we love Papa

Maddie can't get enough of her Papa.




Dads always been great at wheelbarrow rides!

Big thank you to Mom and Dad for watching Maddie for us. She loves her time with you guys!

1785 Inn

Our last night in New England we stayed in the 1785 Inn, a bed and breakfast dating from 1785. The original owner and builder of the inn was a veteran of the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War thereafter. Instead of receiving pay he was given a beautiful tract of land upon which he first built his house and then enlarged it a few years later to an inn to accomodate early settlers and travlers in New Hampshire. The bedroom we slept in was part of the original house and therefore over 200 years old. It creaked just like my joints do. The adjoining bathroom was added during a third addition in the late 1800s. The view from the yard, the dining room, and our bathroom was spectacular as you can see. We also included a picture of the ever present rock wall fences.

White Mountains

As we drove further north we climbed into the White Mountains. Autumn in New England is as good as it is advertised. The colors were incredible. Many of the pictures were taken through the windows of the car and don't do justice to the beauty of the landscape. The high pictures were taken on a gondola ride to top of one mountain on the side of what is called the Franconia Notch. The famous "Old Man" rock formation was in this area, but fell off a few years ago. The hotel is the last standing of many that existed in the 1800s during the peak of the railroad vacation era to resort locations. This hotel is in Bretton Woods where the gold standard was established around 1944. Many of these old hotels burned to the ground at some point. We purchased a book on the White Mountains that has pictures of some very impressive resorts. The view off the veranda of the Bretton Woods hotel show the golf course, but what is hidden in the high clouds is the highest mountain peak in the range called Mt. Washington.

New Hampshire Country Roads

Sometimes the road less traveled is more fun. We got off the freeway and ended up in Canterbury, NH with a little church, town hall and cemetary. The grave stones went back to 1700s. We then went to an old Shaker Village and driving through the country saw the gazebo in a public park in another small township. The Shaker Village was communal arrangement where men and women lived in separate quarters and single women often took celebacy vows at age 21. We included some shots of covered bridges in this collection. This is really New England at its finest. The day was beautiful as you can see.

Valley Forge

After visiting Lancaster County we dropped by Valley Forge. We have been here a number of times, but never fail to appreciate the sacred nature of the area. The men and women who suffered signifcantly for a great cause. The house was used as George Washington's headquarters while at Valley Forge. It is fun to go through the house and know that he actually was there. The huts held 12 men each and were crude structures, but at least had a fireplace and bunk to sleep in. Saw lots of deer.