July 27, 2018 – New Hampshire – Livermore Falls

Today Shadow, Wilma and I visited Livermore Falls in Campton, New Hampshire. Livermore Falls is a cascade falls that flows through a rocky gorge, with an approximate twenty five foot drop. The Livermore Falls is sourced from the Pemigewasset River and is known for it’s rushing, whitewater currents. There is a small beach area near the falls.

We enjoyed our adventure to the Falls. It was a short walk from the parking lot, which was located right on Route 3. Almost immediately the sound of rushing water could be heard. We crossed the railroad track, and followed the fence until we got to an area with a view. We could see of the Falls, and also peered far down the river, spotting a scenic metal bridge. Past the bridge there appeared to be a tiny beach area that was heavily populated. We then walked further, heading down a steep jaunt to reach the beach area. We waded in the water which was perfectly cold, for a warm summer day.

Shadow and Wilma enjoyed some time playing, and digging in the soft sand. It never fails that Shadow and Wilma become immediately thrilled when stepping on a beach, maybe inspired by sand to dig, or just enthusiastic fans of the beach life. It invariably brings a smile to my face, as their energy is heightened. We relaxed for some time on the beach. The sound of rushing water was just right, and helped to mask the industrial feel of this location. Unfortunately, I did see a lot of trash which slightly dampened my experience. However, nothing stops us from enjoying every moment of our adventures (Rating: 3)

July 27, 2018 – New Hampshire – Blair Bridge

Today Shadow, Wilma and I visited the Blair Bridge in Campton, New Hampshire. The Blair Bridge is a wooden bridge that crosses the Pemigewasset River. It was originally built in 1829, but was damaged from Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, and was closed until repairs were completed in 2015. The bridge allows for vehicle traffic, with one vehicle permitted to cross at a time.

We had quite the picturesque visit to the Blair Bridge. I believe we have stopped their in the past, but unfortunately I was not able to locate the photographs from previous trips (if I find them at a later date I will edit my blog with those additional photographs.). The Blair Bridge is a long bridge, highlighted by rushing River water, and the gorgeous reflection below. We immediately found a path to the shore, allowing us to look up at in awe at this magnificent structure. The other side of a bridge has a restaurant, with available outdoor seating. We strolled in front of the restaurant to check out the other side of the bridge. It was a bit more difficult to go inside the bridge, due to traffic, however we were able to capture a couple shots. Definitely one of my favorite New England covered bridges (Rating: 5).

April 7, 2018 – Massachusetts – Nantasket Beach

I will have sections of my blog that I will title “Throwback Adventure”, and will plan on posting them every Thursday. These are journeys we have taken before I started the blog, but are well worth sharing.

On April 7, 2018 Shadow, Wilma, and I visited Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts. Nantasket Beach is part of the Nantasket Beach Reservation, and is a popular location for summer beach-goers.

I often plan my coastal beach adventures in the off-season, when many are dog friendly, and devoid from excessive visitors. This day of our adventure to Nantasket Beach was extra special, as Shadow had recently recovered from surgery. It was a gorgeous spring day, with a refreshing breeze. The Beach was beautiful, sand to perfection, while covered with perfectly rounded, and colorful rocks. We strolled around, while Shadow and Wilma stopped to smell, and inspect all objects in our path. They enjoyed some time playing together, which always melts my heart. My only disappointment in this beach was being located so close to the road, and parking lot. I guess that can be a common feature, but yet I prefer beaches that are completely away from the hustle of life. However, we had a wonderful time exploring Nantasket Beach (Rating: 4)

July 21, 2018 – New Hampshire – Upper Ammonoosuc Falls

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I went to the Upper Ammonoosuc Falls in Coos County, New Hampshire. The Upper Falls is known more for the pools and gorges, then the actual Falls. It has plunges, and cascades with the highest water drop at a mere eight feet. It is also popular for cliff jumping, and unfortunately has been a known area where drownings have occurred.

