Tag Archives: food

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White Mountains trip, Day 4. Mother Walker Falls

November 29, 2019 Rivergirl 33 Comments

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

Sadly, this Mother wasn’t.

It sounded promising, so we headed down.

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

Oh, there were stacked rocks.

And precariously balanced rocks…

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.

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

The rocks.

A scenic drive…

Some foliage…

Some mountains…

And a lovely old bed and breakfast later….

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

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

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…

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.

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.

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.

November 26, 2019 Rivergirl 32 Comments

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.

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.

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

The Mount Washington valley still had snow..

And loomed majestic.

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

And headed for beer.

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?

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

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.

Husband had a tasty salad..

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.

Christ, if that doesn’t give you nightmares…

Nothing will.

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Things I don’t like today…. Part 5.

November 25, 2019 Rivergirl 43 Comments

I don’t like…

When my lunch stares back at me.

I don’t like that at all.

I don’t like…

A weather app that promotes kale.

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That’s just wrong.

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I don’t like…

Checking my spam folder and finding 31 ads for Amoxocillin.

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Geesh, how infectious do they think I am?

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I love my town… Part 5.

November 23, 2019 Rivergirl 38 Comments

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

There are the usual missing critter reports.

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

Snakes are actively being sought.

As are nuts.

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

Artful pumpkins are being carved…

And grapes are plentiful.

Syrup is available.

As are extremely round sheep.

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

Garbage…

You’re doing it wrong.

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White Mountains trip Day 2…. Upper Jackson Falls

November 14, 2019 Rivergirl 44 Comments

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.

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White Mountains trip…. Day 1. The resort.

November 1, 2019 Rivergirl 34 Comments

As you know, we use our timeshare when we travel. Some of the resorts we choose have been fabulous… some less so.

The Grand Summit Resort at Sunday River?

From the outside? Not bad.

Good location, up a long driveway, past a babbling brook… nestled in the mountains.

Technically it’s a ski resort, so yes…. there are ski slopes.

Inside?

Rustic decor, heavily ski-centric.

With questionable carpet choices.

Which did not improve when we made our way upstairs to our condo.

Yeah.

This literally made my head swim every time I had to walk on it.

See? It even made the camera dizzy.

The only good thing I can say about it is they are in the process of ripping it up. Though sadly, not soon enough for us.

While I usually book the larger 2 bedroom unit for extra space, an extra bathroom and a larger kitchen…. this was a last minute deal and I had to take a 1 bedroom. Never having been here before, I have to say I was not impressed.

It was really small.

And as basic as I’ve ever seen.

The “full” kitchen? Not so full.

It also went a little heavy on the moose theme.

While it was clean and the bed was comfortable…. the smoke alarm went off everytime we made toast, which must have endeared us to our neighbors since we’re up with the sun most days. The shower head was so low the 5’8” husband hit his head every time he attempted to wash his hair, and the kitchen cabinet doors stuck to the frames like glue. If you managed to pull them open? The shelves wobbled.

Thankfully we only slept and showered there because the noise from the heating unit would probably have caused me to drink a Drano cocktail had we stayed any longer.

Of course they did provide some stellar reading material on the coffee table….

And a nice big tree in front of our balcony…

With a stunning view of the 6 slot parking lot. The slots everyone jockeys for because otherwise you’re hoofing it down the hill to the auxiliary lot.

Yes… 6 spots up front. For a resort that has hundreds of condo units as well as a hotel and restaurant. Smart planning, that.

Oh well.

The restaurant was fun.

Appropriately named Camp, it was modern rustic.

And we enjoyed it.

Who doesn’t want to be lit by an upside down canoe?

Tasty seasonal cocktails…

And a light dinner later….

We called an end to our first day.

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White Mountains trip… Day 1.

October 31, 2019 Rivergirl 26 Comments

It was a little dreary the day we left, with rain threatening in the distance… but we made good time and actually arrived too early to check into our resort.

What to do. What to do…

Who am I kidding?

It was margarita time.

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So we found a chicken themed bar…

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And settled in for lunch. Liquid and otherwise…

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It was a funky place…

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Basically a converted farmhouse with lots of quirky little rooms.

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And though they don’t look wonderful….

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The homemade chicken croquettes were to die for.

Bellies full, we headed out.

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Fall color was intermittent during this trip. Some places gorgeous, others past peak.

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We got to Newry, still too early to check in… so we explored.

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Found a covered bridge….

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Built in 1872…

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And enjoyed the views.

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It was peaceful…

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And smelled like autumn.

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For those not familiar…

That means fresh air, apples, a hint of wood smoke, and dry crackling leaves.

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Nectar of the Gods.

Down the road a ways, we had a laugh.

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We followed the sign, but found neither hole nor Frenchman.

But we did pass a camp….

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With the perfect name.

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That says it all.

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I love the country!

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The D word.

October 24, 2019 Rivergirl 58 Comments

It’s four evil letters…

And I dread it like the plague.

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But the time has come.

Entering my 50’s, a hysterectomy forced menopause and long Maine winters have taken their toll and I swear I don’t even recognize myself when I look in a full length mirror.

Alright, yes.

Bacon may have had a little something to do with it.

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So now I’m eating healthy.

I’ve given up bacon, and cheese, and gravy, and bread, and chocolate and all those other wonderful things that make life worth living.

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I’m back on the treadmill for 2 or 3 sessions a day…. panting, sweating and realizing how horribly out of shape I’ve become.

And believe me when I say I hate exercising.

Really f*ing hate it.

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I’m not enjoying the process, but I’m down 14 lbs…. and that’s rewarding.

What’s not rewarding is that I can’t even tell the difference. And that, my friends…. is a sure sign you’re overweight.

I mean damn… shouldn’t my clothes be falling off me by now?

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It’s been 5 weeks of abstinence…

(No, not that kind. I’m overweight, not crazy.)

In a perfect world, I lose another 30lbs. But I’m not holding my breath for miracles. The older we get, the harder it is to lose and at this point I’d be happy to just fit into some of my old clothes again.

So, give a girl a hand. If you have any dieting tips or tricks? I’m all ears…

And hips.

And thighs.

And boobs…

actual footage of my treadmill motivation

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Do you need one of these?

October 16, 2019 Rivergirl 50 Comments

Stupid products. They’re everywhere…

Even here.

I heard you. You think gas filters aren’t stupid?

Well, this one is for your butt.

The bad part of a fart?

Pray tell, what exactly is the good part…

For those of you who were looking for the perfect stocking stuffer for Xmas this year?

Next… no tie shoelaces.

Because yes, apparently we really are that lazy.

On first glance this looked promising….

Until I remembered the best thing about making S’mores on a campfire is that you don’t have to clean up anything.

Can you imagine the mess that contraption would make in your oven? Melted chocolate and gooey marshmallow crystallizing and baking onto the racks?

Finally, I admit this last stupid product has infinite potential.

Now call me crazy, but a gentle reminder to change the toilet paper is not the first thing that came to mind when I thought of recording a message.

No…

I want more bang for my buck and was thinking more along the lines of the Tidy Bowl Man yelling “Incoming!”….. or an upper class British accent begging you not to make a second trip to the buffet at Taco Loco.