Learning New Things about our new state of New Hampshire

We are way behind in getting travel posts published this summer because we're having too much fun traveling! So we won't be confused about when each "wandering" happened, we'll start each blog with its actual date.

September 6, 2022

It was still raining when we pulled out of our site at Green Meadow Campground in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We were just glad that we rolled right out of our grass site, instead of sinking into the mud caused from 36 hours of constant rain. We headed 61 miles straight south past more moose warning signs all the way to the lakes region of New Hampshire. We are learning some new things about our new state of New Hampshire. For example, compared to other New England states, we are seeing fewer houses along the roads. This summer we have traveled in states like Massachusetts and New Jersey that have road signs that warn that this is a "Thickly Settled Area." We aren't seeing that in New Hampshire, so we have learned this state is not thickly settled. We noticed several highway patrol cars on the drive, so we learned that the roads are monitored more closely than most states. Denisa is happy to report that Mark doesn't break the speed limit in the motor home, so we are glad to see those patrol cars. We made a stop for groceries, and our purchases were sacked in disposable plastic bags. We have been traveling in many states that you must bring your own bags. We use the disposable plastic bags as trash can liners, and our supply had been depleted over the summer. All those are subtle differences, as we are learning new things about life in our new state of New Hampshire.

We arrived at Granite State Campground in the early afternoon. Even though it sounds like a state park, it's actually a nice little private campground tucked in the trees. We are in site E, where they saw three bobcat kittens just three days ago. We'll be watching for them to return!

As soon as we got the motor home settled in, we went for a drive in our new New Hampshire neighborhood. We found Stone Mountain Orchard less than a mile away. We had seen their "you-pick" signs along the road for the last 30 miles. Everything is muddy today, so we opted to choose from the boxes of apples that had just been picked by the owner that morning.

We braved the mud to take a few pictures in the orchard. That's when we got to meet the owner, who spent some time telling us their story. We love learning about our new state of New Hampshire from its long-time residents. He was raised here on this farm, and came back to buy it from his parents in 2009 after he retired from his "real job." He knew that raising hay, like his father, would barely pay the taxes. So he asked New Hampshire University for advice. They said that he could plant Christmas trees, but it takes 12 years to see any cash from that crop. They also advised that miniature apple trees could provide a harvest in three years. He knew nothing about apples. But with help from the university agriculture department, they learned about the types to plant, and how to trellis them for the best results. Nine years later they are experienced apple farmers.

They have learned that those signs along the highway bring in more customers than a radio ad. They are in the process of turning the 100-year-old barn into a farm store. It will have a cider press that will make use of the wind-drop apples that comprise 25% of their crop each year. It was so interesting to hear the stories from a native New Hampshiran!

The farm had the classic New England architecture that we have seen over and over. Our new friend and apple farmer explained it to us. A hundred years ago, a young farmer and his wife would start with a little land and would build a little house. If the farm was profitable, they could build a big barn a few years later. The next good harvest might be several years later, and it would buy an addition to the house to hold the children that had been born. The final building project was the shed, that connected the larger house to the barn so they didn't have to go outside to tend the animals during the cold winter months. He repeated the order in shorthand--little house, big barn, bigger house, shed. Now we say the same thing as we pass New England farms that look like the picture below.

After getting some expert advice on different types of apples, we bought an empty bag for $7. We could then fill it with whatever combination of apples we wanted to try. Our next stop was the little town of Tilton. We're looking at the biking and river kayaking options for a less-wet day. We found this beautiful arch, built in 1883. It's 50 feet tall and 40 feet wide, and is quite an imposing structure at the top of a grassy hill in town. This memorial arch is often called Tilton's Folly. It was supposed to be a giant tombstone for millionaire Charles Tilton, but he is buried in the local cemetery with a tiny headstone instead.

After our soggy tour around our new neighborhood, we were back at the motor home organizing our just-purchased apples. Denisa picked out 8 different types of apples, carefully keeping them separated in the bag so we can do head-to-head taste competitions over the next few days. We'll be learning more about New Hampshire's apples as we eat our way through that bag of apples.

We love that we get to travel slowly, meeting the locals and seeing what it is like to live in different parts of the country. For now, we are enjoying our time learning new things about our new state of New Hampshire!