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

[Hppants]

September 12, 2024

Hurricane Francine made landfall last night, well East of my house and most of my family. I checked in with the others and, while some have no power, their homes were spared and they are safe and provisioned. Ok - I can let this one go now.

The forecast is warm today, this afternoon we are told it will get to 75. I can't believe I wrote that about September 12. At home, they are lucky if the OVERNIGHT low is 75 now. What a blessing to be here. Since it will be warm, Tammy and I decide to take a paddle. We pack up late morning and head out to our spot.

No wind this morning on Perch Pond.



It's starting to happen here too!





We are being extremely quiet with our paddling, trying to make as little noise as possible, while we listen to the sounds of nature.







We get to the picnic spot on the other end of the pond and pull out. I found what I later learned was a huge pile of Moose scat on the shore, so we opted to eat a bit inland. Tammy bought this SnackleBox for her lunch.





I picked at her leftovers while I finished my beer - not bad!



I mean... if you don't like this, then what do you like?



This is the 3rd time we've paddled here. Each time we are hearing Loons making their unmistakable call. FWIW - Lake Squam is very near here and was the filming location for the movie On Golden Pond. If you ask me, being alone on Perch Pond beats the Golden Pond by a mile.

On this trip, we finally got to meet the Loons. It would appear that it's a family, a mature pair with one adolescent. We found them hunting for their lunch in the middle of the pond.



As amateur birders, we've never seen this species before. This was a real treat for us.

When we leave next month, we are really gonna miss this place.



Mid-afternoon, we pull out and drive the short distance to Plymouth to take care of some errands. This is Cherry Moose Tracks - the I/C store in Plymouth is EXTREMELY generous with their scoops. I don't think I could eat a double scoop.



Stay thirsty, my friends...

.

[Hppants]

Programming Note: In my post above, the second image of the bird does not come out. It's depicted by this link and as you can see - it works on THIS reply. But for some reason, it doesn't appear in my post above. WTF, over?

[wheatonFJR]

Well, no big pile of moose scat photo...


Lol.

Awesome reports...thanks for the extra work.

[fontanaman]

I betcha Joey could devour a double scoop. He us just being modest!

[Cav47]

I betcha Joey could devour a double scoop. He us just being modest!

Have no doubt, witnessed it plenty of times. Part of the strategy is that he gets a double scoop, eats half, says he forgot to get a pic and then photos the “single”.

How do I know this, I have also employed this tactic quite successfully.

[Hppants]

September 13, 2024

Today is (was) Tammy's birthday. My girl looks pretty damm good for 35! (zip it!!!)

One of Tammy's favorite cities is Salem, MA. We've been there twice before. She loves holloween and all that spooky stuff. When we were choosing a place in New England to spend the summer, being within driving distance of Salem was a priority for Tammy. It's only 2 hours away from where we are staying.

After you've been married long enough, birthdays (and all holidays FTM) kind of take on a new meaning, especially with respect to gifts. I still enjoy giving my wife something that I know she wants, but honestly, that happens more rarely now. Months ago, I asked her what she wanted for her birthday. "Take me to Salem for the day." Perfect.



Tammy loves walking down Essex Street browsing all of the spooky shops.



I like looking at the early American archetecture. The city has really embraced keeping these old homes maintained.



The bay windows on this one are stunningly beautiful.



These buildings were built at a time when workmanship and craftsmanship meant something. When design was as much an art as it was a function.



We went (again) to the Salem Witch Museum.



There are 2 parts to the visit. In the first part, the story of the Witch Trials is told in an arena among wax figures. Then your are guided through a historical representation of witchcraft in our world. I like their perspective on how something as far fetched as witchcraft can be interwoven into even our modern lives.



Tammy's having a lot of fun today and while this is certainly not my thing, I'm thoroughly enjoying watching her enjoy it.







This place is thought to be haunted. "Visiting a Haunted House" was one of the things on Tammy's "New England to do List". Check.



We went here for a late lunch (or early dinner if you prefer)



200 years ago, this was a prominent lecture hall that was host to some pretty influential speakers, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Frederick Douglass, Daniel Webster, John Quincy Adams, Henry Ward Beecher, Horace Mann, and Henry David Thorea to name a few.

Cheers to full speed ahead, babe. Together.



We've eaten here before. To my pleasant surprise, the food here is very good.





We made the drive back to the ABB right at dark. It was a nice day.

Stay thirsty, my friends....

[BkerChuck]

Salem, MA is on my list of places I'd like to visit. You likely just moved it up a few spots for me......

[BikerGeek]

Joey - since Tammy likes the haunted / spooky things, have you guys been to Savannah? We took a haunted pub crawl in Savannah several years ago and really enjoyed it.

More info here.

[Hppants]

Joey - since Tammy likes the haunted / spooky things, have you guys been to Savannah? We took a haunted pub crawl in Savannah several years ago and really enjoyed it.

