[Leaf peepingis an informal term in the United States and Canada for the activity in which people travel to view and photograph the fall foliage in areas where leaves change colours in autumn, particularly in northern New England]
When I was teaching it meant holidays could only be taken during the school holidays when it was more expensive and busy. And I couldn’t tag on to the OH’s conferences either. Which is why during one October half term we decided to do a fly drive holiday to the eastern side of the USA and do a spot of leaf peeping.
On our final day in the White Mountains the weather was decidedly against us, so we headed north on another circular loop taking us through Jefferson to visit Stark, a very small and quiet place, where we would find another of the wonderful covered bridges that I was becoming quite obsessed with.
Stark covered bridge
Fall / Autumn colours
It’s not just Stark itself that makes the trip worth it, it’s all of the towns, scenic stops, bridges and bodies of water you come across on the drive through the New Hampshire mountains.
Lake Umbagog in the rain
After Stark we continued to Berlin and Errol over to the Umbagog Lake, hoping to find some colourful reflections.
You’ll come across many logging trucks in this region
After a brief stop we continued along the ME-26 into Maine and the Grafton Notch State Park, stopping off at Mother Walker Falls to stretch our legs.
Despite the weather it was an enjoyable day out. The roads around this area are well maintained and the views stunning. One last stop was in a rainy Jackson for, yes, you guessed it, another covered bridge.
Jackson NH covered bridge
Our last evening we drove down the road to a diner where I had nachos. I swear the plate I got could have fed a family of four, despite my best intentions the pile never seemed to go down! We had a fabulous stay in the White Mountains, but now it was time to head back to Boston and on to Cape Cod for the final part of this trip.
[Leaf peepingis an informal term in the United States and Canada for the activity in which people travel to view and photograph the fall foliage in areas where leaves change colours in autumn, particularly in northern New England]
When I was teaching it meant holidays could only be taken during the school holidays when it was more expensive and busy. And I couldn’t tag on to the OH’s conferences either. Which is why during one October half term we decided to do a fly drive holiday to the eastern side of the USA and do a spot of leaf peeping.
This post is simply to show you the variety of autumn colours we were lucky to see on our drives around the White Mountain National Park. We stopped a lot! And one thing about American highways is that they provide a lot of stopping places as well as rest areas. So often in this country (UK) you see an amazing view from the car, but find there is no place to pull over safely.
Railway lines in the US fascinate me – especially the iron bridges over a river like this one. (Fourth Iron Campground over the Sawyer River on the US-302)
A covered bridge being repairedAn enormous tree in one of the towns
[Leaf peepingis an informal term in the United States and Canada for the activity in which people travel to view and photograph the fall foliage in areas where leaves change colours in autumn, particularly in northern New England]
When I was teaching it meant holidays could only be taken during the school holidays when it was more expensive and busy. And I couldn’t tag on to the OH’s conferences either. Which is why during one October half term we decided to do a fly drive holiday to the eastern side of the USA and do a spot of leaf peeping.
New Hampshire Route 112 is a 56.39-mile-long east–west state highway in northern New Hampshire. The highway winds across the state, connecting Bath to Conway through the heart of the scenic and mountainous White Mountain National Forest. The Kancamagus Highway is a portion of NH Route 112 spanning east to west from Lincoln to Conway. The 34.5-mile drive is a recognised National Scenic Byway.
Our first day in the White Mountains was sunny and warm so we took the opportunity to drive from our hotel to Conway and to Bath. It’s a route that is well known as one of the best Fall Foliage viewing areas.
“The Kanc” takes you through a route cut through the White Mountain National Forest with breath-taking views of the White Mountains, the Swift River, Lower Falls, Rocky Gorge and Sabbaday Falls. There are no hotels or resorts or even gas (petrol) stations to spoil this wonderful landscape, though you’ll find them at either end of the Kanc and there are several camping grounds along the route as well as rest rooms.
