

 

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And say thank you Jackson Falls…

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with you.

 

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And your rocks.

(Or maybe that was just me.)

Done with the Falls, we headed into town for some sustenance.

 

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And found the cutest pumpkin display ever…

 

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Next to our destination.

 

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It looked promising.

 

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Warm and inviting.

 

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A vintage inn and tavern whose bar was packed to the rafters that late Saturday afternoon.

 

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I wanted to love it.

 

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I mean come on, they had ski lift seating….

 

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And a sign for the Woodchuck Trail. Who doesn’t love that?

But the service was terrible, the beer was warm and the food? When it finally came, over an hour after we ordered, was barely edible.

Sorry Martin, I didn’t even bother with pictures. Dry meatless ribs and a soggy Rachel sandwich do not warrant photographs.

 

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But martian pumpkins and gourds?

Definitely do.