More info here.

Oh yeah - more than once. Savannah is a really good "spooky town", but we think Charleston, SC is better. Same principle - lots of "old south" history, which makes for good folklore. To us, Charleston has a lot more to do. It's a really good couples destination, just not in the middle of summer.

[Hppants]

September 14, 2024

Today is Saturday, but to my utter amazement, this gorgeous dry (and cool) weather will simply not relent. So after coffee, I decide that Bush Piggie it will be!

Thus far, I haven't explored the gravel on the west side of Interstate 93. The Flatlander route certainly goes that way, so I punch it up and start wandering. I run up to the top of Stinson Mountain and then stop at a trailhead to look at the route closer. I quickly learn from my knowledge of the general area that this section of the Flatlander is mostly pavement. So I come down off the mountain, and in the village of Rumney, I start free styling it.

Now - this is more like it.



The map calls this "Bog Pond" - the name seem apt. This might be a good place to paddle, but for now, I'll just call it lunch.



I wander all around the area, trying every gravel or dirt road just to see. I think I'll suggest a route change to the ADV Rider peeps on the Flatlander. This stuff could easily be incorporated into the route, avoiding a lot of pavement and even a small city.



I got back to the ABB early afternoon (no ice cream - BOO!!). Tammy and I went to the grocery to get a few supplies. Tomorrow, we are having company!

Stay thirsty, my friends....

[gixxerjasen]

After being spoiled like this for three months, how on earth are you going to entertain yourself when you get back home?

[FJRoss]

After being spoiled like this for three months, how on earth are you going to entertain yourself when you get back home?

Pretty sure he will:
Eat, drink, cycle, ride, fish... and repeat - while enjoying the benign Louisiana "winter" conditions.
Plan for next year.

Life is tough!

[Hppants]

September 15, 2024

Today, I made some room in the garage.



FJRoss and I have been communicating for a while. A native of New Brunswick, Canada, he has been planning a moto trip to this region for a while and decided to extend it a couple of days to come here. Right as planned, he arrived mid-afternoon. Ross indicated that he'd ridden enough for that day, and so we grabbed a couple of beers and had some nice conversation on the deck. Later that afternoon, we took a walk around the neighborhood. I was excited to show him our summer home and we stopped at the town square to enjoy the view.



I planned to prepare a seafood gumbo for our guest, but it was so warm that day, it didn't seem appropriate. So instead, I grilled some shrimp with box noodles and a salad and we called it dinner.

Stay thirsty, my friends....

[Hppants]

September 16, 2024

Ross and I planned to go on a motorcycle ride today. Last night, I asked him which (pavement or gravel) ride he preferred, and although he brought his BMW F700 adventure bike, his tires were well worn and he didn't feel confident about running them on gravel. So, FJR it is for Pants and after coffee/biscuits, we suited up for a ride.

I whipped up a fairly ambitious route for us that would allow me to show Ross some of my favorite roads in the area, along with some new stuff for me to explore. Ross has been here many times before, but it's always nice to enjoy old things from new perspectives.

It's Monday and i can already tell the traffic is going to be light, and the weather stupendous.



We run generally south to about Lebanon, and then turn back north on Hwy 118, stopping in Warren to check out the Redstone rocket on display.



Every day, I see subtle changes in the scenery signiying that Fall is in the air. At one stop, I asked Ross in his experienced opinion, how far has Fall Foliage progressed here thus far? Imagine my utter surprise when he replied "about 5%". In a couple of weeks, this is truly going to be something to see.



I made us some sandwiches for lunch. I prefer to picnic on these day trips. Honestly, I haven't found the food here to be award winning, and what restaurants exist often have peculiar hours and days of operation (accomodating weekenders). It's better to just bring a picnic and then stop whenever you want.

In the town of Franconia, we ate at this little park where old steel furnace ruins still stand.



We continued north on Hwy 142 and turned further north at the Connecticut River



We got it all to ourselves today.



Close to the Canadian border, I turned onto Hwy 26 and we rode slowly through the picturesque Dixville Notch. There was a bit more color this far north and uncharacteristically, I didn't take any pictures. Rather, I just sat back and enjoyed the view.

On the back side of that gap, a store appeared with a waving flag sign that read those magic two words: Ice Cream!!



I'm in my happy place.



We left this morning under the premise that at any point, should the route prove to be too exhausting, we could just cut it short and beline back. At this point, the remaining route is seemingly just a quick as cutting it off, so we opt to continue on. Quite frankly, who could blame us on this amazing day?



We run Hwy 110 and Hwy 16 past Mt. Washington and take a right in Conway, followed by a left onto Bear Notch Road. One last stop for a photo.



Ross is a good rider and it didn't take me long to get comfortable on the day. He's experienced, considerate, and careful - I'll ride with him anywhere.

