Wednesday, July 13th, 2022 … Two Lane Adventures Continue!

We enjoyed a quiet night at Oak Bay campground in Oak Bay, New Brunswick. There were four other couples from the caravan that overnighted here too. We were the smallest rig and they put us in the wooded area. The bigger rigs were in the open pull-thru sites. Before we left, I was able to get a walk in.

Established back in 1955 the Oak Bay campground has been a big part of the community. Kathy and Joe and the community have all grown up using the beach or just camping in the park. It is nestled around the Bay of Fundy where the tides come and go twice a day. If you like the smell of salt water or just like to walk on the ocean floor then they have the spot for you. Their sun sets are second to none and they can be seen from most of the park area. Its 33 acres of beautiful property with great walking, lovely trees and the most pleasant scenery you will ever see.

We crossed the border at US Customs and Border Protection at the Calais Port of Entry. The US Customs officer, was not as nice as the Canadian Customs Officers that searched our rig on our way into Canada. But, we made it back onto US soil! 

We traveled the same route we took to on our way into Canada, to get back near Bangor. Maine 9 stays with US 202 from its origination in Bangor through Hampden, a town on the Penobscot River estuary and all these following towns.

Dixmont was once known as Collegetown, the township had been donated to Bowdoin College. In 1886 Dixmont had two mills for long lumber, two shingle mills and one grist mill.  It also had thirteen schoolhouses.

Troy was first settled in approximately 1801 as Bridge's Plantation, it was incorporated as the Town of Kingville in 1812. The town's name was changed to Joy in 1815, Montgomery in 1826, and finally to Troy in 1826.

When originally settled by Quakers, the town was known as Twenty-Five Mile Pond Plantation. The name came from its being located on a pond twenty-five miles from Fort Halifax in Winslow. The name was changed to Unity upon incorporation as a town in 1804.

Albion was incorporated as the Town of Fairfax in 1804. It annexed land from Winslow in 1810, and gave up segments of land in 1813, 1816, and 1818 that would eventually become China. The town's name was changed to Ligonia in 1821, and then to Albion in 1824

US Route 202 is a spur route of US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware to Maine. The highway has had the number 202 designation since at least 1936.

Route 9 split off and we stayed on US 202 into China and Gardiner. The name of the town, China, was chosen by Japheth Washburn. He wanted to call the town Bloomville, but people from the town of Bloomfield objected, saying that the similarity of names could cause confusion. Mr. Washburn settled on the name China, because it was the name of one of his favorite hymns, written by Timothy Swan in 1790. China Lake spans the distance from South China to China Village. It has two large basins connected by a narrow neck. The elongated eastern basin, about 7 miles long.

Gardiner is located on the Kennebec River just south of Augusta, It was founded in 1754 by Sylvester Gardiner as Gardinerstown Plantation, it was set off from Pittston in 1760 and was incorporated as a town in 1803. By 1850, when it became a city, it had acquired shoe factories, paper mills, and woodworking shops.

We arrived at Birches Campground in Litchfield Maine, it will be our home for 4 nights! We plan on relaxing, enjoying Peter & Becky and the lake!

After we got set up, we went back to Gardiner to surprise Harold Gerrard for his birthday! He was surprised, because the people just kept coming and coming! It was great to see so many friends from our Florida home at ACP-Z! 

I was especially excited to see my WW friend, Gerri!

We did get back in time to see our first sunset on the lake!

Thursday, June 9th, 2022 … Two Lane Adventures Continue!

Gary & Sheryl and Charlie & I traveled from Littleton New Hampshire to Hermon Maine today. But, before we left, I did get my morning walk in! I loved all of the ferns that are along the driveway to the neighbor’s house at Gail & Larry’s.

There were some interesting cloud formations as we headed northeast!

