Two Day Vacation!

That's right, I managed to take a two day vacation this year!

great photo day

Weather and work happily coordinated to give us a clear and colorful time off in North Conway, NH.  While this seems to be a recurring spot for our vacations, we do try to do something different on each visit.  That gets kind of challenging after 50 or so years of visiting the same area!  After checking in to our 'throw back to the '70s' (but very clean and friendly) Junge's Motel, we decided to head further north to be driven up the Mount Washington Auto Road.  No, I will not drive up the road myself.  ('R' now wants to drive it) Many do and most of them actually survive the trip, but I was not going to venture forth on the looks very, very narrow, too narrow to be two way but it is Auto Road.  Nope, not me.  Bottomless drop offs (well, by the time you would reach the bottom it would be irrelevant) on one side and washed out shoulders on the other and a mere fraction of an inch passing room between cars as they go up and down.  Our van driver told us that there have been times when the professioanl Auto Road drivers have had to drive the non-pro's back down.  Yep, it's that unnerving.  Back in the 1960's my dad would drive the road.  Seven times in our 1958 Chevy station wagon!  I think the road was a bit wider then...and fewer people actually ventured up and down it.  Anyway, there were no mishaps and we had a great time atop New England.  The weather was unusually good and visibility was great.  We took lots of photos.

A view from the top...there's a glider below (center)!

view from the top with the cog railway heading back down

We also did some touring around town and visited the old train station where last year's excursion occurred  (The train trip to Crawford Notch),

winner of weirdest vacation photo

went up to the top of Cathedral Ledge, shot photos down in the valley below, and after a night at Junge's headed home making a photo stop at beautiful Lake Chicorua.

Mount Chicorua

All in all, a fantastic two days!

Getaway

Oh yes, we did. And now I need a vacation where I can split the time doing my kinds of things and relaxing. All in all, this little getaway of the three gals wasn't as disastrous as it had the potential of being. We all managed to get along and we did have some fun times. I'd just like to get beyond the whining when something doesn't work out exactly as someone anticipated, or the bored looks when there is the slightest moment of inactivity. Sometimes it's just nice to sit and look around, or aimlessly wander and maybe discover an interesting tidbit. Ah well, two and a half days of "what are we doing next?" can tire a person.

What we did do next involved a lot of shopping and very little buying...at least on my part. 'A' managed to spend the most, of course. On clothes - the gal could clothe an entire small country. Mom only spent some change on a cookie cutter and I bought a few postcards. Our biggest expenditures were on accommodations and a major outing by train.

Seems the North Conway area is extremely overbooked no matter the time of year. The last few weeks before the school year begins brings new meaning to "no room at the inn". We did finally find a suite that was considerably overpriced, but weighing spending half a day looking for the potentially non-existent something better, grabbed it and settled in. After some afternoon shopping, Amanda and I played 18 holes of miniature golf at Pirate's Cove. We chose the 'Blackbeard's Challenge', having tried the other course a couple years ago. Neither of us approach the play with any type of competitive attitude...just fun. I did beat her by 13 points, though!

Our next biggest expense was a super cool trip on the 'Notch Train' from North Conway to Crawford Notch. An outstanding trip in my book, mom thought it was okay, 'A' came in third with a not enjoying it so much. Anyway, there was beautiful scenery, interesting towns, historic sites, and generally just lots to look at.

Some of the pictures in this post are taken from the train ride. Including this one of our train personnel relaxing at the Crawford Depot before the return trip.

Well, It Just So Happens...

that we went back to New England Biolabs today.Here's the glass building with the large plant occupied atrium.We were surprised that we noticed so many more things on this second trip. Some of which were so large that we had a hard time explaining just HOW we had missed them. This is such a cool place that I told 'A' that we were going again some Saturday and walk around.It's still a bit spooky with the odd car parked here and there, three pumpkins on front steps, a lone man sitting on a front porch.And more creatures, large and larger!Like how did we ever miss that guy last time?The original estate must have been quite beautiful.

