I couldn’t resist a visit when I heard that Rhododendron State Park was going to reach its peak bloom last weekend. This National Landmark in Fitzwilliam shelters a rare stand of native giant rhododendrons, which are more commonly found in the central or southern Appalachian Mountains. There are 16 acres of the pink and white […]
Author: Jackie Raiford, New Hampshire State Parks Intern
The Trail Less Traveled on Mt. Monadnock: Part 1
I’ll begin this week with another confession. I had a lot of difficulty writing this post. It almost didn’t make it here to the blog. Months ago when I first began planning some of the places and events I wanted to visit through this internship, hiking Monadnock was the first on my list. I couldn’t […]
The Trail Less Traveled on Mt. Monadnock: Part 2
We began our walk on the Old Halfway House trail. It was a sunny and mild morning. We met a golden frog along the way. We paused at the former site of the Halfway House hotel to take in the views. It was a popular spot. Where the hotel once stood, wildflowers now grow. We […]
The Lovely Lupines of Sugar Hill
I have to confess that I find the Franconia Notch area to be one of the most beautiful in New Hampshire. When I vacationed last fall and saw how dramatically blue the sky could be against the fiery foliage I thought, “this is the notch in prime season.” Then I visited in winter when the […]
Bugs and Blooms of the Bog
A soggy bog might not be your first choice of places to spend a sunny morning in June, but I have a feeling a stroll along the Ponemah Bog boardwalk might change your mind. Who knew that these “peatlands” could be such beautiful places?I was introduced to the bog by its steward Jack Gleason of […]
Sunset Hike at Goose Pond in Keene
A walk at sunset is a beautiful way to close the day. I was still recovering from being ill last weekend, so I was looking for some light, restorative exercise. I decided to visit Goose Pond, one of my favorite spots in Keene, and I brought my video camera with me. It was an especially […]
Celebrating Lilacs through History and Art at Wentworth-Coolidge
The New Hampshire outdoors was a great place to be this Memorial Day weekend, especially on the lawn of Portsmouth’s historic Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion during the annual Lilac Festival. The serenity of the Little Harbor seaside was enriched through the experience of… history,art, Artwork by Hannah Phelps and adorably fuzzy animals, Sea Hill Farms Alpaca each with […]
I’m Not From Around Here
I grew up in a well-manicured suburb just north of Washington D.C. And I probably would have grown up thinking, like many of my peers, that “nature” was something to be watched on the Discovery Channel if it wasn’t for my father. He was always pausing to admire a tree or listen to a bird […]