By the time we packed and left the CG it was 11:30 AM. It was an uneventful drive home and we arrived around 3 PM. Shortly after arriving we were greeted with another thunderstorm and torrential downpours. It seems to be the theme of the entire trip.
Jewel and I were happy to be home – Ron – not so much.
Motorhome – 2,328 Miles
Jeep – 1,566 Miles
We woke to slightly overcast skies that cleared quite rapidly. The forecasters were saying that today would be the hottest day of the week. Everyday was more humid with higher temps. Projected temps – 97 degrees or above.
We were on the road by 9 AM taking a slightly different route. Ron likes to switch it up so we can see more of the small towns in the area.
There was a large stone structure along the river that we stopped to check out. It was what was left of a large building that was used for smelting local iron ore for farm tools, cast iron ware and Franconia stoves.
When we arrived at the Cannon Mountain Arial Tramway it was practically deserted. We were told we pretty much had the mountain to ourselves. We were excited because there was a sign stating that there was a Mother bear and her cubs on the mountain that had been seen every day for the last two weeks. We were hoping to see them, too.
There was a slight haze hanging over the mountains but it was a great ride up.
Once at the top we decided to take the longer of the two trails to the observation tower.
We climbed the tower and despite the haze were able to see for approx. 21 miles which encompassed NH, Vermont and Canada. It was quite beautiful and very windy.
We didn’t get to see the bear family. They had been out earlier and were now hiding.
Back down from the mountain we stopped in the Ski Museum where Bode Miller’s Olympic Medals were on display. The guide was telling us that Bode still lives only two miles from Cannon Mountain.
Then we were off to the Old Man in the Mountain Profiler Plaza. Everyone was devastated that the iconic Old Man in the Mountain gave way to the elements and collapsed. There was a huge movement and donations to set up a viewing area where one could see where the Old Man in the Mountain once resided. If you stood on the pink bricks and lined up with your height you could look up at some iron railings with the profile of the Old Man in the Mountain lined up with where he had been. The plaza was very nice and there were large granite blocks and curved seats with the name of donors on them.
Next we were off to the Basin and some much needed shade. On the way we stopped for more scenic views and pictures.
When we arrived at the parking lot to The Basin it was packed. I guess everyone had the same idea. Get out of the sun and into the shade.
The trail was much cooler under the shade trees and we stopped along the way to look at the various waterfalls and smaller basins. Many people were wading in the cool water and picnicking in the area. The water was running so fast and hard that when you stood by the fencing it felt like an air conditioner blowing on you. Nice!
We completed the trail in about 45 minutes. Once again, we were not disappointed in the beauty of the area. All the rain and runoff from the winter made all the water features here in the mountains more spectacular.
We stopped at the Longhorn Palace and had a very nice lunch. Then it was off to The Flume.
The trail form the Visitor Center to the Flume and back is a two-mile round trip. We had been here years ago and I didn’t remember the trail. Ron said we didn’t do the entire trail on our last visit with the kids. We took the bus and eliminated a large portion of the hike.
There were many glacial boulders along the way.
Again the falls were running hard and fast and the cooling mist felt really good in the blistering heat.
Looking down we could see the covered bridge and the trail.
As we walked we could here the sounds of the water rushing within the flume. We were still a distance from the stairs leading into the flume and wondered if it would be as we remembered.
When we got to the first set of stairs entering the Flume we were once again awed by the beauty of the gorge.
No words needed!
We took our time and did the 2 mile round trip in about 50 minutes. Ron thought we went to fast but it seemed a good pace to me.
On the way back to the parking lot we noticed an old relic left behind from what seems like centuries ago!!
Yes, The now defunct telephone booth!!!
Back at the CG we decided to avail ourselves of the pool. We enjoyed the swim and although the water was tepid it was still refreshing .
We met a young man from England who was traveling on bikes with his seven year old son from Rhode Island and sleeping in a pup tent. He didn’t believe in spending too much on lodging and transportation. They were having a great time and they were also in great shape.
We will be heading back home on Saturday. Ron would like to stay on the road full time but I am ready to go back to my stick house.
Well, this is my second attempt at blogging for today. I had completed the day and it was a lengthy blog day but for some reason the blogger system I am using would not publish and despite Ron trying every tick he knows, day 38 is now lost forever in cyberspace.
We decided to take in the Lost River Gorge, a place we had not been to before. On the way we passed through the small town of Bath, New Hampshire that is famous for having the oldest General Store in the country.
Along the way we stopped to check out one of the 28 covered bridges in the area.
From inside the bridge we couldn’t see the waterfall on the other side. We went down to the bank of the river and were greeted with a beautiful view of the bridge and waterfall. And to think we almost missed the bridge because it was tucked into a side street!
SEE VIDEO
As we traveled route 3 we entered the White Mountain National Forest and not far into the drive we were treated to some very beautiful scenery.
After a leisurely drive and many stops along the way, we arrived at the Lost River Gorge around 11:30 AM. After paying our admission we noticed the large sign stating “no refunds” then another sign warning people with medical issues that there were 1000 stairs with a 300 foot descent into the gorge and uphill climbs involved so do not attempt if you have any physical limitations. I thought that sign should have been posted BEFORE you purchased the non-refundable ticket!!!!
The gorge was quite beautiful with water cascading from every direction. It was incredibly hot so the mist from the falls felt really good. There were multiple caves that were open for exploration some that an adult could fit into and others only small children.
There were multiple small falls but not too many larger falls.
We got to one cave that had a Squeezer Gauge. Not matter how we tried we couldn't squeeze ourselves into a small enough package to get through. LOL
At the end of the trail and stairs we had a great view of the mountains in the distance from a viewing platform.
It took a little over an hour to complete the gorge tour so we decided to stop for a quick lunch. We found a cool old diner adjacent to Clark’s Trading Post with some great food. Ron had a Reuben sandwich and I had a veggie burger.
We were undecided if we would be stopping at Clark’s Trading Post. We had been there 40 years ago with our children so thought we’d skip it this time. After some discussion we decided to go ahead and take a look around.
Clark’s Trading Post has been in the same family for over 85 years and is currently managed by 5th generation Clarks’. We were surprised at how up to date and modernized they had made it. With a new train ride and a couple of theme park rides they have kept up with the times. The place was a mob scene with tons of families and children. There were many adults without children so we didn’t feel too out of place.
We stopped and toured several museums and were surprised to see so many “antiques” that we remembered seeing in the homes of our grandparents. I think that means we are “antiques” too! LOL
We took the train ride and they had added a wolf man character to scare the kids. Not too many were frightened but they were laughing a lot.
We took in the Chinese Acrobatic Show in the Big Top. The show was excellent but we were unable to get any good pictures because we were watching the show through a chain link fence. Later we watched the bear act which was pretty cute.
We toured the other museums on the property and enjoyed looking at more old relics.
Before we left for the day we decided to give the Segway a try.
We were surprised that we had spent three hours at Clark’s, so by 5 PM we were ready to call it a day and headed back to the CG. It was hot and humid with a thunderstorm expected later in the evening.
The weather forecasters weren’t kidding. The storm rolled in around 8 PM with high winds and torrential rain. Jewel was scared to death and shaking like a leaf. After about three hours the storm passed and Jewel calmed down. Again, at around 1 AM another storm passed over us with thunder and lightening that was so intense and loud I thought the MH would explode! Poor Jewel, she was so frightened she came to bed with us and never left the rest of the night.
The forecast was for the hottest day of the week on Friday. Our plan for Friday was to go to the Flume where it should be a little cooler. We shall see.
