Hey Guys!
This post continues our time in New Hampshire and Vermont.
Read Day 1 here, Day 3 here and Day 4 here
Our travel dates were Oct 5th – 12th.
We stayed in New Hampshire for 2 nights, then Stowe, Vermont for 3 nights and Woodstock, VT the last 2 nights.
I will start this post out by saying that we drove A LOT on this trip!
We are not the kind of travelers that pick a place to go and then stay in that place for a week. We like to move around so we can see and do as much as possible because the likelihood of us ever returning to a place we have already visited, is rare.
There is a lot to see and do in both states so you have to pick and choose…..I will say, if I did visit again, I wouldn’t be running around quite as much as we did but again, we probably won’t go back because we have a very long bucket list!
So, let’s get started!
I had my hubby up every morning around 7 am! He was ready to choke me by the end of our vacation because the only time he manages to sleep, is when we are on vacation ….the only time I can’t sleep, is when we are on vacation because I want to see and do it all!
This was the view from the back door of our hotel room.
This is what their “river view” room looked like….does this look like a river? I noticed they have since changed the description of the room to “brooke view” which is more like it!
Our first stop of the day was the Kancamagus Highway aka the Kanc. This is a very popular scenic drive during the fall!
During my research, I had read where lots of people said to start this drive early or you could find yourself sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for hours.
Tip: For a less crowded option with gorgeous views, waterfalls and lakes, check out Dixville Notch. Click here for even more information about this small, but amazing state park
That is not how I want to spend my vacation so, we were up before 7 am and heading out for the day by 7:30 am.
The popular highway was only a 7 min drive from our hotel.
Tip: Don’t expect to have cell service during most of the drive. It’s a good idea to download offline Google maps ahead of time.
There are lots of pullovers along the highway so you will need to pick and choose the ones you want to stop at if you don’t want this to be an all day event.
I had made a list of the most popular stops before we left for our trip and we only did those stops and it still took us 3 hours.
The Kancamagus Hwy is approx. 35 miles long. There are no gas stations or restaurants along the drive. So, be prepared and have plenty of gas, snacks and water.
The road opened in 1959 and is recognized as a National Scenic Byway. It is open year-round and home to an abundance of hiking trails, walking paths, picturesque ponds, natural wonders, and many other must-see stops.
There are many animals in this area as well so drive slow and be on the lookout for a possible moose sighting!
Heading to the Kanc
The Kancamagus Hwy is located in the White Mountain National Forest.
The fall colors in the trees were beautiful however, it was hard to get good pictures because of the lighting.
Our first stop on the drive was the Lincoln Woods stop.
On this stop is where you will find a cool suspension bridge and a pedestrian bridge that spans the Pemigewasset river.
Tip: You will have to pay a $5 day pass to park anywhere along the highway however, if you already have an America the Beautiful pass or any other federal interagency pass, this will cover the fee. You just need to display it in your windshield.
We first headed to the pedestrian bridge to check out the views.
The views were beautiful with all of the fall colors but the river was really low.
This area of the forest was heavily logged back in the late 1800’s but today, it has been completely reforested.
You can see the swinging bridge from the pedestrian bridge so after taking a few pictures, we headed to the swinging bridge.
There is a small ranger’s station located here where you can pay for parking or you can pay at a kiosk.
Walking to the suspension bridge
Informational plaques near the bridge
The very cool suspension bridge
Views from the bridge
You can see the pedestrian bridge from the suspension bridge.
After spending a few minutes at the bridge, we continued our drive.
Our next stop was Hancock Overlook.
The views here were beautiful but there was still a lot of green in the higher elevations.
I would skip this stop if your time is limited. However, the views are seen right from the parking lot so, it’s a quick and easy stop.
There’s a small covered pavilion located here as well as a couple of informational plaques.
After this stop, we continued to the next stop, Pemigewasset Overlook.
This is another quick stop that has a covered pavilion and informational plaques.
I wasn’t overly impressed with the views so we snapped a few pictures and continued our drive.
We made another quick stop at the CL Graham Wangan overlook.
This overlook had lots of color but I still wasn’t overly impressed with the views.
Continuing our drive
Our next stop was the Sugar Hill Scenic Vista...
There are four major overlooks along the Kanc and this one was my favorite.. It offered the nicest views and the fall colors were really popping!
However, our next stop was by far the best stop on the Kanc….it’s the Sabbaday Falls!
It’s also the most popular stop on this scenic highway. The hike, or should I say walk, to the falls is only 0.6 miles round trip and it’s a very easy trail.
