Tag Archives: leaf peeping

The Devil’s shingle and a foliage finale.

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Since we were unable to ride the actual train, we had to check out the little Cog Railway museum while we were there. I won’t drone on about the engineering wonder it was….

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But I will draw your attention to this…

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I simply can not imagine flying down the mountainside on a small piece of wood.

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And trust me, it was small. It’s hard to tell from that picture but look closely and you’ll realize big butt people need not apply.

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Although that dog seems to be enjoying the ride.

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A few more foliage pics from our drive home.

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Bye bye Mountains.

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We certainly enjoyed the show.

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Mountains, foliage and a little food.

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When you exit the Kancamagus Highway…

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You find yourself in the town of Woodstock, and when you’re in Woodstock?

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You have to visit the Woodstock Inn and Brewery.

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Of course if you visit this time of year.. you can expect to search endlessly for a parking spot, be unable to sit outside due to the high crowd volume, and find that the only indoor space available are two stools at the end of the bar.

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The brewery is a funky place, filled with all kinds interesting eye candy.

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But it was extremely crowded as well as extremely loud, so we decided to have a drink and an appetizer and be on our way.

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Pomegranate margarita and some fabulous duck wontons with sweet Thai chili sauce for me.

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And a French onion soup so loaded with cheese for the husband I thought he’d never get through it.

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After our snack we headed to Franconia Notch…

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Where the fall color was a bit past peak but still impressive.

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Trees.

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Fall leaves.

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And mountains.

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No narrative required.

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Cathedral Ledge Part 2.

 

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Mountain views.

 

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Valley views.

 

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Vibrant autumn color.

 

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And love locks… Cathedral ledge has it all.

 

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Even lovers with a sense of humor.

 

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It was glorious… and that was only the front half.

 

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Walking along the sides, we made friends.

 

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Took 100 more pictures….

 

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And simply marveled at the beauty of nature.

 

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Even the husband was quiet.

 

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Honestly, there’s only so many times you can say wow.

 

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It really was a special spot.

 

 

This way?

 

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Beautiful.

 

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That way?

Fabulous.

 

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Gaze in wonder.

Take picture.

Repeat.

 

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There were rocks!

 

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And trees!

 

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And they made me realize how blessed I am to live in a truly wonderful part of the world.

 

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We made one final lap along the fence line…

 

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And strolled a few final steps across those marvelous rocks…

 

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I tried again…. unsuccessfully… to get a double selfie where the husband actually looks at the camera.

 

 

But no matter.

 

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We took one last look and bid goodbye to a place I’d revisit in a heartbeat next time we’re in the area.

 

 

Polar Caves Part 2… rocks, trees and more rocks.

 

Walking along a lovely path past a duck pond….

 

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We found the covered bridge.

 

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And kissed.

 

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Continuing along the walkways…

 

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We read the park’s history.

 

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And decided what to do first.

 

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Remember when I said this series would have a lot of rocks?

 

 

The rocks start now.

 

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Matter of fact, this section was called the Rock Garden.

 

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So clearly I’m not the only enthusiast.

 

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I loved it.

 

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It was like a moss covered fairy village with fabulously crafted wooden boardwalks.

 

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Meticulously cut around the rocks.

 

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I could have happily wandered there all day.

 

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Rocks!

 

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Some seriously big rocks.

 

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Did I mention this was a rock garden….

 

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And it was full of rocks?

 

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I was loving it.

 

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Though I admit getting a little tired from all the steps.

 

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But the rocks….

 

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They rocked.

 

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As did the funky lichen, ferns and moss.

 

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The steps?

 

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My thighs said, not so much.

 

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But we kept walking.

 

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Through some seriously old rocks…

 

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A veritable maze of old rocks.

 

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Fern covered rocks!

 

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And then we discovered the caves we’d come to see…

 

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Were way up there.

 

White Mountains trip Day 3… frost, foliage, skulls and old men.

 

We woke up on the morning of our third day to a bit of chilly weather.

 

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And a whole lotta windshield frost.

