While we were eating dinner in Lebanon last night, some of the other patrons told us about a hiking trail (“with a great view”) in the nearby town of Plainfield (village of Meriden) - Mollie and I decided we should check it out today. Mollie slept until almost 1000 but got ready quickly and we were able to leave for Meriden soon afterwards. We used NH-120 to get there and, on the way, we saw a few of the remaining Pumpkin People (most appeared to have been removed). We parked at the Meriden Elementary School at 1115 so we'd be able to hike up to the French’s Ledges. There were so many trails to choose from that we needed the map - fortunately, there were also many signs that showed the way. After a 30 minute climb, we reached a rocky outcropping - from there, we could see Ascutney, Moosilauke and Killington. It was amazing to see the 360 view of the Upper Valley towns nearby. The weather was nice and there weren’t many people. We tried some side trails on the way back to the car and met some locals with even more suggestions for things to do nearby. At about 1245, we finished our hike and drove over to pick up lunch at Meriden Deli (1255). Mollie liked the sandwiches we got there and I told her we could have many more "local" experiences like that if she wanted. After eating our meal in the car, we drove to the town of Cornish (on gravel roads) so we could visit the Saint Gaudens NHS. The weather was great and Mollie really liked the walk we did on the grounds. By 1430, we were on our way back to the north (via NH-12A and some gravel roads along the Connecticut River). As a treat, we stopped to buy some produce, a Christmas Centerpiece and a beeswax candle at Riverview Farm. Mollie liked their dog and the friendly owners and didn't appear to want to leave anytime soon. I convinced her that we needed to make our way towards home and she reluctantly agreed to go (1530). While we were driving, Mollie told me that she’d done more with me in a week than she’d done at Nicky’s since August... Back at my place (1630), we set out our new Christmas decorations and Mollie settled into my "comfy condo." What a great November Saturday!
