THE COLORS ARE HERE… THE COLORS ARE HERE!

Every day we head out to view the ever-changing botanical pigments. We see the colors go from turning - to moderate - to peek.

The east-west route: highway 112, known as the KancamagusHighway, (AKA the Kanc) is 56 plus miles of uber scenic and mountainous sections of the White Mountain National Forest between Bath and Conway, NH. This is also known as one of the best fall foliage viewing areas of the country. No wonder as the colors intensify the traffic increases:

North- South: U.S. Route 3 runs from the Canadian Border through New Hampshire to Cambridge, MA. In this part of Hew Hampshire it’s known as the Daniel Webster Highway. This is another scenic and very popular route from North Woodstock through the Franconia Notch State Park as it runs along the Pemigewasset River. “The Famous Old Manof the Mountain” used to be here. Word has it that he collapsed and fell into the lake in May of 2003, but considering the alien activity in the area there may be another explanation for his disappearance. But there’s still Mount Pemigewasset AKA Indian head.

Indian Head

There are also more covered bridges to explore:

We stop at the Basin, a favorite attraction in Franconia. Here a small waterfall travels sideways into a large pothole 30 feet in diameter and 15 feet deep. From here we hike up the Basin-Cascades Trail that parallels the Cascade Brook. The trail is rocky and root filled, but the wide granite creek bed is easy to traverse. Along the way we meet a group of Amish folks. These three couples are celebrating their 30^th wedding anniversary. They are a friendly group and we talk about wanting to see what’s around the next corner and knowing when it’s time to turn around. Just below the Kinsman falls they decide to head back and we continue on…

Cascade Brook

Plain Folk on the trail

Cascade Brook

Kinsman Falls

Rock of Ages
Granite Quarry

Since we haven’t quite gotten enough fall color we take a side trip over to Vermont, to check out Montpelier. On the way we stop at the Rock of Ages granite quarry and take a tour of the quarry and a self guided tour of the fabrication plant. Rock of Ages is best known for creating memorials (AKA Grave Stones) but we are surprised to learn that they also create solid surfaces for precision and industrial applications. (Like the precision grinding of the Hubble Telescope lens.)

Capitol of Vermont

In Montpelier we shoot the capitol and then break our rule about not eating Mexican food east of the Mississippi and grab some lunch at Julios Cantina. Sometimes you just have to break the rules. Especially when it’s a beautiful fall day and there’s alfresco dining, where we can kick back and enjoy the view of folks heading to and from the farmers market while listening to a street musician strum his guitar.

They are out of Negra Modelo L so we opt for a couple of Tecates. The complimentary chips are fresh and the accompanying salsa flavor full but lacking heat. Our waitress brings us some of their “hot” salsa; that still needs a generous addition of Cholula Sauce to spice it up. With low expectations we order their Chicken Chimichanga plate and a couple of Street Tacos. The Chimichanga is crunchy, not greasy with plenty of well-seasoned fillings, so the lack of heat can be forgiven. The sides of black beans are also tasty and better after we added a generous scoop of salsa. The Steak and green chili street taco was tender and delicious. The Chicken, Chorizo and Goat Cheese Street Taco was absolutely perfect: spicy, tangy and a real surprise.

As we are finishing up a trio of tourists are seated next to us. They ask us “What’s good here?” We recommend the Chicken & Chorizo Street tacos. They’re originally from Vermont but now reside in Phoenix, AZ and like us, are leery of Mexican cuisine in the east. We joke about miserable Mexican food in Boston and they ask, “Were they baked Beans?”