Newbie in Manch

White Mountains Fall Foliage Trip

kyliecross — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 12:55:00 GMT

This past weekend I kept my 'exploring NH' spirit alive! My husband, 10 week daughter and I ventured out on a day trip through the White Mountains and the Kancamangus Highway. NH's fall foliage is in full effect and if you want to see it, I suggest that you make your way up north very soon...man of the trees had changed already and surprisingly, in the Mountains, many of the trees had already lost most of their leaves. So, if you do want to go up north, this is the route we took - but, obviously we are no experts, so take my advice with a grain of salt!

We left Manchester around 11:00AM a nd headed up Route 93 North. We took 93 through Concord, Plymouth and Lincoln to Franconia Notch State Park. FNSP is home to the Flume, The Basin and you can see what used to be The Old Man of the Mountain. We did not stop at the attractions because last year we did this trip. The Flume and The Basin are a beautiful sight to see and there is a relaxing and interesting hike you can take at FNSP past the Flume.

If you continue north of FNSP you will see Cannon Mountain and the White Moutains National Forest entrance. We decided to stop here, at Cannon Mountain. Although skiing is the biggest attraction at Cannon Mountain, in the off-season there is the Cannon Mountain Tramway (which we learned is one of 2 in New England). For $11.00 you can board a tram (which runs every 15 minutes and the trams fit a lot of people, so no long waits) which will take you to the top of Cannon Mountain at 4200 feet. It's quite windy and cold up there, but what a sight to see! From the top of the Mountain you are able to see NH, VT, NY, ME, and Canada! Atop the mountain you can also take a hike on the Rim trail which offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains, including Mt. Lafayette which is 'next door' to Cannon Mountain.

After Cannon Mountain, we ate our packed lunch and continued on the Franconia Notch Parkway to Rt. 302 which brings you around the White Mountain National Forest - this is a very scenic drive with lots of mountain views and foliage views. We ultimately took this to Crawford Notch State Park where we drove through the notch, stopping to see Silver Cacase (a waterfall on the side of the Highway) and the Willey House where in 1826 a landslide killed the Willey Family. A rock monument is placed at the site of what once was their home. Located here is an area information house and gift shop. We continued our drive down rt. 16 through Bretton Woods, Attitash and North Conway where there is TONS of shopping and eateries. We eventually made it to the Kancamangus Highway (we decided to do East-West) where the views are breathtaking. We took the highway to the Kancamangus Pass (the top of the mountain) where there are scenic vistas where you can pull over, get out and enjoy the view. The Kancamangus then brings you back to Lincoln NH (Loon Mountain) where you can meet up with 93 once again and head South, home (about an hour or so drive back).

Driving the White Mountains and stopping at the attractions is such a relaxing and beautiful trip. Whether you are a seasoned hiker or hiker for the day, these parks have a trail for you. Even the non-hikers will get plenty of beautful views and photo ops! I can't wait until next fall to do it all over again,!

World Famous Deerfield Fair

kyliecross — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 14:23:00 GMT

So, the famous (I am assuming it is famous here in NH) Deerfield Fair came and went this past weekend. The official dates were September 27-30 (Thurs - Fri). I decided to go Thursday morning - day/morning one of the fair. I wanted to see the opening ceremonies and I figured by going on a weekday the crowds wouldn't be the same as if I went on say, Saturday afternoon. The doors to the fair opened at 9; I arrived to the fairgrouds with lightening flashing in the distance and a black/gray sky looking rather ominous. The weather didn't stop me, nor did it stop the other hundreds of crowds probably thinking the same thing as I! I was shocked to see how crowded the fair was on weekday with so-so weather!

For an $8.00 admission, there was a lot to see at the fair - a farmer's museum, maple sugar house, old tractors and farm equipment (which were also demonstrated), a quilting and crafts house, free petting zoo for the kids (and the young at heart), tons of food stands, rides, etc. etc.

Two things stuck out to me the most - First. Governor, John Lynch was at the fair amongst the crowd doing meet-and-greets. That was great to see - our Governor out with the people! Also, the strongman/lumberjack competition which was going on. I am not sure if that is the official name, but it was pretty cool to see these guys lifting entire tree trunks and stacking them against the clock! I have never seen anything like this in person.

But, I must confess, the thing I liked most about the Deerfield Fair was the fried dough. There were so many fried dough stands, it was hard to choose which one to go to...especially at 10 in the morning (I really tried to rationalize to myself that a fried dough breakfast was JUST like pancakes). But, I managed to get a plate of fried dough and wash it down with a small coke. Breakfast of champions ladies and gentlemen!

So, although the heat, humidity, and crowds drew me out only about 2 hours after I arrived - the Deerfield Fair was a good time and I can't wait to go again next year!

Museum of NH History

kyliecross — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 23:55:00 GMT

What a busy week. Today I took a trip to Concord to visit the Museum of NH History. Not being from the Granite State, I figured I should brush up on my NH history factoids so I can blend in a little better.

The Musuem is not hard to get too - it is right off Main Street in Concord and they have a parking lot behind the museum (that is free to park in as long as you visit the musuem and show your parking ticket. They give you a token so you can exit the lot).

