White Mountains Wanderings

Mildred the Moose at Willie Minot's Farm

2009-08-03T14:25:00.005-04:00

Every once in a while, we hear a tale that has to be seen to be believed - and so it was with the lonely moose over in Bath.

Her name is Mildred and she is a young cow moose. Lonesome after being sent off by her moose mother this spring, Mildred roamed the woods in search of company, finding it in a herd of dairy cows over at Willie Minot's farm in West Bath.

She's been there for a few weeks now and while her first attempts at cross species friendship were rebuffed, it appears, from the photo above sent to us by our friend Dennis McKay, she's one of the gals now.

Willie tells us that Mildred typically hangs with the herd in the evenings, so if you are looking for a spectacle that rivals the old Wild Kingdom program, head out Route 302 west of Littleton, until you get to Bath Village.

Cross over the covered bridge (www.nh.gov/nhdhr/bridges/p53.html) and keep going on West Bath Road until you come upon Willie's farm at the bend in the road.

Plan to make an evening of it. Before crossing the lovely covered bridge, swing by the Brick Store (www.thebrickstore.com) for some of their Rat Trap extra sharp cheddar cheese, grab a pop and sit on the front porch to enjoy a bit of the evening.

If the kids want ice cream, they've got it at the At the Hop right next door to the Brick Store. Then go find Mildred.

PS - If you have another minute to spare, be sure to check out our 60-Second Vacation and hear the store about Mildred the Moose.

Happy Spring!!

2009-03-20T09:14:00.003-04:00

Spring sprung this morning and it is a glorious one here in the White Mountains!

Although this is one of our quiet times here, there is still plenty to do as we bid adieu to winter and welcome the warmer days.

This is the time of year when local sugarhouses are merrily boiling up the sap gathered from maple orchards and boiled down to maple syrup. If you would like to bring the kids up to see how it all happens, download our Maple Adventures itinerary from our website:

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We look forward to seeing you!

Time for Merry and Bright

2008-12-16T07:55:00.002-05:00

We know it's been a challenging week for our friends in the southern part of New Hampshire. That's why we were so happy that so many headed north last weekend to see the lights at Santa's Village in Jefferson.

This popular summer attraction is now in its 12th season of lighting up for the Christmas holiday and this year, those lights are absolutely beautiful and we must say, well worth the trip north.

Santa's Village will be lit up for the next two weekends - Dec. 19 to the 21st and again just after Christmas, Dec. 26 - 28.

And Santa is in residence, waiting to hear the lists of good little boys and girls. The reindeer are also doing some serious carb loading, getting ready to pull Santa's sleigh around the world on Christmas Eve.

Another great way to catch up with Santa Claus is taking a train ride. The Conway Scenic Railroad's Santa Holiday express trains will run through this weekend, with an 11:30 a.m. departure to Bartlett and a 1:30 p.m. departure to Conway on Saturday and Sunday. The Jolly Old Elf will visit with all children during the ride and give each a small gift. In addition to seeing Santa, passengers can enjoy a relaxing train ride through Mt. Washington Valley countryside aboard heated coaches, powered by one of the Conway Scenic Railroad's powerful diesel locomotives.

From all of us at White Mountains Attractions, have a wonderful, magical holiday season.

Fall Foliage Fun

2008-10-09T07:50:00.002-04:00

When you come up this weekend to be astounded by the fall colors, there are a couple of things you might want to work into your schedule.

Over in Jackson, the Pumpkin People Festival is in full swing. This is when the population of this little town goes up, thanks to residents and merchants who create people out of pumpkins. You can even see the Beatles crossing Abbey Road one more time.

On Saturday night, Lost River Gorge is going to be open for tours through the haunted caverns. It's not often the gorge is open at night, so it promises to be a very fun event. Prepare to be spooked! The first two tours, at 6 and 6:15 pm, are the not-so-scary ones, but after that, the ghouls will be unleashed. Tours step off every 15 minutes beginning at 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Lost River is located in Kinsman Notch, about 7 miles west of North Woodstock on Route 112.

Snow + Foliage = SNOWLIAGE!

2008-10-05T15:46:00.002-04:00

When the clouds that had been hugging tight the mountain peaks - obviously keeping something under wrap - finally lifted Saturday, we got to see our favorite fall phenomenon, SNOWLIAGE!

That's what happens when it snows and its still fall foliage season. And it absolutely lovely.

Don't you agree?

A Peek at Peak

2008-10-03T07:26:00.002-04:00

We would say (trumpets, please) that foliage has hit peak in Franconia Notch. We honestly can't remember an autumn season that has seen the notch so beautifully colored.

If you are planning a weekend sojourn to our beautiful mountains, there may be an additional bonus once the clouds and fog lift off the higher peaks.

Rain has fallen throughout the late afternoon yesterday and continues this morning. It is quite chilly this morning, especially the higher the elevation.

There could be snow on those thar hills this weekend, turning the already gorgeous foliage into snowliage!

Bring your camera. It won't hurt to bring socks and a jacket, either.

Have a wonderful weekend, wherever your travels lead you!

Down a Country Road

2008-10-02T07:23:00.002-04:00

Poet Robert Frost, who lived many years up here in the White Mountains, wrote once about taking the road less traveled. That's good advice as foliage season heats up.

Swinging off the main road this time of year is its own reward. There's little traffic so you can poke along slowly and savor the scenery. Hear the wind rustling in the leaves.

We turned left instead of going straight the other day, for no other reason than we simply had to check out Lovers Lane in Sugar Hill.

