Awaking to a chilly but sunny morning, we saw a dusting of snow on the mountains as we drove to Benton’s Sugar Shack for breakfast.
The Benton’s have been making maple syrup for five generations then 30 years ago opened a small eating place for skiers which looks like its hardly changed and now they open year round for breakfast at the weekend. We waited a while for a table which we then shared with another couple and breakfast certainly kept us going all day.
We made a quick stop for Blair Bridge …
… then continued to Holdness where we are staying at Cottage Place on the edge of Squam Lake, in a cute little cottage all to ourselves.
We were quickly out again, not wanting to waste any of the sunshine and drove a short way so we could take a hike with views of the lake. It was just a couple of miles on the flat to explore the Five Fingers Trail but we got some lovely pics.
Still on pancake power, we went for a viewpoint too, a half mile up to Eagle Cliff where we could look out on the lake from above.
We went to Squam Lake Inn Kitchen for a very cosy dinner with a portobello mushroom stack for Chris and pork chop for me. Across the room, some of the Autumn Watch crew including Chris Packham were having dinner. They have been here in Squam Lake for a week or so and will be broadcasting a New England special from 17-19 October, so with the wonders of science and the Virgin app I’ve managed to set it up to record so we won’t miss it! It does seem that the best of the fall foliage colour has yet to arrive here as we haven’t seen the the vibrant reds that we saw in the mountains.
Fortunately our cottage has an efficient heater and plenty of blankets as the temperature tonight might hit freezing again.
Littleton is a convenient base to explore the Franconia Notch State Park together with its attractions which have been drawing tourists here since a surveyor noticed a rock formation resembling a man’s head in 1805.
The Main Street has some surprisingly grand buildings for a modest town but also lots of local shops rather than having been taken over by shops catering purely for tourists.
Two warm sunny days were forecast so we replanned a little to make the most of them. Up early and full of breakfast bagels, we set out to hike the Middle Sugarloaf Trail, a 2.3 miles moderate return hike with an ascent of 866ft and a promise of fab views. The blanket of fallen leaves changed colour as we hiked on …
… Rocky Gorge …
… and time to move along and check in for the night …
We picked the route for scenic attraction and interest rather than speed and the first treat of the day was to see our first covered bridge. They were designed to protect the wooden structural timbers from the weather, and there are only 8 remaining in Maine. This is a Paddleford truss bridge called Bennett Bean Bridge, built in 1898 and 
… and from Maine to New Hampshire and back to Maine.
This is the Columbia Day weekend, the last hoorah at the end of the season with a bank holiday tomorrow so restaurants were busy and we ended up at Mountain Fired pizza for dinner.
The Auto Road Stage Office is actually chained down for safety and bears this sign …
Next day we drove the scenic route all the way round Rangeley Lake taking a few pics and making a couple of stops.
Bald Mountain offered a family-friendly hike of 1.3 mile each way, with an ascent of 930ft.
The last viewpoint was at the Height of Land Overlook, but by now it was a little overcast.
We drove northwards … first up was Eartha, the world’s largest rotating and revolving globe at the DeLorme mapping corporation in Yarmouth. It’s huge… hello Joanna!
Next was the Desert of Maine, a 40 acre expanse of glacial silt which has been a tourist attraction in Freeport since 1925. This became exposed in the C19th through soil erosion when the Tuttle family failed to rotate their crops then over grazed the land, eventually overtaking the whole farm. It has been preserved as a curiosity but slowly vegetation is becoming established once more and covering the sand.
I hadn’t heard of LLBean, but this store was founded in 1912 by its namesake, hunter and fisherman Leon Leonwood Bean in Freeport. Today there is a huge shopping campus open 24hrs daily selling clothing and equipment for every outdoors pursuit imaginable.
Just as we were feeling peckish we saw a huge lobster and had to stop! I had a cup of lobster stew, but I have to admit, having had Maine lobster twice now, that I would still prefer a crab sandwich any day!
All along this part of the coast fingers of land stretch into the sea. We took a detour down to the end of Pemaquid Point to visit the lighthouse, which was looking splendid against the blue sky in the sunshine.
Moody’s diner had been recommended to us by Christopher in Gloucester who said their choice of pies had to be seen to be believed … and he was right! I chose a four berry pie, while Chris opted for the peanut butter cream pie … a deliciously indulgent afternoon treat for us both … thanks Christopher!
Just a little further and we reached Camden, where we had booked a room at the Towne Motel which has been welcoming guests since 1955.It was great to be able to take a short walk into the village for dinner and eat at the Seadog Brewing Co and in the morning breakfast was served in the parlor of the original 1853 house.
We thought we might start with the Mount Battie viewpoint in Camden State Park, but one look out of the window and we realised the summit was shrouded in mist … another grey day in Maine! Instead we headed down the St George Peninsular, catching views along the way.
Marshall Point Lighthouse is at the bottom and has a wooden runway linking the light with the keepers house which makes for a great photo op.
We also took a detour from Spruce Head to Spruce Head Island …
… and out to Penobscot Bay.
After the fabulously sunny day yesterday, today is grey as we set out north on Highway 1, passing very familiar places in a very unfamiliar order – 
We drove a way on the I-95, then took another detour to Cape Elizabeth to see her 
The morning dawned just as miserable, but dry at least, and we wandered into town, first through the Arts quarter, where we 
We checked into Vista Motel, complete with sea view …
… and then went walking on Good Harbour beach as the sun set.
