This morning we completed our tour of uppity Stockbridge with a visit to Naumkeag. This is a magnificent old home once owned by Joseph Hodges Choate. Like many other wealthy families or artists he spent his summers here in the Berkshires. His daughter, Mabel took over the residence and added wonderful gardens. The tour took us through about 20 of the 44 rooms in the "cottage" and from what I saw it was gorgeous.
After spending time with people it was nice to get back out and see more of the landscape. We did this with a drive up Mt. Equinox. Aside from the threatening warnings about the potential damage to your vehicle as a result of driving up the 5-mile steep grade, it was a beautiful sight. Due to the humidity, though, the air was hazy and did limit some of the distance that we could see. On top there is a hotel and restaurant that have both recently been abandoned.
It seems like some days are packed with things to do and see and others are primarily repositioning for the following day. After swimming in Emerald Lake, we headed over to our reserved campsite. Here, in the site that I was assigned, I met a family with their camper all set up. I went to talk to them about it, but the woman was nasty so I proceeded back down to the ranger station to get assigned to another site. The park ranger insisted that the woman and her family be made to relocate to their originally assigned site. I really didn't want to create problems and was very willing to take one of many other open sites. I waited as the ranger forced the family to move back to their assigned site and then I set up camp as initially planned. Fortunately, I did not experience any repercussions from the now really pissed off family over night. It turns out that the woman did not like her first assigned location, so she took the liberty of relocating without telling anybody about it. Then, she was surprised and irritated when she had to move out of the reserved spot.
I find most of the towns in Western Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire and Vermont to be the most picturesque that I have ever seen. They look just like a small New England town is supposed to look.
This morning I made the most incredible drive I have ever done. We drove from the Emerald Lake Campground, through the Green Mountain National Forest, to Grafton, VT. This is the most picture perfect town that I have encountered so far. While in town, we visited the Grafton Village Cheese Company. There was a gorgeous covered bridge here and I pulled out the tripod and with the lighting just right, made a few pictures. After a bit of sampling we were on our way.
Noting the Long Trail Brewing Company in the guidebook, we couldn't help but stop to fortify our knowledge of the beer making process. Unfortunately, the tour consisted of looking through two glass windows, and the samples were non-gratis. The representative claimed that insurance regulations prohibited them from offering tours. There it is again, large companies squashing personal service.
After too much consumerism for me, we stopped at the Moss Glenn Falls. These waterfalls are right near the side of the road and definitely worth the brief stop. There is a sign at the falls detailing many injuries and two fatalities from those who chose to climb the slippery rocks.
While continuing the drive along the back roads, we saw many cars pulled over to the side of the road and also stopped to investigate. Others had their swimming gear in hand, so we grabbed ours and followed others into the woods. After a couple hundred yards we found a tremendous set of three waterfalls, part of the Mad River, each with a clear pool at the base. The water was so pristine and inviting that I had to jump in and play for a while. Some cliffs allowed for jumping, or diving for the braver souls, into the base of two of the falls. The cascading water had cut out very deep portions in each of the pools. This was a great way to help in beating some of the extreme heat and humidity that has been prevailing for the past couple of days.
The Rock of Ages Quarries was next on my itinerary; however, the last tour left at 3:00 PM, though the gift shop was still open. Needless, to say, we hoped right back into the car and headed over to a local ice-cream shop.
I have been eating Ben & Jerry's ice cream for many years now and figured that it was worth a stop at their headquarters in Waterbury, VT. There were so many kids running around juiced up on the sugar from the ice cream that I considered getting back into the car, but I persevered. The tour was great and Muffy, our guide, was full of exuberance. There was a short video followed by an overview of the production line. Each stage of the process had a large number over it that illuminated when Muffy came to talk about that step. The tour concluded with free samples, much like the breweries albeit with children. I even managed to win a free pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream with a bit of assistance from Muffy.It has been a busy day to this point, but we concluded it with a ride aboard the Champlain from Burlington to Port Kent, NY and back. This two-hour tour, actually a ferry ride, took us across Lake Champlain and returned during sunset and into the night. It was very peaceful to stare off into the darkness and become mesmerized by the drone of the engines and the streaks of lightning that filled the sky during the second half of the ride.