Bethlehem is a quaint downtown village in the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire. The Welcome to Bethlehem mural depicts seasonal touches, like orange maple leaves and spring and summer flowers in pinks, purples and yellows, along with iconic White Mountains scenes - a covered bridge, a red barn, majestic mountains and flowing water - along with Bethlehem landmarks like the Colonial Theatre. The stately and historic Adair Country Inn & Restaurant, which funded the project, sits atop a rolling lawn surrounded by deep green pine trees and purple mountain peaks. The mural is part of the North Country (NOCO) Mural Project and was painted by NOCO artist Zach Johnsen of Littleton.

The Colonial Theatre is a historic movie theater built in 1915 and one of the oldest continuously operating movie theaters in the United States. When the Colonial opened its doors, the era of the grand hotels was in full swing and Bethlehem was a premier destination resort town. Because of its sophisticated clientele The Colonial quickly became a venue for studios to test market their films. With its rich history The Colonial remains one of the remaining links to the era of the Grand Hotels as well as a significant chapter in the history of the film industry. After a series of renovations, the 300-seat Colonial offers state-of-the-art digital projection and surround sound for independent and world cinema, hosts Grammy award-winning performing artists, family entertainment, and community events from May through October—all without losing the intimate charm of a vintage summer theater.

Bethlehem Centennial Drinking Fountain is located on Main Street at the west end of former Sinclair Hotel site. The owners of the New Agassiz Hotel, Louis Michnoff and Dora Spiwack, purchased the Sinclair Hotel in 1937. The Sinclair Hotel closed after the 1974 season, a victim of rising costs and declining reservations. The property and contents were sold at auction in 1976. The hotel was destroyed by fire on Oct. 24, 1978.

The Christ of King Catholic Church was built in 1928 and is across from the schoolhouse on Main St. It is made of river stone that was hauled from the river by truck. There is little history on the church. The summer Cuban population which included the President and Vice-President of Cuba, came to Bethlehem during the summer months. They rented rooms and homes for the summer. They arrived in their own private train cars at the Bethlehem and Maplewood Rail Road depots. There is some documentation that they were instrumental in getting the Catholic Church built with generous donations. The church has been closed for some years and is now a private residence.

The Ivie Memorial Chapel was built in 1931 by Alvin F Ivie as a memorial to  his daughter, Florence Catherine Ivie Abbot, who died at the age of 27. Designed by Jervis Frederick Larson, this late version of an English Perpendicular Gothic Church hosts a mosaic tile alter and alabaster lights. The cornerstone of the church contains memory about her life. The chapel was donated to the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire. From what I read, it held services, weddings, funeral, etc… but has never been a fully functioning church.

We must be in the mountains now, when you see a runaway truck ramp. Most runaway truck ramps make use of arrester beds of sand or gravel. The material in the ramp is selected for their low coefficients of inter-particle friction, meaning when a wheel or axle touches the bed, the material in it moves away from each other, allowing the truck to sink into the gaps.

Gorham has maintained its historic, small-town atmosphere and has a year-round population of just under 3,000. Nestled in the Androscoggin Valley and adjacent to the picturesque Presidential Mountain Range, the Village has many appealing shops, excellent accommodations and dining for everyone. Most of the roads are shared use with cars and ATVs.   

We saw a moose! The first moose installed on the common in Gorham stood there for 30-years. This moose was carved by Brian Lamarre and donated to the town. Over the years, it had suffered irreparable damage due to exposure to weather. “Moose No 2” from the top of his head to the bottom of its stomach was carved from a single piece of wood from a Canadian forest by Brain Lamoarre, Pat Raymond and his daughter Brynna Raymond. The town hopes that moose No 2 stands for more than 30-years!

We crossed into Maine from New Hampshire. Did you know that Maine is the only US state to border exactly one other American state, New Hampshire.

We arrived in Dixfield, Maine. The town motto of Dixfield is "The Only One", is because it is the only town in the world to claim that name. Dr. Elijah Dix, a substantial landowner in the area, bought the town which bears his name. We saw another moose and learned that Bullrock, the Dixfield Moose, is named in memory of a moose of local legend. According to this legend, a wandering moose journeyed from the back side of Dixfield’s Sugarloaf Mountain. As he approached the rock formation now known as Bull Rock, he became so entranced with the beauty of the valley below that he lost his footing and plunged over the edge. Today Bullrock’s spirit can be seen in the majesty of our forests and in the steadfastness of our people. He not only symbolizes Dixfield’s colorful past, but represents a strong and steady future for us all.

