For our first excursion we drove into Campton for lunch then south towards Plymouth, the largest town in the area with a university college and larger shops, then we continued west to Rumney, a spread out town of white clapboard houses, one of which was a home of Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Christian Science sect, now a small museum. We headed for Stinson Lake but it was mostly surrounded by private houses so we took the dirt road through the woods passing a small waterfall and on to Ellsworth where there was a traditional white wooden church and school house, then back to the condo.

The next day was bright and sunny but rather cold with snow on the hilltops. We set off to Lincoln and the excellent visitor centre for the White Mountains National Forest. Armed with leaflets and a $5 one week parking permit we drove past the many holiday residences by the popular skiing area of Loon Mountain and joined the famous Kancamagus (locally called the Kanc) Highway, a picturesque 34 mile road which climbs to over 3000 feet through wooded hills to Conway. The road is now a good two lane surface with easy bends and gradients and with many stopping places and overlooks. It is best to get the free map as some of the turnouts aren't well signposted in advance. This is one of the main tourist trips in New Hampshire with many cars and coaches. After admiring the view from the Pemigewasset Overlook across to the snow capped hills we pulled in for a short walk up to the Sabbaday Falls. The information boards told us they were one of the first tourist attractions dating back to the 19th century. After a further stop to look at the Rocky Gorge Falls and tranquil Falls Pond we reached the end of the highway at Conway where we stopped at the Swift River covered bridge. Rather than the long drive north to Crawford Notch and Mount Washington we retraced our route along the Kanc.

The Saturday started sunny but very cold as we drove up to Franconia Notch State Park and took a ride on the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway (cable car) up to 4100 ft to be greeted by snow and -4C. After a quick venture outside to admire the extensive views across to Mount Washington, at 6288ft the highest point in New Hampshire, we returned to the base station and a tour around the interesting ski museum. After lunch we drove on a winding circuit on back roads, thanks to our Garmin sat nav, to arrive at the town of Lisbon and on to Bath where the Brick Store, the USA's oldest continuously open general store was located. This is a popular tourist stop with a mix of homemade fudge, maple syrup and gift items for sale alongside clothing and everyday provisions. Adjacent was the At the Hop ice cream parlour with an amazing interior covered with pop records and posters, signed photos and other memorabilia. On the way back from Bath we came across a Redstone missile on the green at Warren, anoher small town of white clapboard buildings. It was bought as Army surplus and transported to the town by a retired army officer in 1971. 

More grey skies the next morning so rather than elusive mountain views we drove to Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in New Hampshire. It is mostly surrounded by private land but there is public access at Wolfeboro, the largest town on the lake. We were able to take the last trip of the season on the Winnipesaukee Belle, a small replica paddle steamer. Although by now the rain had set in we enjoyed the cruise passing many exclusive residences including the grand summer house of Mitt Romney (the losing Republican Presidential candidate in the 2012 election) and some of the picturesque islands. Despite its vast size of 21 by 9 miles the lake freezes in winter usually from December to April.
After lunch and a walk around the pleasant town centre with an interesting statue in the gardens we visited the fascinating Wright Museum of American Life during World War 2.
There were several room settings depicting life in the 1940's and many posters, displays of items from homes and schools and a timeline explaining the increasing involvement of the USA in the war effort - certainly a different take on events compared to similar museums in Britain. They also have an impressive collection of military vehicles many in full working order. Driving back to Campton we passed many Halloween displays of pumpkins, witches and ghosts.