Leaf Peeping & Campaigning for an Obama/Palin Ticket?

Nothing says fall in New England more than going "leaf peeping" and canvassing for a Democratic candidate in New Hampshire. This past weekend I was actually fortunate enough to do both at the same time.

Growing up in Massachusetts I have always had a spoon-fed appreciation for the Fall, and all of its glorious foliage. I guess when you are younger you tend to totally disregard pleasant scenes in nature, and focus more on how much candy you are going to be getting this Halloween or how much it sucks to be back in school. Ahh youth. Foliage in New Hampshire is as beautiful as any cliche you've seen in pictures or movies. I swear we could practically smell the apple cider and pumpkin pies as we drove through the towns surrounding Exeter, NH (due to a slight navigation misstep).

Hmmmm...so how would one ruin something so seemingly perfect? Answer: go to a conservative community and canvas for a democratic candidate along a busy rural route (re: tons of motorcycles, honking, and trucks). We ran into the avoiders (sent their children to say they were "busy"), the aggros ("I'm voting for John "F-ing" McCain"), and the unexplainable ("I wish Palin would switch sides and run as Obama's VP" - wa wa what!?).

Yes, it may sound like I am bitching a bit, but canvassing is definitely something I would recommend every adult does at least once (begrudgingly: no matter your political leanings). Get involved and stop complaining about the state of our country.

On the flip-side, if you should ever decide to go to New Hampshire for the "peeping", make sure you go during the right time of year for the area of the state that you are going to be visiting. This is typically early to mid-October in New England. Get you booties out there.

The Picking of Apples

I do love apple picking. I try to go every fall, since there's nothing more traditional if you live in New England than picking apples in the fall. Being that it's September, my sister and I decided we should pick. It was a nice day out, Macintosh apples (best kind ever) were said to be in season, and the only other thing we wanted to do besides pick was nap. And while napping can be quite glorious on a Saturday afternoon, we decided to motivate ourselves to be productive and pick apples. My sister took us to this amazing orchard called Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, CT. It is giant, and not only do they have apples, but they also have peaches, pears, pumpkins, various other fruits, a corn maze, and frisbee golf (fun!). Though at this place you could spend all day trekking through the orchards, we were not quite so energetic. My sister manuevered us via car to where the Macintoshes grow (they have different lots close to the types of apples you want) and we parked. After grabbing a picking bag, we walked to the first tree we saw and shockingly it was a Macintosh. Yay! This tree was full of apples (see photo). Literally every apple was perfect (I don't even kid). I'd never seen anyth

ing like it. We ended up filling our bags at this one beautiful tree and then walked the 20 ft back to the checkout and paid (cash only fyi! (my sister didn't have enough money)). Though doing this may make you feel lazy, don't worry about it, because you've still gone apple picking! And be sure to take pictures as proof of your apple picking fun!

Here is a link to some orchards in the Boston area:

http://www.pickyourown.org/massbluerasp.htm

Canoe Trip Tips & Then Some

Or I suppose the "& then some" will actually precede the helpful tips.

Remember Splash Mountain? The ride at Disney World where you lazily float through an animated land of friendly forest creatures before you take a deep, yet exhilarating plunge down the side of the mountain? Yes.. you do? Well, my experience 2 miles in on the Saco was NOTHING like that..

To quickly relay the rest of the story, I worked out harder than I had since 1999 - literally. I could hear people yelling "JUST PUT YOUR FEET DOWN" from the sides of the river, but even with the whopping 2 feet of my condensed body rising above the water, the rapids were having their way with me. I felt like Forrest Gump - I just kept running.. yet it was far beyond my control. And did I mention that Carrie continued to battle the rapids with our canoe about another fourth of a mile down river? Thank goodness that she did.. otherwise, we would have missed out on the thunderstorm and beachside bellowing [read: sloshed singing] that our friends enjoyed later on in the day.

Anyway, as luck would have it, two of our friends were able to pull over into a cove that was being relatively unaffected by the rapids. All of the belongings that had fled our canoe ended up in this area, so they were able to recover mostly everything for us. I believe there was actually footage of our debacle captured, but that was destroyed.. or should have been. Why on earth would I want to publicize the 10 years of swimming lessons / swim team skills that were anything but obvious during this obstacle? Clearly, in the end, I was rescued. I had to grab onto another wishing tree sprouting up from the lake and was cast a rope from a kind stranger. Unfortunately, after he pulled me in, his rope remained stuck on one of the branches. I sat on my perch until he was able to make it back to the river bank, and then continued to tackle the Saco!

Canoe Trip Tips

• Call ahead for reservations > We used Northern Extremes in North Conway for our canoe rentals & I highly recommend them.
• Check weather forecast and the status of the river before beginning your journey > We were told that the river was running quickly that day, but clearly I had no idea as to what that actually meant.
• Familiarize yourself with the landscape and route of your particular trip > Though we weren't white water rafting, I felt like I was in "The River Wild" at times.
• Learn how to paddle ahead of time > I did not do this. It led to a few lovers quarrels along the way, but once we flirted with death, we swore we'd never argue again.
• Make sure that the stronger & more experienced person is in the back of the canoe > This is ideal for the person that doesn't want to consume as many adult beverages as the other person in the canoe.
• WEAR YOUR LIFE JACKET > Hindsight is always 20/20.
  

