Tag: New England

Hoping For a Great Fall Foliage Season

yellow leaves fall
Fall Colors ~ 2009

I’m beginning to worry. Just a little. The Fall season is upon us – even if it’s only the 14th of September and the calendar says it begins the 22nd – I’m already hoping to see some color somewhere.

A few days ago my sister came to visit and brought her dog. We went for a walk out by the Peterborough dam, which of course is near water, and there was nothing going on – color wise. I know it’s early, but last year was such a disappointment that I think we are due a brilliant show this time!

When I lived near the lake it seemed that each year the color was spectacular. I took a ton of photos every time I went for a walk. Last year I had just moved into my new home and didn’t have the time to get out and take pictures, but truthfully, I did not see much to photograph. As I remember the color popped for about a week at the very end of the season and that was it. By then I think we were all so disappointed that we mostly missed it!

Foliage Season Winds Down In New Hampshire

At first it seemed like the leaves were never going to change. What happened to foliage season? I was at the bank a week ago and a friend made a comment to the teller about how stinky the colors were this…

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New England’s Foliage, October 2010

I have seen this red tree in the afternoon sun and it is breathtaking! But I happened to have my camera in the early morning when the sun was not hitting it.It’s still pretty and the orange tree beyond is also…

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Our Pack Monadnock Hike in June

Towers at mountaintop
At the Top of Pack Monadnock

Ever since I moved to this area of New Hampshire I’ve been driving over Temple Mountain and past Miller State Park where Pack Monadnock is located. It’s the smaller mountain with big, Mount Monadnock in the distance and I live so close that it was ridiculous not to hike the trails there.

Yesterday was sunny and gorgeous. With temps near 70 and clear skies, my teenage son and I drove about 10 minutes to the parking area of Pack Monadnock and then had to choose a trail to climb.
Knowing nothing except that there was a yellow trail – the Wapack Trail, and a blue trail, we chose the blue one and began our 1.4 mile trek to the top.

Now, 1.4 miles doesn’t sound like much, but to someone who doesn’t hike much, it turned out to be a strenuous little hike for me. All together it took us about 2 hours, with a short stop at the top. However, coming back down was not easy either as we chose the other trail – yellow – which turned out to be very rocky, but with great views of Mount Monadnock. The yellow trail seemed to be very well worn and I assume it is the most used. The blue trail was narrower and in the woods, without views. Next time I would hike the opposite way – go up on yellow and down on blue. Live and learn.

Don’t expect great views from the top either – unless you still have energy to climb the tower!  There are probably great views from up there.  There is a sign that points to “Boston views” and I got a photo, but the trees partially covered the view.
The top of Pack Monadnock has a road and parking area, with picnic tables and a bathroom, but it does not have a clear 360 degree view like other mountains I’ve climbed. One spot has a nice view of Mount Monadnock as you can see in my photo below. And you’ll get other views like this on the yellow trail.  There is an Auto Road to the top so you don’t have to climb the trails, and it costs money to use it, but it was closed yesterday.   Read more at the Miller State Park site.

Here are some of my photos of what you will see on the Pack Monadnock hike.

View of mount monadnock from pack monadnock
Heading Down The Yellow Trail from the Top, View of Mount Monadnock in Jaffrey

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Family Friendly Day Trip to Ruggles Mine in New Hampshire

If you are one of the many people who are looking for New England day trips for the family, you might consider Ruggles Mine.

I’ve been there twice. The first time was on a field trip with my son’s school class and we went back again the following summer with the family.

Located in Grafton, NH, this unusual tourist attraction is fun for anyone who loves being outdoors with the added plus of collecting rocks and minerals. It is a wonderful place for kids to explore.

Ruggles Mine opens in May and is in the central western area of the state on top of Isinglass Mountain, but it’s not a terribly steep drive. I love the history of the mine which was kept a secret for years by Mr. Ruggles who discovered a wealth of mica on his property. Today you will still find load of mica there and can take it home with you!

Ruggles Mine tourist attraction
Inside Ruggles Mine

Read more about Ruggles Mine and Our Day Trip to Visit

Remembering Thanksgiving

fall leaves and Happy Thanksgiving textMy favorite Thanksgivings took place long ago when I was a kid. There were no microwave ovens to quickly heat the cooling food, but I remember it always tasted great. All the Aunts and my grandmother pitched in to help get everything ready and my sister and I (if it was at our house) had to set the table. I couldn’t wait for everyone to arrive – it was exciting!

We had turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, boiled onions and carrots, cranberry sauce and homemade pies made by my mother, Nana and Aunts. My Nana used to make “Monkey Faces” which were little mincemeat cookies and also mincemeat pie. It was the only thing I wasn’t crazy about. What the heck is mincemeat anyway??

The meals I remember best were when we ate in our big living room with a couple of tables put together, or at my Grandmother’s house. She lived at the bottom of my driveway and her house was small, but some years we’d all cram in there and it was great. My cousins and my sister would share the kids table and we usually ended up laughing at something and couldn’t stop. Then we’d get in trouble, and that would make us laugh more.

After I grew up I really didn’t like Thanksgiving. It was a family time and I didn’t have much family.  My parents had split up and I had moved south to live in Florida.   My husband had a big family but they lived up here in the north. Thanksgiving became a day of work for me.  In fact, for a few years I worked in the Flower Shop of a local grocery store and I did have to go to work for the morning on Thanksgiving Day.  Then I’d stand in the kitchen for hours cooking the whole, huge meal by myself, and then spend more hours cleaning up. Before my mother got Alzheimers, she’d come over and bring Pecan pie – my favorite. Unfortunately she also brought her bum of a husband which totally ruined the day.

Then one year my husband and I and our kids took our pontoon boat out on the Intracoastal for Thanksgiving Day.   My mother’s idiot husband had stuck her in a nursing home by then, so we really had no family.   Going out on the boat was a good decision and it was such a good day. I hadn’t enjoyed that holiday so much in a long time. I cooked the turkey days before and packed turkey sandwiches for the boat. It was a peaceful day of family togetherness, cruising around and fishing, and I wondered why the holiday couldn’t always be so good.

Happy Thanksgiving to my faithful readers, and to all the ones who stumbled across this post.  May your Thanksgiving Day be yummy and peaceful.