Day 22, EAst Coast Trip, October 9, 2023 at Weare NH

Day 22, East Coast trip, Monday October 9,2023 moved to Weare NH 

From Scarborough Maine to Weare, New Hampshire, is just about a 100 mile drive. We were on the road by about 10:20. The sun came up and there was not much wind so that helps always when pulling a trailer. (tail winds are fine) We headed South on I-95 going past the entry to the two lighthouses we had seen the day before at York and Biddeford where are located those early knitting mills started on Saco River. After 40 miles we turned west on New Hampshire 101 and headed for Manchester, New Hampshire. 

A few turns later and we're in the deep woods in the little town of Weare, NH. Just a few businesses, a restaurant and gas station, but a few miles further west is the campground deep in the woods of New Hampshire. We were met by Jennifer and Andy, the owners, and were assigned a very large campsite with a full cement pad about 20 feet wide. It may be the widest one we've ever camped on. Large trees, and I mean LARGE trees, surrounded us again both oak and maple for the most part. The maples here are getting some color and we will see lots of that this week. I worked for the forest service in Idaho, I had seen larger White Pine trees, but these were quite big. 

 

The campground looking down one road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our spot in site "8" (lots of room)

We arrived early in the afternoon, and so after setting up and getting everything leveled we took a short 10 minute ride to look for Perkins Pond . We did find with the help of a fellow in his truck, as” Margaret” the GPS lady, missed the spot by about a half-mile. Hmmm? Maybe she knew it was a holiday also today? It was a pond that has been backed up by an old dam that has the very narrow sluice that is adjusted by the local conservation department to maintain water levels. There were lots of lilies, but no birds or frogs or turtles, that we could see. Sometimes that is true when the pond is very deep as the animals have no logs or rocks on which to rest. The same is true of wading birds who need some shallow water to do their stalking. 

After some rest in the trailer we went to a local restaurant call Starks Tavern just a half mile down the road. It was a very comfortable place, lots of wood furniture in tables, surrounded on the walls by cross cut saws and lumber paraphernalia. As is our custom we eat early at 5 o’clock to be ahead of the crowds, but this restaurant was quite full at that time. We suspect that many workers stopped on their way home to have a brew, or chicken wings, or a meal. Although there were some children there, it was busy until about the time we left. Oh, the meal? Both Ruth and I had a dinner off the menu. Ruth opted for scallops over a large helping of pasta with a spinach cream sauce on top. I tasted them and they were one of the best we've ever had as they were sweet and tender. Jim saw on the menu two things he hadn't seen in long time. One was Jambalaya over rice, and the other was Bulgogi done Korean style. (The owners were Korean we were told.) Jim opted for the jambalaya and it was flavorful a little bit spicy, as it should be, and more then he could eat at a sitting. 

That was it for the day and we enjoyed the ride, traffic was normal for the most part, although we had to watch I-95 for those toll booth approaches and EZ-Pass lanes, as the traffic slows down quickly as you approach them about 3 miles away. Remember I-95 is three lanes of traffic each way, so that's a lot of cars and trucks. 

Tomorrow we hope to go to a National Wildlife Refuge nearby that surrounds a mountain and and has many trails. (Wapack NWR) We won't do much walking but we will examine it to see if there're any birds left and maybe a bear or wolverine , as they say they are around! Thanks for reading and hope to see you tomorrow.