The Fells - Lake Sunapee, NH

June 12, 2014

I woke up early to the sound of rain on the roof of our Little Squam Lake cottage. As predicted, the promised cold temperatures and rain had materialized. No way, would Anne agree to kayak in this kind of weather. It was 6:30AM. I decided to don my rain suit and fish a while regardless of what the weather was doing. I thought to myself, "WWHFD?" That is, "What  would Henry Fonda do?"

Let me begin by saying that nowhere in the movie, On Golden Pond, was it raining or cold. Henry Fonda did wear a light jacket every now and then but that is an old age thing. However, if I am nothing, I am determined. I headed out onto the lake in a steady rain and 50 degrees. I have made better decisions in the past. Alas, I caught no fish. Funny, there was not a boat nor another fisherman anywhere in sight. Silly me, I forgot to pack my mittens and my hands did get somewhat cold. Better sense warned me not to pick my nose for fear that my finger would be like a tongue on a flagpole and I would be found eventually, floating on the lake with my pinkie shoved up my nostril and frozen solid. When I got back to our cozy cottage, Anne was hunkered down in a pile of blankets, heater running and leisurely reading.When I came in, she burst into laughter. She did not say, "Oh poor baby!". She did not say, "Are you ok sugar bumpkins?" She did not call 911. Most of all, she did not stop laughing.

I packed the car while I was thawing and was soon ready to head out for the day's adventure. I did not have a specific plan other than cruising by Newfound Lake and Lake Sunapee while keeping a watchful eye out for other interesting things to do on the way home. Unfortunately, not having a plan ( like saying we have to be on the road by 9:00AM ), put Anne in her retirement mode, result being that we were ready to leave by 11:00AM.

This region of the state is surprisingly undeveloped and where it is developed, is characterized by heavy  congestion around any major lake and business development in a strip mall style. We explored the lake areas, but found very little in the way of things to stop and see. As we approached the Lake Sunapee area, we passed a sign advertising a plant sale and garden tours at a place called, "The Fells". I had seen the name on the map, but had no idea what it was. What the heck … we stopped.



It turned out that the Fells was a historic preservation site. In the late 1800's, John Hays, a former secretary for Abraham Lincoln and later to be, Secretary of State under McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, purchased about 1000 acres to build a 22-room, summer home and gardens. The house was closed, but we were able to browse the grounds and gardens, which were extensive. Also on site, was a sculpture exhibit, Art in Nature 2014, displaying the work of 20 well known New England artists.  The landscaping, use of stone walls, hidden sitting areas and gardens, and flower and shrub displays made the visit well worth the time and effort. It was definitely another great example of the gilded age mentality. 

I love the way the sculptures seem such a natural part of the landscape.






















Some were surreal, yet they seemed to belong here.


















The stone walls defined the areas as if they were gathering the beauty of the area for us to see.

I readily identified with the artist who hung rocks in trees!






















Everywhere, were passages …























And things to discover at the end of that passage …























Places to sit and contemplate …



















Places for solitude and silence …


There were portals ...



















As you passed through the portals, magical worlds were revealed …

With magical creatures …

















And quiet pools, perfect for reflection and meditation … 

















Every door promised a new delight …

























And every door delivered as promised …

Turn the corner … 




















And world burst into incredible color …



And you rest upon eagles of stone ….


And you stand in awe of nature …

























And if you are incredibly lucky … your path will lead to the secret garden you seek.

Our tour was done. 

This said … 

Fate stepped in … 

and we ate.

Our Heads in the Clouds - Moultonborough NH

June 11, 2014

We were itching for an adventure, but lately it was touch-and-go as to rain or shine. Thus, everything we planned was  a gamble as to weather. We decided to check out the lakes region of New Hampshire. Our game plan was to find a funky, retro cottage on a lake where we could kayak (and I might even fish a bit) and we would visit a historic preservation site I had found online called "Castle-in-the-Clouds. Other than that, we would just ramble and check out scenery, or perhaps happen upon a "find".

Luck was with us. For lodging, I found a neat, little, one-bedroom cottage on Little Squam Lake in Holderness, NH. Squam Lake is where "On Golden Pond" with Henry Fonda and Audrey Hepburn was filmed. It would be perfect for us. I am senile enough to do a pretty good Henry Fonda and have a great senior citizen, at-the-lake hat I could wear. Anne, meanwhile, can do a pretty good shaky-voice Hepburn.

