North Conway, NH to Latham, NY – 4/15/2017 – http://fulltimetimeshare.com/blog

April 15, 2017 (Saturday)

Hated to leave our most comfortable home but we have to start heading West, with a fair bit of North and South in there as well. We left around 9:00 AM and headed right down the road to the local McDonald’s for our travel breakfast (but this time I switched it up and got a cranberry muffin instead of the egg white delite). After that it was gas at the local Valero. We hit the road on a most beautiful day, sun was shining and it was warm.

We headed out and it is at first still the beautiful winter scene.

A lot of the snow has already melted and things look totally different. The drive today is right around 250 miles, about half way to Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

The countryside is rugged and beautiful.

Lots of water flowing in the streams and rivers.

Majestic tops, glacier scraped rock faces and deep valleys.

Clarece (GPS) took us on some back roads and highways that were all nice. A few miles out of North Conway, New Hampshire – Michael said for me to turn around and go back a little ways as I hadn’t seen the gorgeous waterfall alongside the road. So spectacular – Silver Cascade Falls. We also saw some others but we didn’t stop to get out and take pictures like we did for this one. Glad Michael spotted it and glad we stopped.

A beautiful roadside waterfall. A nice warm up since we are headed for Niagara Falls.

Wonderful rural countryside, so reminiscent of Oregon to us.

A little further down, as Clarece was directing us from one road to another, we saw a sign for Bellows Falls. We both decided we’d like to see another waterfall so we went the few miles down the road. Never saw waterfalls but the town was so cute. Such a lovely New England town with the river dividing Vermont and New Hampshire. We drove around for a little bit and enjoyed New England since we were going to be in New York very soon.

I keep thinking, “steeple chase” for some reason. It does seem to be a competition.

At another junction going from one road to another, Michael and I both spotted something really large and strange on a hill and just had to go investigate. Turns out it was a memorial called “Bennington Battle Memorial.” HUGE! We stopped and walked around but the Visitor Center didn’t open until the end of April. That is why we need to come back and enjoy all this history that we are missing!

Spotted a Maserati on our way to find the monolith.

Nice neighborhood on the way to the monolith.

Pretty woman photographing General Stark. Portrayed shouting, “This way men, we win or Molly Stark will be sleeping as a widow tonight.”

They just replaced the copper trim on the valleys and the front lip of the roof. This is the visitor’s center. Opens later this month.

Edie wanted to go inside and climb up to the ledge so badly. I was grateful that they were closed.

We also tried to go see Robert Frost’s home and museum, but it doesn’t open until May. Bummer. Just another reason to put New England back on our list of places.

I admire this guy’s work so much. I am so disappointed it is closed. We have got to come back.

Robert Frost’s stone house. I’d love to tour it and see where he did his craft. I have memorized and held dear: “Stopping by The Woods On a Snowy Evening”, and “The Road Less Traveled” for at least the last 45 years.

We drove a very short distance and crossed into New York.

I have never driven across New York. The City has really been my only experience of New York. In my mind, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Niagara Falls were all just outside the City. Oops.

We had to go to the bathroom so we stopped at a fun little place along the road called Big Moose. It had fun signs, fun and unusual food, and fun souvenirs. The bathrooms were port-a-potties, which is always an adventure.

We finally made it to our home for the night, Microtel in Latham, New York. Nice, clean, and comfortable – but micro. (“Go fast” points and cash – around $60.00.)

Michael went and got us Chipotle for linner (really close to the hotel). That has been our day. Hope yours was great!