Fall New England Trip ~ The Finale
Well, we have finally made it to the finale of our Fall New England Trip. And it is well worth the wait!
If you missed Part 1 HERE, you missed the flight and a day in Portland Maine.
If you missed Part 2 HERE, you missed lots of beautiful fall color, a museum in Vermont, and a Facebook Friend meetup!
If you missed Part 3 HERE, you missed lobstering and the Flume Gorge hike.
Friday
It dawned as our coldest day yet and we had an even colder day planned! But first, BREAKFAST! haha
As usual, our mastermind, Ed, had chosen another really cool restaurant, Munroe’s Family Restaurant, in Twin Mountain, New Hampshire.
I had to take an interior picture to share with my Mama. She adores the country look and plaid curtains, and red…
Our plan for the day was to ride the Cog Railway up to the top of Mount Washington which is the highest point in the Northeast.
It was our coldest day yet, and going up to over 6000 feet we knew it would be windy and even colder, so we bundled up.
The train ride itself was interesting. Mr. March’s idea began in 1852 and in 1869, the first cog-driven train climbed to the summit of Mount Washington. The original engine was steam driven and there is still one that makes the climb, but the rest of the engines are new efficient biodiesel locomotives which are more environmentally friendly.
There were 4 trains running the day we were there and this is the engine and car that we rode.
We managed to be the last people on the train so we got the back seat. Here you can see why Mr. Menace got his name.
This is the view from our back seat, out the front door, of the track in front of us. I think it shows exactly how steep this climb was going to be!
And this photo gives a pretty good view of the angle we are traveling. This is looking behind us.
Mr. Menace captured this gorgeous photo of our train.
There was a brakeman on board, who entertained us with facts, history, and stories. When we approached the very steepest section of the journey, we were told to stand and take pictures.
Although it appears that Mr. Menace is leaning, he is actually standing straight up and the train car is on the incline.
Look Ma! No hands!
I know that the horizon in my picture is suppose to be level, but when traveling on a incline, the horizon ISN’T level! You can see that as we neared the summit, the only growth on the mountains was the lichen on the rocks.
When we arrived at the top we toured the museum, the Tip Top House, and ventured out onto the Observatory Deck. It was a fantastically beautiful day and our plan was to take a selfie. These next three pictures tell the story…
Smiling big for our selfie! Oops…. blurry… lets take another…
Ok, but hurry I can’t see! That wind and sun is blinding me, but I’m still smiling…
Nope. Can’t do it any more. Can’t open my eyes, can’t smile. Gotta get OUT of this wind! hahaha
The wind was indescribably blustery! But again, these pictures tell the story…
The raised building that you see behind us is the Observatory.
The wild wind even affected our ability to take selfies!
Weather stats:
Visibility 110 miles
Winds 39 mph
Temp 41 F
Wind chill 28 F
We eventually located a spot up closer to the observatory where there was a wind block and got a good selfie. Of all the things that we did on this fantastic trip, this one was my absolute favorite.
Later that day we stopped for supper at the Wildcat Inn & Tavern, in Jackson, New Hampshire.
Mr. Menace and his sister, Lisa.
Saturday
Our last day in New England began with, you guessed it!, BREAKFAST! Our designated “good food finder”, Ed, again did his best work and found us another goodie for brunch at the Mad River Coffee House, in Campton, New Hampshire.
We decided to drive to Kennebunk, Maine so that we would not have a 2 hour drive to the airport in the morning, and we rented a tiny cottage for the night. Then we took a drive into Kennebunk and walked around shopping and taking pictures.
We went back one more time for lobster.
And just like that, our New England vacation was over.
Have you been to New England? Do you live there? Where should we plan to go and what do we need to see on our next trip to New England?
