Fairbanks Inn Saint Johnsbury

Wake up, look out our window, it's raining. Shower, dress, look out the window it’s SNOWING. Today was like a nice relaxing Sunday drive through paradise. First we went to the Flume Visitors Center, in the Franconia Notch State Park, for a movie about the geography of the area.

http://www.visitnh.gov/flume/in dex.html

We then traveled on the Kancamagus Highway, one of the National scenic byways. We saw rain, snow and ...

... information out of us. Okay, think orange dreamsicle like. . . .

Totally pigged out all morning and we’re off to Lincoln, NH. It took most of the afternoon to get there, but it included a quick stop at Bath, NH. Bath is a fascinating little town that included the first covered bridge that we’ve actually seen so far (the longest one in New Hampshire). The General Store, an Ice Cream ...

... After switching drivers near the town of Rockingham, I veered off the interstate and headed through the mountains along Highway 12. The congestion along this one-way road began to increase as we neared the town of Woodstock. Viewed by many as being the quintessential New England town, Woodstock is filled with typical Americana icons such as a covered bridge, a central green surrounded by restored homes, and a town crier. Today being Columbus Day, many people flocked to Woodstock to ...

... an hour of our lodge, we were stopping every 5 miles to take photos, and realized we had to get going or we won't make it in time to check in. The next day we just toured the area. Unfortunately, the weather is still raining and cloudy to start, but got better as the day progressed. We went up highway 3 known as Moose Alley.....NO MOOSE ...

How glorious to get off the toll road. I wound through the wonderful Adirondack Nat'l Forest Area and marvelous little towns. The funny thing about this drive were the signs saying "Moose Crossing" and a couple of "Bear Crossing". The road was up high and often flanked by rock sides. I had a hard time imaging either animal making it up to the road, across the grassy median and down the otherside. I looked carefully the whole time ...

... are in the old historic buildings that are still proudly here. There are no Mcdonalds or WalMart, no strip malls. People stroll the street with their dogs and children and they all greet you with a smile.

It was hard to say goodbye to Kate tonight after dining with she and her husband Roger. These times will remain a very special memory.

... lugar para pasar unos días, especialmente para los montañeros (que hay unos cuantos de los que leen este blog). Hay escursiones desde para viejillos hasta de 8 horas. De todas ellas dudamos entre una excursión de unas 3 horas a la montaña Pemigewasset o entre 3 diferentes de hora/hora y media cada una. Después de la experiencia de ayer y sabiendo que hay un 30% de probabilidades de lluvia escogemos la segunda opción. Así por lo menos ...

I'm at home, hanging with friends and the parentals. I'm working out the final details of my upcoming adventure and downloading an ambitious number of telenovellas in a last-ditch effort to learn a bit of Spanish before flying to Guadalajara. Will I succeed? Stay tuned!

... own house. (I would say a solid percentage of the people I met there built most of their own structures - houses, garages, shops, etc - and were constantly finding ways to use more and more recycled materials and be more successfully off the grid.) I give massive respect to an area with such a deeply ingrained culture of community and proactive self-sufficiency.
After two weeks of amazing community and frustrating farm work I decided it was time to move ...

... The first thing we did after leaving the hotel was go to the Billings Farm outside Woodstock. To get there we drove over a covered bridge and through the woods all along beautiful farms and farm houses. The farm had been owned by three conservationists over the last two hundred years. All of which helped teach Americans about stewardship and conservation and donated land and money to national and state parks. Now the farm is used to teach the people who ...