Albany Covered Bridge
Albany covered bridge
Built in 1858, the Albany Covered Bridge spans the Swift River. The bridge is 120 feet long. The construction is a Paddleford truss with added arches. The bridge leads to a camping ground but it should be noted that there is a 7’ 9” height restriction for vehicles using the bridge. And it is closed during the winter months to traffic. Several hiking trails can be found in the White Mountain National Forest area.
The Swift River
Rocky Gorge
About 10,000 years ago, a mile high sheet of ice covered Rocky Gorge and all of the White Mountains. When it melted, torrents of glacial melt water started the process of carving Rocky Gorge creating a waterfall over thousands of years of melting water and erosion.
From the parking lot, it is a short and easy walk along the Swift River that takes you over a over a foot bridge across the Swift River. You can stand directly above the gorge for viewing and photos. Swimming is not allowed because of an unusual event that occurred in 1942 when a young woman was trapped under the falls for 3 hours.
Just up the trail from the footbridge is Falls pond a picturesque pond surrounded by the dense White Mountain National Forest.
Sabbaday Falls
Sabbaday Falls has a gravel pathway that leads you to the edges of the falls. Swimming is not allowed at Sabbaday Falls.
The rounded rocks here reminded me of the Mossman River / Gorge in Queensland, Australia with its huge ancient granite boulders in the river.
Hancock Overlook
Views towards the Osceola mountains
The Kanc highway ends in Lincoln, where we stopped for yet another break. On the Lincoln NH side of the Kancamagus Highway, you will find Loon Mountain, which offers skiing in the Winter time and other activities year round.
St Joseph’s in LincolnPretty Japanese style gardenUpper Pemigewasset Historical Society
We continued further west to Bath to see the covered bridge there. It’s on the 302 route so a very straightforward journey back to the hotel.
Bath
Bath Congregational Church and Public Library
Bath covered bridge
The Bath Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge over the Ammonoosuc River off US 302 and NH 10 in Bath, New Hampshire. Built in 1832, it is one of the state’s oldest surviving covered bridges. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and underwent a major rehabilitation in the 2010s. (Wikipedia)
The bridge consists of four spans supported by Burr trusses, resting on stone piers and abutments, and is finished with vertical board siding.
Bath
The Kancamagus Highway does not lack its share of scenic views. There are a series of hairpin turns before the Kancamagus Pass, the highest point of elevation along the byway at 2,855 feet. There are plenty of overlooks and parking places from which you can enjoy awe-inspiring alpine and valley panoramas, with views from the height of land looking far out over the Pemigewasset River Valley to the west, Mad River Notch to the south, and down into Livermore and Passaconaway to the east (especially beautiful in the autumn colours), or perhaps you’d like to take one of the many hiking trails or walking paths to view picturesque ponds and natural wonders.
[Leaf peepingis an informal term in the United States and Canada for the activity in which people travel to view and photograph the fall foliage in areas where leaves change colours in autumn, particularly in northern New England]
When I was teaching it meant holidays could only be taken during the school holidays when it was more expensive and busy. And I couldn’t tag on to the OH’s conferences either. Which is why during one October half term we decided to do a fly drive holiday to the eastern side of the USA and do a spot of leaf peeping.
Break at Canterbury rest area
Collecting our hire car (a very nice black Buick) from Boston’s Logan International airport we headed north to the White Mountains in New Hampshire following the I93 as far as Franconia where we turned off onto the Daniel Webster Highway (3) before joining the 302 east to Bretton Woods where we were staying for a few nights at the Mount Washington Hotel resort. (3 hour drive without stops)
Highway viewsHighway views
We didn’t stay at the hotel itself though we did go up to have a look around and enjoy a cocktail sitting on the balcony looking at the amazing views.