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Marette Flora says
This looks like so much fun and the views are incredible! What a great trip.
gwingal says
We took hundreds of pictures and it was so hard to pick out what to post! The views were magnificent…. when I could keep my eyes open. LOL Thanks for visiting Marette. 🙂
Jessica says
This looks like so much fun! I love New England in the fall!
xo Jessica
http://www.whatsfordinneresq.com
gwingal says
I highly recommend it Jessica! I hope to visit New England again some day. 🙂
BIL says
Great write up, Miss Nikk! Thanks for the entire series! Loved remembering the trip we all shared.
gwingal says
Thanks for dragging us along Eddie. And even more for finding us such great places to eat! 🙂
Lisa Hollowell says
The boys LOVED the train parts of this post. We followed your link to that website. Hunter explained to me all about how the cog works. They have more questions but I will just email you!
gwingal says
Oh it would have been so FUN to have you all and the boys with us on this train ride! I’ll be looking forward to the email. 🙂
Chelsie says
it looks like you guys had an amazing time! I also LOVE the outtakes on the selfies! so cute
gwingal says
The oops are sometimes more fun than the perfect photos! haha Thanks Chelsie. 🙂
Christie Hawkes says
It looks like you had a lovely trip. I haven’t been to New England, but I definitely want to. I have a plan to visit all 50 states when I retire. Thanks for linking up to #BloggingGrandmothersLinkParty.
gwingal says
Oh how cool, I have that same plan! I may not make to Europe, but I WILL make it to all 50 states! Thanks for sharing that Christie! 🙂
Molly Stevens says
So glad you ventured up north to NE and fall is fabulous time to visit. When you come back you definitely need to spend more time in Maine - visit a lighthouse and drive further inland to visit Bangor, the home of Stephen King. We have a lot going on in my area - waterfront concerts (we are on the Penobscot River), theater, art, hiking and lots of great food. I love Portland and Kennebunk, too. There is loads to do in Portland. Your trip up Mt. Washington was fantastic and I did that a long time ago, but now I want to go again!
gwingal says
Thanks for the tips Molly! We definitely want to see more in Maine! We saw several lighthouses but didn’t get to actually go in one. Hope to do that. And I am all about good food… 🙂
Amy Johnson says
My family and I DROVE up Mt. Washington and it was the first time in my entire life I had a panic attack and almost a complete nervous breakdown. I would NEVER do it again. It’s considered the most dangerous road in America. I would take the cog train though. Then the worst part was it was foggy when we got to the top and we couldn’t see a thing! And I remember that wind. I was never so cold in my life. The diners you ate at it look so interesting. I love eating at place like that. Good, old-fashioned food!
gwingal says
My step-daughter drove up Mount Washington when they went. She didn’t really mention it being dangerous, but I am sure the fog you mention had a lot to do with it. We had a beautiful day for views from the summit. We could see (so they told us) 4 states and the Atlantic Ocean! Yes, I love the “mom & pop” restaurants rather than chains! So much more fun. 🙂
Shelbee on the Edge says
What an adorable quaint little place to visit! I adore New England. It looks like a wonderful time was had. Thank you so much for sharing with us! And thanks so much for linking up with me and #SpreadingTheKindness!
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
gwingal says
Thanks for stopping by my blog Shelbee. It is fun to hear what other people think and to find out what memories are stirred. 🙂
Lisa says
Just too time too view all 4 episodes. Great job. I still want to move to Maine !!!!
gwingal says
And I had to leave so much out to make these 4 posts not too boring… haha It was a great trip, but I’m not sure I want to move there. haha
sizzlesue15 says
I love the New England area and enjoyed all of your photos. The train ride look great with beautiful views. Thanks!
gwingal says
Thanks for taking my little trip with me Sue! I loved sharing it. 🙂
Two Chicks and a Mom/Donna says
I have never been to New England before but it sure looks like a great place to visit. I love local dining establishments, too! Thanks for sharing at Party in Your Pjs!
gwingal says
OH yes it is a great place to visit! I’m ready to go again. There is so much more that I want to see. Thanks for hosting the party! 🙂