We don’t blame you…New Hampshire!
How our trip to New Hampshire started!
When you’re on the road months at a time, not every day is an Instagram-worthy day. In fact, real life continues. You still have to pay bills, check mail, deal with medical things and, sometimes, even accidents.
As some of you are aware, while in New Hampshire, we were involved in an accident. A drunk driver turned right in front of us leaving us no time to react. That event led to a cascade of other events which forced us to change our plans.
Our original plan was to be in New Hampshire for a few days and then move onto northwestern Massachussets. However, the accident left us with an undrivable truck and no way to haul our trailer to the next campground, let alone to Massachusetts. Fortunately, the owner of the tow truck company saw we were up a creek with no paddle and used his personal truck to haul us to our site. First problem solved. The next day our goal was to rent a vehicle, and not just any vehicle. It had to be a truck capable of hauling our Airstream.
This turned out to be quite a challenge. We found an Enterprise about an hour away, but they only rented cars. We found a separate Enterprise that rented trucks but they were 90 minutes away in the opposite direction and couldn’t get us a truck for a couple of days. So, we had to get a car so we could get a truck!!! Simple enough, if not exactly convenient. Now, all we had to do was go get the car. Imagine for a moment, in a town of 1,000 people, trying to find an uber or taxi service to drive you an hour away. Not easy. After a half day of calling taxis, car services, the owner of the tow company, and repeatedly requesting an Uber, we finally got a driver to accept us. Next problem solved. After picking up the car, we had to wait until the truck was available and then drive an hour and a half to pick it up, and another hour and half back to our campsite. (Story continues on the Oh Sh*t page!)
Franconia Notch State Park & Kancamagus Highway
Kancamagus Highway.
Over the next couple of days, while we were waiting for updates on our truck, we went sight-seeing. We headed up to Franconia Notch State Park and the Kancamagus Highway. We arrived early at the state park only to find that their premier attraction, the Flume Gorge, was SOLD OUT for the day. Time to pivot. We got some recommendations on hikes in the area and decided to hike Mt. Pemigewasset. If you read our post on Smuggler’s Notch, you know we thought that hike was a doozy. This one was worse. It was 3.6 miles round trip, with a 1250 foot elevation gain. The payoff, though, was definitely worth the effort. When we reached the top, we were greeted with a cliff overlooking multiple mountains and beautiful foliage. It was a beautiful day. So, we took some time to soak in the view and the vitamin D before making the trek back down.
We both decided we had earned some lunch and a beer before we went to explore the Kancamagus highway. This is a 34.5-mile byway with amazing scenic views of the White Mountains. The fall foliage was truly spectacular! However, it wasn’t the optimal day (Sunday) as the crowds were in full force or the time of day for capturing the beautiful colors we were taking in.
Woodstock, Vermont
The next day, since we now had time to kill, we went back to Vermont to visit the town of Woodstock. (Not to be confused with North Woodstock, New Hampshire or any of the other Woodstocks in New England) This is another town that is full of charm. The history of the town goes back to 1761 when the first European settlers were arriving in droves. It quickly became of one the largest towns in Vermont. Today, it has dwindled in size, but definitely not in appeal. It’s full of historic sites, beautiful homes, and lots of outdoor activities. We kick started our day with breakfast a very popular spot called the Mon Vert Café. It is a cute café in the center of town with good food and lots of coffee options. The town itself was bustling with activity (almost too much) and it seemed almost everyone was in town to see the fall foliage. We strolled around town, taking in the buildings, the quaint shops, and the Middle Covered Bridge which stretches over the Ottauquechee River. Next to the bridge, you will find Simon Pearce Glassware. This is not only a store, but also a glass blowing and pottery studio. If you head downstairs, you can watch the artisans at work. This is certainly a town we would recommend visiting if you are ever in the area. If you go during the fall, it is best to book early as things fill up fast.
As we mentioned, we canceled the northwestern Massachusetts part of our trip in the hope that, if we waited around, we might get some answers on our truck. Well, after a week of waiting and still no answers,we decided to take the rental truck and the Airstream and head on to Cape Cod.
