Day 8: Franconia Area, White Mountains - New Hampshire

Enjoy a hearty breakfast to prepare you for the exciting day ahead. The White Mountains are certainly northern New England's outdoor-recreation capital and the mountain air will invigorate you! Since there is such a multitude of possible programs, may we suggest that you choose from these activities for your first full day:

You might want to begin your day with hiking on some of the 1,200 miles of trails the area has to offer. There are detailed guidebooks for sale at most gift shops in the area that list hikes of varying degrees of difficulty. Two of the more popular spots include the spectacular Arethusa Falls Trail in Crawford Notch State Park (Rt. 302) and The Flume (Franconia Notch State Park) an 800-foot long natural chasm whose narrow walls give the gorge's running water a deeply eerie echo.

Drive the 34-mile length of the Kancamangus Highway, which is registered by the National Forest Service as one of the most scenic roadways in the United States. There are short hiking trails off of the highway that offer great rewards. For example, about 20 miles east of exit 32 is the parking area for Sabbaday Falls, the beginning point for an easy ½ mile trail to the multilevel cascade that plunges through two potholes and a flume.

Travel by car to Rt. 3 and to Bretton Woods where you can board the Mount Washington Cog Railway. The mountain-climbing railway takes a scenic and thrilling 3-hour round trip to the top of Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast.

If you are of a literary mind perhaps you would be interested in the Frost Place in Franconia. It was here that famed American poet, Robert Frost wrote his most remembered poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." Even if you are unfamiliar with the work of the poet you might still enjoy the mountain views and short trail marked with lines from the poem. You may even happen on to a poetry reading by one of the current poets-in-residence.

Consider having dinner at Tim-Bir Alley (Bethlehem), said to be the best dining in the White Mountains. You can savor a main course of beef tournedos with smoked bacon and cabernet sauce or hoisin-ginger noodles with shrimp and bok choy, but save room for the superb desserts which include cranberry-almond cake with a warm honey sauce, or a chocolate-hazelnut pate.