The trail was popping with colors!
I loved all of the leaves that had fallen on the trail….it made for some pretty pictures!
There was a creek that ran alongside the trail.
Arriving to the beautiful falls
The falls are a picturesque series of cascades in a narrow flume.
The falls has a 45′ total drop with wooden rails and stairways surrounding one side of the falls.
You can also walk down to the bottom of the falls.
At the bottom, you will find a small pool of water that would be refreshing on a hot day…however, there is no swimming allowed here.
We took a ton of pictures…it was hard not to!
The wooden boardwalks along the falls offer lots of different views so make sure to walk the entire boardwalk! 
Here’s an informational plaque that shows a map of the falls area.
After this stop, we headed to our next stop on the scenic highway.
As it got later in the morning, you could definitely tell there were more and more cars on the road.
We ended up missing our next stop because there were a ton of sports cars on the road that were driving very reckless and almost caused a few accidents!
We decided not to turn around and go back but the stop was called the Rocky Gorge Scenic Area.
So, we headed to our next stop called Lower Falls
This is one of the most popular stops on the Kanc, especially during hot summer weather as many people swim here.
The views were nice….it kind of reminded of me of the Smoky mountains.
To see the cascading falls, you will need to walk to the right from the parking lot and cross a small wooden bridge. It’s a very short walk.
The sun wasn’t cooperating so my pictures aren’t the best.
After this stop, we headed to our last stop on the Kancamagus Hwy….the Albany Covered Bridge.
This is another very popular stop.
Albany Covered Bridge was built in 1858 but destroyed by a storm which flooded the Swift River and swept away the new bridge. 
The bridge was quickly rebuilt and remained usable for over 100 years before needing to be renovated in 1970.
You can walk and drive across the bridge.
This is one of the prettiest covered bridges we saw on our trip so, I highly recommend a stop here if you are driving the Kanc!
It’s amazing that these bridges were built so long ago….the architecture is really amazing!
You can walk under the bridge for some really nice pictures.
After taking way too many pictures of the bridge, we continued our drive.
At the end of the Kancamagus Hwy is the small town of Conway.
A lot of people will stay here or in Lincoln as the two towns are separated by the Kanc.
Tip: If you start the Kanc from Conway, stop at Cheese Louise for a grab and go lunch or a yummy grilled cheese sandwich!
Another option for lodging that is close to the Kanc, is North Conway.…it’s 15 mins from Conway.
Tip: One of the most popular things to do in this area is the Conway Scenic Railway.
Our next stop for the day was Echo Lake – Cathedral Ledge State Park.
Read reviews for this park here
There is a $5 parking pass required for this park. You can either pay for it online or pay when you arrive. I purchased our pass before we left for our trip. However, make sure you reserve the right Echo Lake as there are two different ones.
A map of the area
The park is small and only encompasses a 15 acre lake and two rock ledges that you can walk or drive to for scenic views.
You can swim, kayak, canoe, picnic and rock climb at this park.
The lake is small but beautiful…..there’s a one mile trail that you can do around the lake.
There wasn’t a whole lot of color in the trees here but it was still very scenic.
We spotted a bunch of geese on the lake so we walked along the trail to get a better picture of them.
After spending a few minutes at the lake, we got back into our car and drove 1 mile up to cathedral ledge.
After getting parked, we walked a short distance to the ledge where we were greeted with spectacular views of the surrounding area!
From a different vantage point, you had views of Echo Lake from below.
A couple more shots of the views 
After admiring the views, we headed to our next stop, Diana’s Baths.
Diana’s Bath is located 5 mins from Echo Lake.
This is a very popular stop and the parking is very limited. We had to wait for a parking spot after we arrived.
Once we were parked, we walked the short 0.6 mile trail to the baths. (1.2 mi r/t)
The trail is very flat so most anyone will be able to walk it.
There were a few informational plaques that told about the history of this area.
A gentleman by the name of George Lucy, built a house and barn on the banks of the brook back in 1860. In the 1890’s, he built a 12 room boarding house for tourists to visit this site. Then, in the 1930’s, Chester Lucy built a concrete dam with a water feed and turbine system that replaced the water wheel used to power the sawmill.
Both the rooming house and sawmill were eventually sold to the US Government and have become part of the national Forrest land. Due to the deterioration, the buildings were eventually removed from the site in the 1960’s. Remnants of the site can still be seen today.
The cascading falls were really pretty as well as the fall colors that were on display!
