South Hampton, New Hampshire |
New Hamphire
 Close your eyes and try to envision an idyllic place where there is blue sky and waterfalls, long-range mountain views, a dash of history, and pinch of excitement, perhaps a modicum of kids giggling or laughing out loud, a comfortable bed at the end of the day or a pleasant place to throw your sleeping bag under the stars, and plenty of different things to do.
You're thinking about New Hampshire's White Mountains, located within easy access (i.e., a day's drive) of more than 60 million people in the eastern United States or Canada. Native Americans roamed through the region for centuries before white settlers arrived in the 18th Century. Two Indians accompanied Darby Field as he became the first settler to reach the summit of Mount Washington, the tallest peak (6,288 feet) in the Northeast, in 1642 after an 18-day trek.
Today, hikers can reach the summit in a few hours and make the roundtrip, bottom to top and back, in much less than a day. The compact nature of the White Mountains has, for decades, helped make the region a big favorite of families, who can get to see a lot in a little time. Mountain Washington was the early attraction, but the region now offers seventeen attractions to fit any age or desire.
When the Mount Washington Auto Road (Pinkham Notch) was built in 1861, it was the first tourist attraction in the USA. A few years later, the Mount Washington Cog Railway (Bretton Woods) became the first mountain-climbing railway in the world; "The Cog" continues to operate daily into October while Peppersass, the pufferbelly which completed that first ascent to the summit in 1869, is on display as part of the museum at the base of the tracks to the top. Hiking certainly is one way to the summit, and the Cog is another. Or drive your own car up the Mount Washington Auto Road (Gorham), an eight-mile route up the eastern slope of the big hill.
But perhaps the most comfortable trip is a ride in one of the specially engineered vans with guided commentary by drivers for the Mount Washington Auto Road Stage Co. But the roof of Mount Washington isn't the only mountaintop which attracts visitors. Cannon Mountain (Franconia Notch) has the largest tram in the Northeast America carrying vacationers to the top, where they can find a gentle nature trail and enjoy a panoramic look at the Whites. The skyride at Loon Mountain (Lincoln) takes sightseers to the summit where there's also a nature trail plus glacial caves and other activities, including a wildlife theatre.
But the Old Man of the Mountain granite profile, atop Cannon Mountain and overlooking Franconia Notch, and the tram ride to the top aren't the only attractions at Cannon. There are two museums at the base of the mountain - the New England Ski Museum and the Old Man of the Mountain Museum - with free admission and informative displays. Nearby, the Flume Gorge - part of Franconia Notch State Park, with its waterfalls, scenic pool and glacial boulders - offers some of the most cooling walking trails in addition to the boardwalk path through the 800-foot sluice-like gorge. The $3.2 million Flume Visitors Center gives a thumbnail profile of the area and includes various displays, including an 1874 Concord Coach, a throwback to the days when stagecoach travel was a major way to reach the area, plus a 15 minute free video show.
For a more in-depth look at New Hampshire history, Heritage New Hampshire (Glen) takes visitors on a multi-media tour through the state's first 365 years, starting with a trip aboard Reliance, a ship leaving England in 1634. Other stops: colonial Portsmouth, industrial Manchester (where the Amoskeag Mill was the world's largest textile complex) and a "train ride" through super-scenic Crawford Notch. For global impact, it might be hard to top what happened at the Mount Washington Hotel (Bretton Woods) in 1944 when global leaders gathered to help structure the world's economy after World War II; photos, memorabilia and a roped-off meeting room in the hotel help keep alive the World Monetary Conference.
Below ground, you can find plenty of dark spots to crawl to and through at Lost River (North Woodstock). Formed at the end of the last Ice Age, perhaps 15,000 years ago when melting ice from the glacier which blanketed the region created hard-rushing, river-like forces, which carried boulders off the ridgelines, the gorge was uncovered by accident in 1852 when two brothers stumbled into it while out fishing for the day. Polar Caves Park (Plymouth), along the southernmost edge of the Whites, also offer glacial caves plus fallow deer and an intriguing collection of pheasants from around the globe.
What about animals? Clark's Trading Post (North Woodstock) has performing black bears in addition to a steam train ride, an Americana museum, a mystery house, antique musical machines, a fire station with oldtime fire engines. Santa's Village (Jefferson) offers a small petting zoo and exotic birds shows daily as well as a laughs-and-howl-triggering collection of rides for kids and no-longer-kids, a Skyway Sleigh Monorail which carries you above the delightful playground atmosphere...and, sure, a chance to sit on Santa's lap!
More rides? There are more than a dozen rides at family-friendly Story Land (Glen), from a raft ride and "Sprayground" (gee, what could that include?) to Bamboo Chutes flume ride or maybe an oldtime car ride or a seat in Cinderella's pumpkin. Attitash Bear Peak (Bartlett) has the delightful, terrain-tailored Alpine Slide. Six Gun City (Jefferson) is, as the name implies, a replica western town, complete with mock gunfights, a kids' posse to catch bad guys, a chance to pan for gems, ride a stagecoach or try one of another dozen rides. New this year: Fort Splash, another water activities spot to go with the attraction's waterslides and bumper boats.
More water fun? Whale's Tale Water Park (Lincoln) has a big wave pool plus five water slides and a huge swimming pool. Or try one of the almost countless swimming holes or streams which criss-cross the White Mountains. For a different kind of water fun, M/S Mount Washington (Weirs Beach) plies Lake Winnipesaukee daily (with breakfast and lunch aboard as well as dinner cruises with live music nightly). And for a more unique experience, the Sophie C. carries passengers while delivering mail to various islands in the state's largest lake.
Train fans make their way back to the Whites every summer and fall because, quite simply, the region has the greatest concentration of tourist trains in North America, perhaps the world. More than a half-dozen different types of trains make runs every day in the region; the Cog Railway's three-hour trips up and down Mount Washington got things rolling 130 years ago but there's also Conway Scenic Railroad (North Conway), which has three separate train routes daily...the Hobo Railroad (Lincoln), which offers diesel-powered trains each day plus its elegant Cafe Lafayette dining car rides at night...the White Mountains Central with its wood-fired locomotive, an old logging engine, is at Clark's Trading Post...and, around Lake Winnipesaukee, there's the Winnipesaukee Railroad.
There are, by one estimate, more than a thousand miles of hiking trails in the White Mountains, including part of the renowned Appalachian Trail, which runs between Maine and Georgia. The Appalachian Mountain Club maintains a system of eight huts, built like the Spanish missions which were erected about a day's hike apart. The first went up in 1888. Its most notable huts are at Pinkham Notch, below Mountain Washington, and Lake of the Clouds, a mile or so south of the summit of Mount Washington.
|
