10th Anniversary Day! Oddly enough, much like our wedding date in 1998, the Chicago Cubs were yet again in the playoffs and yet about to be swept.
Last Friday began with a mouth-watering breakfast of French toast, eggs, bacon, and English muffin. I was confused at first when one of the owners came by with the syrup and said “Here is your singing syrup.” Then I opened it up and, sure enough, Patti Page’s voice emanated from the cap and was singing loud enough for us to hear but not loud where it would carry over to the next table. In most circumstances this would have annoyed me but since we were on vacation it amused me.
For the three breakfasts we had at the Notchland Inn and the two dinners, we got to enjoy the company of the inn’s two Bernese mountain dogs. The mom was almost as large as a St. Bernard but gentle and mellow. Both dogs would go from table to table to get love and acknowledgement and then proceed to the next table. The menu specifically said to not get caught in their tractor beams and give them food and that they were well fed.
Since the day’s forecast was for sun in the morning but possible rain in the afternoon, we took off to get in as much scenery as we could. Knowing the next 2 days’ forecast was for sun, we were as pressed to try to sneak everything in that day.
The Notchland Inn is just north of a famously scenic road called the Kancamagus Highway. To get to there, we drove on Bear Notch Road (a small, remote trail that is closed in the winter) which takes you over a mountain ridge to the Kancamagus Highway. I won’t bore you with the details of how many times we stopped to take pictures and to soak in the scenery but after a while we truly did run out of ways to say “wow”. You take the natural beauty of the area, then add fall leaves at their brightest, sprinkle in some spectacular mountain ridges and even the hardest of souls has to melt somewhat and appreciate the spectacle.
It became a running joke between us after a while when we realized that every new turn we took, every new vista that unfolded was just as spectacular and picture-worthy as the last one. As we would view an entirely new jaw-dropping vista, we’d channel a bored teenager’s sentiments and say things like “Oh brother…another gorgeous view…I guess that’s ok…assuming you’re into pretty scenery and stuff…” I’m sure the last thing the locals in northern New Hampshire want are even more tourists in their area but I can’t recommend this place high enough. White Mountain National Forest is a gem that maybe doesn’t get the press as much as other national parks with their taller peaks out west but the scenery is just as impressive and the mountains just as beautiful to view.
The Kancamagus Highway ends at I-93 by Lincoln and we turned north. We made a stop past The Flume at the Old Man’s Foot at The Basin where the granite had carved out smooth features in the surrounding area. Once you hit Franconia Notch, you can’t help but be impressed with the size of the White Mountains. Several were already snow-tipped. The sheer slope at which these mountains ascend to their heights is impressive. Even more impressive is how the trees adapt to living on top of granite, exposing their roots everywhere but forming an impressive coat around all but the most vertical sections of these mountains.
As we rounded out our daily trip on a circle back to Notchland Inn, we saw how pretty the backdrop was for the Mt. Washington Resort. You know your hotel is set among spectacular scenery when tourists stop to the side of the road to include your hotel in their pictures with Mt Washington (among others) in the background.
Between the resort and the inn is Crawford Notch, another magnificent view within White Mountain National Forest. What’s funny is that both our phones got 4 bars of service here in the wilderness which is a stronger symbol than some places by our own home!
We decided that a full day’s “work” had been done and to go to a casual restaurant for dinner. We walked around North Conway (about 30 minutes from the inn) for a while. North Conway is part cheesy tourist trap, part outlet mall destination but it’s got some charm to it at the same time. We did dinner at a pub called Horsefeathers, where the sign outside got our attention. If there was ever a perfect motto for an eating establishment, “Sustenance, Merriment & Cheer” is a great declaration. Topping the night off was the fact that my fish and chips actually were some of the better ones I’ve had since it was lightly battered and not crunchy, oily and over-boiled like most pubs/restaurants would do.
Day 3’s events will be posted tomorrow.