Passports bistro came highly recommended on Tripadviser and although it was fully booked, we sat up at the bar. There were plenty of veggie options including chipotle pasta which hit the spot with Chris, and after that plate of mussels at lunch, a salad was just perfect for me.
… today it is filled with little shops selling arty gifts and ice cream.
… then a little closer …
Gloucester is the oldest fishing port in Massachusetts and we took a trip with Seven Seas Whale Watch.
… raising their tails…
We picked up the hire car and drove out of Boston, stopping a short way up the coast at Nahant Beach in Lynn, just to breathe the sea air, stretch our legs and feel ourselves relaxing now we were away from the cities.
So the house inspired the book, but then the book inspired the house as several features have been added to make it fit with the novel. The tour was really engaging, especially for younger people what with secret stairs revealed by a concealed lever, and a visit to the attic!
Having spent a week in New York, we took the train through Connecticut and Rhode Island to Massachusetts, near to the coast in places but the day was grey, the train quite fast and the windows grubby so no pics! This is just a whistle stop tour of Boston, with just two days to see as much as we can. We are staying in the Back Bay area, once marshland, it was then filled in to make one of the most sought after neighbourhoods. Oasis Guesthouse is made from a pair of 1880 brownstones which have been converted into around 15 snug but perfectly adequate rooms. There is also a great continental breakfast served downstairs each morning.
Charles Bullfinch was Boston’s foremost architect at the time, responsible for many houses such as these …
… and the Nichols House …
… which is open for tours so we went inside and heard about Rose Nichols who moved here with her family when she was 13 and lived here till she died in 1960. Her father was a doctor and practised from the house and they had a summer house in Cornish New Hampshire, renowned as an artists colony of the time. Her mother ran two homes which she filled with beautiful antiques collected from their frequent travels to Europe and worked with local charities. Rose grew up, chose not to marry and became a garden designer and writer, a suffragist and peace activist, and also made time for a wood carving in her spare time!
Moving on, we passed the Massachusetts State House, another Bullfinch building which looked stunning in the sunshine with its golden roof …
… and picked up the Freedom Trail, marked on the ground with bricks set into the pavement, which connects a variety of historically significant locations through the city.
We passed the grave of Samuel Adams and The Old City Hall …
Just behind is Quincey market, no doubt a bit of a tourist trap, but perfectly placed for lunch so I went for the local special, a lobster salad roll with a small cup of chowder and Chris chose a Greek falafel wrap … yummy!
We chose not to continue on the trail, past Paul Revere’s house and instead took a round trip on the public ferry from Long Wharf to Charlestown so we could see the city from the water. It had the added bonus of giving us a glimpse of the memorial obelisk which commemorates the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Returning we followed the harborwalk to 470 Atlantic Avenue, where an observation point on the roof gives a good view of the site of the famous Boston Tea Party, complete with a couple of reproduction ships containing a museum.
So the short version is that it’s all about a bunch of angry colonists dressed as Native Americans throwing chests of tea into the water but the story is far more complicated … check out the link here if you want the complicated version … otherwise we’ll move on!
… and stopped at Copley Square so we could take pictures in the sunshine of Trinity Church with the huge 62 storey John Hancock Tower and Boston Public Library.
It was interesting seeing how all these old brick buildings are dwarfed and surrounded by modern Boston.
The rector, Philips Brooks was a charismatic preacher who drew crowds and needed a good auditorium for his sermons. Incidentally he also wrote the words to O Little Town of Bethlehem.
He engaged Henry Hobson Richardson, a prominent American architect who took the influences from Romanesque architecture in Europe and adapted them into a revival style that became known as Richardson Romanesque characterised by a clay roof, polychromy, rough stone, heavy arches, and a massive tower. This style was soon adopted for a number of public buildings across the United States. A richly coloured interior was chosen to complete the aesthetic of the church and murals designed by John LaFarge cover the walls. Finally, the stained glass is stunning as is in a variety of styles, mainly from Europe. Four windows are by Edward Byrne-Jones and made by William Morris & Co – three Christmas windows and David’s Charge to Solomon …
… but my favourites were the panels made by LaFarge himself, also a stained glass artist. He used flat sheet opalescent glass in the creation of stained-glass and created an original method of layering and welding. He shared his ideas with Louis Tiffany but this led them to fall out over patents.
Brooks wanted a window to inspire his sermons, and Christ in Majesty certainly does that, with a background set with round nuggets of glass in a brilliant blue which shimmer whatever the weather.
I think we might be looking out for more Richardson and LaFarge in future travels!
The Boston Public Library is the other impressive building on the square and is home to three major mural cycles. The beautiful marbles staircase together with The Muses of Inspiration by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes provides an impressive entrance.
Everyone was hard at work in the Reading Room as we continued to Edwin Austin Abbey’s depiction of Sir Galahad’s Quest for the Holy Grail and especially liked The Golden Tree.
John Singer Sargent was maybe the leading portrait painter of his generation so we were surprised to find the top floor containing his Triumph of Religion which he worked on for 30 years and was intended to show progress from pagan superstition up through the ascension of Christianity.
The pagan images are especially striking.
Lastly we returned to the State House and we able to just wander round …
We took the T from Park Street Station and travelled on the same half mile stretch of subway line which was the first in the US which extended just over half a mile when the open-bench four- wheeled trolley car made its inaugural journey in 1897.