Driving through many of the small towns in Vermont is like driving through a guidebook. The scenery is so perfect that I question if there is even any paint peeling on any of the buildings. The sate is named the green mountain state and that seems very appropriate. Everything I have seen is lush and green, including the license plates. The only objects that are not green are the picturesquely set barns. There are so many photo opportunities that one must pass up countless spots for shots of antique buildings, or scenic vistas. To complete the tourist's experiences numerous bed and breakfasts dot the landscape.
It is such a pleasure driving around Vermont. Not only is the scenery incredible, but also the signage is extremely helpful. After spending too much time in Massachusetts, I have learned that the signage there is atrocious. Rarely is there a street sign or directional marker to tell you what road you are on, let alone what the exit off to the right is. A map book, or software is useless since you cannot even determine your current location in the entire state of Massachusetts. Vermont offers a pleasant contrast, however. The politicians spent some tax dollars on road improvement and placed signs along the road for upcoming businesses, sights, and yes, even roads. I knew that it was impossible for me to always be lost, it just required leaving Boston.
Late last night we arrived in Montreal without a hiccup during our brief encounter with Canadian Customs. They simply waived us through without even checking passports or any other form of identification. This is so unlike any of my tangles with US Customs. Somehow, I seem to have more difficulty entering my own country than any other. I still have a bit of trepidation upon seeing any customs folks since a bad experience in Laredo, Texas.
After touring around Montreal for a while, sampling some local faire and procuring a tour guide for Quebec, we walked over to the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal. This church was magnificent! Built in 1824, the colors were vibrant and the structure unbelievable. This is a huge building with great French décor and English design. Again, I was thwarted on my search for Stud Terkel's Working as the local bookstore was sold out.
I find Montreal to be a large town, and quite hip; however, not quite as young as Toronto or Calgary. Also, Montreal has somewhat of a New York City feel to me. The people in Canada seem to be quite fashionable overall and real individuals.
This evening we camped near the city of Trois Rivières after a swim in the local outdoor pool. This is the largest pool that I have ever seen. I must have encompassed at least 10 normal sized pools. Of course there were diving boards, a slide, and plenty of activities for the kids. Although my French is fairly poor, we did manage to procure a camping spot for the evening. In Montreal, people speak about as much English as they do French; however, in the small towns in Québec, French seems to be the only language known by many of the people. I nearly didn't make it into the pool due to my lack of French skills. The campground was by far the best that we have stayed at so far and also the least expensive. Canada seems so friendly to campers, hitchhikers, and the traveling folk in general.
After determining that it would require too much time to drive to Gaspésie to see the touted vistas and landscapes, we elected to continue back to the United States, where the camping is more expensive and the people less friendly, but more sights to meet our time constraint. For once, US Customs was a pleasure to pass through and we motored on our way.
Arriving just before closing, Gwen and I took the aerial tramway to the top of Cannon Mountain. This is a massive winter ski area that offers breathtaking views in the summer. The tram ride was enjoyable and we lingered at the top of Cannon Mountain for a few minutes before catching the final car of the night back to the bottom. If we missed it, we would have had a very long hike in front of us.
Last night we camped in the Lafayette Place Campground, which is in the White Mountain National Forrest. Early this morning we headed out on a day hike which would take us past Lonesome Lake, up the north peak of Mount Kinsman, and back to the Flume. Due to the length of the hike and the relatively early closing time of our last stop, the Flume, we hiked with vigor from Mount Kinsman down the 5 mile or so portion of the Appalachian Trail. Portions of this pathway were not even really trails they were only riverbeds cluttered with huge rocks. Climbing over, on, and around the rocks with water flowing past making things that much more slippery was quite precarious and I am surprised that both Gwen and I returned relatively intact. The only glitch was that on the way, an especially enthusiastic rock attacked my leg. Actually, I slipped and attempted to move the rock with my knee, which has probably been in place for hundreds of years. Needless to say, I lost the battle and now have more war wounds on my legs.
Finally arriving at the Flume, a crack in the rock that has been expanded by freezing water we paid our unacceptable $8 fee and went to see the sight. It was spectacular walking through the immense crack in the Earth's crust and looking at the walls rising over 80 feet above us on both sides. After the most recent ice age, a gigantic boulder was lodged in this gorge, much like the one portrayed in an Indiana Jones' movie and broke loose many years ago during a torrential downpour. That would have been something to see or hear. I do have a bit of trouble paying such exorbitant fees to see what I think should be available to all; though, perhaps the upkeep and conservation activities purchased with my dollars is worth it.
