The Rest of New Hampshire

I did a pretty good job of earning my sticker for New Hampshire.

America's Stonehenge -

Although not nearly as imposing as its British namesake, it is believed to be one of the oldest man-made complexes on this side of the Atlantic.  The 30-acre grounds of America's Stonehenge are scattered with standing stones, walls, and stone chambers.

 I drove to Sunapee, New Hampshire because a friend asked me to take some pictures for her.  Apparently, her Grandmother used to live there.

The Lake Sunapee region, dominated by Mount Sunapee and the 10-mile long lake at its base is a major drawing card for boaters and skiers.  Lake Sunapee's name is said to be derived from the Penacook Indian words for "wild goose water".

And then a stop at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire's premier art museum.  The museum's diverse collection of over 12,000 items includes works by Charles Monet and Henri Matisse.  I even found a Picasso.

Also, one of the galleries was on the Canterbury Shakers.  I was glad I had visited the community before seeing the exhibit at the museum.  It made it more interesting.

The 1762 Wyman Tavern is one of Keene's important early buildings.  In 1770 the well know inn was the scene of the first meeting of the trustees of Dartmouth College.  Five years later Capt. Isaac Wyman led 29 Minutemen from the tavern to Lexington at the onset of the Revolutionary War.

 

Massachusettes State Facts and Trivia

Massachusetts Facts and Trivia

1. Boston built the first subway system in the United States in 1897.
2. In Holyoke, William G. Morgan created a new game called "Mintonette" in 1895. After a demonstration was given at the YMCA in nearby Springfield, the name "Mintonette" was replaced with the now-familiar name "Volleyball."
3. There is a house in Rockport built entirely of newspaper.
4. The Fig Newton was named after Newton, Massachusetts.
5. The visible portion of Plymouth Rock is a lumpy fragment of glacial moraine about the size of a coffee table, with the date 1620 cut into its surface. After being broken, dragged about the town of Plymouth by ox teams used to inspire Revolutionaries, and reverently gouged and scraped by 19th-century souvenir hunters, it is now at rest near the head of Plymouth Harbor.
6. The Basketball Hall Of Fame is located in Springfield.
7. James Michael Curley was the first mayor of Boston to have an automobile. The plate number was "576" - the number of letters in "James Michael Curley." The mayor of Boston's official car still uses the same number on its plate.
8. The American industrial revolution began in Lowell. Lowell was America's first planned industrial city.
9. 1634: Boston Common became the first public park in America.
10. 1891: The first basketball game was played in Springfield.
11. Massachusetts holds the two largest cities in New England, Boston, the largest, and Worcester.
12. The creation of the Cape Cod National Seashore, which was formerly private town and state-owned landmarked the first time the federal government purchased land for a park.
13. Quincy boasts the first Dunkin Donuts on Hancock Street and the first Howard Johnson's on Newport Ave.
14. Glaciers formed the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard during the ice age.
15. The first U.S.Postal zip code in Massachusetts is 01001 at Agawam.
16. The signs along the Massachusetts Turnpike reading "x miles to Boston" refer to the distance from that point to the gold dome of the statehouse.
17. Harvard was the first college established in North America. Harvard was founded in 1636. Because of Harvard's size, there is no universal mailing address that will work for every office at the University.
18. The Boston University Bridge on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston is the only place in the world where a boat can sail under a train driving under a car driving under an airplane.
19. The Children's Museum in Boston displays a giant milk bottle on the museum's wharf. If it were real it would hold 50,000 gallons of milk and 8,620 gallons of cream.
20. In 1908, Miss Caroline O. Emmerton purchased The House of the Seven Gables - built in 1668 - restored it to its present state and, in 1910, opened the site to the touring public. The seven-gabled house inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne to write his famous novel of the same name.
21. The Boston Tea Party reenactment takes place in Boston Harbor every December 16th.
22. Balance Rock in Lanesborough is named in honor of a 25' x 15' x 10 boulder that balances upon a small stone below it.
23. Massachusetts first began issuing drivers licenses and registration plates in June of 1903.
24. The 3rd Monday in April is a legal holiday in Massachusetts called Patriot's Day.
25. The USS Constitution 'Old Ironsides', the oldest fully commissioned vessel in the US Navy is permanently berthed at Charlestown Navy Yard. Since 1897 the ship has been overhauled several times in Dry Dock 1.
26. The official state dessert of Massachusetts is Boston cream pie.
27. Milford is known the world over for its unique pink granite, discovered in the 1870s and quarried for many years to grace the exteriors of museums, government buildings, monuments, and railroad stations.

