Soooo, the featured image to the right (if you’ve clicked on the link to this post) is pretty much one of my favorite highlights of the trip. We were not yet out of NY and we had to stop and get gas, at what I can only describe is the best named and signed gas station ever. “Betty Beavers Fuel Stop” complete with 3D beaver boobs. The cheeks were creepy but it was still hilarious.
First, we stopped at Howe Caverns, NY to head 120 feet or so under ground. It was pretty cool but very commercial. One of the featured attractions is the first left image called the “pagoda.” Question: How do you know you’re Catholic? When you think a better name for the pagoda is “Papal Tiara.”
Next stop: Fort Ticonderoga.
The fife and drum was pretty neat. All of the uniforms are completely hand made in the fort by reenactors. The shoe maker was specifically impressive.
Brass Mortars.
Vacation Day 1
The big mission for vacation: Climb the highest mountain in the east.
Base Station for the Cog Railway at the bottom of the White Mountains. The train takes you up to the summit of Mount Washington but we hiked to the top of the 6288′ Mountain
Mount Washington way off in the distance
Half way up breaking through the treeline
Beth taking pictures. That blob down below is our starting point of the 5.5 mile hike up. Only half way up at this point.
A long ways to go. The picture doesn’t do the climb justice. You just keep going up.
The surrounding mountain range looking east.
More of the surround mountain range looking south.
Half way and still looking lively! We were grossly over prepared for a cold summit, which it was of course unseasonably warm. Just my luck. Mount Washington behind us in the clouds.
The blob again (the starting point). It seemed so much farther than 5.5 miles.
The summit is in sight! With about a mile left to go on the Jewell Trail you have to cross the tracks. Choo Choo!! Train is coming.
Vrooooom…. Not so much. I think the train moves as like 5 miles an hour.
We patiently waited our turn at the top to have our picture taken at the summit with all of the other people that worked so hard to get up there. You know, by driving their cars and taking the train. I wasn’t bitter though.
Looking northwest.
Looking west. You can see the Green Mountains and the Adirondack range.
Admiring the view, and the breeze.
Looking west at the direction we came. The peaks are Mt Clay, Mt Maddison, and Mt Jefferson I believe. We passed by the first peak Mt Clay.
Ok, we decided to take the train down. We weren’t making it before sun down so we played it safe. We did the hard work going up!
The summit over to the right. What a day!
One more from the summit.
We visited a neat antique barn on a whim. Our friend came along.
We visited the shaker village. Our friend came along.
We went out to dinner. Our friend came along.
From within our accommodations which made us both crave country living. The coyotes were howling multiple nights. It was so nice.
The view of Newfound Lake from our little cottage (Coop).
This was our home for the week. It stands in the place of an old chicken coop of the same dimensions with the addition of the extension on the left side which added a porch, kitchen, and bathroom. It was a perfect getaway location and so peaceful. Many a book was read on the porch.
