HERE MOOSEY, MOOSEY

Sunday, September 29

What a fun day we had today!  We got to sleep late today because our first activity wasn't until 11:10.  Jenna and I both woke up around 7:30 and decided that eating breakfast out was in order since we were out of eggs and bacon, and we were both tired of cereal and toast.  We had a nice breakfast at a restaurant across from the campground.

At 11:10 we met up with Ron and Mary Kunkle from Grandbury and rode with them to meet the train.  The Conway Scenic Railroad train stopped just outside our campground and we loaded the train for our train trip through the scenic Crawford Notch Valley.  The route was basically the same route we took from Twin Mountains to Glen yesterday.  However, this time we were up on the edge of the valley and could look down to the highway, river, lakes and the beautiful mountains across from us.  After we boarded, the conductor announced that our lunch was ready to be served in the Hatie Dining Car.  We were treated to salad, a choice of several entrees (we had turkey and dressing), and carrot cake for dessert.  It was a real treat, and the food was really very good.

The train stopped at Crawford Station  for a short time before proceeding 4 more miles to let the engines disconnect and move to the other end of the train for our return trip.  Our group got the special privilege of riding in the domed observation car for the entire trip.  When we returned to our seats following lunch, we found plates with grapes, crackers and a spread of some sort.  Since none of us were hungry we gathered about 15 of the plates and I took them down to George, our tailgunner.  George is like Mikey - he wil eat anything.  

We all had a good laugh, but I have a feeling we haven't seen the end of those grapes and crackers.

When we returned to the campground, Carol, George's wife, invited us to go to the Margarita Grill across the highway for dinner.  About 1/2 the caravan went and we enjoyed quesadillas, margaritas and beer.  That was a nice treat before the real highlight of the day.   

Upon returning to the campground, we all got ready to go Moosehunting.  At 7:30 twenty-one of us went on a Moose Photo Safari.  A bus picked us up and he showed us a video about moose and their actions in the woods.

 Before the video had run 1/2 way a car flashed its lights at us signaling a possible moose ahead. Sure enough, we found our first (and only) moose.  A big bullmoose was in the middle of the road.  

The bus had big floodlights on the sides and front that lit up the whole area. We followed him for about 1/2 mile as he wandered from one side of the road to the other.  

He didn't seem concerned about us and almost posed for pictures.  

He disappeared into the trees once and re-entered the road a little further down.  We were all happy that we got to see one up so close, and even the tour guide said he hadn't had one stay so close for so long.  We drove around some more but didn't see another.  We got back to the campground around 10:30. What fun we had!

       The driver said he was probably about 3 years old based on the size of his antlers.

Tomorrow is a free day. A fair is in town and several are going to that.  We don't have any plans as yet so we will see what tomorrow brings.  Until then, Happy Trails!

A TRIP THROUGH CRAWFORD NOTCH

Saturday, September 28

Today was once again a travel day.  We drove all of 30 miles from Twin Mountains to Glen, New Hampshire, but that 30 miles was one of the prettiest drives we have taken on this tour.  Shortly after leaving Twin Mountains we came to the Crawford Notch and 4 miles of 13% grade.  

It was a very steep downhill ride with high mountains on both sides.  About half way down we passed two lakes and a waterfall.

                                               

                                                                   Silver Cascade Waterfall

 The sunlight sparkled off the water and made the foliage simple glow.  It was amazing.

The short trip to Glen brought us to the Glen Ellis Campground - winner of the most beautiful campground in New Hampshire award.  It is a nice campground.  There is a Winnebago rally going on here with about 25 Winnebago motorhomes lined up in a big square.  We are all parked in a field next to them.  We have long extension cords strung out to our rigs and we have "daisy-chained" the water to our rigs.  Everything seems to work fine.  If only they had wifi at the campsites!

After we set up, I took Jenna into North Conway to get a manicure and then we went to the grocery store.  Groceries are certainly higher here than in Texas!  Following our grocery run we drove back up to Crrawford Notch to take some pictures.   We couldn't stop this morning because of all the traffic.  The leaves are at their peak right now and the "leaf-peepers" are thick.  It was beautiful weather today as well and that added to the crowds. 

When we got back to the campground I fixed chicken and brats on the grill and Jenna fixed the trimmings for dinner.  After dinner our group got together for a campfire.  We also made smores and doughboys - um um good!  A doughboy is a biscuit spread on a dowel rod and then cooked in the campfire.  Once it is done you slide it off the dowel and fill it with chocolate, pudding, marshmellows, whipped cream, etc.  They are delicious.  We had a good time sitting around the campfire and visiting.

Tomorrow we take a ride on the Scenic Conway Railroad and go on a moose hunt!  I'll report on that tomorrow.  Until then,

Happy Trails!

RIDING THE COG TRAIN

Friday, September 27

Today we rode the Cog Train up Mount Washington.  