Entering Massachuetts

Many of America's pivotal events have been played out in Massachusetts.  In 1620 a group of 102 British Pilgrims sailing to the Virginia Colony were blown off course and forced to land farther north at Plymouth, the first permanent English settlement in North America.  More than 100 years later the seeds of the American Revolution took strongest root in Boston, blossoming into the nation of the United States and forever altering the course of world history.

My first experience entering from New York was to drive the Mohawk Trail.  Unfortunately, I'm starting to lose leaf color as rains come in and the trees drop their leaves, but it was still a beautiful drive (although the hairpin turn would have been better in the Jeep😀).

Originally an Indian trade route, this trail was a popular artery for early pioneers. It was the first officially designated scenic drive in New England.  This twisting road offers magnificent mountain views.  Sorry to say, I was not able to get many pictures as I had to pay close attention to the drive and there aren't any turnouts.

The towns and houses were quite charming; you drive right through Williams College in Williamstown.  It didn't feel like a typical mountain drive as there weren't any drop-off sides like you associate with a mountain drive, just a steady, winding road.

I had a little bit of surprise when I came around a bend and there was a sign that I was in Florida.  I didn't expect that and it made me laugh.

Whitcomb Summit had a big deer statue at the top, which was kind of fun.  There were also lots of rocky streams and a bear crossing.

A disappointment in driving this trail with the RV was I couldn't stop or take the road to Shelburne Falls (low bridge clearance).  The Bridge of Flowers was a "must-see" there, but this is the wrong time of year for that sight. 

I'm going up into New Hampshire for a couple of days and then coming back down in Massachusetts for the Boston/Salem area.  That should be a lot of fun around Halloween.

I'm going to be hard-pressed to earn my state sticker for Massachusettes.  I'm only here for about 2 weeks and I don't have very many stops outside the Boston/Salem/Cape Cod area.

Finishing Vermont

Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home, Manchester, VT -

Hildene was built in 1905 as the summer home for Robert Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's only child to live to maturity.

Robert Lincoln, who became president and chairman of the Pullman Co., was so impressed by the beauty of the Manchester area when he visited with his mother and brother Tad in 1863 that he returned years later to build the estate.

A couple interesting things about the house:  Robert had an Aeolian organ built for the house so during the construction the 1,000 organ pipes were built into the walls at the top of the stairs.  The organ still plays and you can hear as you tour the house.

The other interesting thing is the front lawn. There are bricks in the grass that show the exact size of Abraham Lincoln's log cabin.

I was also excited to see Abe's stovepipe hat!

Bennington, Vermont -

Hemmings Sunoco Filling Station displays vintage automobiles and automobile memorabilia in a old-fashioned, full-service gas station.

Bennington Battle Monument - commemorates the Revolutionary War battle of August 16, 1777, between British General John Burgoyne's forces and a group of Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts volunteers led by General John Stark.

The stone obelisk, when completed in 1889 was the tallest battle monument in the world.  At 306 feet, it is still the tallest structure in Vermont.

Back in New York

I drove over from Vermont to drive through the Adirondack before the leaves were completely gone from the trees.  There was more rain in the forecast, which I thought would finish them off.  Unfortunately, the leaves were mostly gone but the drive was peaceful and delightful.

This is the view where I stopped for lunch ...

I really expected more of a "mountain" road and called the ranger station to be sure it was OK to drive it in my coach, but it was just a regular state highway, and pretty empty for a weekend.

I did end up taking the wrong Hwy 28 South and went way out of my way (having to spend the night), but I have plenty of time and didn't have a commitment anywhere.

The next day I visited several historical sights.


Martin Van Buren National Historic Site in Kinderhook, New York -

Martin Van Buren was born in 1782 in Kinderhook.  His parents kept a tavern and farmed.  He began a legal career at 14; married his childhood sweetheart Hannah Hoes, a distant relative, in 1807; and took his first appointed post as a county probate judge.

