Bob and Mary's condo was more like a house, with great views and loads of room. We visited the town of North Conway before taking a drive on the Kancamagus Highway, a short hike in the White Mountains then having a great lunch at the Muddy Moose.
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| plenty of scenery to enjoy |
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| Jay and Bob free ranging |
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| a bit of early color |
On Sunday, after lunch at a mountainside brewery in Jackson (with my first taste of blueberry beer), we took a car trip to Mount Washington in the White Mountains, having been assured by the ranger that there was plenty of room for two vehicles to pass on the steep winding road to the top. He neglected to mention that those two vehicles should be unicycles. Thankfully Bob got us safely up and back, and it was a beautiful sight as soon as we were able to open our eyes and unclinch our fists (and sphincters). The road was 150 years old in 2011, and the construction of it is impossible to imagine. The elevation is 6,288 feet, the wind was screaming, and the temperature dropped from the 60s to the 40s very quickly. But the views, oh, the views!
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| ski trails |
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| mountaintop lodge |
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| the railway teetering |
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| we're high (and it's not even happy hour) |
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| Bob and Mary in the clouds |
On Monday, Bob and Mary opted for a train ride around the gorge and we spent the day on the scooter in the White Mountain State Park enjoying the campgrounds, covered bridges, and cool shady trails. We later lounged by the fireplace to plan for the next day's arrivals.
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| biker dude and covered bridge |
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| biker chick |
Bob and JoAnn, long-time sailing friends from TN who summer in Cape Cod, arrived on Tuesday to spend a few nights at the condo. William and Judy also arrived with their camper, and Phred and Candy drove up Wednesday for a day of hiking. We hiked the Flume Gorge and Diana's Baths at Franconia Notch State Park, and it was absolutely gorgeous. We've always loved the mountains and have spent lots of time hiking and camping in the Smokies. Much to our surprise, the mountains of New Hampshire were very similar, as were the streams and vegetation. It felt sort of like home, but with the opportunity to explore more of the wonders of this land.
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| the group is growing |
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| entering covered bridge |
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| Diana's Bath |
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| you can always find Jay |
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| I hope William paid attention! |
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| Candy was the caboose |
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| flume gorge |
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| looks like the Smokies |
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| very adaptable tree |
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| overhead shot of cocktail hour(s) |