The museum is quaint- and at only $5.50 for an adult admission, everyone should go! The musuem consists of 2 floors (therefore the kids don't get antsy when you have only made it through 1/4 of the museum) - on the first floor is history of the people, colonization and industrialiazation of NH. They have a carved out log canoe from Natives who lived in NH, an imitation wigwam, stagecoach, artifacts from the colonial period and nifty tidbits about the different peoples who lived all over NH.

Upstairs is a changing exhibit - on my visit it was an art exhibit - NH through painitings. There were mainly paintings of Mt. Washington, The Old Man in the Mountain and the various notches and gorges. After the art exhibit was a faux General Store which displayed many authentic items and posters which would have been in old NH General Store - this exhibit is great for the kids because you are able to touch and play with everything.

Although small, the Museum of NH History is a great place to learn about the Granite State if you have a couple of spare hours in the afternoon. Not to mention the stroll down Main Street is a great addition to your afternoon trip! Oh, and they have a pretty cool gift shop as well! Below is the link to the museum and historical society. Have Fun!

http://www.nhhistory.org/

A Day at Mack's Apples and Farm

kyliecross — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:13:00 GMT

This morning I went to Mack's Apples, on Rte. 128 in Londonderry, with the mom's group I attend. What a fun place! Mack's apples has 4 seperate apple orchards sprawled out over acres of land on Mammoth Road in Londonderry, NH. In addition to the apple orchards they have a huge selection of U-Pick pumpkins (at .40 a lb).

We all met at Orchard No.1 - on any given day they have 1-4 orchards open with a variety of apples - Macs, Cortland, Jonamac's - were at orchard 1. Although it was a Thursday morning, there were a surprising number of people there..mainly some school groups and families (I guess a testament to how awesome this place is). You have an option to how much you wish to pick. A peck of apples cost $10.00 and a bushel costs $30.00. I opted for the peck, because honestly, how many apples can you eat, and I am not baking a ton of pies any time soon with an 8 week old. Plus, you can cram a lot of apples into that peck bag! (A peck is the size bag that you see often in the grocery store).

I purchased my peck bag then I headed to the orchard with baby. They have a zillion trees with the most delicious apples - I had to taste the goods before I picked them! I am not sure which type I ate, but it was delicious. Mack's definitely grows a good apple. Much better than the ones you find in the store! It wasn't too hard to fill my bag quickly, so I made my way to the pumpkin patch. It didn't take long to find the perfect pumpkin among the group. It was an 18 pounder (2x's the size of my child) and at .40 cents a pound, it was only $7.20! What a deal!

After picking apples and pumpkins I made my way across the street to the farmstand. Here they have tons of "farmer's market" items - homemade jellies, butters, candies, maple syrup, bread mixes, caramel dips, mugs, etc...etc....I picked up some DELICIOUS Annie's Apple Butter, a Caramel Apple Crisp mix (which I will make with my newly picked apples), Indian Corn and Mack's Homemade Cider (some of the best I have tasted).

So, to sum it all up - if you want to get outside for some fresh fruit and pumpkins for Halloween; want a day out with the family or maybe a date, Mack's Apples is the place to go! It's only 10 miles from Manch and pretty east to get to (either by 93 or S. Willow to Mammoth Rd). Beware though, the closer it gets to Halloween, the more busy it will get, especially on weekends - they have painted pumpkins and all that jazz so time your trip wisely! Wanna check it out before heading out? Here is the link! Have Fun!

http://www.macksapples.com/

Glendi! The best Greek fest in Manch

kyliecross — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 10:47:00 GMT

This past weekend was GLENDI! The best Greek festival in Manchester! This was my second time experiencing this wonderful food extravaganza and can I tell you, it was just as amazing this time around as last. If you missed Glendi this year, I advise you write it in your calendar for next year. Glendi not only offers fun and games for the kids, crafts and sales for the flea market fanatic...but FOOD and lots of it. This is why my family and I go to Glendi. We focus strictly on the food tent - we don't mess around. Any kind of Greek delicacy you can think of is served with a smile. This was our menu.

My Meal:

Greek Meatballs - 3 spicy, moist and delicious meatballs resting upon a delicios Greek tomato sauce, served with a side of rice (perfect pairing), roll and greek Salad. All for $8.00. I added a piece of spanekopeta - deliciously flaky phyllo dough with layers of creamy spinach - for $2.25.

My Husband's Meal:

Barbecued Lamb - Tender chunks of lamb, perfectly seasoned and barbecued. The lamb was paired with rice, roll and greek salad. He paired this with pasta and meat lasagne type dish which I completely forget what it was called and I did not try it, so I can not comment on it. Evan said it was good, but I imagine his Lamb was better.

My daughter's meal:

Nothing. She is only 7 weeks old, yet she enjoyed the music and was very well behaved for her first Glendi.

My brother and sister-in-laws:

They decided on the Lamb shank dinner. Again, it is served with rice, roll and salad, but instead of lamb chunks, a gigantic barbecued lamb shank is the main attraction. They swear by the shank. They also decided to grace the table with a tray of Greek pastries. I know it's a crime, but I was so full, I could not bring myself to eat the baklava, loukoumades, kataifi and finikia.

Basically, if you are in the city of Manchester next year while Glendi is being celebrated - go. You will not regret it.