Mr. and Mrs. Pants' New England Adventure Summer 2024

[blind squirrel]

And now for a programming note:

This thread is not intended to be a "Pants Brag Session", and I hope ya'll don't read it that way.

I can't speak for everyone here, but I seriously doubt anyone reads your vacation report that way. It's a vacation, it's supposed to be filled with adventures, a complete lack of stress, lots of relaxation, ice cream, cold beer, good food, and good times! Looks like you are crushing it to me!

I've never understood how anyone can take a vacation from being retired.

[raYzerman]

I'm retired and I'm so busy I could use a vacation.....

[Hppants]

August 29, 2024

We woke up rested relatively early. Last night we slept with the windows open and it was just wonderful under 2 blankets and 65-ish degrees in the ABB. The coffee there is not good, but it doesn't matter. It was warm and comforting - good enough.

Apparently, Ms Tammy has been planning this day for a while. I didn't know that until yesterday when she declared "I'm going shopping tomorrow - what are you gonna do?". Well - I ain't going shopping, that's a given. This is why I brought the bicycle. She can take the truck and do her thing. I'll just go for a bike ride. Last night, I spoke with our hosts about ride suggestions. I asked for some pavement and some MTB trail. Ms. Sue gave me some ideas, and I went with it. And so I packed lunch, filled the water bottles, and off I go.

Looks like it's gonna be a fine day, indeed.



The weather vane on top this church supports a whale - can't say I've seen that before.



I ride the pavement about 6 miles generally south towards the trail. It's so nice to bicycle at a place that values bicycles. I've got a dedicated lane to myself and shockingly, people are being respectful and courteous.

The views ain't too bad either.



Soon enough, I get to the trail head. They call this the West Side Trail.



I check the map and compare it to my bike app to make sure things look consistent, and then off I go!



This trail heads to the coast and offers a mix of wooded sections with a wire line. The wooded parts are very technical, with rocks and roots to negociate. A local bike club has placed some ramps in places. I gave this one a try - it wasn't pretty, but let's just say I survived it.



And then at times, it opens up to the wire line and it gets a bit faster and more flowing.



This trail is meticulously maintained - every water crossing has a bridge to ride over.



Soon, I get to the edge of the mainland and cross over to Cousins Island, where the trail continues along the water.



And then the trail pop back into the woods and I'm root and rock hopping again. I wish I would have brought my bicycle shorts on this trip.



I get to the end of the trail and then take the paved road over to Little John Island.



There's a preserve on this island. I'm really digging these "organic bike racks".



I walked one of the trails at the preserve to the end of the island. The tide is out right now.



I think I'll sit in the shade with my lunch and enjoy the show.



After lunch I beach combed a little and then walked back to the bicycle on the other side of the island. Now I'm about 16 miles into the ride and my arse is not feeling the trail on the return ride. So I took the paved highway back.

This beats the shit out of shopping, just saying....



I stopped here for a bit to watch these lobsterman do their work from the bridge.



On the way back, I stopped in Yarmouth, ME at this cute little market store. I asked if they had ice cream, and to my pleasure, they did. Now - what they didn't tell me was the ice cream selections were all made with "non-cow's milk". This is called a "chocolate block", made with goat's milk and molasses. It was good.



The archetecture in this place is stunning. On the bicycle, you go slow enough to enjoy it.



I ride over the interstate (dedicated bike lane) and found this Garmin office with a sign that says "See the Eartha". So I stopped - this is the largest revolving "to scale" globe on the planet - 42 feet in diameter.



From there, I rode straight back to the ABB. 27.5 miles total, but only about 1,500 feet of climb - a good ride for me. Back at the ABB, I changed to my swim suit and jumped into the pond for a swim and a beer.

After dinner, Tammy remembered something else she wanted at LL Bean, so we walked to the store. I thought this Taxidermy was spectacular.



This is my shopping girl, ya'll....





Stay thirsty, my friends....

[raYzerman]

I have been at the L. L. Bean store a couple of times!

