Fall in New Hampshire & Vermont – Day 3 – Oct 2024

Hey Guys!

This post continues our time in New Hampshire & Vermont.

Read Day 1 here & Day 2 here & Click here to see links to all of my blog posts

This morning we checked out of our hotel as we would be moving on to Vermont after spending the day in New Hampshire.

Our day started out rainy and foggy.

Our first stop today would be the Flume Gorge.

It was located less than 5 mins from our hotel.

This place is super popular and it’s highly recommended that you purchase your tickets ahead of time or you may not be able to get in.

I had read that it was best to reserve your tickets for the earliest possible time in order to beat the crowds and to be able to take pictures without a ton of people being in your pictures.

Well, y’all know me, I am all about the pictures so, I booked the first time slot available which was 9 am.

I had also read that you needed to show up about 30 mins prior to your reservation time so you can go ahead and get in line because you still had to show your reservation ticket at the ticket booth.

We arrived around 8:15 am but since it was raining, we decided not to get in line until it got closer to our reservation time.

As more people started arriving, we decided to go get in line…it was about 8:45 at that point.

A shot of the visitor center

The visitor center has a gift shop and a snack bar.

The flume gorge trail is a 2 mile loop and there are hills and stairs you will have to climb.

The Flume Gorge is located inside the Franconia Notch State Park.…here’s a map of the sights you can see in this park

Once we were in line, there was only one other person in front of us however, he was able to go in about 5 mins before everyone else because the park was having computer issues so, we actually never saw him on the trail.

Tip: Flume Gorge is open to the public from mid-May through mid-October. In the winter, it becomes a destination for ice climbers.

We started the trail at approx. 9:05 am.

There were signs warning you that you were in bear country and not to take food on the trail.

The trail started out paved but quickly turned into gravel.

There are several things to see along the trail with the first being a glacial boulder that was dumped here by Ice Age glaciers . They weigh more than 300 tons.

Continuing along the trail

The next point of interest is the beautiful Flume Covered Bridge.

The bridge is bright red and was built in 1886. It’s one of the oldest surviving covered bridges in New Hampshire.

It’s especially beautiful in the fall!

We took lots of pictures of this beautiful bridge as the surrounding landscape made for some beautiful pictures!

The view from the bridge

As we continued our walk, we came up on a historic cabin that was built in 1930.

The cabin was open so we walked in to check it out. It was empty so we weren’t sure what it was used for.

There are several signs along the trail that will keep you on the right path.

The next stop on the trail was Table Rock.

Table Rock is a massive outcropping of pinkish Conway granite smoothed by Flume Brook.

Tip: There’s also this super cool hike near this area called Table Rock

Continuing the trail

The trail runs along the Pemigewasset River.

As we got closer to the gorge, the trail went from gravel, to a boardwalk.

There are signs along the way that talk about how the gorge was formed.

The Flume Gorge is a natural gorge extending 800 ft horizontally at the base of Mount Liberty.

Cut by Flume Brook, the gorge features walls of Conway granite that rise to a height of 70 to 90 ft and are 12 to 20 ft apart.

This is the main attraction on this 2 mile trail!

It was like walking through a rainforest with all of the moss covered trees and rocks!

The boardwalk runs straight through the gorge as the granite walls start to close in and become more and more narrow!

Since we were the first ones to start the trail, we were able to take pictures without anyone around!

The views were incredible!

The Flume was discovered in 1808 by 93-year-old “Aunt” Jess Guernsey when she accidentally came upon it while fishing.

At that time, a huge, egg-shaped boulder hung suspended between the walls. The rock was 10 ft high and 12 ft long. A heavy rainstorm in June 1883 started a landslide that swept the boulder from its place. The boulder has never been found. The same storm deepened the gorge and formed Avalanche Falls.

The moss covered granite walls became more and more narrow….it was surreal!

We had an “instagrammer” offer to take our picture so we would let her in front of us so she could get her “insta shot”.

Continuing the trail

The trees above our heads were growing out of the granite rocks!

More shots of the flume gorge

We finally arrived to Avalanche Falls area.

Since 1883, this thunderous, 45-foot waterfall has given the gorge its soundtrack.

You get an up-close view of the falls from the top of the Flume.

We had to climb steep stairs to continue the trail and they were slick due to the rain!

Picture of the falls

After the narrow flume and falls, we came up on the bear cave.

Views along the way

A short time later, we came to a split in the trail..one way led you to a viewpoint while the other kept you on the main path.

We took the path that led to the viewpoint which gave you views of Avalanche Falls.

We then headed back to the main path and continued the trail.

