New England Fall Foliage Tour - Part 2

September 30 - October 12, 2024

Portland, Maine was the official beginning point for our Fall Foliage Tour, as it was the Portland airport that Brad and Kathy flew into.  This trip was planned along with these longtime friends from Cedar Rapids, so I guess it was only fair not to leave them stranded at the airport!

We arrived in Portland the day before Brad and Kathy’s scheduled flight, giving us the opportunity to have lunch with Carla and Art.  It’s amazing that Carla and I have not only managed to stay in touch all of these years, but continue to see our friendship grow closer and closer.  Our father’s friendship began in 1946 as fellow sailors on the USS Fresno.  I believe our dads would love that their friendship with each other has continued for the next generation!  Now, how do we get our kids to meet?!

At breakfast the next morning, we talked to a couple who told us they had enjoyed a delicious lobster dinner at The Porthole in Old Portland.  That was all we needed to hear as we’ve both been craving lobster fresh off the boat.  Old Portland itself is a fun spot to check out.  The harbor, cute shops, fresh lobster … need I say more?  The one unexpected thing we found was the cruise ship docked at the harbor and the thousands of old people who had gotten off the mammoth thing!  The strange thing was, in all of the shops we went into, people kept asking me if I was enjoying the cruise!  Once I saw my reflection in the store window, I understood.  How have the years flown by so quickly?  I know it’s cliché, but I really don’t feel as old as I apparently look!  

A sign advertising a coffee shop led us off the main street of shops in Old Portland and to one of the backstreets.  What a find!  No crowds with only peace and quiet to accompany us on this charming cobblestone street.

Moochie, our first (and only) seal sighting from The Porthole!

The Porthole did not disappoint.  Being it was an early lunch, Dick and I decided to share a lobster roll.  So yummy!  I like the classic style, dressed with light mayonnaise.  Dick likes his with warm butter.  Since we were splitting it, we had quite the conflict going.  Fortunately, the server saved the day and offered to have both options served on the side!  Probably saved our marriage!

We then picked up Brad and Kathy at the Portland airport at noon and headed for New Hampshire where covered bridges dot the countryside and there is no shortage of waterfalls!  We had used Colors of Fall Road Trip Guide as our primary resource in planning this portion of the trip, which was incredibly helpful.  The book details 27 different day trips scattered throughout New England.  The difficult part of planning was in choosing which day trips we wanted to take.  We settled on ten trips that took us through New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.  Our first stop took us into the White Mountains, where we drove the Kancamagus (a.k.a. “the Kanc”) scenic byway.  Although each of our day trips was delightful, this one had to be my favorite.  If you can catch this beauty at its peak, you need not continue your search for better fall foliage.  At points along the loop, mountain tops covered in fall color recede into the horizon in  whichever direction you turn your eyes.  

The Swift River and its Rock Garden

Does Dixville Notch sound familiar to anyone?  It makes the news at least once every four years.  Yes, this is the tiny village known to the world as the location where the first ballots are cast in the nation.  All residents have been gathering at midnight for at least six decades to vote.  For the last election, six ballots were cast, explaining how the entire process only takes a few minutes. 

Just down the road from Dixville Notch is Dixville Notch State Park and the flume.  Inside the park, we hiked a trail up to a waterfall which was the most unusual hike I’ve ever been on.  The path was strictly tree roots taking you up the steep-walled gorge.  I’m not sure I’ve ever used tree roots as hand holds before! 

Most of our days were sunny and beautifully filled with fall foliage viewing but even the one drizzly day we had was stunning!  There was something calming about the low-hanging clouds obscuring the tops of the mountains, gradually lightening up and revealing the subdued fall colors as your eyes descended into the valley.  

The rain wasn't the only temporary setback we experienced during the trip.  By "we",  I really am referring to Dick.  He had been on a new oral medication for glaucoma, which was giving him all kinds of unpleasant side effects.  Heartburn, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, and possibly worst of all, a terrible taste in his mouth if he drank carbonated beverages (think beer here). Turns out these weren't actually all that bad of side effects.  It was his trip to the ER with incredible back pain that revealed the whopper -- a kidney stone.  The good news, when he contacted his ophthalmologist,  was he told him to stop taking the drug.  The other good news, it only took two days of excruciating pain instead of two weeks to pass the bugger.  

It was surprising the fun things we found to do in addition to being “leaf peepers”, as the New Englanders referred to us.  We hiked trails every chance we had.  We spent a lot of time looking for moose, with only one rather unusual sighting.  

I think I'll take this moose home with me!

On one short hike near Wild River, Maine, a local man we met on the trail told us the story of his colleague, Becca Stevenson, who survived a plane crash there in 1982.  The weather had suddenly taken a change causing the pilot to lose visibility of Mount Baldface.  This caused them to crash into the mountain, throwing Becca from the plane.  Despite broken bones and no shoes, Becca spent over 24 hours hiking down the mountain.  She eventually found a stream which led her to a campground where she was able to get help.  Clearly, she had some angels by her side.

One of the AirBnBs we stayed in had a particularly dark sky giving us amazing views of the Milky Way outside of Greenwood, Maine.  Dark skies on clear nights seem to be rare and such a treat!