[gixxerjasen]

No pics of Tammy's shopping scores?

[Intech]

Not to be picky, but the abbreviation for Maine is ME. MA is Massachusetts.

[Hppants]

Not to be picky, but the abbreviation for Maine is ME. MA is Massachusetts.

Thanks - corrected.

No pics of Tammy's shopping scores?

Uh... nope. Best to let that napping dog lie....

[Hppants]

August 30, 2024

Another beautiful crisp fall (err... I mean summer - it just feels like LATE fall to me) morning in Maine. After the bad coffee, I went outside to walk the property. I watched a couple of Ospreys fishing in the pond before I scared them off. This place oozes peace.



This morning, Tammy and I are going to ride to Bath, ME to learn some history. OTW, I see a sign in Brunswick that says "Swinging Bridge". Detour!!!





Today we will visit the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, ME. This sight was an old ship yard. During the Sailing Schooner hey day, this shipyard was quite active. This sculpture is a lifesize tribute to the largest sailing schooner every built.



We purchased boat tour tickets online and that includes admission to the museum. First, the boat tour - we went up and down the river a short ways. The tour guide showed us a couple of short lighthouses.





The current shipyard here is home to a military contractor that builds Destroyer class ships.



IYKYK...





Tammy loves boats.



The boat tour was OK - only an hour and I guess we got what we paid for (only like $5 more than the museum entrance). The grounds at the campus are top notch.



This is the original caulker's shed. They used hemp soaked in pitch to seal the sailing ships.



Beautiful day!



Inside the museum, the displays were very good. This is a old Schooner bow board to support the Jib Sail. It was beautifully carved, although it didn't have an elaborate figurehead on it.



By far, this was my favorite display - an actual Birch Bark Canoe made by the indiginous people in the area. The workmanship on this boat is unbelievable.



We went back to the ABB for a short siesta, and then mid afternoon headed south toward our next destination.



This is the Portland Lighthouse, located within the Fort Williams State park. It's a great place to walk around on a sunny afternoon.



Don't let this picture fool ya! My girl is larger than life!!



I suggested we rock hop down to the beach. You can see the enthusiasm in Tammy's face - LOL.



I helped her down and once there, she enjoyed it.



This place has two seven foot tides every day! Quite a bit more than at home. OTW back up the rocks, Tammy slipped and gently fell onto a large granit rock. She was sore later, but didn't complain.



Since it's dinner time, and there is a food truck in the park, we might as well eat here. Nothing to special about my pulled pork sandwich, but the blueberry soda was interesting.



We left the beach for Portland and walked a bit downtown. The city is clean, but we are seeing evidence of things we haven't seen in a while (homelessness, drug use, etc). None the less, we found ice cream!

Tammy got some kind of "Lavendar Basil _____ _____ _____" crazy flavor. It tasted like a frozen compost pile to me. She always gets whatever has the most words in it. Tammy likes words.



It got dark and we met our guide for the Ghost Walking tour of Portland. Tammy's favorite holiday is Holloweeen - she loves spooky stuff. We've been doing these ghost walking tours for a while. I'm a bit of a skeptic, but I like hearing the history in whatever city we are visiting.



And besides, it's fun to look at the historical archetecture (the ghost tours are always in the oldest parts of the town).



Our tour guide was a middle school asst principal that taught history (sound familiar Josh?) and he was very good. I enjoyed it.

Without knowing this was our last stop, when I got to this building, I instinctively told Tammy: "Somebody haunted has GOT to live here!"

.

We walked back to the truck and drove 20 minutes back to the ABB. It was a long day, but we really had fun and we really enjoyed our "side trip from the vacation". Tomorrow we go back to our Valley.

It's hard to believe we've been in New England 7 weeks now. It's going like a fart in the wind, man. We've got 6 more weeks to go and you can bet your ass I'm going to make the very best of it. I'll rest when I die. In the meantime, WFO and damm the torpedos!!!

Stay thirsty, my friends....