We came to another small waterfall

The views in this area were beautiful

We headed to another viewpoint that gave us views of Liberty Gorge and Liberty falls.

Tip: There’s another popular gorge near this area that is called Lost River Gorge

The colors in the gorge were a mixture of greens, yellows, reds and orange.

A short time later, we arrived to the second covered bridge called Sentinel Pine.

The bridge was built in 1939 and is roughly 60 ft long.

Below the bridge is a small body of water called, the pool.

Arriving to the bridge

The bridge is a narrow, foot bridge that crosses the Pemigewasset River.

The bridge was named after a 175 ft great white pine that stood here for more than a century.

Sadly, in 1938 the giant tree came crashing down during a hurricane.

The following year, the tree was placed across the river and the bridge was built upon it.

Views from the bridge

After crossing the bridge, we arrived to what’s called the Wolf’s Den.

The Wolf’s Den is a narrow, one way path that involves crawling on your hands and knees and squeezing between rocks.

I think I’ll pass on that!

We came to another viewpoint that gave us better views of the Sentinel Pine Covered Bridge.

And the pool below

There was a sign that told about the pool.

We then headed to the O’connor’s Overlook…

This overlook gave you a better view of the falls and the pool below.

After this overlook, we continued along the trail….we were almost at the end of the trail at this point.

We passed these wild looking trees where the roots were growing on top of the rocks!

And more glacial boulders

After about 1.5 hrs on the trail, we finally arrived back at the visitor center.

So, we went inside to check it out.

There are signs hanging on the walls that tell you about the area and a short film that you can watch about the flume gorge.

We walked around the gift shop for a while

We spotted this cool, old stagecoach.

We then headed inside the cafe to purchase some coffee and a muffin.

The cafe is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm and serves light breakfast items, snacks, soups, sandwiches, chicken fingers, ice cream and more.

After spending approx 2 hrs here, we headed to our next stop of the day.

Unfortunately, it was still misting rain and was foggy but it actually made for some cool pictures.

Our next stop was the Basin which was less than a 5 min drive from the Flume Gorge.

After getting parked, we began the short, paved trail to the basin.

The trail led you thru an underpass….it reminded us of a greenway trail.

There were signs along the path that pointed you to the Basin’s location.

There were beautiful streams that ran along the trail.

Arriving to the basin

The basin is a large pothole that is 30 ft wide and 15 ft deep.

It was formed some 25,000 years ago as the Ice Age came to a close. Water flowing from the melting glacier that filled Franconia Notch eroded the solid granite bedrock.

During the thousands of years that followed, sand and stones were whirled around by the force of the river causing a boring action that left the sidewalls smooth.

The rock formation seen in the stream bed at the outlet has been known for generations as “The Old Man’s Foot”.

The great American naturalist, Henry David Thoreau, on his first trip to the White Mountains in 1839, stood here and watched the water cascade into the granite bowl and whirlpool around its walls.

He would later write in his Journal, “this pothole is perhaps the most remarkable curiosity of its kind in New England.”

After taking pictures of the basin, we continued along the trail.

This whole area is really pretty….lots of cascading falls.

After this stop, we continued to the next stop on my itinerary.

As we neared our next stop, the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway, we decided it was way too foggy to take the tramway so we headed to the next stop.

Unfortunately, I had pre purchased our tickets online prior to leaving for our trip and they don’t offer refunds due to inclement weather unless they shut down for the day.

So, we ended up losing $56. So, I do not recommend you pre purchase your tickets…just buy them the day you go!

Tip: You can ski here during the winter months

Our next stop was Profile Lake.

The lake is located 10 mins from the Basin.

Profile Lake is a 13-acre lake that is located in Franconia Notch at the foot of Cannon Mountain.

The lake was given its name due to its location directly beneath the Old Man of the Mountain, a famous rock formation which collapsed in 2003.

Even though it was rainy and foggy, it was still beautiful!

The fall colors were really vibrant in this area!

This is the only lake that is designated for fly fishing (trout).

After taking way too many pictures, we headed to our next stop.

We made a quick detour when we saw a sign for Boise Rock.

The rock was name after Thomas Boise, a noted teamster of this region.

During the 1800’s, he was sledding through the Notch in mid-winter, soon after the first road was built. Overtaken by a fierce snowstorm, he was unable to continue on. Realizing he must take drastic action to survive, he killed and skinned his horse.

He then crawled into the overhang of this rock, wrapped himself in the hide and spent the night.

Men sent out the next day to search for him found Tom still alive but encased in the frozen hide that had to be cut away with axes in order to release him.

