A Scenic Fall Drive on the Way to North Conway, New Hampshire

The following photographs were taken during a day trip to our planned destination of North Conway, New Hampshire. We took this drive at the end of this past October. We made a few stops during this trip and I had also taken a few photographs along the way. Due to the large amount of photographs, I am going to the events from this trip into several posts. Many of the photographs from my future posts pertain to the holiday season. Sharing all of what went on will almost seem fitting for the month of December.

It was a beautiful and crisp autumn day with clear blue skies for our drive to New Hampshire. We haven’t been in this area since we had moved here five years ago. That sure was a drive we will never forget. We started from Palm Coast, Florida and made our way all the way up to Western Maine. It had taken us a few days to get up here and the trip involved me driving up in the car. My partner drove a pickup truck hauling a trailer that carried everything we owned. We also transported our three cats, one of which was a diabetic with pancreatitis. Talk about stress! When we finally saw the sign welcoming us to the state Maine, we couldn’t have been happier. We had all made it here in one piece. This trip through New Hampshire wouldn’t be anything close to that experience, but it did follow some of the same routes.

The following photographs were taken at the base of Mount Washington and the starting point of the Mount Washington Auto Road from Route 16. The Mount Washington Auto Road is a 7.6 mile toll road that begins on Route 16 and extends to the summit of Mount Washington in the White Mountains. The road climbs 4,618 ft (1,408 m) from an altitude of 1,527 ft (465 m) at the bottom to 6,145 ft (1,873 m) at the top with an average gradient of 11.6%. The road was completed and opened to the public in 1861. Visitors have the option of driving themselves or taking a guided tour to the summit. Rates vary for both options. If you drive yourself, visitors will earn the famous “This Car Climbed Mount Washington” bumper sticker. Road use is seasonal, so visitors should plan accordingly.