 |
| Psychedelic Dave...walking under a highway through a drain pipe/tunnel |
After crossing the border back into the US from Canada, we found ourselves in New Hampshire. "Live Free or Die" is the motto on their license plates...what do they mean by that? sounds like something from a Die Hard movie! :)
While taking in the lush forested areas of Albany, we came upon Rocky Gorge, located along the eastern part of the Kancamagus highway in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Diverse in rock, water & trees, we parked the truck and took Catalina for a wander along the trails to the "waterfall" area.
WHAT HAPPENED AT ROCKY GORGE:
While at the waterfall we noticed an old Reader's Digest story printed on a notice board informing people why they should not go in the water. Here is Dave's rendition of the article (copied & pasted from his blog):
 |
| Dorothy's story for all to read & learn from |
After finishing their picnic, the group was walking back to their car when they realized that Dorothy was no longer with them.
The last time they saw her, she had been jumping from rock to rock along the edges of the gorge. Fearing the worst, they commenced a search of the area, but Dorothy was nowhere to be found. They looked all along the edges of the water and quite a ways downstream but there was no sign of her. They even dove into the water as it rushed through the gorge, looking for any sign of her. Nothing.
One of the members of the group had gone for help, finding a state trooper and several local townsfolk, who joined in the search. It was about this time, they found a small scrap of cloth matching Dorothy’s bathing suit, in the immediate vicinity of the falls.
The townspeople knew that the falls contained at least one location where the rushing water could suck objects underwater, where the force of the current would pin them. With dejected hearts, they realized that Dorothy must have been pulled into this alcove and drowned, but they were determined not to simply leave her body there and swung into action.
Using rocks and brush, they spent the next several hours forming a kind of makeshift dam to divert the water away from where the alcove was known to be. By nightfall, the flow had been diminished to the point where to their horror, they could dimly see a limp hand. Using a long pole with a noose on the end, the state trooper was able to lasso the arm and dragged Dorothy’s body out of the alcove. Bringing her to shore, the trooper reached in and pulled her onto dry land when suddenly, Dorothy’s arms moved and she hugged him.
Naturally, the trooper was pretty freaked out, being hugged by a corpse, but quickly regained his composure when he realized that Dorothy was in fact alive!
As it turned out, the frothy water running over the falls contained enough air to replenish a small pocket within the alcove. Amazingly, during the hours it took to finally extricate her, she was able to remain conscious within the cold water and despite not being able to force herself free of the deluge, she was able fight the turbulence enough to take breaths from this small, life-giving pocket of air.
To this day, swimming is now forbidden in Rocky Gorge and Dorothy’s tale is posted above as a caution to anyone else who might be tempted.
As we continued on down the highway, we noticed an outcropping on the side of a mountain looked like a human profile. We were introduced to the Old Man of the Mountain. At the visitor's center we learned the Old Man has not aged gracefully and is considering some reconstructive assistance. Back in 2003, gravity won on part of his face, after a series of tremors earlier that year. We googled looking for more info and were surprised to see how badly he needs work, (on our drive by, we could easily make out his form). Well, whether it's botox or boulders, we're sure New Hampshirians will set it right, after all, his profile is displayed on their license plates...
 |
Before and After pictures of the Old Man of the Mountain
|
IN SEARCH OF THE BIG ONE:
 |
| Either on the look out for the big one, or active napping...what do you think? |
We decided to set sail for the Atlantic, more specifically Bar Harbor, Maine. We were told the locals pronounce it, Baa HaaBah (said with a crackly voice like you've smoked dozens of cigarettes)! Whatever way you say it, it all comes down to lobstertown... We had read lobsters back in colonial times in the area were as large as 5' ... holy crustacean batman! We did try the local cuisine a couple of times; one at a local pound restaurant (where they sell it by the pound), and at a roadside take out place (recommended by residents at our campsite), where the whole lobster is placed freshly cooked into a paper bag. Interestingly, this restaurant's lobster were of a soft shell variety (no shell cracking devices needed) which made preparing them back in our trailer a snap! (pun intended) :) Approx. $25 for 4 lobsters (1.5 lbs of meat in each).
 |
| "Take me to your leader"... or else to a boiling pot of water! |
Acadia National Park is located a few miles outside Bar Harbor. One fun feature of the park is its carriage ways - over 57 miles of them throughout the island. We actually dusted off our bikes and rode for a couple of hours...(this is a major thing for Avril, since she is not a big fan of bike riding [something about liking her feet on the ground]...) but a nagging sore heel forced her to embark on alternative transportation around the park.
 |
| Jordan's Pond, Acadia National Park, ME |
JORDAN'S POND:
For a pond, it's quite large, we walked the 3.5 mile trail around it, half were trails and the other half was a 2 plank boardwalk, almost felt like a mile and a half sobriety test, making sure you didn't fall off!!!
 |
| Trail side, some rock climbing required |
 |
| Jordan's Pond boardwalk side |
THE TRAILS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC:
One thing we've noticed from walking & hiking along trails, is that we come across people playing music from their iphones...out loud....what's that all about? Just the other day a family of 5 were walking towards us with all 3 kids listening to 3 different musical genres from their personal iphones. I wonder how they decide on a radio channel in the car! I hope the younger generations don't become so reliant on modern technology that they can't even leave home without it...
 |
| Reid State Park, 50 miles West of Bar Harbor |
SCENIC DRIVES:
We spent a day driving along the coast West of Bar Harbor in and around Bath, Reid State Park, Boothbay Harbor, and the Waldoboro area, teaming with local markets, seaside shops and scenic marinas.
 |
| Boothbay Harbor |
We had heard so much about the Maine area, (mostly as a place to visit during the fall). We both agreed that even in summer with all of it's lush greenery, it was still a very pretty place to visit. We liked the rolling hills and winding roads and getting a chance to see parts of the country rather than just hearing about them.
CONNECTICUT:
After Maine, our next stop was to tour the nuclear submarine based in Groton, CT (just outside New London). The USS Nautilus was the first nuclear powered vessel and first ship to travel to the North Pole. Built in 1954, she was in active service for over 25 years, carrying a crew of just over 100 men to depths to about 700 feet. Unlike the U-boat we visited in Chicago, which was capable of staying underwater for only several hours at a time, the Nautilus could stay submerged for over 2 weeks. After touring the sub, seeing the itsy bitsy rooms for the crew (although the ice cream machine was a definite bonus in the galley), I would not be jumping the line to serve on board. I asked one of the active navy cadets at the entrance of the tour if he'd been on board a sub and he said yes, twice - the longest duty was 7 months at sea. Now living in a 39' trailer doesn't seem THAT bad!
 |
| USS Nautilus |
 |
| Outside the museum with other types of submarines on display |
THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS....
 |
| Our amusing dog both awake and while she sleeps...zzzzzzzz... |
Well it's safe to assume Catalina is not from New York, so she should have no troubles getting some shut eye on our next destination.... the Big Apple!