After a quick pic, we headed to our next stop, Echo Lake Beach.

This lake is a 39-acre lake with excellent views where the Franconia and Kinsman Range meet, creating the notch.

You can rent boats here but you will need to make reservations online.

The views here are beautiful but it was really windy when we visited!

We walked out on the pier to take a few pictures before heading to our next stop.

After leaving the lake, we spotted a sign for a viewpoint so decided to make a quick stop.

It was called the Hugh J. Gallen scenic overlook bridge.

Mr. Gallen was Governor of New Hampshire from January 4, 1979 through December 29, 1982.

On the right-hand side of the bridge you can see Mount Lafayette.

The views were worth the quick stop.

After this stop, we decided to head back to the Echo Lake Beach parking lot and hike the Artists Bluff Trail.

I had this down on my itinerary for today but almost marked it off the list because it had been raining but decided last minute to go ahead and hike it.

This trail is one of the most popular hikes in Franconia Notch State Park.

To access this trail, you will park at the Echo Lake Beach parking lot and then walk across the street.

This is a 1.5 mile loop trail however, shortly after you start the trail, the trail splits….take the trail to the right and the hike to Artist Bluff will be about 1/2 mile.

If you take the loop trail to the left, you will come to Bald Mountain first.

Tip: If you download the AllTrails app, you can follow the trail instructions from the app

We took the shorter trail to the right.

The trail starts off with a little incline and a whole lot of exposed roots.

The trail quickly becomes very challenging as it is mostly straight up and you are having to climb over rocks and roots!

I had to stop and catch my breath a few times on this trail!

But the views at the top were worth every rock that I had to climb over!!

For such a short hike, you are rewarded with incredible views in every direction!

You will have views of Echo Lake and the surrounding mountains.

The fall colors were so vivid! There were beautiful shades of reds, oranges, yellows, and browns.

Even though it was cloudy, I felt like it added to the spectacular views!

Of course, I couldn’t stop taking pictures of the breathtaking scenery!

There were several other people at the top but it wasn’t overly crowded however, one week after we hiked this trail, it was on the news for having “hoards of people” on the trail!

So glad we didn’t experience that!!

We had a couple offer to take our picture so, of course, we took them up on their offer!

I think we took pictures from every rock on the bluff!

After taking 659 pictures of the views, we headed back down the trail.

Once we were back at the start of the trail, we walked a short distance back to our car.

We then headed to our next stop, the Omni Mt Washington Resort.

The resort is located 25 mins from the Artist Bluff Trail.

We passed this beautiful church on the way!

Arriving to the entrance of the hotel

Tip: Click here to see things to do in/around this area

If you are not staying at the hotel, you will have to pay $10 to park.

After getting parked, we made our way inside the hotel.

The Omni Resort was completed in 1902 by 250 Italian craftsmen who were housed on the grounds.

The hotel opened its doors to the public on July 28, 1902 with a staff of 350.

It was the most luxurious hotel of its day and catered to wealthy guests such as Thomas Edison, three U.S. presidents, Babe Ruth, Joseph P Kennedy, Princess Margaret, Joan Crawford, Alfred Hitchcock and John D Rockefeller.

In 1978, the Mount Washington Hotel was listed in the National Register of Historic Places and 6,400 acres of beautiful woodlands were sold to the United States government for inclusion in the White Mountain National Forest.

In December of 2015, Omni Hotels & Resorts purchased the resort after managing the property since 2009, adding to the growing Omni family of over fifty unique, world-class properties around North America.

There are approximately 600 year-round employees, which grows to over 1,000 in winter.

In July 1944, the hotel was the site of the famous Bretton Woods Conference.

Once inside, I was surprised that it wasn’t more ornate and elaborate than it was.

I thought it was very plain looking on the inside.

However, the outdoor deck made up for the lack of character on the inside.

The views from the back deck were spectacular!

I could definitely have spent more time on the deck but our time was limited.

We were here to eat lunch since we hadn’t eaten anything but a muffin all day and it was already after 2 pm when we arrived!

So, we headed back inside to the Rosebrook Bar.

The hotel offers several different dining options.

The Rosebrook Bar is first come, first serve so no reservations are required.

After finding a table, we took a few minutes to look over the menu.

The views from the restaurant were spectacular!

We both decided on the club sandwich and fries.

However, we were so hungry, we decided to order a hot pretzel with cheese.

It was so good!

When they finally brought out our food, they only brought one club sandwich. The waiter thought we had only ordered one …so, my hubby and I split the sandwich and fries until our other sandwich came out.

We could have sat here all day!