The town of Skowhegan, Maine, is located by the banks of the Kennebec River. It was once the heart of Maine's logging industry, now a revitalized natural resource – the Kennebec is now a favorite for fishing and boating. This region is the gateway for Maine's famous whitewater rafting with some class IV and V rapids.

Founded by four artists in 1946, the renowned Skowhegan Art School has evolved into a program that is not exactly a school or a residency or a retreat, but combines some characteristics of each. Faculty teach various skills, but there are no classes; participants come from all over the world to take advantage of nine weeks to create, think, and read; and the setting, a 350-acre campus on Wesserunsett Lake.

We arrived at Pumpkin Patch Campground in Hermon Maine, our home for 3 nights, until we take our Yankee RV caravanners over the border into Canada. Many of our caravanners arrived early and we enjoyed a night of fellowship!

 

Monday, June 6th – Wednesday, June 8th, 2022 … Two Lane Adventures Continue!

Gary & Sheryl and Charlie & I spent three nights at Larry & Gail’s place in Littleton New Hampshire. They were excellent hosts and we enjoyed our time together, by touring around the area. Gary & Sheryl got to see their first view of the lupines in NH.

We were lucky enough to find artists working on stills of the mountain and the lupines.

I love lupines and was very happy to capture this awesome shots of them with the mountain in the background!

We headed to see the “Old Man.” The Old Man of the Mountain was a rocky outcropping on Cannon Mountain, White Mountains that, when viewed from the floor of Franconia Notch, resembled the profile of a man.

First reported in 1805, the Old Man of the Mountain served as an inspiration, guardian of the environment, and New Hampshire tourist attraction for almost two hundred years until its fatal collapse on May 3, 2003.

Thirty ideas were submitted to honor the fallen Old Man, one being finally accepted. Seven years after "the fall," on June 7, 2010, ground was broken for the Old Man memorial overlooking Profile Lake in Franconia Notch.

The project consists of seven profilers at the edge of Profile Lake. By standing in the correct spot behind the profiler and looking up toward where the old man used jut out from the rocks, his image is put right back in the very location where he lived for centuries, a spot that attracted millions of tourist to this area every year. 

Phase one of the project was completed in 2011. It consisted of a series of steel rods pointing at Cannon Mountain that, when viewed from a certain angle, show an outline of the profile against the cliff.

We visited The Mount Washington Resort. The Mount Washington Hotel is a hotel near Mount Washington. It was designed by Charles Alling Gifford. It is located at the northern end of Crawford Notch along Route 302.

The hotel was constructed between 1900 and 1902 at a cost of $1.7 million by Joseph Stickney, a native of Concord, New Hampshire who had made a fortune as a coal broker in Pennsylvania. In 1881 Stickney and his partner, John N. Conyngham, had purchased the nearby Mount Pleasant Hotel. Subsequently, Stickney began work on his Mount Washington Hotel. He had envisioned the hotel to be a luxurious getaway for urban dwellers looking to escape the city. He brought in 250 Italian artisans to build it, particularly the granite and stucco masonry. Construction started in 1900 on the Y-shaped hotel, which opened on July 28, 1902. At its completion, the hotel boasted over 2,000 doors, 12,000 windows, and over eleven miles of plumbing.

We stopped at the Willey House Historical Site. In 1793 there was a one and a half story building built in Crawford Notch, a long, narrow valley through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The notch was, at the time, the only east-west route through the mountains, and this was the first building to be constructed here. Known as the Notch House, it served as a tavern for travelers through here, and it was operated by several different innkeepers during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. 

In the fall of 1825, the Notch House was acquired by Samuel Willey, who moved into the house with his wife Polly and their five children, who ranged in age from 2 to 11 years old. At the time, the property had been abandoned for several months, so Samuel spent much of the fall repairing the house, enlarging the stables, and making preparations for winter. The tavern was ready in time for the winter, and, despite its modest size and appearance, it was a welcome shelter for cold, weary travelers on their way through the mountains. Willey continued to operate the tavern throughout the spring and summer of 1826.

