Throwback Adventure – Boise Rock – New Hampshire

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. Many of these Throwback Adventures will include our Buster, who was known for his crazy tail, his happy howl, and his zest for life. We miss him dearly…he is forever in our hearts!

In October 2016 Buster, Shadow, My Mom, and I Adventured to Boise Rock in the Fraconia Notch State Park in the White Mountains. Boise Rock is a glacial erratic, which has lovely surrounding views of the Canon Cliff. It was named for Thomas Boise who took shelter under the rock after being caught up in a snow storm.

We had a memorable Adventure to Boise Rock on a lovely Fall Day. As you may know if you follow our blog that during this time we knew Buster would not be with us much longer, facing a terminal tumor. Therefore we took every moment on this special trip to create memories, photos, and fun times. So why not climb a large rock with an almost 95 pounds large dog?! That is exactly what we did, as Shadow and Mom watched from below. It was a fun and unique experience as unlike Wilma Shadow is not, and Buster was not rock boys. We somehow managed to get up on the rock and climbed higher and higher. It was an interesting photo shoot that I will remember forever. A beautiful Fall day in the Mountains with my boys, and My Mom.

Weekly Video/Photo

If you regularly follow my blog, and the weekly/video photo I would recommend skipping on to paragraph three, specific to this week’s video/photo. I have decided to add a weekly video/photo section to my blog. This blog will display a video or photo, usually highlighting an Adventure, while I might also sneak in some that are humorous, adorable, or just other fun dog moments.

So if you have followed my blog from the beginning you will know that I adopted Shadow as a puppy, and about a year later adopted Buster as a puppy. We had many wonderful years together before experiencing the devastating loss of Buster at just seven. It took a long time for our hearts to heal, but almost a year later we welcomed little Wilma into our world.

My feature today is an amazing photograph that my friend Kathy took on one of my last Florida beach trips. As some of you may know I lived in Florida for eleven years. We regularly frequented the beach, and have treasured memories of these Adventures. Kathy did a stupendous job capturing this smiling photograph of Shadow, Buster, and I at Honeymoon State Park, one of our favorite locations. We cannot thank her enough for this fantastic photograph! Check out her business on Facebook – Little Violet Photography- by Kathy Hostetler.

We sure do miss the tropical beaches of the Gulf Coast. Just gorgeous!

Me and the boys on the beach

March 3, 2019 -Saco River Covered Bridge – New Hampshire

Yesterday Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to the Saco River Covered Bridge in Conway, New Hampshire. The Saco River Covered Bridge was built in 1890 and crosses the Saco River. It was later repaired 80s as another bridge actually was swept away in a flood, crashing into it creating structural damage. The Saco River Covered Bridge is also known as the Conway Covered Bridge.

We had a wintery Adventure to the Saco River Covered Bridge in Conway, New Hampshire. The Saco River Covered Bridge has been one of my favorite covered bridges during our Fall visits. However, today, I was quite disappointed as the side access was impossible due to the snow. Therefore our view consisted of the front and back, combined with lovely ice filled views from the actual bridge. We sauntered along the side walk area of the bridge on both sides, talking photographs along the way. Although there was not excessive traffic, there was still enough to be cautious with in obtaining photographs.

It is interesting seeing landmarks, parks, and other areas in various seasons, creating a wildly different experience. I believe all of our past visits to the Saco River Bridge have been in the Fall. I have been with Shadow, Buster, Wilma, and my Mom. Besides the gorgeous Fall foliage, we have been able to go down to the beach below to play in the sand, rest, and take in the spectacular views of the scenery. I actually have some of my Mom’s beautiful framed photography from this spot in my home. Probably the most gorgeous bridge I have seen in the Fall, while Winter really is not worth the journey. However a fun experience seeing the Bridge in another season. I definitely recommend a visit to the Saco River Bridge, although maybe not in the Winter. Please see a collage from various of our visits below (Rating: Winter – Undetermined, Fall – 5).

March 3, 2019 – Madison Boulder Natural Area – New Hampshire

Yesterday Shadow, Wilma and I Adventured to the Madison Boulder Natural Area. The Madison Boulder Natural Area is a State Park in Madison, New Hampshire. It is home to the largest glacial erratic boulder in North America. It is a granite rock that is 83 inches long, 23 feet high, and 37 feet wide. The Park is 17 acre in size and has various trails, including the main trail to the Boulder.

We had a massive Adventure to the Madison Boulder Natural Area on a gorgeous, sunny Winter day. I was not sure if we would have access to this Park due to the large amounts of snow so was thrilled upon arrival to see some groomed trailed for our trek. The trail was bright and sunny with huge amounts of fresh snow. Every once in awhile I had an “oh my” moment where my leg would sink deep into the snow, far above the knee. Luckily I was able to release my leg and mostly stayed balanced atop the snow. There was several water areas circled by snow, adding a unique feature of the season.