We have heard horror stories about how cold and windy it can be on Mt. Washington.  They say it has the worst weather on Earth!  The average temperature there is 37 degrees and the wind is always blowing.  The record low temp. was -49 degrees and tthe highest ever was 74 degrees.  The wind was once clocked at 231 mph in 1934 and it is 75mph or higher on over half the days during the winter months.  Last Monday morning it was 0 degrees with 100 mph winds. These folks from Texas didn't come prepared for that kind of cold.  Thanks to Wal-Mart and LLCote we were able to get hooded sweatshirts, insulated underwear and socks, a heavy coat and gloves.This morning it was 38 degrees with 18 mph winds - not too bad.

      We reached the summit!

The Mount Washington Cog Train has been in operation since 1869, when it became the first mountain-climbing cog railway in the world.  Today they run both coal fired and biodiesel engines to push the passenger car up the mountain and to block it on its return down the mountain.

         The coal fired engine - burns 1 ton of goal on each trip

 

        Blocking the way down the mountain.

The railroad tracks are 1" narrower than a standard railroad, and there is a center track of slots which receive the cogs from the engine.  The tracks go constantly uphill as it ascends at a rate of up to 37.41% - a gain in elevation of 14 inches for every three feet forward  

Believe me, that is steep.  When you looked out the window the trees and buildings looked like they were very crooked.  In truth, we were crooked.  

      The trees looked like they were leaning.  

We started at the base station at an altitude of 2,700 feet, and we finally reached the summit at 6,288'.  There is a permanent weather station, a cafe, restrooms and of course a gift shop at the summit.  The ride up was very smooth.

From the top on a clear day you could see Canada, Maine, the Atlantic Ocean, Vermont, and New York.  Today we could see a long way but were unsure of what we were seeing. 

        Above the clouds on Mt. Washington

We broke through a layer of clouds at about the 4500' level.  This is a "must-do" trip when you are in New Hampshire.

Following our trainride we all met at a restaurant at the bottom of the mountain for a LEO - Lt's Eat Out.

        LEO at Fabyans Station

 After that I took Jenna to Bethleham to get her hair cut/colored and I went to Littleton for a haircut.  Then we went to the Mount Washington Hotel - a magnificent hotel build in the 1800's.  

      Flowers at the front entrance to the Mt. Washington Hotel

       The golf course behind the Mt. Washington Hotel.

Today it is owned by Omni Hotels.  It was quite a place to see.  Tonight we have a travel briefing and then we are all watching "On Golden Pond."  We are going there to visit next week - hence the movie.  

Until next time, Happy Trails. 

YUMMY PANCAKES AND LOT OF THINGS TO SEE

Wednesday, September 25

We had a full and busy day today.  

      Me, Jenna, Eunice, Earl, Linda, Lyle, Mary & Ron ready to eat pancakes.

At 8:30 we all met to ride share to Polly's Pancake House for breakfast.  Polly's Pancake House was established in the 1930's and serves breakfast from Mother's Day until mid-October.

 I had six 3" pancakes - 2 each of buckwheat, cornmeal, and buttermilk-oatmeal stuffed with walnuts, blueberries and coconut with REAL maple syrup made in New Hampshire.  They were delicious!  Jenna had three blueberry pancakes and bacon.  I think she liked it too.

      Carol, Eunice and Jenna pose across the road from Polly's Pancake House

After breakfast we went down the road about a mile to the Sugar Hill Sampler Museum.  

     The large bushes behind the chairs and car are hydrangeas.  The are huge up here. 

This was basically a large gift shop with a small museum about the Sugar Hill area.  It was probably the best gift shop we have been to, and we have been to a few on this trip.  Sugar Hill is the name of a small community in New Hampshire and the museum told of its history and the people who have lived there.  It was located in an old barn that has been converted into a store.  The used huge timbers to build the barn's framework.  The floors were uneven and it was very rustic, but a neat place to visit.

We went on down the road another mile or two to Harman's Cheese and Country Store.  

This was an old, old general store that mainly had products from New Hampshire - lots of cheese, syrup, jellys, etc.  Parking was limited so Earl parked on the grass.  That turned out to be a big mistake.  When we got ready to leave we were stuck in the soft turf.  

Try as much as we did, we couldn't budge his truck.  Earl, Jenna and I all pushed while Eunice tried to drive it out.  Even boards under the wheels didn't help.  Finally, the owners of the store call someone who brought a truck to tow us out.  They acted like this was a common occurrence.  Earl, however, was not a happy camper.

Next we went to the town of Bath, New Hampshire to visit the Oldest Country Store in America.  It was located next to an old Congregational Church

and the longest covered bridge in New Hampshire.   The store was established around 1790 and has been in continuous operation ever since. They sell homemade fudge, books candy, cheese, and a variety of New Hampshire souvenirs. Next to the store is the longest covered bridge in New Hampshire. However it was closed due to reconstruction The original bridge was built in 1794 to span the Ammonoosuc River. It has been replaced 5 times due to flooding and fires. The one lane bridge with a covered sidewalk is 374' 6" long and 24' 6" wide. I was unable to get a good picture of the bridge due to the construction.