That's just a brief list and by no means authorized by any professional. If you have experienced similar situations out in the throes of nature, feel free to share your story!

The Day the Saco Claimed My Soul.. Almost

How hard could it possibly be to paddle 7 miles in the dangerous depths of 3 foot water? You'd be surprised.. especially if you're a novice.

In mid-August, eleven of my friends and I traveled to North Conway, NH for a weekend [read: day] of canoeing down the Saco River. An annual "couples" tradition, I was added to the roster last minute due to the unexpected relationship circumstances of a friend of mine. I was pumped! Not for my friend's emotional woes, but for the opportunity to participate first-hand in a trip I'd been hearing about for a couple of years.

I should have known upon setting "float" in the river that I was in for something unsafe. After looking around at all of the other canoes, I took note of the fact that all of the males were planted in the rear of each vessel. We didn't have that option.. I, the one without any steering experience, led the directional charge of our canoe.

Things seemed to be going relatively smoothly, until we got to a point in the river where the rapids became a bit more aggressive. As the current picked up, my canoeing partner and I noticed that we had about negative 5 seconds to make an imperative decision in turning ourselves left or right.. or else, we were going to land directly in the arms of a large branch that sprouted up from the bottom of the river. Guess who got rear-ended right into the branch by a rogue canoe?? It was too late to do anything, but attempt to stabilize the canoe - or ourselves.. emotionally. Well, neither of those goals were achieved. I watched my friend's white, leather handbag.. yes, I said leather.. get swallowed by the current and spit down the river.. followed by our life jackets, adult beverages, the one pair of flip flops I had foolishly packed, our paddles, and eventually my canoeing partner and her death grip on our canoe..

Now, obviously the ultimate consequence did not prevail as I'm sitting here typing this story for any interested soul to read, but if you have any guesses as to what might have happened next.. ENLIGHTEN ME.

An H2O Weekend

I would like to begin this post by reconfirming the title of my previous post. At dinner on Saturday night in Newport, there were 3 large tables occupied by all females.. and when inquiring about the occasion, each answer was the same.. including ours: BACHELORETTE PARTY.

From Poland Spring, to drops from the sky, to a coastal view and even to the site of our delicious meal on Saturday night, this weekend was all about water.. and alcohol too, of course. I was all excited on Saturday night to come back and share our experience at H20, an oceanside restaurant with a modern and contemporary edge to it. From the cocktails and appetizers through the meal, atmosphere, service & DJ, everything was exceptional. Dining with a crowd of 20+ isn't always the easiest task, especially when it comes to finalizing the check, but this experience turned out to be smooth from beginning to end.

Most of the entrees were under $30, and I can only speak for my selection specifically, but the Pan Seared Tuna was deliciously prepared and beautifully presented. Not that I'm a qualified food or restaurant critic, but I feel very comfortable recommending H2O for larger parties, fancy gatherings and even a romantic dinner for two. It seemed to cater toward a younger crowd, but was also family-friendly. In any case, we each spent well under a "benjamin" for essentially a three course meal (excluding dessert, but adding many rounds of drinks) that, in essence, extended into an all night affair.

In my opinion, dining seaside is one of the finest ways to share a meal with friends. I'm always looking for new places to try and explore, so feel free to send along one of your favorite oceanside eateries for the rest of us to enjoy!

Newport, RI: Bachelorette Heaven

I'm going to take a small break from the international travel talk, and bring it back home for a moment.. err, post. This weekend, I have the pleasure of partaking in the bachelorette festivities for a childhood friend in good ole Newport, RI.

I had not initially thought of this destination as what my title suggests, until it was brought to my attention yesterday by a couple of fellows. They claimed that every time they've gone down there, they've run into 10+ girls dressed in the same shirts & all liquored up.. I suppose there may be some truth to this theory.. and I might be living proof. I'd go so far as to say that 75% of the times that I've been to Newport have been for bachelorette parties. Either way, it's a gorgeous place.

Below is a picture of my college roommates, a.k.a the crew that I was most recently guilty of being in Newport with for Nic's bachelorette (back row, furthest left). I'm not sure why I resemble Patch Adams here, but I swear that's still better than I look on the average day.


Boasting a Nantucket or Cape Cod-like atmosphere, Newport is not just another coastal beach town. It's rich in history too. In different eras, it was a port for pirate activity, naval operations, and the center of slave trade in New England. While it has obviously changed in certain facets, Newport's economy is still flourishing today. Perhaps most notably associated with the Newport Mansions, the city has evolved into more of an upscale vacation spot with chic strip malls, luxurious condos, and great karaoke & beach bars!

My two hot tips on the social scene in Newport, RI:

• The Pelham: Or as it is more formally known, One Pelham East. Great live rock bands, songs you know and love, and fine company.. or at least, it will be by the end of the night - if you hear what I'm saying. Located on Thames Street - the happening strip of Newport.
• The Red Parrot: Restaurant spanning multiple stories and boasting multiple bars [also located] right on the heart of Thames Street. Enjoy Jazz music, food with a hint of Caribbean flavor at reasonable prices, and an overall relaxing atmosphere.

Oh, and also courtesy of The Red Parrot website, I've learned that Newport was home to the first roller rink! Rollerworld anyone?