Once again, the weather was iffy when my dad and I woke up at my condo (0700). All the White Mountains were shrouded in dark gray clouds and the wind continued to blow intermittent rain through the northern part of New Hampshire. It made sense, therefore, that we should avoid such weather by visiting lower elevations. I then remembered Warren, a town I’ve often passed through on the way to hiking zones - I was quite sure my dad would enjoy the history and scenery there. At around 0800, we drove (via NH-120, I-89, US-4 and NH-118) to visit the area, which was located at the base of Moosilauke. We easily found a parking area for the Warren Corridor 5 Trail (used by dirt bikes and ATVs) and then walked north from the southern edge of town. Along the way, we passed a fish hatchery and my dad fed the ravenous trout that were living in two of the holding pens. The sky occasionally dropped some light rain but we still got some good exercise under tree cover. My dad turned back about half way to our targeted stopping point (the beginning of the Warren to E. Haverhill Railroad Grade Trail) but I continued until I reached a local landmark located on NH-118/NH-25: a Redstone rocket! My dad retrieved the car and soon joined me - he really enjoyed reading the historical information, especially the part about how the town’s Historical Society had managed to move the old rocket all the way from Alabama. I was interested in the short biography of local favorite son, Norris Cotton, who has been memorialized in the name of the Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock supported by “The Prouty”. Just after noon, we drove a short distance to eat lunch at a local diner called “Calamity Jane’s” (1245). While there, we avoided more rain and enjoyed a delicious meal. Altogether, the stop-off in this little town was very memorable. Unfortunately, our visit to Warren didn’t include any views of Moosilauke itself because of the weather. I asked my dad if he had anything other sight seeing in mind and he indicated that he’d like to see some more rural scenery. So I took him down the Moosilauke Highway (NH-25) to NH-10 and we stopped for visits at Bedell Bridge State Park, Haverhill Corners and the Farm-Way Store in Bradford (VT). My dad enjoyed the eclectic artwork (he even bought some) and other fun gifts. We actually saw one of my neighbors (Peter)! Left from there and took US-5 all the way to Norwich - my dad liked the scenic route. We arrived at my condo by 1600 and spent the evening resting, relaxing and doing laundry (bed at around 2200). I believe, and my dad said he agreed, that we’d definitely experienced a full measure of “Life in the Upper Valley” today. So far, this has been a great week of hiking, eating, exploring and visiting - we’ve still got some more time and hope to get outside for more tomorrow!