On one of the day trips, we stopped to visit Mount Washington, which is the highest peak in the northeast and notorious for its erratic weather.  It holds the record for the highest measured wind speed not associated with a tornado or tropical cyclone in our nation (231 mph).  It also has the official record low temperature of -50 °F!  The mountain is privately owned and was going to cost $120 for us to drive up to the peak, so we stayed content to view it from below.  It would have been cool to make the trip up just to be able to say we had been there but I’m a bit of a tight wad!

Mount Washington is the farthest peak in the photo.

While in Vermont, we had to stop for fresh maple syrup at Butternut Mountain Farm. I feel like that’s a given – right?  Vermont and maple syrup just go together in my brain.  Besides, I’ve fallen in love with the dark syrup and its rich, robust flavor and I was determined to bring some home.  

One day trip took us irresistibly close to the Canadian border, so once again, our passports were pulled out of the suitcases!  The Chartiervile, Quebec border crossing proved to be quite the contrast to our previous experience.  I think the border patrol agent was a little lonely and wanting some company. He was quite content to give us directions to a coffee shop in La Patrie and chit chat with us about Sasquatch sightings.  He even admitted to us, before saying our farewells, that he was actually the only remaining Sasquatch alive.  He was quite the character!

Immediately across the border, there happened to be a triathlon in progress.  The Canadian Man/Woman race was fully underway.  We were asked to be especially diligent driving, as the road we were on was also the route for the race.  We couldn’t resist pulling over and taking in the scene for a few minutes.  It was particularly interesting as we were at the juncture in the race where participants were abandoning their bikes, changing into running gear and heading down the trail.  It was fun to hear the cheers of their support teams.

Just a short distance down the road was The Magnetic Hill.   The border patrol agent had told us all about this strange phenomenon – except the fact that it is all an optical illusion.  The idea is you maneuver your car into a specific location, lining it up with markings on the roadside, put your car in neutral and take your foot off the brake.  As your car begins to move in reverse, if feels like your car is being pulled up the mountain.  Unfortunately, due to the markings being along the race route, we weren’t able to attempt it, but seeing it’s all an illusion anyway, probably not a big loss.  

Screw Auger Falls in Grafton Notch State Park, Maine was another interesting stop.  There we found a 23-foot waterfall which drops into the gorge.  Well worth pulling over for!

We left the last couple of days with Brad and Kathy free from “leaf peeping” in order to take in the coastline and Portland area.  Once there, we revisited some sights that were favorites from our trip to the area a couple of years ago.  It was fun showing Brad and Kathy the Marginal Way trail in Ogunquit.  It offers a short, spectacular walk along the Atlantic shoreline!  We watched people with surfboards waiting to catch just the right wave as well as took in the sound of the waves as they crashed into the rocky shoreline.  I could easily spend an entire day doing this! 

A new experience for all of us was a short drive outside of Oqunquit to the top of Mount Agamenticus.  There we enjoyed a picnic lunch and did a little exploring.  From 1966 to 1974 this area operated as a ski resort.  Evidence of the ski resort remains. You can see where chair lifts and tow rope structures once returned skiers to the top of the mountain following their exciting run down.  Currently, it’s a stunning park with more trails than you can dream of.  Although we didn’t have time to go on any of the hikes, we did enjoy the impressive views. Looking west, you see the White Mountains and looking east you view the Atlantic Ocean, making quite the contrast with the turn of your head!

We also stopped by for a quick visit to Odiorne Point State Park.  This was the sight of a fort during WWII where evidence, once again, still exists.  We enjoyed exploring the rocky shoreline and a little more time taking in the sights and sounds of the ocean!

A washed-up lobster trap!

In Wells, I managed to fit in a quick return stop to Mainely Mimi quilt shop!  Yes, I was there a couple of years ago and found the cutest table runner pattern.  The runner is dotted with lobster buoys, making it such a fun memory to decorate our table with.  This time I found a couple of cute snowman-themed wall hanging patterns and a little fabric for dressing up the snowmen.  Needless to say, I’m anxious to get started on them.  If I plan to be in Iowa for most of the winter this year, I should at least find some way to enjoy the snow.

Just outside of Old Portland, we rented bikes and spent an afternoon riding to Bug Light Lighthouse and Spring Point Lighthouse.  We saved the iconic Portland Head Lighthouse to visit by car.  It was a super fun afternoon, as it felt good to get on a bike.  Although the hiking we did over the past week was amazing, it was time for a little variety!

Portland's Iconic Lighthouse -- Portland Head Light

One last activity we took in was the Mail Boat Ferry out of Old Portland.  This is a narrated tour that takes passengers to Little Diamond, Great Diamond, Long Island, Great Chebeague Island, and Cliff Island.  During the tour, we heard all about life on the islands along with some of the history of the area.  It was a sunny fall day, and getting a glimpse of what it must be like to live there was so interesting! Many of the islands have their own K-8 schools, but for high school, the kids have to catch the ferry into Portland.  Afterschool activities sound like quite the trick, as the ferry doesn’t run 24 hours a day!  I have gotten very accustomed to the instant gratification society most of us live in today.  I have to say, it would take some adjusting to, but maybe not always being able to run off at the drop of a hat isn’t a bad thing.  Hmmm, I’ll have to mull on that one for a while.  Patience certainly is a virtue I could probably benefit from working on.  

The next morning Brad and Kathy headed for Iowa via the airport and we began our return trip to Iowa via the highway.  It was wonderful to spend quality time with Brad and Kathy. 

Next up:  New England Fall Foliage Tour -- Part 3