                                  

The cottage was reminiscent of a similar cottage we found years ago at the beach. It was deemed "The Love Nest", but might more appropriately be called the roach nest. This cottage, however, was nothing like that. It was clean and full of little decorating touches that made it feel like you had stepped magically back into the 1950's. Anne instinctively over packed to assure that all available space in the   cottage would be used. Years have passed since we could easily fit into a standard size bed, but we were cozy and warm. Well, I was warm. Anne did mention that it was very cool outside, but was unsuccessful in closing any of the cottage windows. At the same time, I was unsuccessful in mentioning to her that each window had a stick wedged in it to keep the window up. I love cold air at night!

We actually checked in at the cottage late in the afternoon.  The weather reports called for clear to cloudy skies most of the day until close to evening so we opted to drive straight to the Castle-in-the-Clouds. Figured the views would be much better earlier.  It was roughly a three hour drive from Williamsville to Moultonborough, NH.  The castle is located on a 5500 acre tract in the Ossipee Mountain Range overlooking Lake Winnepesakee. A narrow, one-way road wound its way snakelike up to the Castle.  

We made a brief stop to hike to Falls of Song, a 40' waterfall on one of the hiking trails. 

Also, along the trail was a massive, glacial-age boulder … had to have a few pictures with it.

Continuing, we soon reached the parking area for the castle. Located at this level was a gift shop, restaurant, and a small art gallery. We transferred here to a trolley for the remainder of the ride up to the actual castle site. I must say that without exception, everyone who worked here was exceptionally friendly, helpful and cheerful. You don't always find this and it really makes the visit special.

At last, we arrived at the castle … it was incredible and the view phenomenal!

Castle-in-the-Clouds (or Lucknow) is a 16-room mansion built for his second wife in 1913-1914 in the craftsman style by millionaire shoe manufacturer Thomas Plant.  His story in a nutshell is that he worked in the shoe factories of the day and in merely eleven years owned the company.  He is somewhat credited with moving the ladies' shoe market from utilitarian to stylish and in doing so became a millionaire ($20 million that is … that's about a quarter billion in today's money). Alas, an extra-marital affair settled the fate of his first marriage, that and a diverse payoff of a million dollars. For wife number two … he built Lucknow. In it, were the best materials (Italian marble and Tiffany glass)  and furnishings that money could buy … including many innovations which were rare at the time, like circular showers, interlocking kitchen tiles, a central vacuum system, and a house intercom system. He was innovative as well in providing worker benefits for those building or working at the Castle. A bad investment in Russian bonds cost him $400,000 … but no worry.  Some miscalculations in investments in Asia cost him $700,000 … but no worry. However, the stock market crash of '29 cleaned him out of the remainder of the $20 million … and it was over. Fortunately for us, it was eventually purchased and preserved for us to experience.


The marble in the billiard room fireplace was exquisite.
















The dome upstairs was Tiffany. There were also about 20 rondelles in windows scattered throughout the castle. These were painted by local artists.





















What I wouldn't give for one of the circular showers in my house.






















Everywhere you looked, things were designed uniquely … like the kitchen sink.

















The views were breathtaking from practically every window … even the staff's quarters and the sewing room.


In the library, was a private hideaway for Plant to seclude himself and read uninterrupted.

























Flowers and unique stonework enhanced the marvelous views of the lake and mountains.



We finished touring the castle and headed back to the restaurant area for a great lunch. Of course, the view from the restaurant deck didn't hurt anything either.



The art gallery was beside the restaurant deck where we had lunch. Showing was an exhibit by Vermont artist, Kristan Brevik. The exhibit was called, Paperwasp: Creatures Real and Imagined Sculptures.

                 



We got ready to head for Holderness and to check in at the cottage. Before we did, there were two more stops to make. First, was the trout pond. No, I did not get to fish. But, we did feed the fish … rainbow trout that were enormous. A couple were about 3 feet long and must have weighed 25 pounds.   I have never seen anything like it.








Lastly, we made a quick stop at the stables to make a few friends.
























We soon arrived at the cottage just in time for the rain to begin. Colder temperatures and heavy rain promised for the next day convinced us to brave a short paddle before dinner.




It had been a long day … a great day, but long. We finished the day the way we like … with a good meal. The 6 Burner Bistro was exactly what we needed to top off the day.  For me, a half-semi-boneless roasted chicken drizzled with pan sauces and herbs. I was not disappointed.

The star, however, was Anne's sesame-crusted salmon with a sweet Asian sauce.