 

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You can tell by the husband’s face he was not pleased with the little girlie scraper I keep in my car. But heck, he shouldn’t grumble. It beat his credit card.

 

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There were more trees, and more fall foliage.

 

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And of course, skulls.

 

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And skeletal ATV passengers.

 

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Which we saw at a local gas station.

Off roading is a huge industry in the mountains and these things are everywhere. Some towns even allow them to run the main roads. Rental places are abundant, with guides plotting out trips and trails for novices.

We even drove past an ATV Halloween parade. Bizarre doesn’t begin to describe it…. but no matter how loudly I squealed for the husband to stop so I could photograph it…. he flew right past.

 

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Day 3 had us cruising down Route 2 through Gilead, Maine.

 

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Blink and you’ll miss the town.

 

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But it’s always one of my favorite scenic rides in the area.

 

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A little farther down the road the mountains held on to some fog.

 

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And it can be a surreal sight.

 

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Hanging there, still and quiet….

 

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Ethereal.

 

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We were heading to the Polar caves in Rumney, New Hampshire and drove past numerous ski areas….

 

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As well as Franconia Notch where there wasn’t much foliage at all.

 

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The Old Man in the Mountain used to live here…

 

 

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But sadly, he collapsed on May 3, 2003.

 

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And if you lived in this part of the country?

Trust me…

You wept.

 

White Mountains trip Day 2….. Evans Notch.

 

Heading back to the resort after a full day of exploring, we decided to drive through.. and over… Evans Notch.

 

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It’s basically a straight up ride that cuts through a mountain to the other side.

 

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We had it all to ourselves and saw some of the most vibrant color of our trip.

 

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Pictures don’t do it justice, so ride along with us.

Just watch out for chipmunks.

 

 

 

I wish we’d been there a week earlier when the reds and oranges had been popping…

 

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But it was still quite a show.

 

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When we reached the top…

 

 

 

It thinned out a little.

 

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Bare granite on the right…

 

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Full foliage behind the sign.

 

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And a mix on the left…. with the sun setting in the distance.

 

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Heading back down was just as pretty…

 

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And it was nice to see I’m not the only one who  ❤’s  the mountains.

 

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White Mountains trip Day 2…. Upper Jackson Falls

 

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.

White Mountains trip Day 2…. Lower Jackson Falls

 

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When I say Falls, I’m not talking Niagara…

 

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In October, these are dotted with bright foliage…..

 

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And cascade gently down the hill.

 

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No barrel required.

 

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Which is good, because it’s a hard look to pull off.

 

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Selfies you shoot into the sun so you can see your hands holding your phone reflected in your glasses are so much easier.

 

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Did I mention there were rocks?

 

 

 

And tranquil pools…

 

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As well as some pretty nice views?

 

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Well there were.

 

 

 

White Mountains trip…Day 2. Mount Washington Valley and Jackson Village.

 

After our moose sighting, we set out through the Mount Washington Valley of New Hampshire.

 

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We’ve done Washington many times and this trip we were just passing through…

 

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It was a crisp and clear 64 degrees down below…

 

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But she already had a 4 inch dusting of snow.

 

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Not yet, thank you very much.

I’ll stay down below where it’s warmer and greener.

 

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Next stop?

Jackson N.H….. where they’re famous for their falls. They’re a little hard to find but when you see houses with backyards like this –

 

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You know you’re getting close.

 

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Along the way, the husband was fascinated by an early snow plow….

 

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But I told him keep walking…. it won’t fit in the barn.

 

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We headed down a path looking for the falls….

 

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And found a few rocks…

 

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With a wedding venue set up alongside. A sign said the public was invited, and to feel free to come as you are.

You have to love New England.

 

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Still looking for the falls, we backtracked, and walked up a steep sidewalk past a very pink cottage.

 

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And found more rocks.

 

 

Some running water….

 

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And the soon to be married couple…

 

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Taking some wedding portraits with an interesting backdrop.

And finally,  the bottom of the falls….