New England Adventure

Labor Day weekend we decided to head up north and check out parts of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine that we haven't seen and probably won't be able to see due to our time winding down here in the New England area (Brett only hopes!). We had such a great time. We headed up to Fort Ticonderoga, which we just happen to miss by about 30 minutes! We had to leave after I was done with work and didn't get away quite as soon as we would have liked but we were still able to enjoy a nice ride along the river and around Lake George and Lake Champlain. 

Saturday we wandered around Burlington, Vermont. It is a very quaint little college town that sits on the opposite side of Lake Champlain from Fort Ticonderoga. They have an awesome farmer's market that we meandered around for a while before heading down to Camp Joseph.  We stopped at Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory in Stowe, VT for a tasty treat before getting to Camp Joseph. 

At Camp Joseph we were able to see the site where Joseph Smith was born and visit the surrounding area. It was and still is very much a farming community and is very small. The roads are back country roads and follow the local rivers and streams. 

Joseph Smith Monument

Footprint of the Smith's Home, with original hearth in the center

Sharon, VT church house (on the land of the Smith Farm)

We camped at Camp Joseph and then headed through the White Mountain Range and to Mt. Washington. Here's a little tidbit on Mt. Washington - Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 ft (1,917 m) and the most prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River. It is famous for dangerously erratic weather. For 76 years, until 2010, a weather observatory on the summit held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, 231 mph (372 km/h or 103 m/s), on the afternoon of April 12, 1934. Before European settlers arrived, the mountain was known as Agiocochook, or "Home of the Great Spirit".

The mountain is located in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, in the township of Sargent's Purchase, Coos County, New Hampshire. While nearly the whole mountain is in the White Mountain National Forest, an area of 59 acres (24 ha) surrounding and including the summit is occupied by Mount Washington State Park.

Most vehicles take about 30 minutes to make the 7.6 mile ascent and from 30 to 45 minutes to come down depending on traffic, weather conditions and whether or not you need to stop to cool your brakes. The Auto Road is a steep, narrow mountain road without guardrails. The average grade is 12%. As the sign at the base of the Road states – “If you have a fear of heights, you may not appreciate this driving experience”

 To get to the top and back down was quite the experience. It was a pretty warm day at the base of the mountain but I would have been content in my winter coat at the top. I am just glad that Brett drove - not sure I would have been able to manage it. 

Tip Top Stone House

Marker at the top of Mt Washington

Parking lot at the top

Ski Resort

From Mt Washington, we headed over to the coast of Maine to visit some lighthouses. The coast of Maine was the ideal New England. The Lighthouses were gorgeous, the ocean was fabulous and I would 100% love to go back. 

Bug lighthouse