Wandering America
May 2008
| Headin' Just Plain East We left MeCosta, Michigan and drove about three hours to Judy's sister's house in Holly, Michigan. As most of you will remember they have their own business making and selling wood products. It seems that either Warren or I have a project to work on and this time was no exception - We both had projects. Mine was a new counter extension to be installed after I rebuild the cabinet under the sink (that will be a winter project that we will work on when we return to Rainbow Plantation). But, in any event, here are a couple of pictures of the counter extension. It will require some sanding and finishing before installing it (I bought the hinged supports from the Newmar dealer when we were in Grand Rapids).   Upon leaving Shirley and Warren's we made a fast trip to New Hampshire. Originally we had planned to take four days to make the trip but we decided to beat out some bad weather and do it in two days. That, also, gave us two extra grand daughter fix days in Peterborough which means we stayed almost a week. We visited Marc, Amie, Briana, and Lola everyday and had several meals together. They have moved into a new place since last fall; they now rent the downstairs apartment of a large colonial styled house which gives them a kitchen, dining room, large living room, and three bedrooms. The house sits on approximately an acre lot one block from downtown Peterborough with the back yard being right on the river front. The yard is also fenced in which is a good thing since Miss Lola, who is pushing fifteen months, loves to roam (and she's quick too).  As always, a grand daughter fix is a blessing. The last time we saw Lola she was four months old and riding around in a stroller but now she is a mobile unit whose hands are faster than a magician's. Briana is getting to be a little lady at the ripe ol' age of nine and a half.     Peterborough, New Hampshire Peterborough is a quaint little New England town with a population of around 5900 people and a whole lot of charm of which is a draw to those with the "Artsy and Craftsy" mindset. They are the baby boomers who dress in tattered blue jeans, grow long graying hair, sport beards, and drive Beamers. They are the painters, the musicians, and the crafters who are perfectionists in detail and temperamental in personality. We enjoy our visits to this little burg along the banks of the Contoocook River that runs right through the middle of town.   On Sunday morning we took a stroll around town stopping at Nonie's Bakery for some coffee and doughnuts. Nonie's is a favorite hangout of the locals and there was no seats available so we took our wares to a near by park bench along the river to enjoy. This is definitely the kind of town I could live in; get up in the morning and go for a stroll around town while picking up the local newspaper. Stop at Nonie's for a coffee and an old fashioned plain doughnut then head for the Gazebo to read the paper, sip on the coffee, and munch on the doughnut.  New Hampshire still governs by holding monthly Town Meetings at the Town Hall. These meetings are most notable during the Presidential primary elections when the National News Organizations report on them, however, it is the routine way of doing town business throughout the year.  The territory was chartered in 1737 by the Massachusetts legislature, and the first settlers arrived in 1739. The township was probably named from Charles Mordaunt, third Earl of Peterborough. Peterborough was incorporated in 1760 by Governor Benning Wentworth, with continuance for two years only. The incorporation was renewed in 1762, to continue until disallowed by the King. Peterborough had the first free public library supported by taxation, and the first mill in the state that wove cloth mechanically. It is home to the MacDowell Colony, a retreat for writers, artists, and composers. Guests have included Edward Arlington Robinson, Leonard Bernstein, and Thornton Wilder, whose play "Our Town" was inspired by Peterborough.    Lake George Escape, Again! We departed from Seven Maples Campground and drove straight to Lake George Escape - well, straight like a snake's back. When driving these roads "out East" you just take your time as they are narrow and wind their way through the Appalachian Mountains. When we arrived we were surprised by a "Welcome Back" sign.  We have a nice large site with a view out over a little pond (bog actually).  I put out our bird feeders and we had guests almost immediately much to Katie's and Alex's delight.  As you probably remember from last year, Lake George Escape is in the Adirondack State Park in upper New York state. The park was established in 1892 as a way to curb the logging that was leaving the land baron and causing silt to clog the rivers. Left unchecked the logging industry would have essentially cut off a lot of the tributaries flowing into the Hudson River which is the main source of drinking water for most of southeastern New York. Also, the Hudson is one of the main feeder sources for Governor Clinton's ditch otherwise known as the Erie Canal. The park encompasses six million acres with half of the land being owned by the state and the other half by private parties. To further insure that the lands in the Adirondacks would be managed properly the state set up the Adirondack Park Agency which approves and oversees all development within the park's borders. Six million acres makes the Adirondack State Park the largest park in the the "lower" forty-eight states. That is larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, and Moab National Parks all put together. This park stays active all year around with miles and miles of biking and hiking trails, over three hundred lakes and hundreds of rivers for boating, canoing, kayaking, and rafting as well as fishing and lots and lots of hunting. Artists and photographers flock to the area to capture the beauty in pictures. Needless to say, there are many opportunities for climbing the mountains - you can even become a member of the 46ers who are those that have climbed the 46 highest peeks in the Adirondacks (each being over 5,000 feet). Obviously, with that many mountain tops there are lots of ski slopes available where you can watch your life going down hill in a hurry. Lake Placid was the home of two Winter Olympic Games, in 1932 and again in 1980. They have had a member of their town on the U. S. Olympic Team since 1932 which makes them the only town in the world that can make that boast. Let's not forget snowmobiling, ice fishing, and on and on. Lake Sarnac is known for its parades and festivals during the winter months and Lake Placid is still the training grounds for many Winter Olympians. So there would be plenty to see and do in the winter as well as any other season. You may ask, "When is the best time of the year to visit the Adirondacks?" To which I would have to reply, "It depends!" We find the spring to be a wonderful time of the year to be in the Adirondacks but the summer is absolutely fabulous with the fall being the most gorgeous time of the year. I'd bet that we would enjoy the winter as well but we are not going to hang around to find out - brrrrrr! Having lived our childhoods in Maine and Northern Michigan we've seen enough sn*w to last us a life time. However, a winter wonderland is a beautiful thing to behold and the Adirondacks are magically transformed during the winter months. We will try to have some pictures for you next month but it is hard to see the mountains through the trees. |