[Intech]

Not to be picky, but the abbreviation for Maine is ME. MA is Massachusetts.

Thanks - corrected.

There is a Falmouth, MA, (Cape Cod) but I think that is more than you would ride in one day on the MTB!

[Intech]

Immediately recognized the Portland light. The old port in Portland is very cool. My favorite restaurant is F. Parker Reedys. Their scallops exchange is to die for. We used to live in Sanford, ME not too far from there. You are on a coastline steeped in maritime history. Whale watches out of Bar Harbor were fantastic.
Both my Kids were born in Maine, but the locals are particular about who is called a Maine native. They have an expression that goes, "just because the cat had kittens in the oven doesn't make them biscuits." We have life long friends that are true Mainers. As I got older the winters forced me south.

Keep it coming!

[Hppants]

September 1, 2024

Now back to more familiar territory after our side jaunt, I don't mind admitting it: I slept in until 7:00 am and lounged around until mid morning. Washed the truck and the clothes in the morning and after lunch, I got a little hitch in my giddy-up and decided to do something. When I only have a few hours, the Bush Pig is my go-to. It just seems to be the better choice for killing a litte time.

I packed my shoes, a snack, and some water and off I go into the unknown. As I rode down the highway out of town, I started thinking about my "list" - things I stick in my brain for the future to see/do. Of course, I suffer from CYS (can't remember shit), but fortunately, one idea came to mind. A couple weeks ago, I was riding the Bush Pig and came upon this interesting trail near Squam Lake. I was running out of time, but put a mental note in the ole noggin to return some other day.

Today is that day!



This entire area is private land and is managed by the Squam Lake Association. The land owners make it available (with some limitations) to the public to enjoy - what a wonderful concept.



The trail is extremely well marked (you couldn't get lost if you tried). A nearby shooting range is in full swing and it sounds like there's a war happening in the distance. I think hunting season is getting close - peeps sighting in their weapons because I heard more "long gunfire" than pistol. The trail leads me to the other side of the mountain and the sound gets more tolerable and peaceful.



I get close to the top and the view instantly gets a lot better.



Now this is really nice with the cool breeze blowing in my face.



Lots of peeps playing at the lake on this holiday weekend. I'm all by myself up on this mountain.



I sat on a rock up there for a while and reflected on how truly lucky I am. It's indescribable, really. I can only say that I have it all, and I know it.

The walk back down was effortless. I've seen more mushrooms in New Hampshire this summer than anywhere else in my life - this is quite surprising to me.





Now back at the trail head, it's only about 3:30 and the sunshine is quite nice. So I start wandering around on the Bush Pig. This apple tree is dropping fruit onto the road.



The homeowner came out and told me this tree's apples are not very tasty. However, he suggested I try one from his trees behind that picture, to which I thankfully obliged. It was good - not "best I ever had" good, but good.

Something is definitely happening here. It's gradual, and if you are not looking for it, you can miss it. But it's definitely starting to happen.



I don't get this at home, so I'm hyper focused on it. Look closely on the mountainside. Darker greens are now lighter greens.



I putted around a bit here and there, nothing earth shattering. Eventually made it back to the ABB - maybe 40-ish miles for the afternoon. As always, Tammy wants to know what I found and I'm all too happy to share. After dinner, we walked over to the town square to listen to some music.



We didn't want to miss the Labor Day Fireworks show.



Stay thirsty, my friends....

[fontanaman]

Man this is an awesome thread. Please keep posting Pants. I love it.

[Hppants]

September 2, 2024

Today is Labor Day. It's certainly not my day - I no longer "labor" at anything. This is "their" day, and I gotta respect that. Whatever I do today will be crowded, and no matter how much it may aggrevate me, I will bite my tongue. They work hard and I remember how cherished a paid holiday was. First world problem, to be sure.

