Enveloped in Northeastern Wonder: Partaking of Diana’s Bath with a Thirsty Whale

When we awoke the Next Morning we were pleased to discover that it was not raining so, after enjoying another splendid breakfast at the Buttonwood, we decided to spend a bit more time exploring the White Mountains before we crossed the border into Maine.

Upon the advice of our host we visited Cathedral Ledge, which offered excellent vistas overlooking North Conway and the surrounding area.

We also hiked into a series of cascades known as Diana’s Bath and enjoyed the contrast of the rushing water and the fall color.

Possibly the gears from under an old sawmill

It seemed like only a few minutes after leaving North Conway before we crossed the border into Maine, our third new state of the trip. 

 

We enjoyed our drive through the lake country, making one quick stop along the way to pick up some marshmallows to roast over a campfire that night. We arrived at Acadia National Park  two minutes after the Visitor Center closed, which meant we were unable to get any information about hiking in the park, but we still had enough daylight left to navigate our way to the campgrounds, stopping at several overlooks along the way.

Looking toward Bar Harbor from the Park Road



We found our campsite and worked to set up camp before darkness fell. This task was made dramatically easier since our tent was actually dry and it was not raining for a change!

We even had enough time for a quick walk down to the Atlantic Ocean before the last vestiges of daylight faded away.

The next morning we began our day by returning to the visitor center to watch the park film, stamp my passport, and find out more about hiking. Since the weather was beautiful we drove with the top down on the convertible to better appreciate our surroundings.

When we got to the visitor center we discovered another VW Beetle in the parking lot which had definitely traveled further than we had!

  

The views driving along the park road in Acadia are impressive. It is truly a unique and special place.

Our first official stop was at the Thunder Hole to observe waves crashing into the rocks.

We then walked along the coast to Sandy Beach where we stopped to take a picture with our Candy Corn Oreos!

We hiked out on a trail up to the top of Great Head, along which we encountered some unique bridges and were blessed with splendid views of the coastline.

We had worked up quite an appetite so we headed into Bar Harbor for lunch at the Thirsty Whale. 

Though it was a bit confusing to determine whether we should seat ourselves or wait to be seated we did end up with a table where we ate fish and chips, clam chowder, and a platter of fried yummy sea creatures. We washed it down with some “Old Soaker” soda brewed there in Bar Harbor. 

 

It was good we ate as much as we did as we were going to need the extra energy for our Next Adventure!

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Enveloped in Northeastern Wonder: A Rainy Day on the Kancamagus

Shortly after our Sojourn Into Canada we found ourselves on the other side of the Vermont/New Hampshire border and officially entered historic New England! 

We were pleased to observe that the beautiful fall color continued on the eastern side of the state dividing line. But even in regions where the leaves had not yet changed, signs along the side of the road reminded us to keep a wary eye out for moose. We did precisely that throughout our trip, but sadly never encountered one of the awkward beasts. 

Our first destination in New Hampshire was the Robert Frost House in Franconia, on the western edge of the White Mountains. We decided not to pay to go into the house once we discovered that you could only go through part of it (since the rest is used as a retreat for modern day poets) and that it did not contain much in the way of any actual artifacts associated with Frost. Instead, we watched a video about Frost’s life in New Hampshire and enjoyed the grounds, especially a walk through the surrounding woods which even included passage through a yellow wood. 

      We had to cross over the mountains to reach the Bed & Breakfast where we were staying in North Conway and found that the color was well worth the trip! This waterfall was one we encountered on the side of the road through the mountains.

 Our destination and home for the next two nights was the Buttonwood Inn, a charming B & B nestled into the Eastern edge of the White Mountains and ideally positioned for exploration of the mountains.

It even included a welcoming kitty who we later learned was actually the neighbor’s cat who had figured out he could get lots of attention hanging out near the parking area and front porch of the inn.

We had our own private bathroom across the hall from our room, which provided a very convenient location for us to hang up the rainfly so that it could actually dry off after having twice broken camp in the rain.

Upon the recommendation of our hosts we went back into town and enjoyed dinner at the Red Parka, which we quickly decided would be the perfect place to eat after a day of skiing in the winter. Even without the skiing, it was a great meal in a fun environment, which included an impressive free desert!

Our plans for exploring the White Mountains the next day changed pretty dramatically when it became clear that the rain was showing no signs of quitting. Driving up to Mt. Washington or up to other viewpoints in the mountains didn’t make much sense with all the fog, and doing much in the way of hiking rapidly lost its appeal as well.

So we decided to take things slowly and enjoyed a pleasant morning complete with a superb breakfast courtesy of our hosts and reading in the parlor. 

Although we could have been content to stay at the Buttonwood throughout the day, we didn’t want to miss out on the chance to see more fall color completely.  So we reevaluated our plans and devised a nice driving circuit that took us along the Kancamagus Highway. Although driving with the top down on the convertible as I had hoped to wasn’t exactly a viable option, it still proved to be an excellent trip.

In addition to the beauty surrounding us on the road we enjoyed exploring features such as the Lower Falls Scenic Area, Rocky Gorge, Sabbaday Falls, and the Sugar Hill Scenic Overlook along the way.

Lower Falls Scenic Area

Rocky Gorge

Sabbaday Falls

Sugar Hill Scenic Overlook

We returned to the Buttonwood and after exploring a bit more around the inn we spent a couple of hours playing games and reading in the common room (I had school reading I had to do so this was a good chance) before partaking of a stint in the hot tub in the rain.  

It was a great way to enjoy the rainy day, especially when coupled with ending our day with a hearty meal of Irish comfort food at May Kellys Pub. 

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