SAVORING THE VOYAGE

Fall has become my favorite season.

Maybe it has much to do with growing up on a Florida coast. I never experienced a true Autumn until I moved to Louisville. The warm, golden hues of this season enchant me.

While Kentucky offers a beautiful transition from Summer to Fall, it was a work trip to Pittsburg 2 years ago convincing me to seek golden-er pastures. The 48 hours I spent in Pittsburg happened to be during their peak foliage and it was MAGICAL. Absolutely unlike anything I’d experienced before. I was ready to get serious about leisure time to a place like this.

Queue a vacation to the capitol of Fall Foliage (which in my head is just somewhere in the New England region) – New Hampshire.

Specifically, right in the the heart of the state, Lincoln. A quaint little town that meets all your needs – and surprised me, at times. To answer the question “would I revisit?” – yes. And, probably will.

Lincoln is nestled right at the base of the White Mountains – recently voted the 6th best place in the US for Fall Foliage – and at one, terminating side of the Kancamagus Highway. “The Kanc,” as the locals call it, is an absolute must. And there’s a good chance you’ll drive it on the way into Lincoln.

34.5 miles of two-lane, tree-lined, winding highway. The roads are graced with falling leaves, signs warning of moose encounters and several places to peel off for scenic overlooks or very short “hikes” to waterfalls, a covered bridge and a gorge. Say you’re just passing through and have time for nothing else – do this. Icing on the cake, it’s entirely free.

Between long schedule delays, our 3 night trip effectively became 2 days to squeeze in what we could. We could’ve easily tacked on a couple more days to really take in all that New Hampshire has to offer. Let’s get into what we did and what we would’ve done with more time!

White Mountains – What to Do

Kancamagus Highway

As mentioned above. Non-negotiable.

Hike to Mt. Willard

There’s a couple other hikes on my list and I’m so glad we chose this one above all others. The view from the top is incredible – huge payoff considering the difficulty! 1.5 miles up to 2800 feet of elevation. I’d call the trail moderate due to the incline and rocks. Proper footwear is essential here! I wore Danner trail runners; my spouse was happy with his Merrell sneakers. I wondered if I might’ve benefited from ankle support with a boot.

The trailhead is behind Crawford Notch Station. Google Maps was able to direct me based on “Mt. Willard trail” but, just in case!

There’s a decently sized parking lot (with a restroom!) with overflow parking going into the main road. We arrived around 10:30am and could easily park in the lot. By the time we made our way back down the mountain (about 2 hours later), cars were overflowing.

Truly, I can’t overstate the majesty of this hike. Beautiful all the way up and impossible not to linger at it’s peak. The changing leaves gives it an extra “pow!” but, I can imagine it’s incredible year-round.

Spa Day – Mountain View Grand Resort

I tend to get a little overzealous with travel planning – wanting to squeeze every drop out of a destination. I’ve had a lot of lessons in slowing down this year and, thankfully, a spouse who encourages it. At his request, we planned time for rejuvenation post-hike. Mountain View Grand Resort came recommended and there we went!

If you haven’t encountered “grand” style hotels before, you may not realize how steeped in history they are. With an architectural style that’s easy to pick out (think the hotel featured in The Shining), they became popular in the 1800’s and radiate opulence. As the name implies, Mountain View has carved out a piece of the Earth that makes the rest of the world melt away. The energy is serene.

What better spot to layer that pleasure with a massage or facial? I opted for the latter (it’s been a hot minute) and I couldn’t resist leaving the spa without a few of those products for home. This was my introduction to HydroPeptide. The products smelled DIVINE and clearly having effect on my skin while being treated, it was a no-brainer to expand my skin care with their products.

Tower Spa turned out to be a wonderful place to refresh. The staff was so caring at attentive. The time passed to quickly! But it was time for something I was equally excited for.

Dinner downstairs at Harvest Tavern. One of the reasons this place came recommended to me. And one of the moments I became surprised by what New Hampshire has to offer – really excellent food. Maybe I’m totally off here but, I didn’t expect to thoroughly enjoy the local food scene and I’m so glad to report I was very wrong. Every plate that hit our table was scarfed down. And, stuffed, I couldn’t bear missing my chance at trying their desserts, too…so I ordered 3. Packaged to go, for enjoying at the hotel room later.

Not wanting to pass on the scenic views from the restaurant, we kept our reservation upstairs. But if you’re looking for something with a little extra pizzazz, you can book at table within their wine cellar.

DISHES WE ENJOYED

• HOUSE-MADE BREAD SELECTION
• CRISPY CHICKEN ARROLLADO
• HARVEST SALAD
• ROASTED CHICKEN
• RIBEYE
• DARK CHOCOLATE BOMB
• DIRTY CHAI TIRAMISU – this is the ONE dish I would’ve reconsidered (still good, just not my favorite flavors!)
• CARAMEL APPLE CHEESECAKE

Other Meals You Shouldn’t Miss

Here’s where we get into our weird day 2. And I have to make mention of these restaurants. Again, unexpectedly enjoyed and such a welcome surprise.

MOUNTAINSIDE CAFE – Coffee flight? Say no more, fam. I’m there. Especially great, this coffee (all 4 of them) was fantastic. Flavors change monthly!

BLACK MOUNTAIN BURGER – The BEST burger I’ve had in a LONG time. Don’t sleep on this place.

ICE CREAM DELIGHT – what stopped us was the chalkboard sign by the road, “MAPLE SOFT SERVE.” Heck yeah, I need to know all about that. Happy to report it’s an indulgence worth stopping for!

White Mountains – What Else You Might Want to Do

All things we didn’t get to this time around. Staying on my list for the future!

LITTLETON

We drove through here late at night to make our 1st attempt at securing a Starbucks destination mug. I wish we had time to explore it properly. A cute main street, lots of boutiques and a number of restaurants recommended by the locals.

FLUME GORGE

MOUNT WASHINGTON AUTO ROAD

“America’s first manmade attraction.” Weather permitting, you can drive to Mount Washington’s summit – the highest mountain-peak in the Northeast US.

“Weather permitting” goes beyond just snow. This peak is known to have some of the most erratic weather in the world. The recorded a windspeed of 231 miles per hour at the summit was a world record from 1934 until 1996. Mount Washington still holds the record for highest measured wind speed not associated with a tornado or tropical cyclone. a

CONWAY SCENIC RAILROAD

Plan a whole day around this one. It’s a 4.5 – 5.5 hour trip through the White Mountains. I think if you hit the perfect time of year (which, to me, is peak fall foliage) this could be a really special experience. I would do my best to get dome seating!

CATHEDRAL LEDGE AT ECHO LAKE

This hike is a toughie. And the view from the top looks pretty incredible.

A MOOSE EXCURSION

Or, at least, plan to drive much further North. I SO wish we encountered a moose – I’ve never seen one in person! Maybe I’ll get lucky on one of my other adventures. Otherwise, I can fall back on New Hampshire.

Go forth and adventure, friend!