Maized

One thing 'A' wanted to do during her vacation week was to go to Marini Farms and do the corn maze. It's 8 acres large and while it sounds as if it would be a little juvenile...it wasn't. Yes, there were parts of the process that were 'educate the children', but even that proved challenging in a maze aspect. The idea is to collect, on your score sheet, various farming related words and picture rubbings as you go through the maze. We weren't very interested in that other than the problem of finding them all (we didn't). It took us about 90 minutes to find our way through the maze. We collected about three quarters of the puzzle (words and pictures). We have decided that next year we'll do it again with more emphasis on game play, not just finding our way through.

After completing the maze, and on our way home (sort of), we took a trip to New England Bio Labs. Strange you think? You bet. New England Bio Labs does research/development/something else having to do with DNA, RNA, genomes and piles of stuff that I haven't a clue what on earth they are talking about. Anyway, I had been told that the grounds and buildings were really cool to take a look at...so we did...and they are. The property was evidently a large agricultural estate with buildings of brick and stucco. Those buildings have been preserved in their original form on the exterior, with interiors now devoted to offices and labs. In the midst is a large, all glass, multi storied contemporary building housing more research space. It has a three story, corner atrium filled with enormous tropical plants. On the property surrounding the facility are many metal sculptures.A horse grazing.A large bird befitting a scary movie.

Just in time for Halloween...a research lab and spooky creatures amid old, brick and vine covered buildings.

I will not be driving up there after dark.

The Moseley Estate

That's where 'A' and I spent a gorgeous Tuesday afternoon. After dropping my mom off to visit with friends, we arrived at Maudslay State Park at two o'clock.

Quoted from the park brochure: From 1849 to 1870, Mr. and Mrs. William Ashby of Newburyport hosted annual literary parties at the Laurel Grounds. Guests included such famous figures as John Greenleaf Whittier, who composed several poems about the site.

Sing soft, sing low, our lowland river,
Under thy banks of Laurel-bloom
Softly and sweet as the hour becometh,
Sing us the songs of peace and home.

More than a century later the spectacular mountain laurel still graces the river's banks....

In 1805, the Moseley's, one of the wealthiest families in New England, settled in Newburyport. Seeking to protect this beautiful place, they began acquiring portions of the Laurel Grounds in the 1860's. The family continued to acquire surrounding lands and by 1900 had assembled a substantial estate, which they named Maudesleigh (later known as Maudslay), after the family's ancestral home in England.
The Moseley's bought the last parcel, the west side of Castle (or Laurel) Hill in the 1920's, from Katherine Tingley, who had staged Shakespearean performances on the site. Katherine Tingley's house was moved off the property. On the east side of Laurel Hill stood "Moulton's Castle", a twenty-two room wooden Gothic home built by Captain Henry Moulton. The "castle" was razed in 1900 when it was purchased by Charles Moseley.
In 1895, Frederick Moseley began converting a small farmhouse overlooking the river into a magnificent summer and weekend residence with more than forty rooms. Between 1939 and 1941, Frederick's daughter, Helen Jr., built a large colonial style house on a second river site. Neither structure remains today. The main house was demolished in 1955 after the deaths of Frederick and Helen Sr.; fire destroyed Helen Moseley, Jr.'s house in 1978.

Helen's House in 1975
'A' under the giant rhododendrons
The stables near the site of the Main House
View from "Castle Hill" site of Moulton's Castle
The route that 'A' and I walked (darkened line)

Edge of Darkness

Well, a while ago it was in the GDT that yet another movie set was located in Rockport. Seems Mel Gibson had been in town, verrrry early in the morning, to film scenes for an upcoming movie titled "Edge of Darkness". Sounds like a good one, doesn't it? For you Brits out there, it is an adaptation of the 1985 British television mini-series of the same name.

Us locals didn't even know that we should get up before 5:30 a.m. and trek to Cape Hedge Beach (as in my post Surf's Up) to watch the action! Well darn, missed that one.

Sooooooooo, yesterday the gang and I headed out on a few errands and then north on Rte. 95. We got off at the Newburyport exit to head for our final Skip's meal of the season. As we approached the top of the exit ramp, Amanda exclaimed, "Look, they're filming a movie nearby! The signs say EOD". Sure enough, there were the now familiar yellow and black 'arrow' signs with the movie title acronym. Hmmm, same as the title of the movie in Rockport.

