Tag Archives: new england

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Cathedral Ledge Part 2.

December 3, 2019 Rivergirl 38 Comments

Mountain views.

Valley views.

Vibrant autumn color.

And love locks… Cathedral ledge has it all.

Even lovers with a sense of humor.

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

Walking along the sides, we made friends.

Took 100 more pictures….

And simply marveled at the beauty of nature.

Even the husband was quiet.

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

It really was a special spot.

This way?

Beautiful.

That way?

Fabulous.

Gaze in wonder.

Take picture.

Repeat.

There were rocks!

And trees!

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

We made one final lap along the fence line…

And strolled a few final steps across those marvelous rocks…

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

But no matter.

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

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White Mountains trip Day 5. Cathedral Ledge.

December 2, 2019 Rivergirl 39 Comments

Are you ready for a deluge of photos?

Good, then you’re in the right place…

Because this was probably the most scenic spot we found on our trip.

Pulling into the park, the ledge loomed ahead.

We drove up a long, winding, foliage bracketed road…

And a short walk from the parking lot at the top?

Wow.

I’m going to run out of words to describe the view pretty quickly.

Breath taking. Splendid. Dazzling. Jaw dropping. Stunning…

See?

Speechless..

And look at the rocks!

And the trees!

And the even bigger rocks…

With people climbing up them.

I was one happy camper.

Even when I saw I couldn’t use the mountaineers as target practice.

It was glorious.

Every where you turned…

Magnificent views.

Made me feel like I was on top of the world.

More to come.

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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 4… Step Falls

November 27, 2019 Rivergirl 31 Comments

Trees and rocks… rocks and trees ahead.

You’ve been warned.

Oh, come on.

Early morning day 4, we woke with the sun and headed out for a hike to Step Falls.

I wish I could convey the sense of peace that envelops me when I walk into a forest. The fresh air of natural places, the gentle breeze swaying the leaves. The sweet songs of the birds, the whisper of the trees. It’s pure magic.

I don’t know who’s responsible for finding these wild and beautiful places and opening them to the public… but I’ll be forever grateful.

Step Falls in Bethel, Maine. In October when we visited… gently cascading streams. In spring during snow melt season? Torrents of angry water rushing down the mountain not caring what lies in it’s path.

Many of the places we visit are free to the public, but are maintained by local volunteers who ask that you donate to help with costs. Most people never do, so we make a point of it each and every time.

And with this Cycloptic donation box…. how could you not?

The paths were wide and friendly…

Although I couldn’t help but feel I was being watched.

Into the woods…

Up the hill, where we first heard the falls.

Up some stone steps.

Up some fortuitously placed tree roots.

We see a bit more water.

No.

Not even close…

Ever onward…

And upward…

Past some weird trees growing right around the rocks.

More of the falls.

And a not very comfortable but necessary granite bench to stop and let the husband take a breath.

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

November 16, 2019 Rivergirl 34 Comments

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.

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White Mountains trip Day 2….. Evans Notch.

November 15, 2019 Rivergirl 23 Comments

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

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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Autumn woes.

November 9, 2019 Rivergirl 33 Comments

Just some deer…

And last month’s backyard fall leaves.

I fear for our resident buck this time of year.

Bow season in October, rifle season in November, black powder season in December.

Three months of abject slaughter I will never understand.

I’m tired of the culling argument. Mother Nature takes care of her own…. and hunters don’t want the small and the weak.

They want the big racks. (Of course they do, they’re men.)

They kill the strongest, largest and healthiest buck they can find…. which means those genes won’t get passed on.

Meanwhile, Momma’s fawns are growing up.

No more spotted Bambis.

And the does enjoy a treat before cold weather sets in….

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White Mountain trip… Day 2. Screw it.

November 4, 2019 Rivergirl 29 Comments

Though our condo unit wasn’t the greatest, I have to admit the mountain sunrises were rather nice.

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But before I jump into the day’s activities…. I have to tell you about our first night. We spent it in a spacious king size bed with 6 snuggly goose down pillows and comforter. At 2:00am I rolled over, stretched out my leg and felt… something hard. ( No, not that. I’ve been waking up to that for years…. I recognize it.)

This was down at my feet. Hard, light weight and bumpy. But I was half asleep and wrote it off to part of a twisted sheet.

It wasn’t.

When I got up the next morning and made the bed?

I found these.

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Yup.

Four rubber duckies hiding at the very bottom of the bed where the comforter is tucked under the mattress.

I don’t know about you, but that was a first for me.

Free ducks!

Give this resort 5 stars…

Mints on pillows? Pffft. That’s for amateurs.

Plastic waterfowl is where it’s at.

Anyway –

Leaving the resort everyday looked like this…

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So free ducks aside, I’m not complaining.

We passed this ski season bar everyday as well.

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Poor lonely mug.

Our first excursion took us to Grafton Notch.

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And yes, that’s really the name.

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(Here’s where we begin the rocks and trees, trees and rocks part of our story.)

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Clambering around the granite boulders, you find the falls.

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And you have to admit, for rocks…. they’re pretty awesome.

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Walk the charming leaf strewn path…

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Across the cute little bridge…

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And there are more rocks.

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The mini falls and pools are a favorite swimming spot in summer, and rage with fury during the spring snow melt.

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Falls seen, experienced and photographed, the husband begins what would become his epic “I will leave my mark on every state and national park portapotty I can find” challenge.

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