Tag Archives: travel

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.

108

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.

102

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…

117

So free ducks aside, I’m not complaining.

We passed this ski season bar everyday as well.

119

Poor lonely mug.

Our first excursion took us to Grafton Notch.

156

And yes, that’s really the name.

132

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

137

Clambering around the granite boulders, you find the falls.

145

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

144

Walk the charming leaf strewn path…

146

Across the cute little bridge…

147

And there are more rocks.

148

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

152

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.

155

Who says we don’t know how to have fun on vacation?

Uncategorized

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.

Uncategorized

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.

003

So we found a chicken themed bar…

002

And settled in for lunch. Liquid and otherwise…

008

It was a funky place…

006

Basically a converted farmhouse with lots of quirky little rooms.

001

And though they don’t look wonderful….

005

The homemade chicken croquettes were to die for.

Bellies full, we headed out.

010

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

021

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

036

Found a covered bridge….

023

Built in 1872…

028

And enjoyed the views.

039

It was peaceful…

031

And smelled like autumn.

040

For those not familiar…

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

059

Nectar of the Gods.

Down the road a ways, we had a laugh.

053

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

But we did pass a camp….

046

With the perfect name.

048

That says it all.

050

I love the country!

055

Uncategorized

We’re baaaaack!

October 28, 2019 Rivergirl 33 Comments

imagesUJ6EE6RQ

I know, you never missed me.

But we had a fabulous nature filled week in Western Maine and Eastern New Hampshire and are happily exhausted.

We toured the White Mountains…. hiked, resort hopped, slept with rubber ducks, took beautiful scenic drives, leaf peeped, stalked a moose, went sight seeing, built a cairn, peed in more portapotties than I thought possible, and basically ate and drank our way across 2 states.

Life is good.

At least for us.

There are 1704 photos waiting to be posted here… so it may not be good for you.

And if you thought my series about the red rocks of Arizona were plentiful?

We were in granite country for 7 days people!

Rocks and trees, trees and rocks, more trees, even more rocks. We even went to a rock museum.

Weeeeeee!

But there are some baby barn updates I need to fit in, as well as all the other scheduled stuff…. so it won’t be wall to wall granite.

You’re welcome.

Uncategorized

Scrambling…

October 25, 2019 Rivergirl 49 Comments

No, not eggs.

Vacations.

You see, for the entire year my husband has been saying he’s going to retire in December. He also forbade me to book any vacations because he works for the Federal Government and can sell back his leave when he goes.

(He gets 5 weeks off every year, so the payout can be substantial.)

Except now that the day is rapidly approaching, he decided he’s going to work a little longer.

Yes, his reasoning is sound.

The old boss he hated has left and been replaced with a laid back, drama free manager.
Starting next year, they’re going to push teleworking from home 2-3 days a week…. and since he already works four 10 hour days, it will probably be a 1 day a week commute.
Good benefits.
Good pay.
The ability to dump more in our TSP (Thrift Savings Plan, the government’s answer to a company matching IRA).

I get it.

I do…

But our retirement plan was to travel, and I’d like him to be semi-mobile and breathing without a respirator when we do. (Hauling a corpse in and out of resort elevators is such a drag.)

Zombie-nuts

But back to the scrambling….

It’s almost the end of the year and I don’t have much time to plan and book 5 weeks worth of vacations before time runs out. It’s not easy with the holidays right around the corner. We have a timeshare on a points system and can go anywhere, but since he’s waited so long to request time off, he can’t get more than a week at a time…. which leaves out long distance trips. I hate spending 2 days flying back and forth for only 4 days on site. With the price of tickets these days, it’s not worth it.

So thanks to WordPress’s magic scheduling ability, as you read this… we are currently returning from a week at a ski resort in the western mountains of Maine.

That’s right Lionel, I haven’t been here for a week and you didn’t even miss me.

God bless technology.

Did we ski? Hell no, it’s too early for that… even in Maine. But it’s a beautiful area and I’m sure we explored. And drank. And took pictures.

The deluge of photos will begin shortly….

not again

You’ve been warned.

Uncategorized

Some random photographs….

October 10, 2019 Rivergirl 34 Comments

Because sometimes I want to share, and they just don’t rate a blog of their own.

A few shots of my local area.

I’m blessed to live in such a beautiful state.

Top that for sunrise color. I dare ya!

As you’ve probably guessed by now, when we travel…. I take a lot of pictures. The husband is quite patient with me and usually pulls over when I point out the window, squeee! and yell pull over. He never wants to photograph anything, so I had to laugh a few weeks ago when he stopped along side something and asked me to take a picture of it for him.

I did….

And am seriously hoping it doesn’t end up in our barn in the near future.

This is not what you want to be following during a traffic jam on Route 1. I saw pink hippos in my dreams for many nights after that.