The two facts about the eighth president of the United States that I found most interesting:  he was the first to be born under the U.S. flag (previous presidents were born British subjects), and second, he founded the Democratic Party.

Saratoga National Historical Park -

Again, I had no idea (memory?) that this battle was so important to the Revolutionary War.  It was one of the most decisive victories in American and world history.

After these stops, I headed back into Vermont and New Hampshire.  Whooo, zigzagging across state lines gets confusing.  I will return to New York one more time after I visit Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

Vermont State Facts and Trivia

Vermont was given its name by explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1609. The word means "Green Mountain" in French, and must have seemed most suitable when he gazed upon the fertile landscape.

 Vermont Facts and Trivia

1. Vermont was the first state admitted to the Union after the ratification of the Constitution.
2. With a population of fewer than nine thousand people, Montpelier, Vermont is the smallest state capital in the U.S.
3. Montpelier, Vermont is the only U.S. state capital without a McDonalds.
4. In a ratio of cows to people, Vermont has the greatest number of dairy cows in the country.
5. Montpelier, Is the largest producer of maple syrup in the U.S.
6. Vermont's largest employer isn't Ben and Jerry's, it's IBM.
7. Until recently, the only way a Vermonter could get a driver's license with their photo on it was to drive to Montpelier.
8. Vermont was, at various times, claimed by both New Hampshire and New York.
9. Until 1996, Vermont was the only state without a Wal-Mart.
10. Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream company gives their ice cream waste to the local Vermont farmers who use it to feed their hogs. The hogs seem to like all of the flavors except Mint Oreo.
11. Rudyard Kipling, living in Vermont in the 1890s invented the game of snow golf.
12. Vermont does not sell alcohol to out of state licenses, you must have a liquor ID in order to purchase alcohol at liquor stores and grocery stores. This doesn't apply to bars but can affect those traveling through the state.
13. U.S. President Calvin Coolidge was the only president born on the fourth of July. Born in Plymouth 7/4/1872.
14. Vermont's state capitol building is one of only a few to have a gold dome. Atop the dome is a statue of Ceres.

New Hampshire Facts and Trivia

New Hampshirites are known for their fiercely independent nature, born of necessity in the early 1600s when European settlers established outposts in this mountainous and heavily forested region.  This natural beauty is still in evidence, in the soaring peaks of the White Mountains, the pristine water of Lake Winnipesaukee, and the small, but scenic coastline.

New Hampshire Facts and Trivia

1. Of the thirteen original colonies, New Hampshire was the first to declare its independence from Mother England -- a full six months before the Declaration of Independence was signed.
2. The highest wind speed recorded at ground level is at Mt. Washington, on April 12, 1934. The winds were three times as fast as those in most hurricanes.
3. The first potato planted in the United States was at Londonderry Common Field in 1719.
4. In 1833 the first free public library in the United States was established in Peterborough.
5. New Hampshire adopted the first legal lottery in the twentieth-century United States in 1963.
6. On December 30, 1828, about 400 mill girls walked out of the Dover Cotton Factory enacting the first women's strike in the United States. The Dover mill girls were forced to give in when the mill owners immediately began advertising for replacement workers.
7. The Irish-born American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens lived and worked in Cornish from 1885 until his death at age 59 in 1907.
8. The Mount Washington auto road at Great Glen is New Hampshire's oldest manmade tourist attraction.
9. New Hampshire's State House is the oldest state capitol in which a legislature still meets in its original chambers.
10. The very first motorized ascent of the Mount Washington auto road was by Feelan O. Stanley, of Stanley Steamer fame, in 1899.
11. Augustus Saint-Gaudens from Cornish was the first sculptor to design an American coin. His commission became fraught with difficulties related to Saint-Gaudens' desire for high relief relative to the demands of mass production and use.
12. America's Stonehenge is a 4000 year old megalithic (stone constructed) site located on Mystery Hill in Salem and presently serves as a leisurely, educational tour for the whole family.
13. The Memorial Bell Tower at Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge has four bronze bas-reliefs designed by Norman Rockwell. The bell tower is specifically dedicated to women's military and civilians who died serving their country.
14. The Bavarian-style hamlet of Merrimack is home to the famous eight-horse hitch, and the Clydesdales maintained by the Anheuser-Busch Brewery.
15. Cannon Aerial Tramway is the first aerial passenger tramway in North America. It was built in 1938 at Franconia Notch.
16. New Hampshire's state motto is "Live Free or Die". The motto comes from a statement written by the Revolutionary General John Stark, a hero of the Battle of Bennington.
17. As leaders in the revolutionary cause, New Hampshire delegates received the honor of being the first to vote for the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
18. The granite profile "Old Man of the Mountain" is one of the most famous natural landmarks in the state. The Old Man's head measures 40 feet from chin to forehead and is made up of five ledges. Nature carved this profile thousands of years ago. The natural sculpture is 1,200 feet above Echo Lake.
19. It takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to make approximately 1 gallon of maple syrup.
20. Wallace D. Lovell built the Hampton River Bridge in 1900 called the "mile-long bridge". It was reputed to be the longest wooden bridge in the world.
21. Captain John Smith named New Hampshire after the town of Hampshire, England.
22. New Hampshire has a changeable climate, with wide variations in daily and seasonal temperatures. The variations are affected by proximity to the ocean, mountains, lakes or rivers. The state enjoys all four seasons. Summers are short and cool; winters are long and cold; fall is glorious with foliage. The weather station on Mount Washington has recorded some of the coldest temperatures and strongest winds in the continental United States.