I walked outside the ABB to sniff around and think about my options. The weather is gorgeous - sunshine skies and pleasant temperatures. As I gazed at Mt. Tecumsah in the distance, I noticed that the visibility today is excellent. That sealed the deal - I'm going hiking. I've read about a trail near here that provides excellent views. It's called the Welch Dickey loop - about 5 miles total with 2200 feet of climb. This ain't gonna be an easy stroll, but you get to summit two mountains (Mt. Welch and Mt. Dickey). I pack a lunch and drive the truck 5 miles to the trail head.

Things start out pretty gradual.



But then, about 2/3 up the first peak, the shit starts getting real. I pop out of the woods onto this enormous (square miles in size) granite cap to the mountain. It's very steep. I'm not on all fours yet, but any steeper and I will be.



But oh how it was worth it. The views up here are stunning.



The trail continues all over the cap of this mountain, and everywhere I turn another view finds me.



As expected, it's crowded. A lot of people are hiking today and quite frankly, some of them are idiots. They are yelling and laughing loudly and I can see that for others trying to enjoy the tranquility of a mountain walk, the idiots are killing their buzz. Back when I was working, and I'd take a day to go play, I was one of those people trying to enjoy the peacefulness. Listening to the jerks, in my memory, I probably would have mouthed off on one or more of them.

But not today. I'll just tune them out and enjoy my own peace.



I'm going slow, walking on and off the trail to see every view I can. We've been here 7 weeks now. I can name the mountains just by looking at their contour. I can identify rivers and brooks and see their watershed from the 2,800 foot view. The ceiling is unlimited today.



It was actually hard to settle on a place for lunch.



There are signs encouraging hikers to stay off the vegitation. Plenty of rock to walk on here. I'll leave these plants untouched for someone else to enjoy.



At one point, I noticed the granite on the next mountain and thought I saw movement on it. I didn't bring my binoculars (dumbass Pants) so I couldn't be sure.



I now know that is Mt. Dickey and the trail I'm on will take me there later on.

I started walking down the other side of Mt. Welch taking it slowly. The downhill is easier on the lungs, harder on the legs and here is where people fall. But the grip on that dry granite is excellent and I get the feeling that my shoe soles can take more than my ankles can.



And yet, these views keep coming.



The White Mountains are absoultely stunning. Honestly, I never really gave them much thought. I like all mountains, but when I'm thinking about them, the Rockies or the Smokeys or even the Ozarks pop into my head. Not anymore. This summer has been a whirlwind of discovery. The northern Appalacians are so pretty. The diffrence is that there is so little civilization splattered within the mountain ranges. Quite simply, not many people live here and the National Forest prohibits (or at least SEVERELY limits) development.

For the rest of my life, when someone says "New Hampshire", I will have good thoughts. This is a special place, man.



As I move over to the next mountain, Mother Nature's stairway is quite nice.



I get to the second peak (Mt. Dickey) and it's more of the same. Looking back at where I came from, you can see the beaten path.



I hung around a while and had a nice chat with an older gentlemen. Then I decided to walk down. The path off the mountain was steep and again, I was going slower, taking great care not to hurt myself.

This is the granite that I saw from the other mountain. I thought it was kind of cool to be there.



The trail was marked more way than once at some places.



Soon, I got off the rock and back into the woods. Instantly, I could hear the birds and the bugs and the wind sounded different rustling through the trees.



Every day, Tammy and I are seeing signs of change. It's subtle now, but noticable. We've been leaf peeping before but only for a "snapshot" of it. To experience this from the start is quite special.



I got back to the truck a little sore, but certainly no worse for the wear. On the highway heading back to the ABB, I glanced through my open truck window up at the mountains I just conquered. It was a labor of love for me, quite fitting on this day.

Stay thirsty, my friends....

[Niehart]

We appreciate you spending your vacation educating and entertaining us. We do know how much time it takes to do these updates.

THANKS!

[blind squirrel]

As expected, it's crowded. A lot of people are hiking today and quite frankly, some of them are idiots. They are yelling and laughing loudly and I can see that for others trying to enjoy the tranquility of a mountain walk, the idiots are killing their buzz. Back when I was working, and I'd take a day to go play, I was one of those people trying to enjoy the peacefulness. Listening to the jerks, in my memory, I probably would have mouthed off on one or more of them.

