We drove to the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  Every time we enter a new state we keep thinking it is more beautiful than the last, and New Hampshire is no exception: hill after rolling hill (well, compared to the Rockies we would call these hills; they call them mountains) of lush green trees.  We parked ourselves at the Apple Hill Campground for three nights, which we chose because we had heard in Montreal that there was a kosher hotel (for the summer) and a shul there.

Day 2:  The RV needed some electrical work done from a Winnebago dealer, and we found one in New Hampshire who agreed to look at the van the same day.  As it turned out, the shortest (although maybe not the fastest) route to the dealer was via the famous Kancamagus Highway, a 34-mile stretch of road that winds through the heart of the White Mountains.  We stopped at a few overlook sites along the road just to get a feel for the grandeur of the mountains.  There is a reason why the speed limit is so slow on this road as you keep turning your head, for every which way is an amazing view.

We got back to the van and prepared for the fast.

Speaking of food (sort of), we found in New England hummus – for the first time – and excellent pita chips.  The local supermarket in Bar Harbor, Maine had the first “kosher section” we had seen, with grape juice, matzah, candles, gefilte fish, and other products.

We also were introduced to the Vaad Harabonim of New England (thanks again to the Chicago Rabbinical Council app) for some pretty good (not pre-cut) rolls.

August 2, 2017

We left Apple Hill Campground with two destinations in mind: a ride up to the summit of Mt. Washington, and a close-up look at some covered bridges.

At 6,288 feet, Mt. Washington is the highest mountain in the northeast.  Begun in 1853 and completed in 1861, the first vehicle to climb it was an open carriage pulled by six strong, compact horses: a 4-1/2 hour trip up, then a change of horses, and a 2-hour trip down.  After every trip the leather brakes needed to be changed, as the coach driver’s foot was constantly on the brake.

Today, cars or vans take about 1/2 hour to drive to the summit.  As our van, at 21 feet, was too long for the road, we parked at the visitor center and signed on to a 2-hour guided van tour with seven other people.  Our driver/guide was knowledgeable and funny and I was thankful that I did not have to drive this narrow and windy road.

As we drove up the eight miles, we noticed the change in landscape: the trees became smaller due to the colder climate (similar to northern Canada or Greenland), and then disappeared as we rose above the tree line.

Once on the summit, we walked around, took many photos (of course), and looked at some of the statistics: in 1934, the highest wind speed gust ever recorded on the surface of the earth at 231 miles per hour was here (which stood until 1996), the highest temperature ever recorded on the mountain was 72 degrees F, and the lowest temperature -45 degrees F.  Scientists live at the Mt. Washington Observatory all year long, doing research in fields such as cloud physics, mountain meteorology, high elevation climate….  Mt. Washington also hosts races: runners, bicyclists, and high speed cars.

Tragically, 157 climbers have lost their lives climbing this mountain.

From Mt. Washington, we Wazed our way to three (of the 54 surviving – at one time about 400) covered bridges in New Hampshire: Bartlett, Swift River, and Saco River.  Only Saco River allows for vehicle traffic; Bartlett has turned itself into a kitschy souvenir store, and Spring River is only strong enough to be a walk-though.  But the architecture is similar: a roadway supported on each side by a wooden truss and roof, creating an almost complete enclosure.

We ended the day at White Lake State Park Campground.  Ironically, it was the first time in a long time we had good connection to AT&T but no electrical hookups.  We were able to post anyways using our generator.