Sweet dreams!

The Adams National Historical Park - Quincy MA

June 6, 2014

Another retirement adventure in the books. And this one … soooo easy. Up early for the drive to Alewife to catch the subway. Didn't even have to switch lines. Took the Red Line from Alewife straight to Quincy Central and then walked directly across the street to the Visitors Center where we got our tickets to tour the Adams National Historical Park. Our tour would take us through the lives of five generations of the Adams family in service to their country.

To digress for just a moment. Who would have thought that I had worked 40 years just so I could get an America the Beautiful Pass that gets me in free at national parks. The rewards of being a senior citizen just keep on coming.

We dashed into the obligatory introductory movie designed to remind old-timers like ourselves who John, John Quincy, and Abigail Adams were. Minds refreshed, I sat down and repeated as many Adams facts as I could recall from the film before they all disappeared again into the labyrinth of my mind.


















Anne, on the other hand, amused herself with a senior moment of flag waving wearing a colonial hat.
























Before we knew it, the park ranger was announcing that the shuttle was here and ushering us out the door while admonishing us not to be late and reminding us to go potty before we left.  The royal coach awaited us and we boarded, as instructed, with empty bladders.  Anne chose the seats. Anne always chooses the seats. I never get to choose the seats.

First stop … the birthplace of John Adams, second President of the USA. John Adams was definitely no newcomer to the area - fifth generation to have lived there on what was then a one hundred and fifty acre farm.

Less than fifty yards away, was the second house we came to see … the birthplace of John Quincy Adams, the son of John Adams and the sixth President of the USA.













Our shuttle arrived again for us and we were spirited away to our final destination. After the Presidency, John and family moved to Peacefield where he hoped to engage in his real passion, farming. The lives of five generations of the Adams family would play out at Peacefield. Unlike the other two houses we had seen, Peacefield was filled, not with period pieces, but actual family furniture and processions from the home … very interesting.



Added to the site in more modern times, was a small section of flower gardens. The gardens, as usual, was a favorite for us.














We shuttled back to the Visitors Center in time to do lunch before exploring more of what Quincy had to offer. The restaurant I had chosen was only a five minute walk away.

We had lunch at The Fat Cat, a funky local spot with an eclectic menu. It was packed, which we took to be a good sign … and it was. The star of the menu was clearly the mac and cheese selections (had about six including lobster mac & cheese).  We saw several plates come out and it looked incredibly good. However, each plate had enough m&c on it to serve at least five people … the servings were enormous. No way did we want to haul our leftovers around with us for the remainder of the day. We tried other menu options instead and were well satisfied.

We started with a funnel of onion rings served with a hot chipotle sauce. They were excellent, but I prefer a thicker cut. These were very thinly sliced (mmmm .. would be great this way atop of a nice juicy steak). Notice the fat cat on the wall in the background. Though, he doesn't look fat … but he does look cat. I, on the other hand, seem to have a cheshire cat smile affixed to my face. I am fat, but I am not cat. Taken in my totality of fat and cat smile, I just might be the fat cat however.
















Old favorites, beckoned to us from the menu and we caved like a Florida sinkhole. Anne had the fish and chips, which was way too much food for her. Thank goodness I was there to help. In addition to my good Samaritan efforts with Anne's fish and chips, I had the chicken wings with sesame sauce.  I was so full … but deep down inside, I knew I had done a good thing. I seem to always be thinking of others.

                     

We strolled leisurely back in the direction of the Visitors Center. Our next stop was the United First Parish Church.  We took a tour of the church and discovered the tour guide to be a fellow relocated, Virginian from Frederickburg where Anne went to college. We talked ad nauseum about the perils of Southerners who have lived for years in the North eventually going back South. The church was designed by the same architect that did the Quincy Market in Boston. The dome in the sanctuary was particularly stunning.

Downstairs, crypts had been carved out for private family memorials to the Adams. Both John and Abigail and John Quincy and Louisa are buried there. Every Memorial Day, wreaths are sent there to be placed on the former Presidents graves from the White House.

                   

Well, it was time to go. We definitely had a ball … not to be confused with the ball sculpture from the old Quincy granite quarries. It is recognized as the World's Most Nearly Perfect Sphere by Ripley's Believe It or Not and weighs about ten tons. 

                 

Time to wave goodbye to Abigail and little John Quincy.

                      

And before John Adams can say,

 "The redcoats are coming, the redcoats are coming"

We'll be home in Vermont and planning a new adventure.