We were pleased to be able to visit the Upper Ammonoosuc Falls. It was a warm day, and a bit sunny for photographs, but I always attempt to capture our adventures on film. The Falls was not too clear from the road, but luckily my research allowed us to locate it. We walked around, crossing a bridge, before hopping along on some rocks along the water. We observed some cliff jumpers, which was somewhat frightening, but I was told “I do it all the time, don’t worry”. Luckily it all worked well, and we watched a crowd of various ages jumping into the pool of water. My favorite thing about this Falls was the rounded, uncommon boulders that shaped the gorge, and the clear color of the water below. Overall the Falls was somewhat plain, but we still do cherish all of our adventures (Rating: 3)

July 20, 2018 – Ahern State Park – New Hampshire

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I visited Ahern State Park in Laconia, New Hampshire. Ahern State Park is a 128 acre park, which includes a shoreline on Lake Winnisquam. It is popular for beach goers, bikers, hikers, fishers, and boating (non-motorized).

We were quite pleased to explore a new park on a “not-too-hot” summer kind of day. We drove down a long gravel road before arriving at the beach, and parking area. We started down the trail parallel to Lake Winnisquam. The trail was very quiet, with the distant sound of children swimming, and boaters enjoying their morning. We found several trails down to the shore, for some Shadow swims. As usual I wished I had brought my suit, but instead Wilma and I watched Shadow float around, cooling down and relaxing. The trails were a little unclear, so I avoided any complex loops. We found some fun rocks along the way, allowing us to view the lake from above. The trail had a little more mosquitoes then preferred, but we did our best to ignore them, and carried on our happy way. There really was not a lot to see at the park, but as per our usual adventure we reveled in the new smells, and overall experience (Rating: 3).

July 20, 2018 – New Hampshire – Tannery Hill Covered Bridge

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I visited the Tannery Hill Covered Bridge in Gilford, New Hampshire. This bridge crosses the Gunstock Brook. It was constructed by Tim Andrews in 1995, is a lattice design, and spans approximately 42 feet in length. The bridge connects the town hall with the rest of the town center. The name comes from a tannery that once stood in the same area. The bridge accommodates foot traffic only.

I immediately fell in love with this quaint, little bridge. It was somewhat away from the busy sounds of traffic, and in a peaceful, shady location. On arrival to the bridge the music of the babbling brook below could be heard, singing the sounds of peace. There were some colorful flowers, nicely landscaped nearby. We sauntered back and forth through the bridge several times. Simple, charming and picturesque. I found a funky, fun, little tree nearby, which was great to photograph as well. We did not stay long as some fisherman soon joined us, but I definitely was quite fond of the Tannery Hill Covered Bridge (Rating: 5).

Throwback Adventure – April 2015 – Cliff Walk

In April 2015 Shadow, Buster, and I journeyed to Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island. Sadly Buster has passed away since, but he definitely enjoyed his share of adventures. He was an amazing boy, and will always be missed. Cliff walk is a 3.5 mile trail that borders the shoreline. It is a National Recreation Trail in a National Historic District. Cliff Walk runs behind some of the mansions in the area, and includes: tunnels, paved paths, rocky shoreline, and beach areas.

We decided to choose one of the first spring weather days to journey to Cliff Walk. It was still a “winter-dark” kind of day, yet spring was in the air. We enjoyed walking on this picturesque trail, on the paved trail, through the tunnels, and onto the shore. It was neat to see such unique structures, and architecture on our walk, combining with the gorgeous rocky shoreline. We even found a nice, quiet area to picnic on the rocks. I am sure the walk is even more beautiful when the green color, and flowers are out in the spring in summer. However, it was nice to avoid the tourists, crowds, and to relax enjoy this gorgeous location. I think I will plan a visit again in the future (Rating: 4).

photo contest Cliff Walk in Newport RI April 2015

July 19, 2018 – Massachusetts – Sully’s Ice Cream Stand

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I visited Sully’s Ice Cream Stand in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Sully’s Ice Cream Stand has been family owned since 1986, and is known as “home of the super scoopers”. Sully’s has over 100 flavors, even including several sugarless options.

