East Coast

Once we picked up our car, Ford Fusion 2016 with less than 6,000 miles, we immediately left Manchester, NH. We drove to the coast past Hampton and Rye Beach. We were amazed at how many people could live so close together along the shore line. Rv's so close together that they look like row houses. I think this is where the rich folks come to get away form the humid cities of New York and Boston. And we kept going to get away from them. We did stop along the beach to find wonderful rock sculptures. Gravel and really big rocks have been added to the beach to prevent erosion. Climate change, with rising sea levels and big storm surges -- plus the geological fact of life that the east coast of the U.S. Is very gradually sinking lower -- mean a different seaside experience in this bottom corner of the granite state. Winter storms can be brutal here.

Quite fun but windy!

And I couldn't resist taking a photo of Norm picking up someone else's garbage, what a guy!

Next stop Portsmouth. Here the rich white folks go to shop and boat. A very ritzy town.

We decided to spend the night in Portsmouth after chatting with a very friendly tourist info woman who kept the doors open after closing time just for us. She gave us the scoop on cheaper motels, best  for tbreakfast and dinner spots. It's a old port city with a big navy shipyard just across the river in Maine. This is where freighters bring shiploads of road salt for use on the state's roads in winter. But the town has also turned into a trendy tourist spot.

Full moon over the Piscataqua River from the Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth.

Headingh home.....

Seafood dinner anyone? 

The next morning we had breakfast at Colby's with only a 15 minute wait. I think every tourist in town has to go out for breakfast. Good thing we got here just after 8 am. Lots of food and reasonable prices.

As we headed up the coast passing York, Norm saw a sign of a farmers market. Quick turn and into York we go. The only market we saw was half a dozen stalls in a parking lot. Discouraged, we kept going on our way out only to see a large number of tents set up in a park. Off to get fresh produce to munch, we were surprised to find we now had to pay to the art show. Attend we did and found a couple of things to buy but no fresh produce or cinnamon buns. 

Onwards to the highlight of the day. Norm wanted to see the last remaining Shaker colony still in existence today, at Sabbathday Lake, Maine. What a pleasant surprise. Probably one of the best and most informative tours I have been on. Maybe because I knew nothing about Shakers before and I know much more now. 

 

No photos allowed inside but you can see the simplicity of their buildings. The Sabbathday Lake Shaker colony was established in 1783. It is situated on 1,800 acres of farm and forest. Of the 170 members at their peak only three elderly Shakers remain today, Arnold, June and Frances. They were creative and entrepreneurial, hardworking people who reminded us of the Doukhobors in the Kootenays. One big reason only three active Shakers remain is that Shakers were celibate: they had to recruit new members from outside the colony. In earlier times, children were often "given" to Shaker communities, orphans or youngsters whose families couldn't afford to raise them. 

Shakers were know for a number of inventions. Did you know that they invented the flat corn broom?

After the tour we continued east and are now back in New Hampshire in Conway at the Scenic Inn. Along the way, we passed through Denmark and Poland (could have toured Paris and Berlin too but they were farther north). This town is the gateway to the White Mountains, where Mt. Washington is located, at 6,288 feet, the highest peak in New England. The Appalachian Trail comes through here too.

Norm resting while we wait for the Inn owner to show up.

Dinner of seafood at Johnson's where I finally got to have a lobster roll I had wanted to try, (it's a soft hot dog bun but packed with lots of lobster and mayo) while Norm ate baked scallops.