New Hampshire, home to Mt. Washington, the Kancamagus Highway, the White Mountains, and so much more. It is also stop number 6 on our New England road trip. So far we’ve explored parts of Connecticut and Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Maine.
Day 11 – New Hampshire
Day 11 began early so we could drive west to New Hampshire. We drove all morning through off and on rain. We were a little nervous because our first stop in New Hampshire was all dependent on the weather.
Mt. Washington Auto Road
A little bit after lunch we arrived at the base of Mt. Washington. The skies had cleared, it was now bright and sunny. We could see the top of the mountain and the road was open. That meant we could drive to the top of Mt. Washington!
The Mt. Washington Auto Road is located in Gorham, New Hampshire. The toll road is open seasonally from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Poor conditions at the top or bottom will close the road. Before making the 7.6-mile trek to the summit you will need to pay the toll. To drive yourself, the vehicle and driver are $31, additional adults are $9, and children are $7. Included in the price is a “This Car Climbed Mt. Washington” bumper sticker, a CD to narrate your drive up and down the mountain, driving suggestions, and admission to the museum at the summit.
If you choose a guided 2-hour tour, adults are $36, and children are $6. This also includes admission to the museum. It is recommended that if you would like to do the guided tour that you make an online tour reservation. Tour times are listed online. You could walk up, but you take the chance that the tour is sold out especially on busy days.
Going Up!
After 25, sometimes frightening, minutes we reached the summit. There are good-sized gravel parking lots on both sides of the road. From there you have to climb a steep staircase to the true summit. Then you are free to explore the Sherman Adams Summit Building, the Mount Washington Observatory, and Extreme Mount Washington, the Tip-Top House, Stage Office, Yankee Building, and the Summit. The view of New Hampshire is amazing!!
Inside the Summit Building, you will find restrooms, information, a gift shop, a post office, a cafeteria, and the Extreme Mount Washington museum exhibit. We bought and filled out postcards then mailed them from the Summit post office. The museum is very small and one room. It was interesting though.
You can’t go inside the actual observatory unless you make an online reservation. We didn’t know about that. It would have been cool to tour the observatory.
Heading Down!
After looking around for a couple of hours it was time to start down the mountain. There were lots of warning signs about driving in low gear and not riding your brakes. We pulled over a few times, we probably didn’t need to though. It was just as scary going down as it was coming up. We can proudly now say “We survived Mt Washington”!
North Conway, New Hampshire
Next, we drove into North Conway, New Hampshire. For the next 2 nights, we would be staying at the Comfort Suites. This hotel is on the same property as Pirate Cove miniature golf. They even share the parking lot. Our 3rd-floor room even had a view of the golf course. This hotel room would be one of the smallest on our road trip. It was still comfortable. The hotel had a great indoor pool and a yummy breakfast.
Day 12
Day 12 would be spent dodging more rain showers. We started off the day driving down the Kancamungas Highway in order to get to Franconia Notch State Park. The state park is in the heart of the White Mountain National Forest and is bisected by Interstate 93. The park extends from the Flume Gorge at the south to Echo Lake Beach in the north. Traveling through the Notch you can visit the Old Man of the Mountain, the Flume Visitor Center, the Basin, Lafayette Place, Boise Rock, Profile Lake, Echo Lake, and the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway & Ski Area.
Flume Gorge
Our first stop at Franconia Notch State Park was the Flume Gorge. The Flume is a natural gorge stretching 800 feet at the base of Mt. Liberty. Walls of Conway granite rise to a height of 70 to 90 feet and are from 12 to 20 feet apart. Wow!
Visitor Center
The Flume Gorge is a 2 mile, self-guided nature walk that includes covered bridges, boardwalks, and narrow walkways. Your visit begins at the Visitor Center where you will find the ticket office, information, a cafeteria, a gift shop, restrooms, and a historic Concord Coach. The Visitor Center is open seasonally from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Tickets to the Flume Gorge are $16 for adults and $14 for children ages 6-12. If you would like to include a ride on the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway you can purchase the Discovery pass. Adults are $31 and children ages 6-12 are $25. Because of the weather we chose not to get the Discovery Pass.
Flume Path
After purchasing your tickets you head out the back door where you can either walk an additional 0.7-mile trail to the gorge or you can ride the shuttle. We chose to walk! Once in the Gorge take your time and read the signs that explain how the Gorge was formed and how it was discovered back in 1808.
The 2-mile walking path is a mixture of boardwalks and gravel paths. The path is not handicap or stroller friendly. It passes by Table Rock, the Flume Gorge, Bear’s Cave, Avalanche Falls, Liberty Gorge, the Sentinel Pine Bridge and Pool, Wolf Den, Glacial Boulders, and finally the Great Boulder. Thankfully for us, there were rain shelters scattered along the trail. We needed them a time or two.
