RonnieAdventure #0126, New Hampshire, 2014 Part III

Did you ever wonder why maple leaves change colors in the fall when the trees are getting ready for winter? According to the New Hampshire tourist bureau, a tree’s leaves are green in the summer because the leaves are making food for the tree and the leaves contain chlorophyll, which give the leaves their green color. However, when the leaves quit making food, the chlorophyll breaks down and other chemical processes occur. Maple leaves contain sugar, which turns the leaves red (if exposed to the sun). The more sugar, the brighter the red. However, if maple leaves are in the shade all of the time, they may just turn yellow. Temperature also affects the color. When the days are warm and rainy, the leaves have less red coloration. That explains why you sometimes see multiple colors on the same tree. Interesting!

Thorne Pond Conservation Area was originally a pond created to provide water for snow-making at Attitash’s Bear Peak Ski Area. (The ski area is located just across the road from Thorne Pond.) The pond is still used for snowmaking in the winter, but at other times of the year it is a popular place for hiking and wildlife viewing.

Just a short distance up the road from Thorne Pond, the Conway Scenic Rail 4^th Iron (trestle) crosses the Sawyer River, which makes an interesting subject for photographs.

The Willey House at Crawford’s Notch State Park is a popular stop for tourist and the Willey Pond Dam is directly across the road from the Willey House. The trees in this area were beautifully dressed in their fall colors the day we visited the pond, so I could have stayed and taken pictures all day.

Silver Cascade is a series of small waterfalls that can best be viewed from the Highway 302 road bridge. Apparently tourist have fallen to their death trying to climb the falls, so it is recommended that you just enjoy the view from the roadside. Unfortunately, there was not a lot of water in the ravine the day we visited the area. 

The Kancamagus Highway (typically called the “Kan” because tourist cannot pronounce “Kancamagus”) runs from Lincoln to Conway and is one of the most scenic highways in New Hampshire during the fall season.

The Remick Country Doctor Museum was closed when we stopped, but the museum was reported to contain historic displays that portrayed the life of an early American country doctor.

The Old Country Store in Moultonborough was established in 1781 and was reported to "perhaps" be the "Oldest Store in the United States." This stop was really a step back in time!

Keepsake Quilting, "America's Favorite Quilt Shop," is located in Center Harbor; so, according to my wife, this was a "must stop." Actually, it was so exciting that I took a nap in the car while my wife loaded up on all of the really great bargains and things that we just couldn't live without. 

The American Police Motorcycle Museum in Meredith not only has a large collection of police motorcycles, it also has hill climbers, race bikes, choppers, and a variety of other rare and unusual bikes. I could spend all day at a place like this; but, unfortunately, I left my wife in the car knitting. She said that she would recommend this place right up there with the American Precision Museum!

Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in the state of New Hampshire, covering approximately 71 square miles. The lake contains at least 258 islands (half of which are less than a quarter-acre in size), with a lake depth of 212 feet at the deepest point. There is also a small museum located on the southwest side of the lake. 

The Belknap Mill is the only building left in the United States that represents the first stage of the Industrial Revolution in America, and it is the oldest unaltered brick textile mill in the United States. The Belknap Mill was one of the first mills to convert from weaving to knitting machines during the Civil War and now contains the only industrial knitting museum in the United States. The Belknap Mill is also the Official Meetinghouse for the State of New Hampshire and has hosted all of the presidential contenders in the national primaries since 1976. Wow! And to think that they almost demolished the building in 1969 before the local citizens formed the “Save the Mill Society.”