Over the next two months, the region experienced a severe drought. However, the drought came to a sudden end on the night of August 28, when a severe storm passed through. The torrential rainfall destroyed nearly all of the bridges in the notch, and it also made the ground susceptible to landslides in the steep cliffs. One such slide occurred at the Notch House, but, the building was narrowly spared. It stood right in the path of the landslide, but the falling debris caused it to split into two streams. As a result, the landslide passed on both sides of the house, destroying the stables but otherwise leaving the building miraculously intact before reuniting into a single stream just below the house. Over the next few days, though, the nearby residents of the notch could find no sign of the seven members of the Willey family, or the two hired men who lived here. Inside the house, there was evidence that the occupants had left in a hurry, suggesting that they had tried to flee to safety in advance of the landslide. Subsequent searches of the area uncovered the bodies of Polly Willey and one of the hired men, David Allen, in the debris below the house. Samuel’s remains were soon discovered as well, along with those of their youngest child, Sally. The body of David Nicholson, the other hired man, was found five days after the disaster, and a day later the body of twelve-year-old Eliza Willey was found. However, the other three children—eleven-year-old Jeremiah, nine-year-old Martha, and seven-year-old Elbridge—were never found.

We enjoyed a treat of Gifford’s Ice cream here. Oh boy, was it ever delicious! Gifford’s Ice Cream began to take shape in New England on a small Maine dairy farm. Audrey and Randall Gifford started whipping up small batches of ice cream using Audrey’s parents’ simple recipes. The neighbors clambered for a taste, and soon the family was making ice cream year-round to keep up with demand. Gifford’s has 100 unique ice cream flavors, frozen yogurts, sherbets, and sorbets, and each and every flavor is real New England. They source fresh cream and milk from local dairy farms, and get their wild berries from just up the road. They don’t take shortcuts, maybe that’s why Gifford’s Ice Cream has won awards across the country and around the world, including being named Ice Cream Grand Champion for 5 straight years at the World Dairy Expo.

The town of Littleton New Hampshire can capture your imagination even before you find a parking spot. In front of the town library is where the effervescent Pollyanna statue stands shining. If you have never read the Pollyanna story as a kid, you should as an adult! If you visit, don’t forget to rub her boot for good luck.

The street posts around town have banners calling Littleton the Glad Town and we sure felt Glad to be there. The crosswalks are the cutest we have ever seen, freshly painted a pretty green with a Pollyanna outline that says “Stop Look Wave.”

The stunning Pollyanna Gateway was awesome, something as simple as some brightly colored umbrellas really had a magical feel. Bright colors, happy summer vibes, travel and Sheryl posing! Ahhhhh, life is good!

Of course Chutters was impressive, so many candy options and a looooooong candy counter. While the candy selection is an impressive treat, the fudge is the real star here. It’s delicious and there were so many flavor choices to choose from.

Music on Main Street, a Unique Littleton NH Experience - Piano Project - Music has a unique and unparalleled ability to influence our attitudes and internal reflections, often near-instantaneously. Some active citizens of Littleton, NH have recognized this and chosen to use it to enhance the experience of walking down their hometown’s Main Street. The Piano Project on Main Street makes you want to sit down and play a tune!

The 352 foot Riverwalk Covered Bridge is a Warren Truss bridge. It was completed in September 2004. Partly developed as a tourist attraction, it allows easy access to the Riverglen House, a senior center. The main street side is adjacent to Millers Café & Bakery. The far side side connects to trails paralleling the river in both directions, and is a very pleasant walk.

The bridge also offers beautiful views of the Ammonoosuc River. 

 

Naturally, we had to take pictures with the angel wings! Stay tuned as we continue on our #TwoLaneAdventure

Sunday, June 5th, 2022 … Two Lane Adventures Continue!

