White Mountains, NH

With nothing specific on the itinerary today, I drove up north through New Hampshire. I really enjoy this state and have thought many times that one day I might live here. Up through Manchester and past Squam Lake (known to many as the lake in On Golden Pond), I decided to take in some of the White Mountains today.

Leaving Billerica this morning, the skies were overcast, but no rain. As I traveled further north, there was spots of rain and eventually, believe it or not, snow! Definitely cold for mid May. Like most road trips, I kept the stops to a minimum, with the exception of a few photo ops. I hit McDonalds for a sweet tea and a cheeseburger around lunch and once again in the afternoon for another tea. In pursuit of one McDonalds I eventually turned around when the road traveled appeared to take too long. One bad thing about New England road exits, they give you the direction the gas/room/food is, but not the distance. Often it is not right off the road. When I turned around I was surprised to see the Office of the Sherriff – a correctional facility called the Middlesex House of Corrections. It was surprisingly beautiful – it looked like a resort from a distance…but the barbed wire gave hint that it was something more. I finally settled for McDonalds in Tifton, NH.

Back on the road I was surprised by the town of Conway, NH. I had not previously been there, but I would like to go back and visit some warmer day. The North Conway Scenic Railway was just down the road, and while I stopped for a photo, no time to ride the train. And like I said, it was cold. North Conway also brought the second McDonalds. It was newly refurbished and so interesting and unique, I had to yelp it: http://www.yelp.com/biz/mcdonalds-hamburgers-north-conway#hrid:d_Sj6a4uj0afRayZll5fFw/src:self

Further down the road I noticed a photographer with a tripod on the side of the road. It was an impressive waterfall called Silver Cascade. I stopped and snapped a few photos before jogging back to the car. Uphill and in the chilly wind – that might be a precursor for the Trollinger run next week. Yikes!

While driving through the backgrounds I was surprised once again – wildlife typically avoids me on trips, but there along the side of the road – a moose! I don’t know anything about moose, but I would say it was a young one. It stood there for a few seconds, but as a slowly pulled the car closer, it walked into the woods. Since he continued on his way, I followed suit. I didn’t take the Mt Washington Auto Road, mainly because I didn’t want to pay. Instead I drove the highways through the mountains and headed back West and over into Vermont.

For dinner I stopped at Foster’s Boiler, which is a Common Man restaurant in Plymouth, NH. I remembered that in 2007 I ran the Pemi co-op Covered Bridge 5K held in Plymouth, but I didn’t realize until I passed the building next to the train track that Plymouth was also where I met Rudy Giuliani in 2008. The room was packed that day and as the local guy was talking to the people seated inside, I was standing in the back of the room. At one point I looked to my left and Rudy was standing next to me awaiting his cue. So this was at least my third trip through Plymouth. Like most New Hampshire towns, it was small and I could definitely live there.

About an hour back to the hotel and I was in for the night. A Mother’s Day call to my mom to wish her well, let her know I made it to New England and wish her well on an upcoming trip to South Dakota and I was finished for the night. 5:00 AM wake up call for tomorrow. A long drive from Billerica to Niagara Falls, Canada.