With Hurricane Henri setting his sights on New England, I’m trying to pack as much outdoor activity into my weekend as possible. First event: I finished the Sugar River Rail Trail, starting at the parking lot on NH-103 and walking the 4ish mile crescent to the northeast until I reached the terminus in Newport. Used the same route for my backtrack. Really only saw ATVs today - very few people wanted to bike or walk, I guess. Started at 0915 and finished at 1215, mostly beating the heat of the day and avoiding precipitation. Logged over 8 miles on flat, pleasant gravel and enjoyed the sounds of the river throughout my journey. Hoping I’ve still got a few more hours of good weather left (there was still fun stuff to do!), I drove west to Claremont and got on NH-120. After a short drive, following several hand-made signs, I found the location of the Cornish Fair (around 1300). It was quite crowded and business on the Midway was booming! Watched lots of proud young people (especiall 4-H members) showing off their prize animals (cows, sheep, horses, chickens) - there was so much variety in each breed. I cheered on cattle teams pulling huge loads - the handlers whispered in their ears and away they went. Watched a country band and a comedy show - the positivity was infectious! There were also lots of impressive exhibits of with amazing produce, artwork and photography. The heat was a bit harsh but I’m going to plan to my visit better next year - definitely work a return trip! Left at around 1500 and drove home (via NH-120), arriving about 30 minutes later. So far, so good with avoiding nasty tropical weather - hoping to be lucky again tomorrow...
