When I first set out from Florida on this trip I lamented that I was seeing beautiful scenery as I drove, but there was no place to pull over and enjoy it. And take pictures course. But that doesn’t seem to be a problem in New Hampshire. There was no shortage of lovely scenery on our drive yesterday, and lots of places for you to pull over for viewing. As we drove the Kancamagus Highway there were cars lining the road periodically, but not a soul to be seen. They were all hikers who had disappeared into the woods at the many trailheads that we passed by. My tour guide pointed out the points of interest by name, the mountains he had climbed and places he had camped, most with stories of the fun he’d had over the years. And that great laugh to go with each one.
He was pointing off into the trees and mountains and insisting that Elephant Head was there, but it took me a while to see it. The elephant even has an eye the size of a dinner plate. Since my NH friend hadn’t ever heard of it I was taking pictures even before I had spotted it. Of course once I spotted it I wondered how I didn’t see it.
The Old Man of the Mountain is such a part of NH that it’s worth taking note of where he used to be. My friend announces that ‘there’s the old man’ even now that he’s gone.
This view of the Mt. Washington hotel took me by surprise. I’d been there before but never dreamed it was nearby at that moment. There had been fog at the tops of the mountains even as we set out that morning, and the clouds look ominous here. But the day turned out to be sunny, until after we had gotten back and the rain came pouring down. Quite a few hikers must have gotten drenched.
The trees in the foreground at the scenic overlooks have grown up so tall that you don’t see the scenery that you saw years ago. Or so I’m told. I’m also told that this drive is spectacular when it’s decked out in fall foliage. I’m sure it is. I was hoping to stay north long enough to see the fall colors, but I find that I’m beginning to look forward to being home in Florida. Nice when you can call where ever you are ‘home.’
A Snowbird's Life Through the Lens 