My oldest son and his wife invited me to join them and their 13 year old son,  for a weekend in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Day 1 ….FIRST Stop …. America’s Stonehenge   105 Haverhill Road   Salem, New Hampshire  603-893-8300.    A 10 minute video in the Visitor Center is jam packed with history, science, theory and speculation.   If your not sure of exactly what your about to see this is a good place to start.   Bug spray is provided before entering the trail.   On this trip we didn’t need it,  but sprayed our ankles as a tick preventative.   The trail is clear,  well marked,  a little rough and a bit uphill at times.   Areas of interest are labeled and the map provided is easy to read and follow.    A downloadable app is also available.   Wherever your interests lay,  there is something for everyone here …   scenery,   history,   science,   astronomy,  mystery and plenty of exercise.

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Dinner is at The Treehouse / Little Red Schoolhouse restaurant   1994 Daniel Webster Hwy  Campton, N.H. 603-726-6142.    Location, location, location!!!   Take An Old Schoolhouse on the edge of a mountain with beautiful views,  add a patio,  some picnic tables and a yummy menu …. vwalla!  Success!

     Our accommodations for the weekend … an  Air B and B in Woodstock, N.H.   Ironically,  it was an “Old Schoolhouse”  converted to condominiums.   Hmmmm,  do I see a theme forming here  🙂

     Our plan for the evening is an after dark (8:30 p.m.) Lantern Tour at the The Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves   1712 Lost River Road North Woodstock, N.H. 603-745-8031. Reservations are necessary,  The Lost River is otherwise closed.   We joined twenty two other guests and were led by two tour guides and followed by another one on an amazing adventure.

  Down, up and all around,  1 1/14 miles of twisting, turning  paths and boardwalks (over approx 1,600 stairs).   In the dark using only headlamps we bend,  duck, crawl and squeeze through 11 boulder caves.   I skipped the three most difficult …  These all contained “belly crawl”  in the description.

#1 (in difficulty)  The Lemon Squeeze  … if you could fit through the Squeezer Gauge you could make it through the cave without getting stuck!

#2   … The Dungeon,  follows the Lemon Squeezer.   If you wanted to bypass the Lemon and still do the Dungeon you decent using these stairs.

 #3 … Smitty’s Bear Den,  there is actually a plastic tube inserted in the exit to help those that need a little help sliding through.

      My two favorite boulder caves contained underground waterfalls.  I did have to crawl and get my knees wet,  but it was well worth it.

     A nice touch at the end of the tour was a bond fire and the makings for smores.

       Day 2 …   We return to Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves …  Our Lantern Tour ticket included free admission back the next day.     Our daylight visit was not as mysterious, enchanting or challenging as our nighttime adventure,  but it was great fun going back and seeing what we had only heard and felt the night  before.   If we had gone during the day first,  I might not have been as adventurous as I was at night and missed out on some awesome thrills.

      The boardwalks and stair cases are built without disturbing the natural beauty of the trees, rocks and ledges. 

      Next Stop … The Mount Washington Cog Railroad …  6 miles from Rt 302 and Bretton Woods (follow written descriptions on web site vs undependable GPS)   … advance reservations recommended www.thecog.com or 800-922-8825.

     We had opted for the eco friendly biodiesel locomotive vs the coal fired steam locomotive.

     We also opted for the $10 discount per ticket on the less popular  1:00 p.m. departure time. ($15 discount is offered for the last trip of the day).

      A 45 minute prior arrival time is recommended.    I strongly suggest using part of this time (after picking up your tickets) watching the 20 minute video offered in the Visitors Center.  It begins with how the Cog Railroad came to be and evolved to what it is today.   The screening is in a tucked away corner,  if you’re not looking for it you might miss it.

      It takes approximately  1 hour to ride to the summit (elevation 6,288 ft).  One hour is allowed at the summit before your scheduled approx 1 hour ride back to base station (round trip approx 6 miles).   Be watchful for the flying squirrels at the Tip Top House.   Enjoy the slideshow!

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     A one way ticket is available either up or down.   This is a great option for hikers that prefer to just hike three miles.

     Day 3 … Clark’s Trading Post  110 Daniel Webster Hwy  Lincoln, N.H.  ….. This is NOT the Clark’s  I remember from over 40 years ago!  It has quadrupled in size and entertainment.

Yes,  the bears are still there, but instead of sitting outside on poles, they perform in a comfortable. shaded arena.

Arevik and the Yandong Acrobats was an alternate show.

Water rides,  a climbing tower,  mystical mansion,  giant checkers …. shops, restaurants, museums … all add to the entertainment.

My favorite of the day was the Segway Park.   I’ve always wanted to try.   It’s great fun and easier to balance than I had expected. !

 For  those that remember the Train rides with the Wolfman in pursuit … he’s still there!

This was a great trip filled with fun activities.   The area has a lot to offer.   It’s easy to go back again and again experiencing new adventures each time.   About 15 years ago, as I was bicycling a trail in Franconia Notch State Park,  I was lucky to see the Old Man in the Mountain, before it crumbled.   Over 40 years ago I had visited Clark’s Trading Post, when it was mostly just a Trading Post / Souvenir Shop.

Special Thanks to my son and daughter in law for the invite,  all the planning and preparation.

Excellent  choices … great  fun … lots of laughs … awesome memories !!!

Places we ate and I highly recommend:

Peg’s Restaurant  86 Main Street  N.Woodstock (breakfast)

Pemi Public House  115 Main St N. Woodstock (dinner) (dogs welcome on outside patio only)

Coneheads  104 Main St N. Woodstock (24 flavors of soft serve ice cream)

Peak Moon Market – Farm Store,  Bakery, Cafe   Main Street Lincoln, N.H.  (delicious  egg sandwiches!)