The White Mountains in Autumn

Last week, my wife and I got away for an early 20th anniversary celebration. We spent a few wonderful days in New Hampshire; this post shares highlights.

North Conway

After taking an early flight to Manchester, we drove north and stayed in a new hotel in North Conway, a lovely mountain resort town in east-central New Hampshire. We enjoyed an initial hike east of town before checking out the (surprising) number of outlets and having a nice dinner.

The Kancamagus Highway

The next day, we stopped at a covered bridge (there are many in the region) and then headed out for the main feature: the Kancamagus Highway, which runs west from Conway to Lincoln. This scenic road had plenty of stops for short (or long) hikes and beautiful vistas. Parking at some stops became an issue, but it all worked out. As you'd expect, cell service was not always available, so download local maps as needed before heading out.

Just before Lincoln, we stopped at Loon Mountain, headed up via cable car, and enjoyed the poorly-named (yet exciting) "glacial caves," which are a series of natural granite obstacles [not caves] that force you to contort yourself in fun [and nerve-wracking, for the older] postures to navigate them. 

The Loop Back

After a nice lunch in Lincoln, we stopped for ice cream (I had maple soft serve) and took the northern loop back, which runs through Franconia Notch, by Mount Washington, and had plenty of sights on its own. But we visited there last year, so we just enjoyed the views and meandered back to North Conway. The map below shows the Kancamagus (the southern road) and the northern loop back. The listed drive time of two hours is deceiving and easily exceeded; plan to stop often (and/or be held up by slow motorists).

Lake Winnipesaukee

The next day, it was time to head home. We had driven up from Manchester on the east side of Lake Winnipesaukee, and headed home on the west side. We intended to find a place to hike and enjoy a view of the lake; our first choice, Castle in the Clouds, was out due to a classic car show that day. We drove on through Meredith (it looked pretty; we should have stopped) and Interlaken (not to be confused with its Swiss counterpart) before finding what looked like a good spot. What we didn't know: the road up went from pleasingly paved to dauntingly dirt and rock, with difficult climbs and hairpin turns. We parked in a lot that had some other cars, saw no other hikers, and grew increasingly nervous. After briefly exploring the local trail options and enjoying the view, we decided to head back down. On the way, a passing motorist told us to watch for black bears he had just seen, reinforcing our decision to get out of there.

We drove back to Manchester, stopping at (another) L.L. Bean outlet on the way before catching our flight home.

Thoughts

It was a short but wonderful trip. The people in the White Mountains live life at a different pace. They are polite, kind, and much more relaxed than what we are used to. The area is beautiful, even though the leaves were not as vibrant as we had hoped (the locals told us a drought had affected the maples in particular). There is plenty to do for the outdoors enthusiast, and many options for all skill levels and desires (we focused on shorter hikes and loved it). The food options were excellent, with an array of both chains and local fare. The shopping was surprisingly fun. I wish we had more time to explore the Lake Winnipesaukee area (and foreknowledge of where best to do that), but ultimately, the trip was made not by what we did, but who we were with—each other.

It was the first time my wife and I had gotten away overnight without the children in seven years. It was a much-needed time to relax, enjoy each other's company, and connect without distraction or interruption. We need to make this a habit.

Stone Harbor & Cape May

Last week, we got the chance to spend some time with a friend at Stone Harbor, New Jersey. We took one day to explore nearby Cape May. This post looks at both.

Stone Harbor is the southern town on seven-mile island (the northern is Avalon). It features a quaint downtown strip with expected stores (food, souvenirs, and so on—Springer's ice cream, two blocks north of the strip, is a must-visit). With the island having a typical width of only 2000ft, all homes are within easy walk of both beach and bay. It is almost entirely single family homes, many of which are modern, large, and beautifully constructed, with multi-level decks and flower boxes and more. (I enjoyed the homes more than the beach itself.) This lends itself to lower population density, less crowded beaches, and a laidback atmosphere well-suited to families.

Cape May is 12 miles south of Stone Harbor as the crow flies. Cape May Point (south of Cape May proper) has a lighthouse, WWII-era bunker, sunken concrete ship, and WWII-era watchtower. Cape May itself has a nice shopping district and pretty Victorian homes scattered throughout the town.

Overall, we spent our Stone Harbor days on the beach, walking the town, enjoying the homes, eating ice cream, and playing games or relaxing with our friend. And enjoying the sunrise. Time well spent.

Cooperstown and Home

After an enjoyable day in the White Mountains, it was time for the long drive to Cooperstown (5 hours, 260 miles). There's no great way to get there from rural New Hampshire; a decent part of the trip is country roads. But we arrived by 4pm; enough time to enjoy the town.

I love Cooperstown. Its main street is classic Americana. The shops plentiful and baseball-focused, from cards to hats to jerseys and other memorabilia. Outside the main drag, beautiful homes and tree-lined streets abound. I could spend a few days strolling (and shopping).

After an enjoyable evening, we retired for the night.

The next day, we were ready for the Hall of Fame when it opened its doors (at 9am). The museum recommended allowing two hours to visit; we were done in an hour and a half, going at a decent pace and enjoying the exhibits (but not reading everything). The 19-minute movie at the beginning was . . . nostalgic but not great (it gave no history, but featured players talking about how they love the game and showing some iconic moments). But the rest was excellent—they have exhibits on the game's origins, select players of note (like Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson), the African American League, the Woman's League, team displays, baseball cards, and more. At the end of the experience (they recommend seeing the museum 2nd floor—3rd floor—1st floor, oddly) is the Hall of Fame itself, where almost 350 people have plaques with paragraphs describing their achievements. The latest four slots had the background marble (with player signatures) but no plaques, yet—they are to be inducted in a week or so.

After the Hall, it was time to drive home (5:30, ~340 miles). It was (mercifully) mostly highways.

The Trip in Total

It was a whirlwind, but an enjoyable one. We spent five of eight days driving for five or more hours, but got to enjoy plenty of beautiful scenery, amazing weather, wonderful friends, and some history to boot. The entire journey (below) was more than 1500 miles, though. It's good to be home and get some rest.