Tag Archives: vacation

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Downtown Littleton, antiquing and some seriously good beer.

November 13, 2022 Rivergirl 31 Comments

Every time we stay in the White Mountains of New Hampshire we try to explore a new town. This trip it was Littleton….

A charming place with a delightfully quirky downtown area.

They’ve been voted Best American Main Street numerous times and once you stroll around… it’s easy to see why.

Of course when you’re strolling with my husband that means ducking into every antique store you see.

Clearly this fellow takes his wine selection seriously.

But wait… what’s that on the floor in the back?

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!!!

Heading to the riverfront area we discovered a pedestrian covered bridge.

Which afforded some great views..

And that old red building with the waterwheel on the left?

Turned out to be Schilling brewery which made yours truly very happy.

They kept the feel of the old mill with a rustic interior…

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.

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.

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Franconia Notch

November 12, 2022 Rivergirl 15 Comments

This is the road you have to drive if you visit the White Mountains.

The Notch was famous for The Old Man in the Mountain, a natural stone outcropping that resembled a face. Sadly, it crumbled years ago but there’s a museum devoted to it at the Canon Mountain gondola sight where you can grab a glimpse.

Peak foliage was long past when we drove through and everything looked very grey.

But it’s still an impressive sight.

And a huge tourist destination.

This was the road the day we drove it. Below was the road two weeks before…

There’s something to be said for traveling off season. No traffic jams for us.

Not as colorful, but definitely smoother sailing.

Never a dull moment…

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Mountains, the road to nowhere and another covered bridge.

November 11, 2022 Rivergirl 12 Comments

When you’re in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, you drive.

Here, there and everywhere if you’re with us.

And though peak foliage had passed, the faded colors still retained a certain beauty.

Anonymous mountain road?

Sure, we’ll take it. Up and over…

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?

The Bump Bridge.

Yes, that’s really it’s name.

Spanning a small stream it was less impressive than some…

With a redone roof which killed the historical appeal for me. But we didn’t plan on finding it, so no time was wasted.

Onward…

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The one where we stumble upon a covered bridge.

November 10, 2022 Rivergirl 33 Comments

When you’re traveling rural roads in northern New England, finding a covered bridge is bound to happen.

This particular bridge was quite a nice one.

Lovely setting, well kept and structurally sound.

Complete with vintage warning sign.

There were a few too many trees for the perfect money shot, but you get the idea.

I love when the town posts a little history.

And when my spouse has to test the construction.

🤣

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Leaves, more leaves…. and a few random turkeys.

November 9, 2022 Rivergirl 18 Comments

One of the nicest things about our resort in the mountains? Beautiful fall foliage right outside our door.

We were a little past peak for this trip but it was still a lovely palette of color to wake up to.

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.

First day of our trip? We drove…

Here.

There.

Wherever the leaves took us.

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….

Bear warnings….

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.

Ah….

I love fall!

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The resort, pros and cons.

November 8, 2022 Rivergirl 31 Comments

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.

Located in the White Mountains, right off the Kancamagus … you couldn’t ask for a more perfect spot.

Pro..

Nestled in the trees, on the side of a hill with mountain views from every side….

It was blissfully quiet yet within walking distance to town.

Our condo was nice. Comfortable furniture in muted autumn colors, a fireplace…

Full kitchen…

And two comfortable bedrooms.

No, the husband and I don’t sleep separately…

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?

A moose whose eyes followed you around the room. Very disturbing, that.

Pro…

The whirlpool bathtub was in the bathroom.

Con…

The fixtures were outdated and the only soap offered was in this environmentally friendly dispenser.

Ever try to shave your legs with liquid soap ladies? I don’t recommend it.

Pro…

Glorious foliage and mountains right outside our balcony.

And terraced rocks all around the property.

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.

👍

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And we’re off! Again.

November 7, 2022 Rivergirl 23 Comments

Yes, it’s true. We took another mini trip and I’m about to flood you with more travel photos.

This time we just jumped across the border and headed to the White Mountains of north western New Hampshire.

It’s one of my favorite areas… filled with scenic beauty and wondrous natural places to explore.

These photos are from the famous Kancamagus highway. A 30 odd mile stretch of road cut right through the mountains.

In peak foliage season it’s divine and while we were two weeks late for that, there was still some residual color.

Until you reached the top.

But back down the other side it brightened up again.

The resort we chose this time around was literally right off this road at the end of the National Forest.

And for us, you can’t get much better than that.

Since check in wasn’t until 4:00pm, we headed to Woodstock.

A quaint New England village…

With a big brewery/restaurant/inn.

You knew that was coming, right? The autumn beer on the far right was my pick. A rich, creamy amber with notes of pumpkin and nutmeg. Perfect!

And right above my head, teasing me with every glance? A vintage ale crate, damn it. The husband was determined to purchase it for me but the manager didn’t care how much beer we drank, the answer was always no.

And though our lunches didn’t appear appetizing?

They were both delicious. Baked haddock, garlic smashed red potatoes and squash for me. Charbroiled mushroom Swiss burger for the hubs.

A good start to the vacation… except for this uber creepy spare parts facsimile of a doll hovering alongside the bar.

That is the stuff of nightmares.

😳

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The journey home, continued…

October 24, 2022 Rivergirl 17 Comments

After traversing the Green Mountains in Vermont, we entered New Hampshire.

Still mountains, but now they’re White. Although technically right now they’re red, orange and gold.

This is a beautiful section of NH and one we drive through quite a bit in the autumn.

There are random wooden moose.

Glorious fall foliage.

Random skeleton coffee house greeters.

And more colorful scenery.

I think my husband shed a tear over the state of this neglected barn.

Common to this area? Random filling stations for crystal clear mountain fed spring water. Bring your bottles, fill for free and make some amazing tea or coffee when you get home.

Yes, please.

Do that as well..

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The journey home.

October 23, 2022 Rivergirl 19 Comments

Since we weren’t in a huge hurry to get home, we took the longer scenic route back and that meant driving through the Northeast Kingdom.

It’s a rural and mountainous region of Vermont, similar to areas in northern Maine with its low population density and differing political views.

Unspoiled and undisturbed.

Beautiful? You betcha!

This region takes their designation seriously so you’ll find “Kingdom” gas stations and “Kingdom” diners scattered throughout the area.

There’s even a covered bridge staircase.

While the majority of Vermont is an environmentally friendly, liberal, churn your own butter, Birkenstock type of place… the Kingdom is a bit wilder and leans much farther right. It’s often said there are two Maines, southern and northern.. I find that’s true of Vermont as well.