OK - A double whammy this time. Day Two in New Hampshire threatened rain, but not until 5pm, so we made an early start and headed off. The first port of call was a farmstand on the way into North Conway. It looked amazing! Loads of pumpkins, squashes, apples and ‘mums making a glorious display.
The discovery of cider doughnuts also made the day start well….
En route to Mount Washington, we stopped at Jackson – an incredibly pretty village with a fabulous covered bridge on the entrance to the main road. Very picturesque. A brief stop at ‘Yesterdays’ diner for a drink and snack we headed off into the White Mountains. Well – They really shouldn’t be called that. They should be the Red, Orange, Yellow, Green and Scarlet Mountains. I never expected to see quite so much glorious Fall foliage!
The Wildcat Gondola ride was the first adventure. A little cable car – a ski lift in the winter – to the top of Wildcat mountain. The view was slightly hampered by the mist and clouds, but the view over the valley was amazing.
Back at the bottom, we decided to go for the Big Boy - The drive up Mount Washington. Wow! I have done it before, but it still is amazing! We were so lucky with the weather on the way up – fab views out over the valley and sunshine blazing down. The summit was a different story! The cloud hit down, and we got soaked! Three bedraggled, wet Watsons dragged themselves off the summit fairly quickly!
Back in the car, we meandered back to the inn, via some more covered bridges in the area, and a stop at Echo Lake. The effect of the fall foliage reflected in the perfectly smooth still water was brilliant.
Dinner at the Inn at Crystal Lake rounded off the day perfectly!
Day Three.
Rain. Rain and yet more rain! It was phenomenal! I had a massage booked for the morning, so Dad had his first go at driving in America. The car and they came back intact, so it went well! We headed off into North Conway, with the intention of shopping in the outlet villages, but the traffic was INCREDIBLY heavy. The world and his wife were in New Hampshire for the foliage, but went shopping when it rained. So we left fairly rapidly and headed for some backroads. We went on a fairly intensive drive around the area, stopping for petrol, coffee and snacks in Maine of all places! The border is incredibly close by, so the New England tour has taken in Maine as well as Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
We ended up in Freedom – one of the most picturesque villages in New Hampshire. Depsite the rain – its charm was evident.
A quiet evening in sets us up for the big travel day tomorrow – Drive to Boston Logan Airport, and then the flight down to Orlando. Pick up the new car, and head to the villa…. Busy busy busy! No blog for the next week, as the internet connection is ending. But I will of course update on my return.
Kx