Upon arrival I was excited to see this gigantic boulder that I had read about for some time. We spotted it from afar, large and perfectly shaped. It was framed with fresh snow, streaming from the top. We began a trip around the rock, Shadow leading the way. We walked past the boulder to get some photos from the backside, interestingly seeming to be a smaller and round in shape. Past the rock we found some more circular water spots, appearing to be a snow covered stream. Shadow was thrilled for some fresh water, while Wilma and I enjoyed the bubbling sound of water. From there we headed back to the rock, and then slowly ambled back to the car as we treasured another Adventure. So pleased to appreciate this famous landmark on this spectacular Winter day (Rating: 4)

March 3, 2019 – Hilton Park – New Hampshire

Yesterday Shadow, Wilma, and I made a stop at the Hilton Park in Dover, New Hampshire, on the way to our main destinations. Hilton Park is a waterfront park that includes a playground, boat launch, and a dock for fishing. It is located along the Piscatagua River. The Park has views of two large bridges, including the Sullivan Bridge.

We had a simple visit to the Hilton Park on the first stop of our journeys today. As usual I had high expectations, which were fostered by numerous signs directing us to the “Hilton Park”. We arrived at quite an unappealing spot, directly next to the bustle of the highway. However, we were excited to stretch our legs, and see what we could find. We started off to the dock, the shoreline rocks adorned with snow. Shadow and Wilma peered out of the dock checking out the view, while Wilma let out some growls at the floating ice. I was entertained by this moment, with her constant curiosity of the new and unknown moments in life.

From the dock we wandered along the water, stopping at the boat launch before heading over to the sidewalk under the bridges. We continued to the adjacent part of the Park, gazing at the bridge beams as we passed under. We soon turned around noting nothing too intriguing to be explored. As usual I was awed by Shadow and Wilma’s shadows in the morning sun. We spent some time near the water before heading off to our main destinations. Quite an unappealing Park on a Winter day, but glad we could enjoy a morning walk (Rating; 2).

March 3, 2019 – Sabbaday Falls – Winter Visit – New Hampshire

Yesterday Shadow, Wilma and I Adventured to Sabbaday Falls. I have blogged about this location previously in my “Throwback Adventure” section, however decided to blog about it again as this was our first visit in Winter. Sabbaday Falls is a popular waterfall located in Waterfall Valley, along the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire. There is a short, handicapped accessible travel trail to Sabbaday Falls. Sabbaday Falls is an approximate thirty five to forty five foot drop, ending in a Gorge-like area. The waterfall is made up of a series of cascades.

We had a spectacular, icicle-filled Adventure to Sabbaday Falls on a warm, Winter day. This Winter Adventure looked completely different then this location in the other seasons. I was ecstatic to see the parking lot plowed, and a path in place for the hike as I had tried once before to visit this Falls in Winter with no luck. We began our journey up and over a gigantic snowbank, and immediately arrived on the trail. The trail branched over to the stream on two occasions, however not being able to see the rocks or our footing we did not venture too far in that direction. However the mysterious covered stream created a lovely Winter scene with framed circles forming here and there.

We continued on the main trail. I suspect the snow was several feet high as I noticed we were walking almost at the top of the railing of a fence, on the groomed snow path. As long as we stayed on the trail we did not sink down, and were able to walk steadily along. It did not take us long to arrive at the Falls. Most of the waterfall was covered with snow, which must have been sitting over the frozen ice. I was pleased that we had been there previously as we would have really not known the “normal” flow of the Falls.

The most gorgeous part of the area was some spectacular icicles coming down the rocks, at the bottom area of the cascades. Below the icicles there was a gorgeous rock filled pool with flowing water. I really could not get enough of this special scene. Shadow humored me as he continually tried to dive into the water pool, although wondering if he might get stuck, I decided it best not to swim at this location. He sure is one adventurous water boy!

It was really a magical Adventure at this gorgeous location. I would encourage you to visit Sabbaday Falls once in every season as it is just a lovely spot. So glad we were able to get in our winter visit (Rating: 5).

Weekly Video/Photo

So my feature today is a video of Shadow and Wilma at the gorgeous Echo Lake in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Shadow was savoring a swim, while Wilma found a tasty stick. The scenery is absolutely stunning. The perfect place to relax on a warm summer day.

If you would like to read more about our visits to Echo Lake (Fraconia Notch State Park) search for it in the “search box” for more information on this Adventure. (On a mobile phone you can find this at the very bottom of the page, and on the computer you can find it to the right of the blog.)