In all, we hiked nearly 10 miles today up and down extremely rocky terrain. I am ready for a hot shower and comfortable sleeping pad.
After dinner we made the short drive to see the Old Man of the Mountain. This is nothing more than a cliff edge that, when viewed in profile, looks like an old man's face. This is also New Hampshire's state symbol. The problem is that the man's face is 1200 feet into the air; consequently, it falls far short of spectacular unless you use binoculars or some other magnification device.
As we arrived back at our campsite this evening I notice that due to the extremely still air, there was a smoke cloud created by the numerous campfires that lingered over the treetops. Due to the day's extreme activity, I was asleep by 8:00 PM
Planning on making the day a bit less strenuous than yesterday, after breaking camp, we first visited The Basin. This is a massive bowl worn away in the rock by the flowing water. This was nice to see, as was the Flume, but not terribly spectacular in comparison with the sights in western Canada and the Yukon. In keeping with my habit of attacking rocks, I slipped on the wet rocks and into the river, narrowly saving the camera that was slung around my neck. With the help of Gwen, I managed to pull my self out of the flowing water, albeit with wet pants for the rest of the hike.
After changing into dry clothes, we drove to the Mount Washington area. This is the highest peak in New England and is also home of an incredible cog railway. Due to the excessive pricing for a ticket on the rail to the top of the mountain we chose to simply watch the coal fueled locomotives power the passenger cars to the top and back. I was amazed at the amount of black smoke and soot that erupted from the machines to create the steam that in turn powers the locomotive. I loaded the camera with grainy black and white film and shot away. This was probably one of the best sights that I have seen in the past week or so.
A short drive took us out to Weirs Beach, which is an arcade-lined tourist trap. I heard somebody belting out "Cotton Candy, Ice Cream, Get It Now!" and a circus style voice. I was entirely amazed to find this sound emanating from the vocal chords of a mere seven-year-old boy. He was selling as if he had been doing this for decades. It was quite humorous to witness.
To top off the evening Gwen and I embarked on a dinner - dance cruise aboard the MS Mount Washington in Lake Winnipesaukee. Again, like with all boats, it was so wonderful to experience the cool night air on a lake and witness the sunset. I love the sound of the bow breaking through the calm water. I think that I am well suited to a boating life, as are many pilots, and am jealous of a friend of mine that recently purchased a boat with intentions of living aboard it. That might just be the way to go.
I gladly departed the Hack-Ma-Tack Campground near Weirs Beach this morning. I cannot even count the number of times that I was awoken last night due to some loud and drunk people in the campsite directly across from mine. Furthermore, this morning, while in the shower, somebody turned off the bathroom lights and departed. I was left to shower in the dark. I also greeted a couple of other campers this morning only to be ignored. I was speaking English folks. Additionally, the campground was the most expensive that I have stayed in this summer and was hardly worth it. I am glad to be leaving this one behind.
To top off my less than stellar experience at the campground, I drove to Laconia where I encountered unbelievable traffic and countless rude people. As I progress towards the metropolis of Boston, I find that the people are far less helpful or considerate. Also, the traffic is growing out of control. I will be glad to head back towards nature and a slower pace of life. I am amazed at the rudeness of people. I have been trying to be extra polite and usually get only weird looks or more rudeness. I am not cut out for life in congested areas, which is for sure.
I spent most of the day reading, catching up on my journal entries, and playing a newly learned game of dominos, sniff.
The fist campground that we stopped at this evening was guarded with a gate and a call box. I really don't know why such tight security is required at a campground; however, that is the way that it was. I called the attendant and they crackled over the speaker. I could not understand a word that was being said and this was worse than any drive-up that you may have been through. After a brief pseudo-conversation there was no more noise. I didn't know if the attendant was coming up to the gate or what. After way too long, I tailgated another camper into the campground. When I show up at the office in person, the elderly lady rudely informed me that she had no available spots for my tent. She was not the least bit surprised or curious as to how I entered the campground. So much for the security.
It was a good thing that we didn't spend the night at this campground because as I left the office I saw many people dressed in costumes and dancing around. It must have been some early Halloween celebration, but the people were very strange. I gladly departed for another campground.