When I was a kid going to the Franconia notch area of New Hampshire was at least a yearly event. At the end of this past summer, I decided to extend the tradition to the new generation by bringing my son up for a weekend in the notch. After breakfast we went to the Lost River Gorge. Since it’s been forever for me since I’ve actually camped, I decided to get a hotel room instead. It wasn’t quite the same experience, but we still had a great time. The lost river gorge was just as exciting as it always has been, even more so getting to see my son go through all the caves for the first time. I’d honestly forgotten how small some of them had been, plus many of the times we went in my youth was during the spring and the caves were partially flooded. Towards the end of summer all the caves were accessible.
Even though a lot has changed there it’s very obvious when you see the old photos that much is still the same. The gentleman at the ticket counter asked if I had been there previously and I said that it had been over twenty years but yes. He commenced to give us the overview, rules of the trail, safety brief or whatever you want to call it.
Lost river gorge Tales trails and Taverns
Woodstock Inn Brewery
After the Lost River gorge adventure my son Rhys and I went to the Woodstock Inn Brewery for lunch. He wanted mac and cheese with lemonade, I had a great craft beer and a chicken sandwich. Afterward we were in the mood for more adventure so I thought we could up the resale value of the rental car by driving it to the top of Mt. Washington. Now when I was seven and again when I was sixteen my father brought me there to climb Mt. Lafayette, Little Haystack and Lincoln. It was always a good time, albeit trying and exhausting. I had not planned for this, but I had never been to the top of Mt. Washington. I remember asking my dad why we never climbed Mt. Washington if it was the highest. his answer was that it was a rougher and tougher climb, and when you get to the top there’s a bunch of tourists in Cadillac’s snapping photos. He wasn’t wrong, so I joined the tourists and got a picture at the top.
Mt Washington
It was such a good time that I don’t care that we drove up. It was still a wild drive with how steep the embankment was. Rhys was looking out the side in awe, I was staring straight ahead at the road trying not to get vertigo.
Mt Lafayette
Thats me at seven years old in probably the spring of 1987 on top of a very cold and overcast Mt. Lafayette.
This is the kind of family tradition I plan to further as long as I can put one foot in front of the other.
Want to see more about New Hampshire check out this blog about Mt. Manadnock.
