New Hampshire and Time Spent with Friends and a Celebrity

 We left Vermont and drove in to New Hampshire to an RV park in Contocook. 

 

 

 

The campground was along a little lake.

 

We met another couple who have the same RV as us so we got to talking as RVers tend to do.  They recommended a hike nearby so the next day we went to Winslow State Park.  We did the Winslow Trail which climbs for 1.1 miles and 1,100 vertical feet through the forest and over bare granite to the 2,937 foot summit.

The hike up was not easy terrain to climb. 

A little surprise along the trail

 

 

Unfortunately when we got to the summit, it was so foggy we couldn't see very far.

 

 

Once we got to the summit, and you know Al, we hiked down the other side of the mountain to Rollins State Park.   

 

At the park at the bottom we ate our packed sandwiches and took a break before turning around and reversing our hike back up and over the mountain to our truck. 

Some leaves starting to change color

Next we moved the trailer to our next stop which was to spend two weeks at our friend's, Sushant and Rashmi's Airbnb in New Durham, New Hampshire.  I worked with Sushant at Experian and we continued our friendship after he left in 2013.  Since then he met and married Rashmi.  They are a fun couple and we love spending time with them.

We spent one week with them at their house and the second week we dog-sat for them while they went to Puerto Rico.  

Al managed to back the trailer down their driveway and make the turn to park the trailer in their front yard.  It was a bit hairy and we had to hold some tree branches out of the way as he maneuvered it into place.  The front yard area was the most level area and we didn't have to worry about blocking the garage.

Al had his drone out to take some photos and video.

Sushant and Rashmi haven't seen our Reflection trailer yet so they had to come inside and take a look.  Their dog, Coco came in to take a look too.

Coco made himself at home. 

Then we went inside to see their house which is decorated so beautifully. 

 

 

 

 

Game room downstairs

There was even a vending machine in the garage for items guests may have forgotten.  

My favorite part of the house was the back deck (with Jacuzzi) that looks out to the lake!

 

A screened in porch on the left, sheds on the right, and a fire pit in the center with chairs around.

 

 

Our main entertainment was Coco!  How can you not love that face???

Al would take Coco for a walk but Coco has his limits and when he's gone far enough he sits down and won't budge until Al turns around and heads back. 

 

 

We had some beautiful sunsets!

A couple out for a romantic moonlit canoe ride.

Every where we went with Coco, people stop to ask:

1) What kind of dog is that?  Saint Berdoodle (Saint Bernard and Poodle)

2) How much does he weigh?  125 pounds

3) What is his name?  Coco

4)  How old is he?  3 years

Walking with Coco is how I imagine being with a celebrity with people stopping you all the time.  One night we were out for a walk with Coco and even the local Policeman stopped his car to meet Coco and give him a biscuit! 

For a big dog, Coco is pretty finicky with his eating.  Rashmi spoon feeds him when he's not eating. 

 

 

One afternoon we went for a picnic on their patio boat.  Al tried to take some drone photos but Coco did not like the drone flying around!

 

 

 

 

 After drinking water Coco gets his face dried with a towel.

Rashmi is an excellent cook so we ate in most of the time.  Dinners would start off with happy hour and appetizers.

 

 

Good stuff!

Rashmi cooked us the most interesting foods.  I don't know what most of them are called but they were delicious!

 

 

 

 

Sushant and Coco took us for a hike on Mount Major with a view over Lake Winnipesaukee.

Coco looks the most exhausted!

 

 

 

 

Coco guarding our snacks while we're in the Jacuzzi.

When we got back to their house, I was going to get something from our trailer when I spotted a snake just outside the front door.  (Why am I the one that always finds the snake???)  

 

 

We all freaked out and the poor guys had to go outside and catch it.  Luckily we had some pinchers so eventually Al and Sushant were able to get the snake into a bucket and put a lid on.  Then they walked it way up the street and let it go in the woods.  Phew!  

 

 

A moonlit float on the lake on the patio boat.

 

Cooking fish on the barbi!

Grilled pomfret stuffed with cilantro 🌿 n lime

 

 

Dosa

 

 

Cheers!