After eating only part of our pretzel and one of the sandwiches and fries, we decided to have the other sandwich boxed up so we would have something for dinner that evening!

This place is not cheap but it is definitely worth it for the views and experience!

After we ate, we walked around the hotel for few minutes.

We headed downstairs to use the restroom and found a coffee shop so we decided to order a cup of coffee before we left.

A beautiful painting of the hotel was hanging on the wall downstairs.

After purchasing our coffee, we headed back upstairs and walked around for a while.

A few pictures of the hotel

There were pictures of the Stickney’s hanging on the wall

Joseph Stickney was a Pennsylvania Railroad tycoon and a native of Concord, New Hampshire. In 1881 he purchased the Mount Pleasant House and 10,000 acres of land with views of Mount Washington. In 1902, he completed the construction of the Mt Washington Hotel.

Tip: While in this area, you can ride the scenic Bretton Woods Gondola

After taking our pictures, we headed back to our car to head to our next stop.

Not long after leaving the hotel, we spotted this cool old train trestle bridge.

After this very quick stop, we made another stop about 5 mins down the road in Bethlehem.

The stop was at the Ivie Memorial Chapel.

The chapel was built in 1931 by Alvin Ivie as a memorial for his daughter who died at the age of 27.

The cornerstone of the church contains memorabilia of her life.

The church was so incredible!

I took pictures from every angle….of course! 😉

After leaving this church, we made a quick stop at another church 5 mins down the road from the Ivie.

This beautiful stone church is called Christ the King and was built in 1928.

I couldn’t resist taking a picture of this beautiful maple tree that was sitting across the road from the church!

After leaving Christ the King Church, we continued our drive and passed this church... I snapped a picture while we were driving.

The Durrell Memorial Methodist Church in Bethlehem, New Hampshire was built on June 20, 1869 for a cost of $5,964.00.

We then passed these two gorgeous homes in Bethlehem!

There are so many historic homes all throughout New Hampshire and Vermont!

We made another quick stop after we spotted a body of water that offered a perfect reflection of the trees!

And a nearby bridge

Continuing our drive

Little did we know, we would come up on another body of water that would offer the most incredible reflection shots I’ve ever taken!

This body of water was called Moore Reservoir and it was located in Waterford, VT.

This would be our first stop in the state of Vermont!

And was it a beauty!

You could turn these pictures upside down and they would look exactly the same!

After this stop, we continued our drive to our hotel in Vermont where we would be staying the next 3 nights.

We drove through the town of St Johnsbury.

Read about the history of the town here & click here to see the top attractions in this area

The town was really pretty. It had lots of historical buildings and houses.

St Johnsbury has a population of around 6,000 people.

The trees in this area had a lot of color!

Our next stop was another church in the small town of Danville.

This church is the Danville United Methodist Church.

This church was completed in 1885 and survived the Great Fire of 1889, that burned most of the buildings in Danville Village.

The first church that was built here was built in 1822 but burned down in 1884.

After this stop, our next stop was the historic Hastings Store in Danville.

Hastings has been owned by the same family since 1913, when it was purchased by Gilbert and Jenny Hastings. Their great-granddaughter Jenny Rafuse runs the store today.

In 2005 Hastings was recognized officially by the Vermont Secretary of State for having been in operation continually for 100 years or more.

We went inside to check it out.

The store also houses the post office.

My hubby found his twin!

The store was closing about 10 mins before we arrived so we took a few pictures of the inside and left.

Right across the road from the store was a statue and a small bridge so we walked over to check it out.

The statue is presumed to be an unfinished memorial statue of a Civil War soldier that was carved in the early 1900’s.

The footbridge, near the statue, is a memorial bridge. The wood that was used to build the bridge was the wood from the stone carver’s shed that had carved the statue.

Views from the footbridge

After leaving here, we continued our drive towards Stowe, VT.

We passed this church in West Danville.

This was the West Danville United Methodist Church.

We made another quick stop at Joe’s Pond.

Read about the history of the pond here & Read here about the historic Joe’s Pond Ice Out game that anyone can play!

The pond offered some beautiful reflection shots!

There were beautiful orange maple trees sitting along the banks of the pond.

After taking our pictures, we continued our drive.

We passed the public library in West Danville!

The Charles D. Brainard Library is the smallest library (11′ x 17′) in the state of Vermont. Originally built as a gas station in the 1930’s, the building was moved around the corner to its current location and served the town as a library during the summers for about 50 years.

In 2017, the building was restored, shelves were updated with donated books and the library was reopened.

Continuing our drive to Stowe

We passed through Hardwick on the way to Stowe.