New England Family Vacation

I came across this article about a road trip through New Hampshire.
It sounds so wonderful I knew I had to pass it along.

A White Mountains Vacation - Most Scenic 100 Miles In New
England

Author: Cliff Calderwood

This amazing trip through the White Mountains of New Hampshire
includes gorgeous views, a visit to the home of the world wind
speed record, and one of most scenic train rides in the east.
The White Mountain National Forest is a 4-hour drive north of
Boston, Massachusetts. Deep in New Hampshire, the mountains are
part of the Appalachian Mountain system that covers the Eastern
United States. Within the forest park is the White Mountains
Trail, and it's a drive that's arguably the most scenic 100
miles in New England. Here's a selection of my favorite stops
along the way - some of them require prior planning and are day
trips in themselves.

WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST VISITOR CENTER

Most people begin the drive from the White Mountains Visitor
Center in North Woodstock on route 112 and head out on route 3N
to the Franconia Notch area.

If you're traveling with kids then you'll want to pencil dates
back in this area at the Clark's Trading Post, and The Whale's
Tale attractions -- both in Lincoln on route 3N. At Clark's you
can see Bears, ride a steam train, climb towers, and generally
keep the young ones happy. The Whale's Tale is a water park with
a wave pool, picnic areas, and live entertainment.

Back on the road head north towards Franconia Notch, and shortly
you'll see the sign for our first stop - the Flume Gorge.

THE FLUME GORGE

The Flume Gorge was formed over 200 million years ago when the
White Mountains were molten rock. As the terrain here cooled
quickly, softer material was forced into the fractures that
formed. These fractures wore down with natural erosion much
quicker that the surrounding granite rock -- leaving the gorge.
And so now you get to enjoy a geological wonder at the base of
beautiful Mount Liberty.

The Gorge has a visitor center where your tour starts and ends,
one of the oldest covered bridges on the White Mountains Trail,
and some dramatic photo opportunities.

Continue to head north on Route 3 until it joins Route 302 and
follow 302 towards Bretton Woods. Here the mountains get taller
and taller until eventually you see the grand daddy of them all
-- Mount Washington at 6,288 feet.

THE ROOF OF THE WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST...

Depending on time available, you've got three options for
experiencing Mount Washington: take the Cog Railway train ride
to the top, drive the auto road to the summit -- the quickest
way, or you can hike if you're well prepared. But don't consider
hiking to the top unless you're in great condition and with
somebody. This mountain claims lives every year - even in the
summer - as conditions in this area can deteriorate dramatically
within minutes.

And yes, it's worth getting to the summit. On a clear day the
view is stunning. Visit the museum at the top and learn about
the day in 1934 when the highest wind speed ever recorded on
earth was taken - 231 MPH. You'll learn why its unique
geographic position provides the mountain with the worst weather
on earth.

Now get back onto Route 302 and head south to the town of North
Conway.

THE CONWAY SCENIC RAILROAD

Schedule at least enough time to take the shorter valley scenic
train, which you board in North Conway. The train rides offer
wonderful views of the scenic valleys and notches in the
surrounding area.

The valley train is a 55-minute roundtrip, and the Notch train
is 5 hours. Both have a first-class car if you want to have a
different experience. The notch train has a dome car as well,
where you get magnificent views of the steep ravines and sheer
bluffs. The trains usually run from mid-June until mid-October.

THE KANCAMAGUS HIGHWAY

Let's finish up our White Mountains Trail tour by joining back
up with route 112 at Conway and driving back to the White
Mountain National Forest Visitor Center.

Route 112, or as its better known the Kancamagus Highway, is the
only road that runs directly east and west through the heart of
the White Mountain National Forest. This is a dramatic road that
shows off the magnificence of one of New Hampshire's best-loved
scenic spots. From this road your vistas include wilderness and
the highest peaks in the presidential range.

During the summer and fall foliage months you're likely to have
plenty of company on your drive. But if the weather is clear who
cares if the going is a little slow - this isn't a drive to rush
anyway. But it's a magnificent end to our 100-mile scenic drive.
You'll find a map of this scenic drive at my web site www.new-england-vacations-guide.com/

About the author:
For more details on these and other attractions on White Mountains vacations and to pick up your free vacation reports go to Cliff Calderwood's New England Vacations site at:
http://www.new-england-vacations-guide.com