There was one convenience in staying at their Airbnb with our trailer parked right outside.  Anytime we needed something that their house didn't have (Toothpicks, onion, garlic, tomatoes, etc.), we had it in our trailer.  Our trailer became known as the Walmart Supercenter! 

 

 

 

Al had a great time playing with his new best friend (I got pushed down to second place)!

One night Rashmi made a many layered Biryani Masala.  It tasted amazing!

 

 

I love her spice container with all the Indian spices she uses. 

 

 

 

 

Most mornings we had a visitor and boy he takes up a lot of the bed!  Waiting for Al to go play.

 

 

We took the kayaks and paddleboards out to explore the lake.

 

 

While Sushant and Rasmi were working during the day, Al and I went out to explore the area. 

 

 

 

 

Houses with lake front property.

Up the road from Weir Beach was a yummy candy and ice cream shop.  We made a couple of stops in this place for ice cream and delicious dark chocolate covered marshmallows. 

One unusual flavor Al really liked was the Black Raspberry Chip ice cream.

The area was very nice but not much was open during the week.  We next drove to the town of Meridith. 

 

This about sums up our trip to the east coast!  What a long strange trip it's been!

Coco watching himself on TV

More food!  This time Sushant cooked us dinner.

Appetizer: Baked Brie with fig jam and roasted pecans

Spinach chicken

 

 

 

 

One night Al cooked us Mexican food.  We had chicken tacos with his famous cilantro rice, fresh salsa, and beans.

We had a good laugh at New Hampshire's motto, "Live free or DIE!".  And it's on all their license plates.

After a week of amazing meals and lots of fun with Sushant and Rashmi, we saw them off and we watched Coco.  

When Sushant and Rasmi bought the lake house, it came with a LOT of firewood!  A lot of is was stacked along the walls in the garage but there was also a very large pile near the driveway covered with tarps.

Al and I took it upon ourselves to move the huge pile of wood to one of the sheds.  This was hard work!  It took us two days to completely move the pile and get it stacked in the shed!  Boy were we sore!

 

 

 

Supervisor

 

 

 

 

Al also cut away some plants and bushes to give them a little more lake view. 

Before

Supervisor still on the job.

After

 

 

Thankfully we could rest and recover in the Jacuzzi each evening!

After all the hard work, it was time to do some more sightseeing.  This time we went up to the White Mountains and drove the Kancamagus Highway, A National Scenic Byway.  We were looking for fall colors in the changing of the leaves. 

Coco is a great car dog and made himself comfortable in our back seat.

 

There were various pull outs along the road and on one we did a short hike to stretch our legs and give Coco a little walk.  

On our hike we ran in to a little girl and her Mom.  They (of course) stopped us to ask about Coco.  We got all the normal questions and by now had the answers down pat.  The little girl loved to pet Coco and when we ended the conversation, she said, "I will never forget Coco's fur."  She was so cute and that's a long time to remember Coco!

 

 

Sabbaday Falls

Couldn't pass up a covered bridge stop on our way back to the house.  Here is Albany Covered Bridge constructed in 1858 and renovated in 1970.

Why were bridges covered?
A roof protected the flooring from rain and snow, protecting the wooden planks from rot and almost doubling their lifespan. 

 

 

And what the heck, one more covered bridge.  This one is over the Saco River in Conway, New Hampshire and constructed in 1890.  The bridge was restored from 1987 to 1989.

Our last night at the Blue Lotus was spent sitting around a campfire and watching the sunset over the lake.

We had an awesome time at the Blue Lotus with Sushant and Rashmi and especially, Coco.  

Now in order to get our trailer back out of the front yard, we needed to use some wood boards to lift the downhill side a bit in order to not scrape the back end while making the turn.  It was challenging but Al made it look easy! 

We took Coco with us to our next destination in Maine.  Here he is all tuckered out from the trip and resting in our RV with his bed, pillow, and treat which he's too tired to eat!

 

 

Thank you Sushant, Rashmi, and Coco for an unforgettable two weeks at the Blue Lotus!

If you're in New Hampshire and need an awesome place to stay, check out the Blue Lotus: The Blue Lotus on Airbnb