Year 10 Day 9

We need more days. Well, it would be nice to have more days, but we all miss home so we're torn. We drove basically across the middle of Vermont today and then across New Hampshire. Vermont is the 2nd least populated state of all 50 coming in only behind Wyoming. Id like to spend much more time in Vermont and even New Hampshire. The green mountain state and the white mountain state. So many trails calling my name and so many small scenic roads to explore. We always note those states that we would like to come back to and this is definitely the one on top of my list. Its a hard decision between Vermont and Alaska.

My timing was off today so things didnt go as typically planned. I cant really even explain how much planning goes into each of these trips; I guess its bound to happen. We left Vermont too early to hit any maple syrup farms. They wouldnt have been harvesting any sap now as they do that in the spring, but still it would have been cool to see the trees and the taps. Maybe next time. Our first stop was in the Groton state forest at a small lake tucked into the hills. We took a short walk and marveled at the colors in the trees. Leaf peepers as they are called here. Discovered a new hiking trail called the cross Vermont trail. Just like it sounds, it goes across Vermont from side to side. Adding that one to the list. Big EXCITING hit here was that we saw a moose! It wandered out on the side of the road and was just starting across as we came around a corner. Those things are like horses with really long legs! Thats one of the things we were counting on up here, check.

Next we stopped at a covered bridge just over the border in NH. Giving that a neat. Its a covered bridge right next to the new bridge. Very cool construction, but not the coolest thing we've ever seen. Further into NH was the Flume Gorge. This one was well worth the stop. Mildly weird that they charge you $16 a person to hike but hoping the money went to something useful for preservation. A 2 mile hike along the creek takes you into the gorge where they have installed wooden walkways that hang off the granite rocks over the creek. Its cool, breezy, wet and really quite pretty. A few too many people around to really classify as a hike, but a really pretty stop. 

Maine wasnt far so we turned north and headed up to Mooshead lake. On our way we passed Mexico...weird so close to Canada, but there it was. Maine is as pretty as Vermont and New Hampshire, just a bit more flat with small rolling hills. Plenty of small roads running through small towns dotted with white farmhouses and green pastures here as well. Here's where more of my timing issues popped up. I hoped to be at the side of the lake for a bit before sunset to look for / hear loons. Got into town too late and once we got dinner done the sun was down. No loons. Small bit of hope that maybe I hear them tomorrow before we leave Maine. Somewhere inbetween we got a look at the worlds largest Indian. Its in a gas station parking lot and is filled with hornet nests. Its supposed to honor the native americans that settled this area. Pretty sure thats not the best way to honor a group of people but ok.