Last day of leaf-peeping tour

The last full day of our stay in New England was mostly spent in and around Portland, ME.  We were advised to head to Cape Elizabeth and see the light house there, called Portland Head Light.  This whole area had once been a fortress and military compound.  At one time rows of barracks housed soldiers and officers defending the coast.  Evidently, this lighthouse is one of the more picturesque ones in the area, and it has been photographed and featured in paintings over the decades.  The main building next to the lighthouse is now a museum, but it once housed the light keepers.  It was an appointed position, and often those appointed had absolutely no knowledge or skills for running a lighthouse; they learned quickly.

Portland Head Light

The improvements of the lamps in the lighthouse over the years were significant and impressive. 

A unique chandelier in the pizza place.

A mural on a building in Old Town Portland

Next, we found our way into Old Town Portland, walked around the cobblestone streets, shopped, had lunch at a great pizza place, and by late afternoon, got back in the car and headed to Kennebunkport by dark-thirty for dinner.

We wished we had spent more time exploring these little towns along the coast, like Kennebunkport; what a cute place!  After a seafood dinner, it was time to find the freeway and "book it" to Boston.  That's where we started the trip, and now that we had made a grand circle, we returned for our flight back to the Rocky Mountain West.  So long New England... loved the leaves, the history, and the people!

Nice surprise

We thought we were heading into Portland for our overnight stay in Maine.  So, we were a little surprised when we checked the address of the motel and followed the leadings of the GPS.  We were going a bit south of Portland to Old Orchard Beach, and the motel was right on the beach.  Wow...what a great location!!  We got there just as it was getting dark-thirty. 

We went next door to a great restaurant (later finding out it's the best one in town) and I ordered Maine Lobster.  Oh wow.  I needed some help in cracking the shell and knowing where to find all the good meat.  I have to say that it's not quite the same in WY when you just get a lobster tail; I don't need help with that.  But, a guy sitting next to us offered to show me how to eat this thing properly.  That also opened up quite a conversation with both him and his wife.  We got some good advice on what to see in Portland the next day and also where to eat.   I took notes.

It seemed like it would be fun to watch the sun rise over the water the next morning, so we got up in time to do that, right from the motel balcony. 

Then we got ready for breakfast and a stroll down on the beach.  First to the pier. 

Next, a walk along the beach, heading back toward the motel.  The tide was out.  Beautiful beach; beautiful water; beautiful sky.  Can you believe this weather?  We took our shoes off to walk the beach...and then just had to go down to the water and get the feet wet.  Oh my goodness, the water was COLD.  Or should I say REFRESHING?  We actually witnessed a retired guy walk right into the breaking waves, dive in, and then return to the beach.  His old black Labrador impatiently waited for him to come back up on shore; obviously the Lab decided that jumping into the ocean was not for him this morning!   Oh man, after I got wet up to my ankles, I couldn't imagine diving in!! 

 

 

But it was a great morning for a walk along the beach, and several folks were doing just that - and planning to do a little sun-bathing too.

Now it's on to Portland for the day's adventures.

Fall Colors in Southern Maine

Crossing the border from New Hampshire into southern Maine brought us into a lower elevation and a more colorful show of fall leaves.  We were heading southeast toward Portland, and the sun was nearly setting when we saw this sunlit bank of trees.  Had to stop.  Photo shoot.

 

The colors lit up like they were projecting their own light.  It was a beautiful scene.

Over the mountains...

Leaving the Connecticut River in Vermont and it's mirrored beauty.

From St. Johnsbury, Vermont, we crossed into New Hampshire.  After a leisurely breakfast and a little look around St. Johnsbury, it was time to cross the border and start the climb over the White Mountains of New Hampshire on the scenic-byway called the Kancamagus Highway.  From here, one could see some distance.

Not many people seemed to be on the road, so it was easy to gawk, enjoy the colors, the vistas, and....what is that on the side of the road???  Three black bears???  Really.  Yes, a mama and two growing cubs.  Eeeeeeech!!  We managed to pull the car over and stop, but as we were backing up, the bears scrambled off into the trees.  So, no images, except for the those burned into our memory.  It was a very exciting scene, as brief as it was!

