Sorry for the long wait, but going back to work just one day after coming back from the trip really delayed things such as processing the pictures quite a bit. And the backlog at work also made me mentally too tired to work on this in the evenings. But finally I have made some progress.
Day 1:
We left home at 5 am to try to beat the rush hour in Montreal. That just shows you how much can change in 13 years! Rush hour with delays was well underway before 7 am! After some stop-and-go traffic on the 40, we took the 13 to the 20 and then crossed the Champlain Bridge onto the south shore, all the while wondering if the bridge is really safe. Reports are conflicting, and the debate continues......
Day 1:
We left home at 5 am to try to beat the rush hour in Montreal. That just shows you how much can change in 13 years! Rush hour with delays was well underway before 7 am! After some stop-and-go traffic on the 40, we took the 13 to the 20 and then crossed the Champlain Bridge onto the south shore, all the while wondering if the bridge is really safe. Reports are conflicting, and the debate continues......
Once on the south shore we soon entered the hills of Quebec’s Eastern Townships, the hilltops shrouded in low hanging clouds. Wisps of cloud hung in front of the mountains in the same way that you usually only see from an airplane window
.
At the border I got to exchange my kiwi for a handout about what kind of fruits you can bring into the United States for a snack, but I got to keep my peaches. The customs officer has a whole pile of confistcated fruit, that will probably end up in the garbage. Ironically, just before leaving that morning, I stuffed this fruit in a lunch bag with some granola bars, thinking it would be rotten (and thus go to waste) by the time we got back.
We cruised through Vermont, lamenting the fact that it is impossible to stop at the best vistas to photograph them. There is no real shoulder, and the road winds and curves along a mountain side. It would just be too dangerous, as traffic would not be able to see us beforehand. Lovely villages and towns lie nestled against hillsides and the white clapboard and red brick buildings stand out picturesquely against their green surroundings in the bright sunshine. Here are some examples:
We didn't see quite as much red as in this picture.
We didn't see quite as much red as in this picture.
The villages in this picture are far away.
For the first part of our trip, we took the same road as last year, but this time we budgeted time to explore Franconia State Park in New Hampshire. Just looking at the website now, I realize that we are far from done exploring this park. Last year we were concerned about the time it would take to get to Plymouth, so we only stayed for 15 minutes, and regretted that ever since. This trip we budgeted some more time and we hiked a bit of trail along the Pemigewasset River (more a stream there) and speculated if the piles of sticks and branches we kept seeing at bottlenecks were deposited by the rushing river in spring, or if there is beaver activity in the water. In the end we did see some gnawed tree stumps, and we think it is probably both.
Grawed tree stump near the stream.
Ed en Willem? (Sorry, you have to be Dutch to get that.)
All sharp corners and bleached colour still.
The bare top it came from.
Along the path we saw various examples of trees growing on top of rocks, making us wonder if the soil washed away around the rocks, or by what other process this happened. Aware of the time, and that we could easily spend many more hours there in the park, we chose to return to the car and go on.
Determination! (I see a foot...)
A short distance further down the highway we saw a second stop, this one marked with "parking for basin". Intrigued, we stopped again. We walked a short, partially paved path along a section of the Pemigewasset, following the signs to "the basin". All along the path the river has carved an impressive channel in the rock that has been worn rounded and smooth by al that water. I can't recall ever seeing such clean and clear water in nature anywhere. The land beside the river is different from the rest of the forest and shows clearly how this must be quite the torrent in spring when melting snow runs off the mountains. Tree roots are all on the surface, the soil appears to have washed away between them, and significant secondary channels (dry at the moment) are carved in the ground between the path and the river.
Beautiful crystal clear water..........
....which becomes quite the torrent in spring.
Soon we come to a bridge over the stream. A small whirlpool is wearing a hollow space into the rock on the side of the river. We continued and spot what we have named "the worry tree. All its roots are in an anxious knot. How did it get to be like that? Is its rock missing, or is there that much erosion?
The small whirlpool. Maybe 5 foot in diameter.
The "worry tree". Its rock must be gone.
The basin, a good 20 foot across.
The channel worn into the rock.
Once back on the interstate, we took the exit for the Kancamagus highway, which is supposed to be a scenic route. Initially we passed through a short section where we saw mainly ski lodges and motels and began to wonder where the "scenic" part was, but once past that we were treated to some pretty spectacular views of the White Mountains.
The white mountains under a bit of a haze.
There were some new sections of pavement, and new guardrails, and we wondered if these were repairs due to storm damage from hurricane Irene. The sections were very short, and the road leading right up to and beyond was of very good quality. On one of the stop there was evidence that hurricane Irene did indeed do some damage here. A buckled and partially washed out path and overturned bench not yet repaired.
Flood damage, likely from Irene.
Near the end of the Kancamagus highway we stopped to visit two covered bridges. Both are restored, and being maintained in tip-top shape. Later we ran into a third by pure change, but this one was not open to cars.
Why all this trouble? The bridge may last up to 6 times longer!
Once off the Kancamagus highway we followed a scenic route planned by the photographer. As we got closer to the coast, the trees and shrubs seemed to change. We began to see more and more pine among the trees, and the short vegetation by the side of the road changed. The area also seemed to become gradually more affluent, the houses bigger and more elaborately decorated and landscaped.
Hydrangea trees were in bloom everywhere, and the average size is much larger than in Ottawa. The area where we stayed in Kennebunkport is wooded, hilly and the streets are narrow and winding. We arrived at the cottage grounds at around 16:00, and unloaded our stuff. The cottage is a marvel of organization in about 12 by 18 feet. A full bathroom and two closets are neatly hidden in corners, and a kitchenette with fridge and dishwasher sits along the rear wall. Space with baskets exists under the bed and built in sofa.
The Ebb Tide, aka Chez Cutie Patootie
After unloading and organizing our stuff we went in search of an early dinner. The meals during the day including breakfast had consisted of snacks at coffee shops only. On the recommendation of the cottage manager, we went to pier 77. We split an appetizer of crab cakes, and then he had pasta with chicken and I had mussels. Nothing was ordinary in this meal. The flavours and seasonings were so well chosen, it was truly an outstanding meal.
After this we were worn out from the traveling, and hit the pillow relatively early.
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