The water levels here vary greatly depending on the season and rainfall. If you’re visiting during the spring, be cautious of walking around on the rocks.
The area is beautiful but the water was very low
After spending a few minutes here, we continued our drive.
We spotted this covered bridge in Bartlett that was a gift shop, so we decided to stop and check it out.
The historic Bartlett Covered Bridge, which spans the Saco River, is one of only 53 covered bridges left in New Hampshire. Built in 1850, the bridge is 183 feet long.
This bridge carried traffic over the Saco River for more than 80 years until it was replaced by the steel bridge in 1939. In 1965, the bridge and the land around it were sold to Mrs. Isabelle Casinelli who lived in this inn when it was a private residence. She had the 12′ x 80′ gift shop built inside the bridge.
Unfortunately, there was no way to get a good picture of the bridge from the outside.
After this stop, we decided to find something to eat as it was already 1:30 pm and we hadn’t eaten all day!
About 5 mins from the bridge, we spotted a place called the Sunrise Shack.
We pulled into the parking lot and debated if we should eat here because it definitely looked like a shack from the outside!
We decided to.give it a try because we were so hungry!
We walked up to the window and the guy working told us it would be about a 15 min wait and that he would need to take our ID in order to give us one of his pagers.
I almost walked off at that point because there was no one else waiting besides us and why would you need our ID in order to give us one of your pagers….like what in the world would we want your pager for?!
We reluctantly agreed and ended up waiting about 5 mins.
We were seated at the bar where we were given a menu to look over.
I decided on the BTB burger and the hubby ordered the beef and bleu burger. The cost was $15 for the burgers and $3 each to add fries instead of the house kettle chips.
Ok, here’s where I forgave the man for asking me for my ID because ya’ll, these burgers were out of this world!!
My husband and I both thought they were some of the best we have ever eaten and if you know my hubby, that says a lot because he is the burger connoisseur!
Read reviews here
A shot of the inside of the restaurant.
Unbeknownst to us, we arrived just in time to eat here because they were closing at 2!
With our bellies full, we continued our drive.
We spotted another covered bridge along the way in Jackson called, the Honeymoon Bridge.
The bridge was built in 1876 by Charles Austin Broughton and his son Frank.
We didn’t stop so I just snapped a picture as we were driving!
Views along the way to our next stop
The colors in this area looked like they were at peak!
As we were driving, we spotted a sign for the Mt Washington Auto toll road.
I actually had this on my itinerary for day 3 but since it was calling for rain tomorrow, we decided to do it today instead.
Views of the area
Arriving to the entrance
Tip: Places we had to mark off of our itinerary because of doing the Mt Washington Rd: Crawford Notch State Park, Bear Notch, Bretton Woods (gondola you can ride here), The Rocks – a Christmas tree farm that you can walk through, Littleton (has the longest candy counter in the world at Chutters), Dixville Notch and Franconia.
There were signs warning you that the road is a very steep, winding road without guardrails.
The cost to drive this road is very expensive!! It costs $65 for two people!!
If you don’t want to drive the road, you can book a tour online here.
After paying, we were given a bumper sticker that read, This car climbed Mt Washington.
The drive started out nice and peaceful.
But then, we started the climb!
The road is 7.6 miles to the summit ….you will drive 4k ft in elevation. It is the highest summit in the Northeast!
This road first opened in 1861 and is America’s oldest man-made tourist attraction.
Note: Please be aware that there are vehicle restrictions on this drive.
Read all about driving yourself to the summit here
It will take approximately 30-45 mins to reach the top. It really depends on how many vehicles are on the road.
Tip: The most popular way to reach the top is to take the historic Cog Railway….it takes an hour to reach the top and you are given around 45 mins at the top and then an hour back down. Read reviews here . I think it’s like $52 pp.
The views are breathtaking but I would never do this drive again! It was terrifying!
There are sheer drop offs and no guardrails at all! One wrong move and you’re history!
I DO NOT recommend driving yourself if you are afraid of heights….take the tour or the cog railway!
Views along the way
A shot of the observatory
A shot of one of the cog trains
Once you reach the top, you are directed on where to park.
Depending on where you park, you may have to climb a ton of stairs to get to the observatory.
If you have mobility issues or have a handicap placard, you can park very close to the observatory.
Inside the observatory, you will find a restaurant, snack bar, gift shop, restrooms and more.
We just went inside to use the restroom and then walked back outside.
Mount Washington State Park, a 60.3-acre parcel perched on the summit of the Northeast’s highest peak, is surrounded by the extensive 750,000-acre White Mountain National Forest.
