Not our name, but our passion
Endicott Rock Park is the beach area adjacent to the Weirs Beach area of Laconia, New Hampshire. The nice sandy beach and shallow water make it ideal for sunbathing and swimming, during peak summer seasons lifeguards are on duty.During the shoulder seasons there is no lifeguard and swimming is prohibited. A picturesque channel connects Lake Winnipesaukee to a smaller offshoot of the lake. It is fun to sit on the rocks and see the boats making their way out into the larger lake.
Hildene is the home of Abraham Lincoln’s eldest son Robert Todd Lincoln. After making his fortune as chairman of the Pullman company Robert Todd Lincoln built his Georgian revival home in 1905. Lincoln descendents lived in the home until 1975.
There are 412 acres of beautifully landscaped ground and a working farm on site including a small observatory!
When you arrive get your bearings at the welcome center where you can get information on the property and the life of the Lincolns.
The grounds are wonderful to stroll and to have a picnic lunch but be sure to look into the house tours in the Welcome Center. The house is not only a great way to experience the Georgian revival architecture but there are also a great many Abraham Lincoln artifacts in the residence. Be sure to look out for one of his top hats and the hall mirror that he would have looked into right before he headed off to Ford’s Theater.
Beautiful grounds and gardens and history plus the Dene farm make this a great destination.
Quechee Gorge in Vermont is a steep cut river right of the highway going from New Hampshire towards the Killington/Rutland area. Calling it “Vermont’s Little Grand Canyon” is a bit much but it is worth a stop for an hour or two. There is a snack bar adjacent to the parking area and the crowds can be daunting during peak summer months. Look for the vendor selling grilled sweet corn if he is there. The walk down the gorge is gently sloped and not difficult but the best views are from the bridge the highway is going over.
The nearby Quechee Gorge Village has an antique shop, a gift shop and a convenient place to purchase Vermont products like maple syrup and cheese.
Stop and take a few pictures on your way to Killington or points west or stay in one of the great little B & Bs in the area, you may be lucky enough to try prize winning pumpkin muffins like we did.
It was a little late in the year but we decided to take a leaf peeping road trip the weekend of October 21, 2017. We had heard that it was past peak season in the White Mountains so we headed for the New Hampshire Lakes District. We made our way to Weirs Beach on Lake Winnipesaukee. I felt the colors were slightly before peak as there was still a lot of green but there was definitely some nice patches.
Endicott Rock Park offered some nice shots as well.
We continued along the lake shore past the Mount Major trail head. Although we did not do the trail this year this is one of the best places to take in the fall scenery. The 2-4 hour moderate hike offers spectacular views in all seasons but most especially during peak foliage. The trail head was packed with cars lining both sides of the road on this beautiful autumn afternoon without a cloud in the sky.
There is a corn maze and working farm with tractor rides and demonstrations right of the highway. A bit crowded on the weekend but still fun with some nice scenery of the farm and surrounding hills.
Alton Bay needed another week to be the best.
It was quite late but we decided to check out the Kancamagus Highway to see if there was any remnants of foliage left. As we ascended the mountains most of the leaves at higher elevation were well past peak. There was some color left in the valleys and on south facing slopes but it was not the best. We pushed on hoping that the Albany Covered Bridge at the end of the highway would still have some color. We were richly rewarded as the colors around the bridge were still peak.
Amid all the memorials to the 9/11 terrorist attack the most striking is the tower risen from the ashes of the destroyed twin towers.
If anything One World Trade Center is more impressive than the twin towers ever were. The view from across the river in New Jersey is spectacular with the single magnificent tower dominating the lower Manhattan skyline.
A short ferry ride from Jersey City, New Jersey will bring you to the foot of the tower.
Prepare yourself for an unbelievable experience as you ride up to the observation floor in the elevator. A remarkable audio visual presentation have your cameras ready. We did not 🙁 as it caught us by surprise. Once on the observation deck the views are awe inspiring.
Going down the elevator in are in for another surprise, this time we had the camera ready:
A great place to visit that has both fun and somber moments.
