Ch. 10 - Alls Cold in the Granite State
After a quick pit stop for pie in Vermont, Rosie and Rinni continued their roadtrip into the granite state: New Hampshire. From their campsite, they explored the nearby towns of North Woodstock and Lincoln by bike. Georgiana Falls Trail quickly became a favorite afternoon activity for the trio, and they would frequently head out in the afternoons to explore the streams and waterfalls after work.
As the nightly temperatures dropped lower and the blue skies they were initially greeted with turned gray and rainy, they were grateful for the shelter their cozy home on wheels provided.
On a chilly Wednesday morning, however, they woke up to discover the furnace, which had reliably been keeping them toasty all week, was no longer producing heat. Rinni braved a cold, rainy day to bike into town to purchase a small space heater, while Rosie called mobile repair techs far and wide to resolve the issue. While nobody could come to their aid at such short notice, one friendly tech offered to walk through a potential fix over the phone with them.
With the tech’s advice and guidance in mind, Rosie and Rinni made the repairs themselves.
That night, they slept warm and toasty, with the extra satisfaction of knowing they had fixed the problem themselves, and could make the repair again the future if needed. As an added bonus, they discovered Jasper’s deep fondness for the space heater, and let the pup curl up next to it in the evenings.
On their last day in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, they planned a detour along the Kancamagus Highway on their way towards Maine. This 35 mile-long stretch is known for its incredible panoramic views, especially during the fall when the leaves are changing. Local weather stations declared that weekend to be the perfect time for “leaf peeping” (a phrase Rosie and Rinni were previously unfamiliar with) so they eagerly anticipated the drive and the vibrant views surely in store for them.
The early October route through the White Mountains timed perfectly with “Peak” Fall Foliage!
So, What is Leaf Peeping? (and…. can we call it something else?)
“Leaf peeping” sounds kind of creepy, but is an informal term in the United States and Canada for the activity in which people travel to view and photograph the fall foliage in areas where leaves change colors in autumn, particularly in northern New England, Appalachia, the Pacific Northwest, and the upper Midwest, as well as the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
A similar custom in Japan is called momijigari (紅葉狩). In Finland, the season is ruska and a trek is called ruskaretki.
Source: Wikipedia
Unfortunately, while the leaves were spectacular, a thick mist quickly descended upon the road, restricting their vision to no more than 3 feet ahead of the vehicle. Instead of navigating through a cacophony of warm hues, they instead perilously inched through a disappointing white haze. In an effort to attain a clear view, they pulled off the road to hike above the mist. Rosie, Rinni and Jasper made the slippery trek up to Sabbaday Falls. They were treated to some beautiful views from the boardwalks near the waterfall, but alas, the panoramic views still evaded them!
As the sun began to set, the trio hopped back in the RV to get to their destination for the day and new home for the week: Bar Harbor, Maine!