On a clear day, views from the 6,288-foot summit extend beyond New Hampshire as far as 130 miles to Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Quebec, and the Atlantic Ocean.
A shot of the historic Tip Top house.
In 1853, the Tip Top House was the second stone house built on the summit. All materials were hauled nine miles on horses over rough trails from Randolph, N.H.
Originally it was built as a competing hotel, but eventually was combined with the other as a dining room, barroom and parlor.
The Appalachian Trail runs through Mt Washington!
A picture of the cog trains
A few more shots at the summit 
After spending a few minutes at the summit, we began the drive back down.
Tip: It can be several degrees colder at the summit so dress accordingly
There are several signs that tell you to use low gear going down and to pull over frequently to cool off your brakes.
The drive down was so much more frightening as you could now see how far up you were!
We pulled over a couple of times to take pictures.
The views were incredible but I would never do this drive again!
More views going down
After about 40 mins, we had made it to the bottom of the mountain and I was so thankful!
We then headed to our next stop
Our drive took us through the small town of Littleton. 
We had a few things on our itinerary to do in Littleton but ended up not having time to fit them in….one of the things on our list was visiting the candy store, Chutters. They have the longest candy counter in the world but they were closed when we drove through.
I was able to take a picture of Chutters as we were driving through.
We also passed the statue of Pollyanna
The bronze sculpture pays tribute to the hometown author, Eleanor H. Porter (1868 – 1920) who was the creator of the world’s most optimistic character, Pollyanna, 1913.
Eleanor Hodgman Porter’s early residence was in Littleton, and not so far from the Library front lawn where it stands today.
We passed this old carriage house that had recently been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1884.
Our next stop would be a church in Sugar Hill....it’s one of the most photographed churches in New Hampshire.
On. the way, we passed the very popular restaurant called Polly’s Pancakes.…we had wanted to eat here but sadly, it didn’t work out.
The church is located 2 mins from Polly’s Pancakes.
It’s called St. Matthew’s Chapel.
St. Matthew’s is an Episcopal Chapel that was built in 1894.
When we arrived, there were several people at the church photographing it.
The church and the surrounding landscape is amazing!
With the fall colors and the yellow door of the church, you will want to take a picture from every angel…and that’s what I did!
Even my hubby was taking tons of pictures…it was hard not to!
It was so picturesque!
After taking hundreds of pictures of the church, we headed to our last stop of the day, the Bath Covered Bridge.
It was a 20 min drive from the church.
It was getting late and the sun was starting to set so I was really hoping we would get there before it was too dark to photograph the bridge.
We passed this church on the way.
We finally arrived to the covered bridge at 6:30 pm and had just enough light left to photograph the bridge.
This is one bridge you don’t want to miss…it is so cool as it has a “waterfall” that flows beneath it!
The Bath Covered Bridge is in the center of Bath Village.
This bridge is the fifth bridge to stand on this site. The first was constructed in 1794 at a cost of $366.66. That bridge was demolished by a flood and replaced in 1806 at a cost of $1,000.
The second and third bridges were also destroyed by floods but immediately replaced in 1820 and again in 1824.
The fourth bridge was destroyed by fire in late 1830. Rebuilding efforts began in March 1831 when $1,400 was allotted to cover the construction of two stone abutments and piers along with the purchase of other materials.
In March 1832, an additional $1,500 was allotted to complete the construction. It appears that the fifth bridge was completed by early 1832.
At one time, there was a sign posted at the bridge which prohibited riding horses across the bridge at a trot. It was believed that the impact of trotting horses could cause the structure to fall apart.
The Bath Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
You can drive across the bridge as with most of the bridges that still exist in New Hampshire and Vermont.
The water was so still that it made for some beautiful reflection shots!
After taking way too many pictures, we headed back to Lincoln to find somewhere to eat.
We ended up deciding on the Common Man.
We had this place on our list of restaurants because it had such great reviews.
We arrived to the restaurant at approximately 7:20 pm and wasn’t seated until 8:00.
After being seated, we took a few minutes to look over the menu.
I decided on the apple walnut chicken with a side of creamed potatoes and squash.
The hubby ordered the meatloaf with the same sides.
The food was average and the service was terrible! Some of the worst service we’ve had at a restaurant! The food took forever and our server was awful!!
After dinner, we headed back to our hotel and called it a night!
Thanks for reading!
Stay tuned for Day 3!
Read Day 1 here & Click here to see links to all of my blog posts