Every time we stay in the White Mountains of New Hampshire we try to explore a new town. This trip it was Littleton….
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A charming place with a delightfully quirky downtown area.
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They’ve been voted Best American Main Street numerous times and once you stroll around… it’s easy to see why.
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Of course when you’re strolling with my husband that means ducking into every antique store you see.
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Clearly this fellow takes his wine selection seriously.
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But wait… what’s that on the floor in the back?
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Weeee! Another vintage alcohol related crate for my vinyl collection. I paid more for this one than any of the others, but we haggled 20% off and there’s no sales tax in New Hampshire so I’m calling it a win.
Husband doing the dishes in our resort condo as well? Score!!!
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Heading to the riverfront area we discovered a pedestrian covered bridge.
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Which afforded some great views..
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And that old red building with the waterwheel on the left?
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Turned out to be Schilling brewery which made yours truly very happy.
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They kept the feel of the old mill with a rustic interior…
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And served a fabulous wood fired artisan pizza with chicken, bacon, cheese, spinach, tart apples and maple syrup. Sound weird? Yes… but it was heavenly.
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As was their beer, which they take very seriously. The bartender was extremely knowledgeable and quizzed you before you chose. It wasn’t pass or fail, but it definitely resulted in him pouring you the perfect beer suited to your tastes.
My liquid ambrosia this visit? Schlaumeier – a Hefeweizen (wheat beer) with delicate notes of banana and clove. It sounds bizarre was positively grand.
When you’re in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, you drive.
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Here, there and everywhere if you’re with us.
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And though peak foliage had passed, the faded colors still retained a certain beauty.
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Anonymous mountain road?
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Sure, we’ll take it. Up and over…
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Until it narrowed down to the dirt path to nowhere and we had to implement a nail biting 3 point turn. Hey NH… would it kill you to post a dead end sign now and then?
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The Bump Bridge.
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Yes, that’s really it’s name.
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Spanning a small stream it was less impressive than some…
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With a redone roof which killed the historical appeal for me. But we didn’t plan on finding it, so no time was wasted.
One of the nicest things about our resort in the mountains? Beautiful fall foliage right outside our door.
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We were a little past peak for this trip but it was still a lovely palette of color to wake up to.
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This quirky coffee house right down the road only opened the day we left which was disappointing. I haven’t been half baked in decades.
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First day of our trip? We drove…
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Here.
There.
Wherever the leaves took us.
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And if you’re driving with my husband that means traveling on some pretty obscure back roads. Often ones that turn to dirt.
Miles and miles, up and over mountains where there’s nothing but glorious foliage, nature….
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Bear warnings….
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And a randomly placed portapotty.
( Spellcheck kept changing this to portal Otto. I may have missed a prime Tardis opportunity there.)
Here’s a short clip of the splendor. Yours truly is announcing the sighting of turkeys on the left, repeatedly and quite loudly. I do this when I spot cows as well, though in the deeper audible resonance they deserve.
This is one of the timeshare resorts where I’ve been wanting to stay for some time and we were lucky to grab a few days in the fall because they’re usually booked solid.
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Located in the White Mountains, right off the Kancamagus … you couldn’t ask for a more perfect spot.
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Pro..
Nestled in the trees, on the side of a hill with mountain views from every side….
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It was blissfully quiet yet within walking distance to town.
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Our condo was nice. Comfortable furniture in muted autumn colors, a fireplace…
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Full kitchen…
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And two comfortable bedrooms.
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No, the husband and I don’t sleep separately…
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But booking a two bedroom unit means we have two bathrooms as well…. and that my friends, is the secret to a happy marriage.
Con…
Over looking the master bed?
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A moose whose eyes followed you around the room. Very disturbing, that.
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Pro…
The whirlpool bathtub was in the bathroom.
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Con…
The fixtures were outdated and the only soap offered was in this environmentally friendly dispenser.
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Ever try to shave your legs with liquid soap ladies? I don’t recommend it.
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Pro…
Glorious foliage and mountains right outside our balcony.
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And terraced rocks all around the property.
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There was even the namesake Pollard Brook running right down the middle.
Results of review – adding it to my “would stay there again” list, I’ll just have to remember to bring my own bar of soap.
Do you have a bucket list for your own state? Mine is long and varied because somehow we never find the time to see the wonderful things in our own backyard… or in this case, the yard two hours away.
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But last week I checked this off. The tallest bridge observatory in the world.. which just happens to have Maine’s fastest elevator. Good thing too, my knee would never survive a staircase 420 feet up.
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The construction of this cable stayed bridge was big news in these parts and people anxiously looked forward to its completion. Started in 2004, completed and opened Dec. 30, 2006. And yes, we’re more than a little late to the party.
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I’m not sure the pictures do it justice, but trust me it’s quite something.
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Was my bad knee happy there were a few flights of stairs after we got off the elevator? No….
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But I sucked it up and climbed.
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And the 360 degree view was worth it.
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Sam Champlain was here.
Suck on that Kilroy.
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I’m including a video that has an annoying reflection of me throughout. Try to ignore that and enjoy the view…
River's world..... 