Shame on the "idiots" for having a good time! I must say that it's uncharastic of you to snap judge them just because they are not conforming to your view of what hiking should be.

[gixxerjasen]

Any plans to hike up Mt Washington while you are there?

If you like the rock cap mountain tops, you might enjoy a hike up Mount Cardigan. Fires in 1855 burned everything off the top including the soil.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Cardigan

[Hppants]

As expected, it's crowded. A lot of people are hiking today and quite frankly, some of them are idiots. They are yelling and laughing loudly and I can see that for others trying to enjoy the tranquility of a mountain walk, the idiots are killing their buzz. Back when I was working, and I'd take a day to go play, I was one of those people trying to enjoy the peacefulness. Listening to the jerks, in my memory, I probably would have mouthed off on one or more of them.

Shame on the "idiots" for having a good time! I must say that it's uncharastic of you to snap judge them just because they are not conforming to your view of what hiking should be.

I don’t see it that way. If I’m looking for a peaceful walk in the woods, not an unreasonable idea in my opinion, no matter what I do, if other don’t STFU at some point, it ain’t gonna happen. Now - I’m not splitting hairs here - some of those idiots were literally screaming at each other. I could hear them from a LONG distance away.

Regardless, as I wrote, I bit my tongue and said nothing. It’s labor day and I respect the fact that it’s their mountain as much as it is mine.

But they are still a bunch of disrespectful, inconsiderate, clueless idiots.

[Hppants]

Any plans to hike up Mt Washington while you are there?

If you like the rock cap mountain tops, you might enjoy a hike up Mount Cardigan. Fires in 1855 burned everything off the top including the soil.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Cardigan

I’m thinking about Mt Washington. I’m not sure I’m fit enough for it but there’s only one way to find out.

[Festus]

I don’t see it that way. If I’m looking for a peaceful walk in the woods, not an unreasonable idea in my opinion, no matter what I do, if other don’t STFU at some point, it ain’t gonna happen. Now - I’m not splitting hairs here - some of those idiots were literally screaming at each other. I could hear them from a LONG distance away.

Regardless, as I wrote, I bit my tongue and said nothing. It’s labor day and I respect the fact that it’s their mountain as much as it is mine.

But they are still a bunch of disrespectful, inconsiderate, clueless idiots.

What if their version of hiking involved yelling and laughing loudly? Maybe that's their way of enjoying the outdoors. You said you might be looking for a peaceful walk in the woods. Maybe they weren't looking for the same thing. Doesn't make either one of you right or wrong, just two different expectations of the day. They imposed their way on you and you didn't like it, but I suspect if you imposed your way on them, they'd dislike it as much as you disliked their way.

Good thing Julie Andrews and those damn Von Trap kids weren't around

[Hppants]

I don’t see it that way. If I’m looking for a peaceful walk in the woods, not an unreasonable idea in my opinion, no matter what I do, if other don’t STFU at some point, it ain’t gonna happen. Now - I’m not splitting hairs here - some of those idiots were literally screaming at each other. I could hear them from a LONG distance away.

Regardless, as I wrote, I bit my tongue and said nothing. It’s labor day and I respect the fact that it’s their mountain as much as it is mine.

But they are still a bunch of disrespectful, inconsiderate, clueless idiots.

What if their version of hiking involved yelling and laughing loudly? Maybe that's their way of enjoying the outdoors. You said you might be looking for a peaceful walk in the woods. Maybe they weren't looking for the same thing. Doesn't make either one of you right or wrong, just two different expectations of the day. They imposed their way on you and you didn't like it, but I suspect if you imposed your way on them, they'd dislike it as much as you disliked their way.

Good thing Julie Andrews and those damn Von Trap kids weren't around

The difference as I see it is that I can’t impose my way on them. That’s what being considerate is about.

But regardless and again - I let it go. Doesn’t change the way I felt or feel, but unlike them, I respected their wishes.