Mt. Washington, NH

Sunday Ray and Karen took us on a day trip through mountains on what is called the Kancamagus Highway.  It is a 34-mile-long highway that climbs nearly 3,000 feet.  There are numerous scenic outlooks and scenic areas in the heart of the mountainous White Mountain National Forest.  After passing over Kancamagus Pass the highway follows the Swift River which has numerous recreation and natural swimming areas. 

Many hiking areas also along the highway.  Since it was the 4^th of July weekend, all of these areas were busy. We stopped at an area where it is extremely popular for hikers.  Huge parking lot with places for buses and RV’s (which we did not have along) and it was full of cars.  We ended up parking on a grassy spot under a tree!!

Since we had our lunch along, we just decided to pull off the road and hope to find a picnic table.  These people were viewing this huge rock and ended up crawling up on it and snacking there.

We weren't quite as adventurous and opted for this arrangement!!

Along the way we came to the Old Man of the Mountain, also known as the Great Stone Face or The Profile.  It was a series of five granite cliff ledges on Cannon Mountain in the White Mountains that appeared to be the jagged profile of a face.  The rock formation was 1,200 feet above Profile Lake.  It has been New Hampshire's state emblem since 1945.

Profile Lake:

This is what it looked like.  Unfortunately, it collapsed in 2003.

 From this view, you can see where the face used to be - just to the left of the white cloud in the middle of the picture.

 Further along the highway you come to the Cog Railway where you can ride to the top of Mt. Washington (6,288 ft.).  From the top you can take in a spectacular panoramic view, spanning the mountains and valleys of New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, north into Canada, and East to the Atlantic Ocean.  At the top is the Sherman Adams Visitors Center, Mt. Washington Observatory's Weather Museum and 1853 Tip Top House, a historic former hotel.

We did not make the trip as it cost around $65 each, and, we did not have 3 hours to spare.

Some relics from the past:

This area is a famous landmark known for its glorious history and architecture.
The resort features alpine and nordic skiing, golf, canopy tours and zip lines, tubing, fishing and much more.

Located on the grounds is famous the Omni Mt. Washington Hotel which was built in 1902.  Two hundred and fifty Italian craftsmen, skilled in masonry and woodworking were brought to Bretton Woods and housed on the grounds.

 It catered to wealthy guests from Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.  As many as 50 trains a day stopped Bretton Woods three railroad stations.

   In 1944 they hosted the Bretton Woods International Monetary Conference.  Delegates from 44 nations convened, establishing the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, setting the gold standard at $35 an ounce and designating the US dollar as the backbone of international exchange.

It was a great day for sightseeing and are thankful that Ray and Karen took the time to show it to us.