Once again, the sea is before us, this time in the northeastern corner of the country.
The coast of New Hampshire, at a mere 13 miles, is the shortest of all the coastlines in the USA. That's not to say that it isn't packed with something for everyone. While driving, find New Hampshire Highway 1A to allow yourself to peacefully meander this edge of the country. Make a quick stop along the northern rocky coast, where you may be able to see in the distance the nine Isles of Shoals, the ownership of which are split in half between New Hampshire and Maine. While at this part of the coast, perhaps in order is a quick trip up to Fort Stark, an artillery from World War II, or Fort Foster on the Maine side in Kittery which served as an additional gun battery during both World Wars.
If you're more of the "long walk" variety, head south down the coastline, as North Beach, Hampton Beach, and Seabrook Beach await beach visitors. Be cautious when visiting these cities, as they are quite expensive when it comes to parking, reaching rates you'd find in New York City, especially on Manhattan. If you want something a little more economical, go over the drawbridge and beyond Seabrook Beach down to the city of Salisbury, Massachusetts. The beaches are just as accessible, and it's easy enough to take a walk back into New Hampshire if you wanted to visit Seabrook.
A trip to the North Atlantic in the warmer months would not be complete without a whale watching tour. Up around Rye Harbor, you'll find Granite State Whale Watch, a great "bang for the buck" when wanting to see these large marine mammals. This company has partnered with the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation, which not only gives a great narration on what you'll see out in the blue depths, but also performs research while these tours are conducted. There are typically two tours per day in the summer months; be sure to book the later of the tours because there are no trackers on any of the whales that visit, and the crew has the added benefit of a morning search to find these swimmers. The area is most likely to see finback and humpback whales, but you may get a bonus of a jumping tuna while out there.
So whether your Internal Compass takes you towards rocky or sandy beaches, northern New England will have something for you.
Time for another disc golf match!
Welcome back to the Waterville Valley Town Square Disc Golf Course for yet another match. This course has already been reviewed [in a previous match]. Not only did our players face off again, but this time had a visiting kiddo with them. Previously, he brought the kiddo to this same course in order to give a practical lesson on how to play. He was able to pull a 38, including pars on holes 2, 6, and 8. The kiddo had a 47, with one par on the 3rd from an approach shot that found the hole. While our normal two combatants were using their same discs, the kiddo would share between the two, along with being issued a challenge: If the kiddo could score 42 or less on this round, he'd receive his own set of discs. So how did everyone fare?
Course Result:
Halved: 5
Her Holes: 2
His Holes: 2
Course Record: Him 7 - 3 - 5 Her
Holes Record: Him 41 - 35 Her
Holes 1 and 2 started out even, with the kiddo getting one above and one below our competitors, respectively. A missed putt by him resulted in a lead for her, as the kiddo scored the same as him. However he learned his lesson on the 4th tee from a few miscues and halved both 4 and 5, with the kiddo one behind. A bad shot into the rough on the curved 6 meant she took a two hole lead, with the kiddo halving her. The seven saw a misdirected fairway shot from her, giving him the opportunity to pull it back to within one, while some bad putt luck from the kiddo saw the shot total be one above her. Steaming on the 8th, he was able to pull even with a par after a close approach, while the kiddo halved her. The ninth saw a final halve as he and she both made par, while the kiddo was only one over.
Looking at the shot counts, he and she both tied with an impressive 36 on the par 27 to show the benefits of their practicing. The kiddo, needing a 42 for the prize, was able to get a 41 on this round, meaning there is a new disc golfer out there in the parks.
Another draw has come, but what will happen next time? You'll have to tune in to find out. Until then, be sure to Follow Your Internal Compass.
Trip 22 is a two-legged excursion back into New Hampshire, with our first foray at the White Birches Camping Park in Shelburne, New Hampshire. A one week stay was had here.
Grounds: White Birches is located along the corridor of US Route 2, just east of the city of Gorham. Plenty of attractions are nearby, including the Mount Washington Auto Road which takes you to the highest point in New Hampshire. There is a resupply opportunity in the nearby city of Berlin, but needs for other national chains would have to be done in Conway or Littleton. This area has limited cell phone reception and wifi, so you probably won't be able to stream entertainment. The Appalachian Trail is nearby to this campground, owing to a number of visitors to their amenities. The place does have a vehicle gate, however because of it, they do not permit any sort of late check-in.
Sites: The park boasts over 100 sites with a mix of pull through and back-in, as well as full hookup with 50 amp service, water/electric, and primitive tent sites. This place is situated on a hill, with grass sites being divided by a change in elevation and snow markers near the roadway. The sites are about as level as they could be given the circumstances, but the length of the sites is what is most impressive to give enough room for a complete setup. A picnic table and fire pit are included in each of the sites. There are a number of very bright lights around the park at night, which did also reflect off many of the other RVs at the park, making it difficult to sleep.
Staff: The staff was found to be quite friendly for the most part, including when we saw maintenance out working. Not too many interactions were had.
