20080921 White Mountains

20080921 White Mountains

Sunday, cloudy, 65F

An excellent hot shower, even with a radio, wakes us up. Breakfast and breaking down the campground.
We leave over I93 and take exit 34 to the Franconia Notch state Park Visitor Center. From there the I93 is now also called the Franconia Notch Parkway(from south to north).
We bought 2 tickets (each $12) and followed the self guided trail by foot. The Flume Gorge was beautiful. Nice wooden trails against the walls, so you really "walk over the waterfalls".
We continue over the I93 and take the next exits. Basin and some viewpoints we visit. Unfortunately the weather becomes gray, so the views from the mountains is not so clear.
We turn and take the I93 South, back to Lincoln.
Here we go to Dunkin Donuts, to have hot chocolate with donuts to celebrate Ilja's birthday. We phone here too. After that we phone my parents who have there last day in the west before they fly back from LA to Netherlands.
From there we follow our second scenic byway on the 112, the Kancamagus Highway(from west to east).
On the great highway with breathtaking views on mountains and colorful forest, some parkings for picknick or trails are there. We also take the stop at Sabbaday Falls, very nice.
A little after halfway the route, we setup our tent at campground covered bridge. $18 for 1 night. Ahand we already paid $3 for a day pass, to visit the parkings and picknick areas alongside of the Kancamagus Highway.
The campground-host, someone taking care of registration, campwood etc came to our spot to chat and check that we had paid and registered. When he asked where we were from, the answer "the Netherlands" did raise some questions to him. "is that a country? Is danmark, sweden also the netherlands? How did you get this car overhere from the Netherlands?" In return I thought I ask him a silly question too, "What's for dinner tonight?" lol.
We go to Conway to check for some dinner. A nice Mexican dinner it became. The 20 minutes drive back was interesting, because we only saw 2 other cars and it was completely dark in the woods. So traveling with low 35mph and big lights, not to crash into wildlife.