About 375 miles for the day, we arrived back to the ABB about 5:30, just in time for happy hour. Tammy has prepared a snacklebox for us!



In the evening, the 3 of us walked to the town square to have pizza. Then back to the ABB for a wee dram and more conversation. Today was one of those days - perfect weather, no traffic, good riding roads, no breakdowns or (heaven forbid) worse, and perhaps best of all, wonderful comraderie.

It just doesn't get any better than that.

Stay thirsty, my friends....

[Hppants]

September 17, 2024

I slept in a bit - that ride yesterday was exhilerating yet exhausting, apparently. Leftover pizza and a little fruit salad was good enough for breakfast, along with the obligatory cup 'o Joe. Ross is heading toward home today. I weighed my options and decided that I'd go with him for a ways, and then break off when I was ready. Ross will camp in Gorham, NH this evening, so I whipped up a route with different roads than yesterday. I packed my walking shoes and planned to take a hike this afternoon.

Looks like today is picking up right where we left off yesterday: wonderfully!



Many riders in the area know about Hwy 113 between Holderness and Conway. But some haven't tried Hwy 113A in that region and let me tell ya, it's quite nice.





Mid-morning, in true Pants fashion, I proposed to jump off the route a bit. I wanted to show Ross some of the surface roads that I've found in the area that are pretty good. I was pleased that he obliged me.



My wanderings spat us out in the town of Eaton, and we stopped on the lake for lunch. Well, I ate lunch anyway. Ross decided to pass on lunch today.



What another gorgeous day in New England.



This seemed like a good place to part ways. I gave Ross one more surface road suggestion that would allow him to avoid the Conway shit show (IYKYK) and put him on the right path toward his camp site. So, he ran north and I ran west. I shook his hand sincerely and thanked him for the company, and left on my way.

Now riding west on Hwy 302 (very familiar to me by now), I started thinking about this summer and it moved me to say the least. We've been here two months now and every single day has been such a blessing. I've had daily adventures, each and every one of them could stand on their own as a life long memory. I've had time alone, time with my wife, and time with friends. How lucky am I to have friends that will take time out of their lives to be with me? To get to know me, and ride with me? Lucky beyond my finest words, I say.

I get to Crawford Notch and stop at the train depot.



Tammy and I plan to ride this scenic train later in our stay when the color is more vibrant. Every 2 or 3 days, I'm checking availability on their website to make sure we don't delay ourselves out of a trip. With plenty availability left during the mid-week, it's now just a matter of waiting on the leaves and the weather.



This is also where the trail head is, so I put on my walking shoes and started up Willard Mountain.



This is a relatively short hike with a bit less incline, so I'm using it as a workout and climbing more deliberately.



I get to the top and the Notch view was well worth the walk.



I hope you are having fun wherever you are. (IYKYK)





I walked back down on the out-n-back trail and arrived back at the depot with one thing on my mind.





From there, I rode directly back to the ABB, arriving about 5:00 after another 200 (s)miles.

Stay thirsty, my friends....

[FJRoss]

Joey was a gracious host and despite the fact that I have been coming to New Hampshire for years, he knew the roads far better than I - at least in the central regions. (Not much new to me in the more northern parts.) I guess the difference is that my trips to the state were mostly 2-3 day camp-and-ride excursions on weekends before I retired whereas he has actually lived here for the past two months and has made a point of seeing everything. A wonderful opportunity to explore the roads less travelled and I will have some roads to return to the next time. I thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality, riding, and camaraderie. Weather was absolutely spectacular and fall foliage colors were just starting to pop.
Thank you!

Note: The "snack" prepared by Tammy was as good as it looked! Beer was great too!

[gixxerjasen]

You are in for a mind-blowing color show from the trees up there my friend. Pretty soon your route planning will be all around whether you go north or south and taking altitude into consideration as you spend each day at peak.

[Hppants]

September 18, 2024

(Pants) "Whatcha feel like doing today, Noonie?"

(Noonie) "Chillaxing"

(Pants) "Sounds good"

We walked 100 yards up the street.



And another 75 yards down the trail.





Stay thirsty, my friends....

[FJRoss]

Tree colors are starting to come along nicely. Significant change since I left just a few days ago. Best is yet to come.

[Hppants]

September 19, 2024

In the afternoon, we ran to Plymouth to do some errands and on the way back, we stopped for a paddle. I discovered Bog Pond on the Bush Pig last week and wanted to explore it.



Not exactly good swimming water, and we now understand why they call it Bog Pond.



Another gorgeous sunny day in the 70s. I think it's been 2 solid weeks of this.





It's a small body of water, but very quiet and peaceful.



At home, NO ONE thinks anything about New Hampshire. Boy are they missing the boat...



Stay thirsty, my friends.....