Driving Around Vermont

Big Falls, North Troy

The area around Troy is lovely with the farms and small towns

Old Round Church, Richmond -

16-sided two-story frame building built in 1813, the reason for its shape is not certain.  Local lore says it was to keep the devil from lurking in corners.  Another suggestion is that 16 men each built a side and a 17th added the belfry.  A page from the account book of William Rhodes, the master builder, lists 17 workers in addition to himself.  But the most likely explanation is that it was modeled after a round church in Claremont, New Hampshire, where Rhodes's parents lived.

Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site, Plymouth -

In the early hours before dawn, on August 3, 1923, Vice President Coolidge, who was vacationing at his boyhood home in Plymouth, was awakened when a courier brought word that President Warren G. Harding has suddenly died.  By the light of a kerosene lamp in the sitting room, Coolidge was sworn into office as the new president by his father, a notary public.

During his five years as chief executive, Coolidge returned here for vacations.  Content with the simplicity of the house and its air of peacefulness, it was not until 1932 that he installed electricity and other modern amenities.  He was buried, as he requested, in the cemetery nearby in 1933.

President Chester Arthur State Historic Site, St Albans -






Smugglers Notch -

The drive was lovely albeit 25mph and switchback turns.



Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Park -

This is the only national park to tell the story of conservation history and how land stewardship has evolved in America.

Mount Washington and a scenic drive

Franconia Notch and Flume Gorge

Avalanche Falls is a 45-foot waterfall formed during the great storm of 1883, which washed away the hanging boulder.  The waterfall creates a roaring sound as the Flume Brook enters the gorge.

Table Rock is a section of Conway granite that is 500 feet long and 75 feet wide.

Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway

The Flume Covered Bridge is one of the oldest in the state. Built in 1886

Some of New Hampshire

The Canterbury Shaker Village tour was interesting.  Founded in 1792, and occupied for 200 years, making it one of the longest-lasting communities of this religious group in the country.  The Shaker's received their nickname based on the dancing they did as part of their worship service.  They were very different from the Amish because they embraced technology and believed anything that made their work more efficient was a glory to God.  They invented several items and had patents, such as the first washing machine.

Saint Gaudens National Historic Site -

This national historic site celebrates the life of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, a very brilliant sculpturer.  I had no idea who he was, to be honest.   A couple of his famous works include this famous statue of Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln Park, Chicago, and the Boston Shaw Memorial.


Sculptured Rocks Natural  Area -

The Cockermouth River has worn a chasm some 100 feet long and 30 feet deep.  Mother Nature carved out a fanciful rock gallery of bowls, beaks, curves, and swirls.



Castle in the Clouds -

The castle was the dream of Thomas Gustave Plant, a multi-millionaire whose objective was to have an environment in which he could behold nothing but beauty.  Purchasing 6,000 acres of woodland and sparing no expense, Plant built his mansion on a promontory with views of the island-studded lake below and the White Mountains in the distance.

Paul Bunyan and Blue

Grafton Notch