Trip Dates: June 6 – 10, 2024
One of the many diverse cultures between the Midwest and western part of the US from the New England eastern coastal regions is the size of their lakes. When I visioned Waldon Pond from the many articles and stories about the beauty of the natural aspects of this famous pond, it was of a small body of water about the size of an Olympic sized swimming pool. Wrong.
The ponds in New England are considered lakes in Texas. So is the case of French Pond, which was so big I could not see the end of it.
The good news is that my campsite located literally on the shores of French Pond was prime real estate in the jargon of land ownership. The bad news is that this site with the perfect view was a back-in. It took two SSC staff to help me. Almost half an hour later, I gave up and let the young guy hop in my car and complete the task in under two minutes. The best news is that in my old age I have been upstaged by so many young people that it does not bother me anymore. I just smile and thank them profusely.
One of Tipper’s favorite walks was by the office and store, which must have been a family home before becoming a campground. It was beautiful, and behind it was a large, covered pavilion for large gatherings, such as a family reunion. It was hard to leave my little spot to explore the area, but glad since I found so many wonderful places just a short drive away.
Henniker
A college town hosting a New England College branch, Henniker is a charming village with a big attitude. Founded in 1946 to serve the people on the GI bill after World War II, it is well worth a trip to the university to stroll around the architecturally stunning campus – built around a historic covered bridge. It was a cold rainy morning when I visited, so I sadly drove by and got a peek of the bridge.
Instead, I headed to the Intervale Farm Pancake House just a few miles further and had the most amazing blueberry and cranberry pancakes with their signature maple syrup, made by the owners on their own maple tree farm. I also bought two pint-sized jugs to take home, only one may not make it. I have had a stretch almost every morning since of French toast with this maple syrup.
Contoocook
North of Special Skies French Pond is the Currier & Ives Scenic byway, and the first must-take-a-photo will be the Rowell covered bridge. The byway continues to wind through heavily wooded valleys of farms with huge barns standing proudly next to three story homes and silos, eventually arriving at the small town of Contoocook.
The Contoocook River runs across New Hampshire for 71 miles, eventually ending up at Contoocook Lake. There are four historic covered bridges In the area near Spacious Skies Frenc Pond, and I found all of them. But the granddaddy was in the village of Contoocook, a bridge over this famous river designed strong enough to support a train. The Contoocook River is a wide and wild river, which is popular for serious kayakers. That means that this bridge is long, possibly the longest in the world, but not used today except for Rails to Trails.
The town is so fun, and the surrounding residential homes were some of the most beautifully restored New England homes I have seen on this trip. I spent the better part of an afternoonshopping at unique stores, starting with lunch and the best carrot cake ever at the Main Street Mercantile; bought Tipper healthy snacks at the Rue Bakers Pet Supply; discussed making quilts at Quilt Works; and found the latest in eco-friendly goods at the Witching Hour store. There were more, but time was flying, and I had two more bridges to find.
Warner
On the way back to the campground, I took a short detour to the town of Warner, mainly to find the Waterloo covered bridge. After a hundred photos, I passed through Warner – a genuinely nice town and to my surprise – the New Hampshire Telephone Museum. By this time, the museum was closing within an hour, so I rushed through this amazing museum, but it was worth it.
White Mountain National Forest
An easy and scenic hour drive from the campground stands the White Mountains. My friend from Cambridge drove down for the day to take me to her favorite place to ski. It was a wonderful day, even though a rainstorm hijacked our hiking plans. So, Plan B included eating lunch at the Moose is Loose café and adding another scenic byway drive keeping just ahead of the rain.