February 23, 2019 – Duxbury Beach – Massachusetts

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I journeyed on three separate Adventures. Our last Adventure for today was to Duxbury Beach. Duxbury Beach is six miles long, and is considered a barrier beach.

We had a gorgeous Adventure to the Duxbury Beach. I was immediately impressed with the exquisite view of the shore, and the scenic Powder Point Bridge. The sun was glittering in the hazy sky, while the water was lovely in color. We drove around, a bit confused by the parking but eventually found a spot that seemed to be available for those non-resident visitors. Our journey started along the long Bridge. Both Shadow and Wilma spent some time peering out the frame as we trotted along this spectacular bridge. The water was glittering, and the beach flawless from afar. Just this walk added cheer to our steps as we were headed to the BEACH!

Upon arrival we peaked at the different signs and information, lots of directions to choose from. I was unclear about the rules for dogs, however saw numerous dogs enjoying the day. We headed along one road for a bit before scooting over to the beach. The beach was covered with flawlessly shaped rocks, vibrant in color and often round in shape. There were shells scattered throughout, colorful grass, and soft sand. We ventured into the water a bit, but since leashes were required it was not a full swim. Shadow was a bit disappointed, but soon savored some sandy rolls, while Wilma partook in some chaotic digging in the sand. A wonderful leisurely stroll quite satisfying for the spirit. We eventually headed back and journeyed across the Bridge. Definitely a place I hope to return in the future. A special find on our Adventures today (Rating: 4).

February 23, 2019 – Myles Standish Monument State Reservation – Massachusetts

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I journeyed on three separate Adventures. Our second one was to the Myles Standish Monument State Reservation in Duxbury, Massachusetts. This Reservation is a state owned preserve which is highlighted by a monument of Myles Standish, a military leader of the Plymouth colony. The monument was completed in 1898, is 116 feet tall, is made of granite, and has a statue of statue of Myles Standish at the very top. The shaft is open in-season, providing stunning views of the local area.

We had a spectacular visit to the Myles Standish Monument State Reservation. I had read about the Myles Standish Monument State Reservation several times and finally decided to schedule a visit. The road to the Monument was closed so we parked near the gate, and wandered in. We followed the winding road, lined with beautiful trees as we slowly walked uphill. The voices of crows and seagulls combing to provide us some music along the way, as the sun streamed through the trees.

The Monument was a short walk from the gate. Upon arrival I could not believe how massive size of the monument, towering high above. We looped around before arriving arriving near the shaft, and then slowly weaved up the stairs. We ambled around the Monument capturing it from all angles. It was difficult to get a good view of the statue so high in the sky. This Reservation was a nice surprise as I did not expect such a magnificent sculpture. Shadow and Wilma played for a bit in the snow, appearing to be enthused themselves. We spent a bit of time at the Monument before heading on to our next Adventure. So glad we decided to stop at the Myles Standish Monument State Reservation (Rating: 4).

February 23, 2019 – Charles River Peninsula – Massachusetts

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I journeyed on three separate Adventures. Our first one was to the Charles River Peninsula in Needham, Massachusetts. The Charles River Peninsula is a 30 acres nature preserve that is owned and managed by the Trustees of Reservations. It is a true peninsula, being surrounded by the Charles River. The Peninsula rises to become an open field. This land was previously used for farming.

We had a simple Adventure to the Charles River Peninsula, on a surprisingly warm winter day. We were exuberant to visit another one of the Trustee properties, our new favorite spots to explore. Our Adventure started bright and early on another grey winter day. We were pleased to almost have the reserve to ourselves, with only several other visitors here and there. We found the Peninsula to have somewhat of a city feel, with houses around many of the borders, and utility poles, however still quite serene.

I was relieved that I had glanced at the map before we left as the trails were not marked. The official entrance was announced by a small boardwalk where we began our hike around the loop. We were happy to see footprints on the route, guiding us to the trail. There was snow on much of the trail, and some patches of ice. The trail was not very interesting as it really was just one big circle around the field, with little changes in landscape. Although the preserve was a bit dull we ALWAYS make memories and find things we appreciate on our Adventures. At the Peninsula we especially enjoyed the loop near the water with River views, the numerous bird feeders scattered throughout the property, and the several large rocks for some Wilma jumps. I think sometimes my expectations are too high, however, I really can never complain about a walk with Shadow and Wilma, my PERFECT company.

I found the Charles River Peninsula through the Trustees of Reservations which I have been learning about more in the last month or so. I would encourage you to check out the Trustees of Reservations, as you can search for properties in your area. Many of the land, trails, and properties are absolutely lovely, and the Trustees of Reservations does wonderful work to preserve the land and history throughout Massachusetts. So although the Charles River Peninsula did not peak my interest, we still ALWAYS enjoy our time in the great outdoors. We are glad we could visit today (Rating: 2).