Amenities: This campground has a gated entry with card, laundry, propane, as well as a heated pool for relaxing fun in the sun. Showers at the bath house are coin operated, mostly owing to the number of trail visitors. The laundry is a tad on the expensive side, however they do make up for this with larger front loading machines.
Atmosphere: This campground is, without a doubt, a family friendly park. Plenty of families were out enjoying the grounds, especially the pool. The quiet hours are a little later than other parks, but generally well respected.
Overall, White Birches Camping Park receives an 8 out of a possible 10 rating. The price is competitive with other RV parks in the area, and although it's a bit out in the middle of nowhere, it's not a bad place to visit if you need access to the north woods. If we were in the area, we'd be happy to visit again.
Usually when people look to go to New England, there's one place that sticks out as a must-see.
Welcome to Cape Cod National Seashore, a peculiar peninsula hanging from the southeast of Massachusetts. Many will know Cape Cod for its historical significance, when Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the Mayflower in 1620 and landed at Plymouth Rock, after sailing too far north after a storm and not being able to reach their original target of the Virginia colony. Their settled city of Provincetown still exists today, along with a park paying tribute to this original landing. This is where you will find the eastern terminus of United States Route 6, a mere 3,205 miles from Bishop, California at the other end, as is signed in this area.
Although Provincetown is certainly a spectacle in and of itself to get to the end of the land, there's much more to the Cape Cod area to visit. Perhaps make a stop in the cities of Barnstable, Yarmouth, or Dennis with plenty of along-the-shore opportunities for you to enjoy. If the mainland just isn't suiting you, head over to Hyannis and pick up a ferry. One may be able to take to the vacation home of many celebrities and famous people: Martha's Vineyard. Or take an excursion over to Nantucket Island. Who knows? You might be able to meet the man from Nantucket.
Along the way at the cities of Eastham and Wellfleet, make a stop at the National Beaches. If you have your National Parks Pass, you're in luck, because you'll be able to use it here. First make a stop at the Salt Pond Visitors Center, and if you have a pup with you, you'll be able to induct him or her into the B.A.R.K. Ranger program. They'll also help you with the dog friendly beaches, of which the National Seashore has a few. Make your way through and outside of the lifeguard protected areas between Coast Guard Beach and Marconi Beach, and your furry little friend will be able to enjoy the ocean. Just be aware that the beach itself is quite steep, and it's a bit of a hike back up to the parking lot, so make sure you are fully prepared.
So the next time your Internal Compass takes you to New England, don't forget about Cape Cod National Seashore.
Completing the second leg of trip 22, we find ourselves at the Riverbrook RV and Camping Resort in Rumney, New Hampshire. This one had a two-week stay, but was a little different in that a good chunk of the visit had three of us, as opposed to the usual two.
Grounds: Riverbrook is along State Route 25 on one of the effective ways to cross New Hampshire from west to east. The sign outside is partially broken making it difficult to find the first time around, especially along a higher speed road. They are a couple miles outside Plymouth for resupply opportunities, with major resupply only about 30 miles away in Tilton. The campground itself seems a bit run down from the curb, and could use some sprucing.
Sites: Nearly 100 full hook-up 50-amp sites adorn this park, most of which are gravel back-in at a 90-degree angle with a grass patio, though there are a couple pull-through, as well as tent only sites. Although the pad itself was effectively level, the patio was far from it, making it difficult to setup an outdoor kitchen. They tried to make some room to park vehicles on the gravel as they request it not be parked on the grass, but the spots were meant for compacts towed behind motorhomes, and not a truck towing a trailer, which we were barely able to fit sideways.
Staff: The staff was relatively friendly, although sometimes seeming a bit too laid back. You could tell the campground recently changed hands, as the rule sheet was not up to date by any means, not even containing any sort of quiet hours they supposedly had. We even had to request a mow of the patio a couple days in, and though we're happy they respect our property not to constantly come around to deal with the grass, you'd think the site would be prepped prior to coming in.
Amenities: The park has a rec room with free-to-play game tables, a pool, laundry at a reasonable price, propane, and a riverfront beach. The dumpsters did not have 24 hour access making end-of-day cleanings difficult, though it seems to be an issue in the area in general. They do advertise being permitted to share amenities with their sister property, Baker River Campground, though we did not make our way up there to see what they had. The bathhouses seemed to be growing mushrooms out of some of the shower stalls, rendering them unusable.
Atmosphere: The campground certainly has a family vibe to it, as plenty of kids were out and about, with the kiddo we had wanting to do the same. However, it seems to also be a magnet for belligerent partiers, especially during a holiday weekend. The adults seemed to act more like children than the children were, and made us want to rather explore the state for the day than stay to enjoy the amenities offered.
Overall, Riverbrook RV and Camping Resort receives a 7 out of a possible 10 rating. The price was relatively high for the area, though we have seen other parks at a similar price point. Though they try to offer things to cover the price they charge, we believe there are better choices for where to stay if your Internal Compass takes you to this part of the country.
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