We enjoyed our little outing to Sully’s Ice Cream stand. The stand was very quiet, and we were able to place our order at the window immediately. There were many flavor choices but I settled on coconut chip, while Shadow and Wilma’s ice cream came with a treat frozen into the ice cream. There was limited seating, and the stand was right on a busy road so I elected to take our ice cream home. As soon as we arrived home, we quickly gobbled up our ice cream, enjoying every bite! I expect we will venture to Sully’s Ice Cream Stand again (Rating: 4).

July 14, 2018 – New Hampshire – Beecher and Pearl Cascades

On Saturday we journeyed to the Beecher and Pearl Cascades in Carroll, New Hampshire. The Cascades are part of the Crawford Brook, on the Cascade Loop Trail of the White Mountains National Forest. The Beecher Cascade is a 35 foot plunge, while the Pearl Cascade is a 20 foot plunge. The trail begins behind the Crawford Depot which is an active station of a scenic railroad. Follow the “Avalon Trail” which will lead you to the Cascade Trail Loop.

We were elated to start our afternoon with a trip to the Beecher and Pearl Cascades. The trail was not clear, but again, the research let me know exactly where to locate to the trailhead. We started following the trail signs to the Avalon trail, before connecting to the Cascade Loop trail, and then to the first Cascade, the Beecher Cascade. The trail was quite uninspiring, but the anticipation, and nature, allowed us to relish every moment. We easily located the sign to the Beecher Cascade and followed to sign down to this Cascade. This Cascade was a beautiful gorge-like cascade, with a powerful stream flowing down the rocks. There was a little area to hang out in for Shadow to nap, while Wilma posed on some rocks. I am always delighted when I can get close to a Cascade, a true connection to nature.

The second Cascade on the trail was the Pearl Cascade. We actually missed this Cascade, and began hiking uphill for awhile, along the very rocky trail. We found a little area of the Brook where we were able to sit and relax a bit, and revel in the peace of nature. I eventually decided to ask a fellow hiker and he informed me that we were trekking up on the “A-Z” trail. We quickly turned back, and eventually made it to the Pearl Cascade. I am still unsure of how this miscue happened, but we definitely added a good work-out to our day.

The Pearl Cascade was difficult to see from the trail, so we climbed down to the Crawford Brook to check it out. Somewhat distant in site, the Cascade had minimal water streaming down the rocks. I was disappointed in this Cascade, but glad we were able to find it before departing. (Rating, Trail: 3, Beecher Cascade: 4, Pearl Cascade: 3)

Cascade Loop Trail

Beecher Cascade

Cascade Trail

July 14, 2018 – New Hampshire – Ammonoosuc Lake Trail and the Red Bench Trail

Yesterday we went for a hike on the Ammonoosuc Lake Trail (officially referred to as the Around-The-Lake Trail) and the Red Bench trail in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. These trails begin behind the AMC Highland Center on Route 302. The Ammonoosuc Lake trail is a less then two mile hike that goes around the Ammonoosuc Lake, and at mid-point you can choose to branch onto the Red Bench Trail. The Ammonoosuc Lake is small, approximately two acres in size, and has views of the mountains from the shore.

It was a little dreary, and cool on this summer day, but we were quite pleased to not get caught in a downpour. This is a trail I attempted to find before, but never was able to locate it. However, I decided to email the AMC Highland Center, who quickly responded, allowing me to easily locate the trail. I immediately fell in love with this gorgeous trail. Although close to society with an occasional sound of traffic, it really provided a remote feel. There were several areas where Shadow could swim, and we were able to view picturesque views of the mountains. The trail ran slightly above the Lake in most sections. It was maintained well, and perfectly gorgeous. We traversed the loop twice, and on the second round decided to check out the Red Bench trail. We followed this trail uphill for a bit, crossing the railroad tracks, before finding an actual Red Bench at the little overlook. I was disappointed not to see a view (likely from the lush summer landscape), however was quite pleased and surprised to find a real Red Bench. Quite an amusing and exclusive aspect to this trail.

I am guessing this is not a well known trail as our first loop we had the entire Lake to ourselves. On the second lap we saw a young family, and also what appeared to be an AMC guided tour for families and their pre-school children. Definitely a hike that is perfect for young children, and of course others who enjoy a charming, and scenic walk. I expect to be back at this trail again in the future. (Rating: 4)