With a full tank of gas and the open road before me, I took John Muir’s sentiment to heart and headed north into the White Mountains of New Hampshire to celebrate the beginning of Fall.

I had heard much talk of these mountains, so I decided to take the trek and see what the area had to offer.  Before this getaway, I had only seen the Capital in Concord and the coastal city of Portsmouth, so going deep into the mountains and heading for New England’s highest peak had me eager to explore.

The roadways were peaceful as the three-hour journey began to unfold, and before long, I was deep into the White Mountain National Forest.

My first stop was the Franconia Notch State Park.  There were many exits to take, each one ready to whisk a visitor away to a beautiful area.  My location of choice was the Flume Gorge.

peaceful solitude

Upon seeing the parking area and visitor entrance, I was surprised at the scale.  Little did I know that the Flume Gorge is quite substantial.  It extends about 800 feet at the base of Mt. Liberty.  The granite walls rise to a height of 70-90 feet in some places and, even though there are nice wooden stairs and walkways guiding one through the gorge, the trek is about a 2-mile circuit and takes some time to work through.

I could not have picked a better day to do some light hiking in a beautiful park.  The leaves were just beginning to turn, the sun was still warm enough to allow hikers the comfort of not wearing jackets and there was a delicious crispness to the mountain air.

After burning all those calories hiking around, and dropping off my overnight bag at my little chalet, I was off to find some dinner.  The White Mountain Cider Co seemed incredibly charming, so that was an easy decision to make.  In addition to the restaurant, which was clearly a small family home at some  point in history, the property also contained a cider mill and a country store.  While enjoying a delicious steak dinner and a fresh “cidertini” I was caught up in conversation with the handsome bartender and two other locals on the art of apple pressing.  I received an education in the cider-making process and friendly companionship during an excellent meal.

The next morning I couldn’t resist going back to the Cider Co for  a look around the store.  They open up early every morning and serve fresh hot apple cider and apple cider doughnuts.  Mmmm…breakfast of champions.

After I was satiated, I only had to travel a few minutes away to pick up the auto road that led to Mt. Washington.  Home to “the worlds worst weather,” the peak elevation measures in at 6,288 feet, which is the highest point in the Northeast.  For the journey, each vehicle is given an educational CD to play for entertainment and enlightenment purposes.  Apparently the auto road is the oldest manmade tourist attraction.  Horse-drawn wagons used to take 4 hours to get to the top.  Now the trip up takes about 25 minutes, not including all the awesome stops one tends to make.

While in the 70’s at the bottom of the mountain, the top was bitterly cold, right around freezing and very foggy and windy.  It was difficult to stay outside for very long, so I took a photo or two and headed back down.  The summit was nice to see, but the journey there was the real treat.

After popping into the visitor center to see the little museum display and warming the soul with a delicious bowl of chili, it was time to make my way back down the mountain.  With each passing minute, the foliage became more substantial and the temperature became quite warm until, before I knew it, I was on my way out of the forest and into civilization again.  Until next time….