The entire trail took us about an hour and a half. We took our time and enjoyed the sights. The kids really liked the Bear’s Cave and Wolf Den. As soon as we returned to the Visitor Center it started pouring down rain. Talk about perfect timing! We took this opportunity to look around and contemplate what we would do next.
The Basin
We chose to drive down the road to The Basin. Because of the rain, we ate our picnic lunch inside our van. Luckily, as we finished up lunch the rain let up enough for us to walk down to the Basin. It is about a 10-minute walk. The Basin is a 20 foot in diameter granite pothole at the base of a waterfall. It has been smoothed by small stones and sand whirled around by the river. Below the Basin is a formation called the Old Man’s Foot.
Boise Rock
Next, we drove on to Boise Rock. Again, it is raining! Our only view of the rock is through the wet windows. In the early 1800s, Thomas Boise took shelter under this large boulder when a blizzard blocked his passage on the Notch road. Boise ended up killing his horse for its skin then wrapped himself in the hide. Rescuers found him under the boulder the next day and had to cut away the frozen hide. It saved his life. Near the boulder, you will also find a spring, picnic tables, and a great view of the Cannon Cliffs (if it’s not raining).
Weather Discovery Center
After a quick look at Boise Rock, we headed back to North Conway. On our way through town, we stopped at the Mount Washington Observatory Weather Discovery Center. The Discovery Center is an interactive science museum where you can learn about weather and climate. This museum is open daily with hours changing seasonally. Admission is a small fee; adults are $2 and kids ages 7 to 17 are $1. Kids under age 6 are free.
While the Discovery Center is only two rooms it has great interactive exhibits that will interest all ages. They also have a theater with a 10-minute film on Mt. Washington’s ecology and geology. We found the film very interesting. Overall, we spent about an hour exploring.
Zeb’s General Store
Next, we headed down the road to Zeb’s General Store. This is a really fun 2 story country store that is filled with all sorts of neat items. You never know what you might find. They have everything ranging from hot sauces and jams to toys and games. Our kids were mesmerized by all the different candies. It was hard to choose just one!
Day 13 – First half
On day 13 we packed up and started heading for Vermont. I’m going to cover the first half of the day in this post since it actually took place in New Hampshire. The second half of the day will be included in my next post about Vermont.
Kancamagus Highway
Our first adventure of the day would be exploring sites along the Kancamagus Highway. The highway is a 34-mile scenic drive along New Hampshire’s Route 112. It stretches from Conway in the east to Lincoln in the west. The road cuts across the White Mountain National Forest and has spectacular views of the White Mountains, the Swift River, Lower Falls, Rocky Gorge, and Sabbaday Falls. During the Fall, the road is packed with leaf peepers.
The Kancamagus Highway is a popular spot for picnicking, hiking, swimming, winter snowshoe and X-C trails, kayaking, and fishing. Pets are allowed on leash. Vehicles parked in the National Forest are required to display a Recreation Pass. You can purchase a $5 pass on-site or display your National Park Pass.
Lower Falls
Our first stop was Lower Falls, which is just feet off the highway. Along with a large parking lot, there are bathrooms, drinking water, and a covered picnic area. During the summer, when the water is lower, the area can be crowded with people wading in the river. Other times when the water is rushing, it is unsafe to enter the water. Please use your best judgment. During our visit, we had the entire area to ourselves. It was very quiet and pleasant!
Rocky Gorge
Next up was Rocky Gorge, another popular attraction along the highway. Rocky Gorge has an easy paved path along the Swift River and then crosses a bridge to a viewing area. There you can view the 10-foot drop and rapids moving through the gorge. The Rocky Gorge area has picnic tables and pit toilets. Swimming is not recommended here. Keep an eye on the little ones as they scramble over the rocks.
Sabbaday Falls
Afterward, we went further on to Sabbaday Falls. This is one of the most popular Kancamagus Highway attractions. The trail to the falls is handicap and stroller accessible. The path tells the story of how Sabbaday Falls was formed. It is an approximately 0.3-mile hike to the 45-foot waterfall with an easy elevation gain. When you arrive you will be greeted by 2 waterfalls and a 5-foot high punch bowl. There are boardwalks and steps throughout so you can view the falls from many different angles.
Sabbaday Falls has a good-sized parking lot. Nearby you will also find restrooms and a picnic area along the Sabbaday Brook. Don’t forget there is a fee to park at the falls. Swimming is not allowed.
Up Next
Coming up next we’ll enter Vermont, the last stop on our 15 day New England road trip. Only 2 days remain!
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own. I was not compensated for this post.
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