The signs were indicating the same direction as we were to turn. Yippeeeeeeeee! Maybe some excitement. As we traveled along Rte. 113 towards West Newbury we saw the ocassional signage for the movie. I knew that very shortly we would be leaving that road to head down and across the Merrimack River at the Rock's Village bridge. We'd most likely miss the action. Bridge Street approached and I got ready to turn. There was another sign! We were still hot on the trail.

Crossing the Merrimack River on the Rock's Village bridge is an adventure in and of itself. It's narrow and old. Although it is made of steel, it has a wooden road. Currently, they are in the process of repairing the road so you travel from new planking to old. Some of the old planking has huge chunks missing and I wonder how much wood is separating me from a plunge into the river. Once the planking is complete, the entire surface will be once more covered with macadam.

Well, I got off track there.

We crossed the Merrimack and I turned on my signal to turn right along the river road. Couldn't do it. They had closed the road for filming! We continued up through Rock's Village to Rte. 110 and made out way the long way around to Skip's. On our return trip we tried to use our customary route along the river. It was well after 5:30 p.m. and we thought, just maybe, they would be finished filming for the day. Not quite, but the white limo was just leaving. We waved at darkened windows (have to have some giggles, you know)!

So watch for the movie, "The Edge of Darkness", and have a good look at some of our well traveled areas!

(The photo that I used here was taken of the Merrimack River, in 1976, from the shores of the Moseley Estate (Maudsleigh), as part of a photo essay that I was completing.)

Sitkaport, Alaskachusetts

We are having identity problems. Yes, folks, Hollywood is in town once again. This time filming the movie, The Proposal, due out in September 2009. So, does Rockport filming guarantee a flop movie? Time will tell. Other movies I remember being filmed here have been: The Good Son, A Rockport Christmas, The Love Letter, and Stuck On You. Big stars in some like McCauley Culken, Tom Selleck, Ellen DeGeneres, Greg Kinnear, Matt Damon, Elijah Wood and more. None have been particularly great movies. The Good Son was most likely the best of them.

The Proposal's cast includes Sandra Bullock, Betty White, Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson and Ryan Reynolds. Rockport has once again been transformed into someplace else (we're rarely Rockport). This time we are summer in Sitka, Alaska. Town is really spiffed up! Amanda and I spent about two hours watching and roaming on Monday. We are thinking of heading down again today. Yesterday we took pictures of some of the sets and the transformations in town. I also got several photos of Ryan Reynolds. Honestly, I don't have a much of a clue about him other than he's a nice looking 30 something who was in the remake of The Amityville Horror. Filming is taking place over about a week and a half, finishing up the end of this week.

History Lessons

Where were you when?I was keeping an eye on the paperwork.Mom was checking payments!

Lions and Tigers and Bears

Oh my.

Just a lion. But a big one at that.

This picture is for Claire. We visited the 'motherland' in June - July of 1966.

Welcoming Winter

I'm posting this a day early due to an unexpectedly heavy work load on Saturday.

I had intended to begin my Christmas holiday today. That is if you don't include finishing up two sets of keys to be return shipped on Monday. Well, I ended up with a few out of town tunings for Saturday. I think I'll turn off my answering machine. Well, maybe not.

Anyway, here's the photograph that is meant to be posted on the first full day of the winter season. A winter wonderland view of the Merrimack River taken from the lawn of the Moseley Estate, now known as Maudesley State Park, in Newburyport, MA.

Hark the Herald

I have succumbed to the pressure. Mary posted in the comments that she wanted to see our treetop angel. So...thanks to a zoom lens...'Angels We Have Heard On High' at eight feet!
And while loading this photo I came across another of the Bearskin Neck shop that includes the adjacent store. They look nice together. So neighborly to coordinate their decorating!

Seasonal Views

Here are a few photos. I ventured in to the freezing temps just to take some pictures for all of you. Yes, yes, you're welcome. This is the town Christmas tree. It is one of the nicer ones we've had over the past couple years. I noticed that the DPW didn't have to fill in any bare spots with extra branches. Last year the branches that they used weren't the same type of fir as the tree and it looked a bit odd.
This next picture is the front of a shop on Bearskin Neck. It's one of the nicest decorating jobs out there.
And, as promised, here are some of our Christmas tree fully decorated. We decorate with all shiny ornaments. The icy moon man is mine (and my favorite).