Having now driven several miles along the highway, we saw several turn-outs that were lined with cars, and the parking lots were packed.  What???  Reading the signs, we  realized that perhaps a hundred cars were parked at each of (at least) three different trailheads.  All these folks were hiking?  So you go hiking with hundreds of folks?  I'm guessing there is not much solitude on the trail?  I later discovered that (from here) people can walk portions of the Appalachian Trail, as well as other trails, so evidently that has great appeal. No wonder the roads weren't packed... lots of tourists were walking and (no doubt) taking tons of pictures.

We saw that there were a couple very nice ski resorts in this area too.  At one turn-out, we had a great visit with several folks from New Hampshire that were riding the highway on motorcycles.

We eventually got across the mountains and into Conway, NH.  We took a little detour north to North Conway, which turned out to be a great little tourist town.  We walked around a bit and did some t-shirt shopping with hundreds of other folks,  Talking to one of the store's owners, we found out that this town attracts tourists from literally around the world.  He had stories of meeting the most unusual people.  A very attractive town and a hot spot for leaf-peepers.

Vermont's trees, river, and covered bridges...

The drive up Highway 100 in Vermont was spectacular.  Several stops resulted in pictures.  Here are a few. 

Driving into Vermont

The morning we drove into Vermont, it was raining.  But it didn't last too long, just long enough to give us the flavor of a wet New England day.  Miles and miles of tree-lined roads looked just like this. 

Driving through rolling hills, we saw some of the prettiest scenes of the trip.  I say hills, because they are old mountains,  appropriately called the Green Mountains. 

See the large glass flowers just above the sign?

Driving along this beautiful country road, I believe it was highway 100, a sandwich-board sign on the side of the road next to a lovely old farmhouse said, "Glass blowing demonstration today."  The car instinctively pulled right in; what a surprising opportunity! 

It turns out that this man is a world-renowned glass-blower who has created large, stunning glass creations (decorative pieces and chandeliers, for instance) for hotels around the world.  He said he's been in the business for 40 years.  It was amazing to watch him work!

A stop in Amherst

Emily Dickinson's house is now a very nice museum.  The grounds are quite beautiful.

She was an interesting character, introverted and reclusive.  Although many of her poems are a bit dark, I find this one very nice.

668

"Nature" is what we see—
The Hill—the Afternoon—
Squirrel—Eclipse— the Bumble bee—
Nay—Nature is Heaven—
Nature is what we hear—
The Bobolink—the Sea—
Thunder—the Cricket—
Nay—Nature is Harmony—
Nature is what we know—
Yet have no art to say—
So impotent Our Wisdom is
To her Simplicity. 

Colors Spectacular

As the drive north from Sturbridge, MA began, the colors became even more spectacular.  It seemed we were stopping every few miles to admire the brilliant shades of foliage.  No wonder it took all day to travel 60 miles!!






One sighting of colors was such eye candy, it seemed unbelievable. Purplish-pink leaves?  The car slowed immediately to take a right turn into a driveway.  Turns out it was the entry into a Jr. High School.  Nobody seemed to notice or care that we parked the car, walked around for some photos of the leaves, and then drove through the campus and back out on to the highway.  Maybe it happens often.  I don't know. 
 

This was my favorite photo from this stop; talk about spectacular!  (None of these photos are enhanced, by the way.)

One thing I saw, which would be rare to see at home, is one tree with all the colors...from green to yellow to orange and red.  Wow.  Didn't know there were trees that sported the entire array of fall hues. 

Central, northern Massachusetts was a beautiful sight.  What a treat to drive through the countryside and small towns.

Next stop: Sturbridge, MA

The motel room in Sturbridge was so charming.

The next day was an exploration of Sturbridge, especially Sturbridge Village, which is a recreated area to mimic what this town looked liked in the 1800's. 

The grounds were beautiful, and one could wander around and look into all the buildings, including a blacksmith's shop, a candle maker's shop, meeting rooms, a well-to-do-residence, etc.  Many guides were there, dressed in period costumes, ready to share information about that period of history in Massachusetts.

Blacksmith's shop

Yes, I even got to make two candles of my own!

Loved the harpsichord in the background. 

A ride on a horse drawn wagon took us through a covered bridge.

The poles are actually a "machine" constructed to get well water.

It was another beautiful day to tour a quaint town in the 1800's.