Mount Washington Resort Hotel
Conceived by New Hampshire native Joseph Stickney, the Mount Washington Hotel opened its doors in 1902 and immediately became one of New England’s premier resorts. The hotel welcomed guests from Boston, New York and beyond, and many families would stay for the entire summer with an entourage of staff and extended family, enjoying a respite from busy city life. It was designed by Charles Alling Gifford. In 1944, it hosted the Bretton Woods Conference, which established the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. In December 2015, the hotel and the Bretton Woods Mountain Resort were purchased by Omni Mount Washington LLC
Views from the hotel balcony of the Mount Washington cog railway
Just off Rte. 302 in Bretton Woods is the Mt. Washington Cog Railway (base road entrance 27.8), the world’s very first mountain climbing cog railway. When the Cog Railway was first proposed, the New Hampshire legislature was so doubtful it could be completed that they gave the builder the right to build a “railway to the moon!” Today you can ride the Cog to the top of 6,288-foot Mt. Washington, as well as see “Old Peppersass,” the world’s first mountain climbing locomotive which reached the summit on July 3, 1869. (White Mountains)
One of the covered balconies at the hotel where we relaxed with a cocktail and admired the views.
We actually stayed at the Bretton Arms Inn.
Bretton Arms Inn
We had three nights here and unfortunately the weather didn’t remain as nice as it was on the drive up here. But we did see some amazing scenery and wonderful colours.
[Leaf peepingis an informal term in the United States and Canada for the activity in which people travel to view and photograph the fall foliage in areas where leaves change colours in autumn, particularly in northern New England]
When I was teaching it meant holidays could only be taken during the school holidays when it was more expensive and busy. And I couldn’t tag on to the OH’s conferences either. Which is why during one October half term we decided to do a fly drive holiday to the eastern side of the USA and do a spot of leaf peeping.
We began our trip in Boston where we stayed in a city hotel for a couple of nights before returning to the airport to pick up the hire car.
Public Garden
We arrived late on the Friday – just before midnight and were shown to a very second rate room as although we had specified a late arrival it seemed our actual room had been given to someone else. We were moved to a much better room in the morning and after breakfast we headed out to explore the city, beginning with the famous Public Garden where we had hoped to see the Swan Boats, but they were closed for the season, and we completely missed the ‘Make Way for Ducklings’ sculptures. I remember reading the book of the same name by Robert McCloskey to my daughter when she was a child.
Public GardensThe Parkman Bandstand. Named for George F. Parkman, the bandstand was constructed following his death in 1908, in honour of a $5 million donation he had willed for the care of the Boston Common and other city parks.Beacon Hill
From there we wandered around the Beacon Hill area, one of Boston’s oldest neighbourhoods and full of charming, narrow cobblestone streets, federal style row houses and gaslit streetlamps.
And as our visit was shortly before Halloween it was decorated with pumpkins and skeletons and all things ghostly!
It takes time to walk a block in Boston, there is so much architectural detail to see. There are a lot of tree-lined streets and parks. And cars.
Storrow Lagoon (on the Charles River)
After dinner we set off to find the Old State House and wander down to the harbour where we followed the harbour walk as far as the Boston Tea Party museum, which was closed, before heading back to the hotel.
Tall Ship
Wharfs along Fort Point Channel
The ‘Tender’s House’ demolished in 2008
Northern Avenue bridge, closed 2014
The Custom House Tower is a skyscraper in McKinley Square
Massachusetts State House
Old State House nestled among the towering skyscrapers of Downtown Boston
Old South Church an ornate, 1875 church housing a congregation founded in 1669
Old South Church
Along the Harbour walk
Boston Tea Party
Northern Avenue bridge, closed 2014
A lot of this will have changed by now (this visit was in 2007) I know that the Northern Avenue bridge was in danger of being demolished along with the rundown Tender’s House next to it. The bridge is unique in that it is a rotating swing bridge built in 1908.
(It was closed in December 2014. Apparently there were plans to reconstruct it as a pedestrian/cycle only bridge, but because of Covid the project came to a halt in 2020. The Tender’s House was partially demolished in 2008. The boarded up and rambling structure served for nearly a century as a home for the keepers of the rotating swing bridge – who had to be available, night and day, to let ships through. As one local said “This is demolition by neglect” )
Boston is an interesting city, though I would not like to drive in the city centre, even driving through the tunnels (a later post) was enough to give me nightmares.
TRAVEL WORDS 