The White Mountains of New Hampshire
To get a literal overview of the beauty that is the White Mountains, a wonderful place to begin your vacation is by taking a morning or afternoon trip to the highest peak in the White Mountains, Mt. Washington. Towering over the rest of the Northeast, Mt. Washington provides the visitor with a magnificent panoramic view of the nearby mountains and the picturesque valleys below. The Mt. Washington Auto Road provides vacationners with slow but reliable access to the summit. You can choose to take a tour van to the top and benefit from the running commentary of a Mount Washington guide or you can use your own car and opt for a self guiding audio tape to accompany you during your ascent. Either way the views are spectacular and informing. Before your vacation really gets underway you will have enjoyed a birdseye view of the entire area and entered into the charm of the White Mountains. And don’t forget you will also receive everyone’s prized trophy a free bumper sticker that will proclaim to one and all “This Car Climbed Mt. Washington”.
Having seen the beauty of the White Mountains from above you may be anxious to view some of its natural wonders up close. If so you won’t be disappointed. The White Mountains provide vacationners with plentiful opportunities for hiking, swimming, fishing, boating – you name it. For sheer natural wonder you may want to investigate the very center of the White Mountains by spending a day at Franconia Notch State Park. Many visitors are drawn here each year by the opportunity to visit the Flume. Discovered in 1808 the Flume is a natural gorge that you can reach by foot or by shuttle bus. Walking through the depths of the Flume will take you back through geological history and also cool you down significantly on a hot summer day. If the Flume seems too ambitious try approaching the nearby Basin. This scenic wonder is much easier to reach but still gives you a good idea of the power that nature possess and the beauty that it can create over time. While in Franconia State Park you are perfectly positioned to take a White Mountains hike. In fact you can easitly access the Appalachian Trail and walk along the historic route hikers have covered for generations.
Seeing the beauty of the White Mountains doesn’t necessarily involve extended travel by foot. You can immerse yourself in the full flavor of the White Mountains by driving along the many peaceful miles of the Kancamagus Highway. This scenic roadway traverses the White Mountains National Forest on an east to west line and allows vacationners to pick and choose the spots that they might wish to investigate further. There are numerous overlooks, picnic spots and even a places where you can just pull off the highway and dip your feet in the cool, no actually cold, mountain waters while basking in the warm sunlight. This gorgeous stretch of roadway is not meant for those wanting a speedy transit from one side of the forest to the other. It is meant for those who want to experience the variety and richness of nature without a lot of physical effort.
The fun to be found in the White Mountains is certainly not limited to what nature provides .Among its manmade attractions the White Mountains claims Storyland. Visitors will tell you Storyland is nowhere near as large as Disneyworld, nor as complex as Universal Studios nor as thrilling as Six Flags Over Anything. The same visitors will also tell you how they, like Goldilocks, discovered through the eyes of their children that Storyland is “just right”. Built on a scale friendly to its young visitors and designed to display well celebrated storybook themes and characters Storyland offers a full day of entertainment and enough action to satisfy patrons of all ages. While Storyland has expanaded its offerings over the years, adding rides that appeal to all ages , they have never lost their primary focus which has been to provide a safe, clean, well staffed playland where children young and old can experience their storybook friends through a whole new medium. For vacationners a special value is offered: arrive after three any afternoon, pay a full admission and enjoy the park for the rest of the afternoon and throughout all of the following day. It’s a wonderful way to get two separate visits for the price of one.
