"Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful..." (Bretton Woods, NH to Stowe,VT)

We found ALL of the people in NH...they were all at Polly's Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill, NH.....We have learned that when it is time to feed the MONSTER (I'm the monster!!! just ask Chris...), you better get her food quick....then things tend to go a little better.....

After meeting Nancy (Polly's daughter)

We had some time to kill while waiting for a table--we knew it must be good!!! (the reviews on the internet said it had a great view as well, but unfortunately our RV took care of that...whoops!!)

We learned that Polly started before WWII, closed during the depression, then re-opened and has grown from there...it has stayed in the family ever since and is the place the locals rave about....During the wait, we visited the bakery and Chris just couldn't resist the maple bacon biscuits--- yummy!!!

We were finally lucky to get a table (for parties of 2 they will share a table and put you with another couple--yes, they are that busy...) but luck had it that we got the only 2 top in the house where we devoured....pancakes, this is a pancake place!!! I had the blueberry cornmeal and Chris tried whole wheat, original, but loved the gingerbread.....

Next we checked out The Basin in Franconia Notch State Park....according to Thoreau, "this pothole is perhaps the most remarkable curiosity of its kind in New England"....I'm not sure I had those same thoughts but it here it is.....

On our way back and forth across the mountains, we also passed what used to be the "Old Man of the Mountain" several times....unfortunately, it collapsed overnight in 2003.... Daniel Webster described it as " Men hang out their signs indicating their respective trade; shoemakers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch, and the dentist a gold tooth; but in the mountains of New Hampshire, God almighty hung out a sign to show that there He makes men."  We did happen to find another rock that resembled the Old Man....what do you think?

We made it just in time to catch the 1:30 train up the Mt. Washington railway....(we were only delayed by the ticket line...they either need a new computer system or a new girl...I know I'm impatient, but this was truly insane!!!)  The Cog is the world's first mountain climbing train, the only cog railway east of the rockies, taking you to the top of Mt. Washington--the highest peak in New England (please note it is a cog railway...not an incline railway...yep, I know what you are thinking...who else would ask this besides Mike???......no one...) It was insane....we left and it was autumn (ok, late autumn) and when we returned it was winter (snow-storm mid-winter)......

Autumn ends....winter begins....(They say Mt Washington has the worst weather in the country...in the middle of three fronts....after this trip, I am a believer in this!!!)

This trip is great....I can watch the Eagles from up here!!! (too bad they aren't so good....)

This is where the snow storm started...yep, full blown snow storm....at times you couldn't see anything and there was snow coming in the windows and through the roof....it was pretty impressive (and scary...we were up pretty high....)

As we reached Jacob's Ladder, when you stood up straight, it looked like you were leaning over...my photo doesn't do it justice...a little girl on the train did it perfectly but it is a little too creepy to take photos of other people's kids.....

When we reached 3/4 of the way, we had to stop and go the other way...conditions were too dangerous to continue...this is all I could see out my window.....

This is us as high up as we could go!!!

This is what you could see behind us from outside the train car.....what a great trip!!!

After the slow descent down the mountain, we were off again, headed to see the Flume Gorge...the flume is a natural gorge extending 800 feet above the base of Mount Liberty, with the walls of the conway granite rising to a height of 70-90 feet being 12-20 feet apart.  It was discovered in 1808 by 93 year old Aunt Jess who accidentally came upon it while fishing.  On the way to the flume, we saw....

a moose!!!

and a covered bridge.....

then we came to the gorge.....

Watch out for the bear....(I mean, the Monster!!!)

isn't time to go home yet?????

Our last destination of the day was to check out the Kanc or the Kancamagus Highway, scenic route 112...we soon realized after just a few miles that by this part of the trip, we have pretty much seen the scenery....so we opted to hike to the Sabbaday Falls then call it a day.....

Off to Stowe, VT.....