kjoyce4When we left off, Chloe and I had just left our first experience camping in a tent. Cold and tired, I munched on my breakfast PB and banana, and made my way from Franconia to North Conway.
My first stop of the day was the Mount Washington Hotel. You’d know it if you saw it. The white one with the red roof. It’s where they shot part of “The Shining.” Maybe it was the morning haze, or the fact that I wasn’t fully awake, but I didn’t think it was that impressive.
Honestly, day two was a bit of a drag. I was tired. I realized around noon that I hadn’t washed my hands in more than 24 hours.
So I stopped at every other “scenic view” pull off, crossing through Crawford Notch and Pinkham Notch, and figured out how to pass the time before checking into the cabin I had booked for the evening.
I stopped at Diana’s Baths and made the quick hike to the falls. They’re beautiful and Chloe and I had fun navigating the rocks. You can walk right out onto the falls.
After a little wandering around North Conway and an impromptu stop at Starbucks for coffee and my first hot meal since leaving, I made a stop at a general store. I’ve been collecting postcards for years, but with the pandemic and a job that didn’t allow for much time off or extra income, it had been a while since I added any new places to my collection.
We eventually made our way across the border and into Maine. After a night in the freezing cold, I was more than happy to sit by the fire and enjoy the sunset on the lake. I purposely planned increasingly better places to stay as the trip went on (just wait until I get to the hotel with running water.)
The more I reflect on this, the more I realize that the little wins are what mattered the most. Like using a propane stove that needs to lit by hand for the first time. I thought I was going to blow the cabin up. And running water. Modern convinces are taken for granted too often.