Today we travel to Gail & Larry Towle’s in New Hampshire. We departed the Quechee KOA and headed east on US 4 through only one town, Hartford, before we crossed the New Hampshire state line at the Connecticut River on the Lyman Bridge. The structure is named after a historic predecessors that once spanned the Connecticut River. Another competing proposal to name the bridge in honor of a Korean War veteran was rejected. However, unofficially it has been called the Lyman Bridge for over 100 years and there are still Lyman relatives in the Upper Valley.

Lebanon is part of the greater Upper Valley which includes neighboring towns in New Hampshire, as well as Vermont. We turned north onto New Hampshire Route 10. It is a 120-mile-long north–south state highway in western New Hampshire. We are following Route 10 to its northern terminus at a junction with US Route 302 in Haverhill. It is also a Purple Heart Trail. The purpose of the Purple Heart Trail is to create a symbolic and honorary system of roads, highways, bridges, and other monuments that give tribute to the men and women who have been awarded the Purple Heart medal.

We came into the town of Dartmouth. What is Dartmouth known for? On one hand, Dartmouth is known for its rigorous academics, Ivy League status, and small class sizes. On the other hand, the college is renowned for its Greek life (it was the inspiration for the movie Animal House), rural setting, and outdoorsy vibe. We took our rigs through a downtown that was alive with activity, considering it was early on a Sunday morning!

Lyme is a rural community located in the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire along the Connecticut River. Some think our name came from Lyme, Connecticut and others mention Lyme Regis, England. The spelling on the original 1761 charter of "Lime" has been attributed to an error by Governor Wentworth's secretary. The original settlers were from Palmer, Belchertown and Brookfield in Massachusetts. Lyme has more gravel roads than paved roads and a population of 1,716.

A design for an official state emblem was adopted in 1945. It described an emblem that included the Old Man of the Mountain as its central figure. The Old Man of the Mountain appears on license plates, state highway signs, state police cars, drivers' licenses, and "all printed or related material issued by the state and its subdivisions relative to the development of recreational, industrial, and agricultural resources of the state."

In Orford New Hampshire, I saw a sign for Peyton Place. My mind went right to the song about the school board that was a "Peyton Place." That is not this place, Peyton Place Restaurant is a small family-owned business that focuses on quality cuisine in a relaxed setting. Their entire menu is made from scratch with an emphasis on farm to table, organic ingredients. The menu is a confluence of French, Thai, Italian, Vietnamese, American and Latin American cuisines. They are only open select days and not much RV parking! 

We drove on the Connecticut River Byway America’s Byway. In Lebanon, we took Route 10 north through Hanover, a beautiful college town, to Lyme and Orford- home of the Seven Swans, said to be the finest group of Federal-style houses in the United States. We continued on to Haverhill and Woodsville, where we will pick up Route 135. It joins Route 18 west of Littleton, a bustling town and great ending for a scenic ride.

Haverhill New Hampshire has a large Historic District. It is made up of private residences and public buildings located along two intersecting roads and around two open commons. A broad spectrum of architectural styles is represented, from vernacular Georgian to Bungalow, with Federal style buildings being the most numerous. About 24 of the contributing buildings are located along the major north-south thoroughfare, State Highway 10 (Dartmouth College Highway). The commons are surrounded on all four sides by buildings. 

US 302 follows the Ammonoosuc River through a mix of fields and forested land, passing through Bath, Lisbon and Littleton. Route 302 is officially designated the 10th Mountain Division Highway, a name that the state Legislature approved in a 2001 law. The 10th Mountain Division was created before World War II as a unit dedicated to fighting in mountainous areas and winter conditions. In recent years, it has been active in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We followed the Ammonoosuc River between Bath, Lisbon and into Littleton. It is a 55-mile-long river. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River, which flows to Long Island Sound. Ammonoosuc is Abnaki for "small, narrow fishing place."

We arrived at our destination for a few days, at Gail & Larry's. They opened their house and yard to us and Gary & Sheryl on our way to Maine to start the 2022 Canadian Maritimes #2 caravan.