And finally…

Me.

IMG_E6186

No makeup, just a smile…. and the realization that laying out in the sun this past summer has bleached my hair to the point where I now have dark roots without ever having dyed it.

What the Hell?

Uncategorized

Things I don’t like today… Part 3

September 24, 2019 Rivergirl 32 Comments

I don’t like….

Weed wacking around one of our stone walls and having a frog jump out in front of me.

I swear I didn’t see him…

IMG_E5888

And literally cut him in half.

*Gulp*

I don’t like…..

Sitting at a bar and having a creepy disembodied head on a stick tied to a doll stare at me all night.

IMG_E5654

Like I need another reason to drink?

Ack!

I don’t like….

Being disappointed.

Remember when I posted about the miracle of my husband cleaning out the garage, and how the old sink he brought home from the dump was gone?

Yeah. I found it in the barn.

Very disappointing.

And finally,

I don’t like….

Pressure.

IMG_E5305

Since my husband can’t decide when he’s going to retire, he’s forbidden any travel this year so he can sell back his leave.

Doesn’t he realize I’m duty bound to blog our adventures?

Damn it…

Now someone will beat to me to it!

Uncategorized

Anne Taintor still gets me…

July 30, 2019 Rivergirl 22 Comments

It’s time for another peak into my absolute favorite desk calendar.

And all these months later?

She can still read my mind.

I think that one is self explanatory.

If you’re not familiar with Anne, she takes those innocent snapshots of the perfect 1950’s housewives and gives them a little twist.

If that isn’t incentive enough to fly…

I don’t know what is.

Yes….

Blue things have occasionally been found growing in the back of my refrigerator.

And we’re not talking Jello.

While I have often expressed this next sentiment…

If you look very closely…

Happy housewife on the right appears to have been holding something that was digitally removed…. and it seems to have been oblong.

Was it a Twinkie? A hot dog?

Or was this Lorena Bobbit’s grandmother?

Tough call.

And finally…

This has always been my philosophy.

Smiling.

It’s so over rated.

Uncategorized

Head for the coast…

July 9, 2019 Rivergirl 21 Comments

When it’s hot in Maine? You head for the coast where the sea breeze cools the temperatures considerably.

So that’s what we did on the July 4th weekend.

We battled the tourist traffic on Route 1 and headed north with a cool and calm demeanor.

Seriously….. there’s a reason we call you people Massholes. You’re not going to find a barista on every corner in this state, please go back to Boston.

Boothbay Harbor was packed, so we kept going.

IMG_E5234

Through downtown Rockland where they clearly wanted us to eat something. Hopefully not the building itself.

IMG_E5240

And through downtown Camden where the cows are always smiling.

Camden is a gorgeous harbor town with lovely old homes lining both sides of the main street.

IMG_E5238

This one always catches my eye…

IMG_E5243

Not your typical New Englander to be sure.

IMG_E5244

We wanted to stop for a drink and a bite in Lincolnville….

IMG_E5245

But sadly the Whale’s Tooth Pub didn’t open till 4:00pm.

IMG_E5272

So we ended up in Belfast, down by the harbor.

Which is always a good choice.

To be continued…

Uncategorized

If only it were on our list….

May 9, 2019 Rivergirl 50 Comments

I often cruise our timeshare site looking for deals. Someplace we’ve never been, some lovely resort where we’d like to stay.

Then the other day I read an article that made me rethink my aversion to Airbnb.

Yes.

We could rent a potato.

No joke.

Apparently this particular spud toured the US for six years on the back of a truck, and no one knew what to do with it afterward.

5cc028fd66ae8f79733c36c5-750-563

While my first thought wouldn’t have been, ‘Hey, let’s throw a queen size Serta in there and rent that baby out!’

Clearly I lack vision.

A giant (fake) potato has been turned into a home that you can rent on Airbnb.
The Big Idaho Potato Hotel is a 6-ton potato structure that was created to promote spuds across the US.
A small-home developer turned it into an incredibly stylish rental property.
It costs $200 a night.

It’s a real hotel room, of sorts.

The potato sleeps two, with one queen bed, and there’s a small bathroom, a kitchenette, a fireplace, and air-conditioning too. With millennial-pink accents and house plants aplenty, it’s as Instagrammable inside as out.

Measuring 28 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 11.5 feet tall, the giant potato was created by the Idaho Potato Commission to promote the noble vegetable.

5cc027febd1e27692b5eeb62-750-563

Granted the landscaping leaves a little to be desired.

And the views?

Well, it is Idaho.

Which is probably why there are no windows.But still.. it’s a giant tater!!

We’ve all dreamed about living inside a potato, with hash browns for cushions, fries as shelves, and a giant bowl of fluffy mash to snuggle into at night.