       The Cash Cow is a ATM on wheels.  Never seen one like it. 

Next we went to the Rock Christmas Tree Farm. Located on 1400 rolling acres the Rock Estate takes in breathtaking view of the White Mountains' Presidential Range. The estate was purchased by John Glessner, a cofounder of International Harvester farm equipment in 1882. The estate is now a part of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests which maintains an active conservation and education center on the farm.

The director of the program entertained us wth a slide presentation about Moose and Bears in New Hampshire. He told us how these animals live in the wild and how the Society is trying to protect them and the forests in the state. He had acual antlers from Moose that he has collected on the farm. He passed them around so we could see how heavy they are.  He also told us about their Christmas tree program.

They harvest 5000 trees each year and ship trees all over the country. Many people in the New England area also come to the farm to cut their own trees. This whole program was very interesting. 

Another product from the farm is maple syrup. A staffmember from the farm took us to their

sugarhouse/museum where we watched a film about sugarmaking (that's making syrup to you and me). The tap 5000 trees and have 5 miles of plastic tubing to bring the sap to collection points.It is then transported to the sugarhouse and processed into syrup.

       Some of the miles of tubing to transport the sap to the sugarhouse.

We returned to the campground about 5:30 and cooked dinner. It was a long but very interesting and fun day. Tomorrow is another day of sightseeing. We will take an ariel tram ride and visit a flume gorge. More about that tomorrow. Until then, Happy Trails!

A WALK IN THE WOODS

Thursday, September 26

We got to sleep in today.  Our ride share wasn't until 11:30 so everyone was ready to take it easy.  I woke up around 6:15 and couldn't go back to sleep.  Jenna got up around 7:45 so we had all morning to get ready.  I fixed breakfast - bacon, eggs, biscuits, juice & coffee while Jenna worked on recipies that Eunice gave her.  I also worked on the blog trying to figure out why I can't publish pictures.   I'm afraid that I've put in too many pictures and used up my alloted space.  I bought additional space but it didn't seem to help.  I'll keep trying.

At 11:20 we picked up Earl and Eunice and met everyone at the front of the campground for a ride share to our first destination - The Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway.  

The tram was first built in 1938 and was the first aerial tram in North America.  It carried skiers to what was the first ski resort in North America.  The tram has been modernized over the years and now will carry 80 people at a time to the top of Cannon Mountain.  It was a very smooth ride to the top which was at 4100 ft, elevation.

Once we reached the top we took the rim trail which too you around the outer edge of the mountain top.  A path had been cut through the scrub evergreen that was about 6 feet tall.  

Every few hundred feet there would be a cut that would take you out to a granite outcropping where you got a birds eye view of the mountains and the vally floor far below.  

The highway looked like a ribbon and semi-trucks looks smaller than matchbox cars. It was a beautiful view from each point. About 2/3 of the way around the trail a cut took up to a cell phone tower observation deck high above the mountaintop.  From there you could see Maine, Connecticut, Vermont, New York and Canada.  What a view.  The clouds would come and go while we were there so it was a little hazy in the distance.

After lunch on the mountaintop we loaded up and drove a few miles down the road to the Flume Gorge Visitors Center.  The Flume Gorge is a part of the Franconia State Park.  What a wonderful place.  After watching a video about the geography of the area we took a 2 mile hike.  The first part was all uphill but a great part of it as on a board sidewalk and steps.  It was amazing.  The flume is a natural gorge extending 800 feet at the base of Mt. Liberty.

 The granite wall rise to a height of 70 to 90 feet and are from 12 to 20 feet apart.  Water flows over the rocks in the flume creating waterfalls and rapids that are simply amazing.  The flume was first discovered in 1808 and is a favorite tourist spot.

After reaching the top of the flume we had a choice of taking a trail back to the Visitor Center or to take another trail to Liberty Gorge and a covered bridge.  We chose the latter - maybe not the wisest choice.  After we had hiked a half mile or so we found a sign that said the Visitor's Center was 1.2 miles away.  Earl, Eunice, Udo, Jenna and I made the entire trek.  Udo has arm crutches to help him walk, but he never complained as he took every step.  It was a nice hike.  

We saw more waterfalls and had a nice walk in the woods.  A covered walk-bridge took us across the gorge and back to the Visitor's Center. 

     Trees literally grow on top of huge granite boulders.  Their roots wrap around the rock

      to the ground below. 

After our hike we all met at Gordi's Fish and Steak House for a L.E.O. (Let's Eat Out); Carivaners like to eat!  We had a great dinner of fish and chips before heading back to the campground. Tomorrow we have an early day.  The ride share pulls out at 7:45 to head to Washington Mountain.  We are riding the cog train to the top.  Monday it was 0 degrees and had 100 MPH winds at the summit.  Here's hoping it's not that cold tomorrow.  Until then, Happy Trails!