Aptly called, we'd say. It was a short drive, but the views were awesome. We loved that lane.

Yellows and Oranges and Reds, Oh My!

2008-09-29T08:35:00.002-04:00

We could just not get enough of the colors this weekend. Even though some of our travels were punctuated with a splish and a splash of tires on wet pavement, the bright colors more than made up for a lack of sunshine.

Along Interstate 93, right at the roadside, we nearly had to reach for our Foster Grants, so luminescent were the oranges and reds.

We'd say the leaves have a little more to go in some places before they hit peak, so there is plenty of time to plan your own foliage trip.

Glow in the Dark

2008-09-26T07:35:00.003-04:00

We are sipping coffee and contemplating the day, which the weatherman says will be ... watery.

However, the sun is valiantly trying to poke through the layers of clouds and despite a certain murkiness, the maple tree in the front yard, it's leaves yellow with fall, is glowing!

We've come to learn that not every fall day has bright blue skies, but even when it's cloudy, there is a certain light that seems to radiate off the foliage and it's just as lovely a time to view it. If you are handy with the camera, you will find that those bright colors, without the competition from the sun, really do pop out.

The fuse is lit!

2008-09-24T19:09:00.002-04:00

We spent much of the morning driving along Route 3, from Lancaster, through Whitefield and Twin Mountain and Franconia Notch. The colors along the roadside were very bright, although not so much on the hillsides.

There is still a good amount green, but you can definitely see where the reds are marching in, ready to take over the landscape!

Have you taken some drives in the past couple of days? Why not share what you've seen in your travels, right here on White Mountains Wanderings.

What Do You See in this Tree?

2008-09-17T08:40:00.003-04:00

Our friends up at Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves found something interesting on an old birch tree. It's located right across the river at the entrance of the Lemon Squeezer.

What do you see in this picture?

Signs of Fall

2008-09-16T08:42:00.000-04:00

The remnants of Ike scrubbed the skies clean and brought in some much cooler air last night, so it is definitely back to feeling like fall.

Now we're looking for signs of fall. Early this morning, just as the sun was coming over Mount Lafayette, we first heard, and then saw, a gaggle of geese flying across the sky, heading south. They were single file for a few minutes, giving off the occasional honk, as if saying "See you in the spring!"

What is your favorite sign of fall? The first color on a tree? The first frost of the season? Back to school? Putting away your white shoes?

The Center of the Earth

2008-07-22T11:44:00.000-04:00

What lies below ground has gone Hollywood this summer. Perhaps you have seen the new movie, Journey to the Center of the Earth?

How would like to make your own journey? At Lost River Gorge, one of our caves is called Center of the Earth.
We can't promise fantastical creatures, stunning special effects or even Brendan Fraser, but our Center of the Earth is still an adventure.

It's pretty cool, too. On a hot summer day, deep in the gorge, the temperature falls off dramatically in all our caves.
Lost River can be explored along the sturdy boardwalk. All the caves can be bypassed if going underground is not your thing.

If you haven't been to the gorge in a few years, why not plan a trip this summer? A few new things have been added, including a butterfly and hummingbird garden, which is a fascinating place to pause and watch these creature flit among beautiful blooms.

Kids love panning for gems at the Lost River Mining Company and this year, we've expanded the sluicing area and there are more gems and fossils to be discovered.

And for those folks who love to collect rocks and fossils, our selection of rocks and fossils has been expanded this year. Folks tell us we have some of the most interesting and well-priced items they've seen.

Lost River Gorge is located on Route 112, about 8 miles west of downtown North Woodstock. For more information, click over to www.lostrivergorge.com or www.visitwhitemountains.com.

Summer Cool-Off

2008-07-17T08:44:00.000-04:00

Good Morning!

Welcome to your 10-second Dip-Your-Toes-in-a-Cool-Mountain-Pond break from your friends in the White Mountains.

We're not psychic, but we're fairly certain that on a warm summer day, you might be dreaming of shucking your shoes and dipping them into the cool waters of the Beaver Pond, up in Kinsman Notch here in North Woodstock.

So if no one is looking, go ahead. Take off your shoes and wiggle them a bit as you soak in this picture.

Doesn't that feel great?

If this makes you want to cannonball into the real thing, let us help you plan a getaway up here in the White Mountains. We're not too far away and we can direct you to some of our favorite swimming holes and lots of other places where you can cool off.

Visit us at www.visitwhitemountains.com or call and talk to our friendly staff at 1-800-FIND-MTS or drop by the White Mountains Visitor Center, located off Exit 32 of Interstate 93 in North Woodstock.

We'll see you soon.

Summer is Here!!

2008-06-23T15:50:00.000-04:00

We had an occasion this week to drive through not one, but two notches, on the same day. It was mid-week and as it is in June, all was quiet as folks transistion from the season of graduations and the end of school to summer.

Crawford Notch in the afternoon was lovely. We find that to be a great picnic area. We made a note to ourselves to dig out the little gas grill suitable for a Saturday afternoon feast this summer.

Franconia Notch at twilight, with the last rays of the day fading, was quiet and still. The fishermen in Profile Lake had packed up and Echo Lake was like a mirror. We made a note to be sure to dip our toes in the water sometime this summer and take the quick and easy trail to Artist Bluff and look down upon it all.

We note that Friday (June 20th) was the first day of summer, which means there are 91 days left of it and it stretches out before us like a magic carpet, with so many things to do and places to go.

Please join us back here every few days and see what's up in the White Mountains.