New Hampshire & Massachusetts

We found a "Welcome to New Hampshire" sign, but it was halfway in the bushes, so maybe it should have said "We Halfway Welcome you to New Hampshire!" heehee


While crossing the bridge into New Hampshire, we spotted a sign for the USS Albacore and thought "We like albacore... let's check it out!" So many bad jokes so early in the blog entry, and I apologize.

What is the USS Albacore?

• A former experimental submarine for the U.S. Navy - a "floating laboratory" used to test propulsion systems, sonar equipment, and more.
• Her motto: Praenuntius Futuri (Forerunner of the Future)
• Built in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
• The first boat built specifically to operate underwater (earlier submarines were considered surface vessels that could submerge). I'm not sure of the exact distinction, either.
• Commissioned in December of 1953
• Set the world's fastest submarine record in 1966, with underwater speeds nearly 40 mph.
• Decommissioned in September of 1972 and sent to the Inactive Ship Facility in Philadelphia.
• Arrived at Albacore Park in May of 1985
  

While traveling down New Hampshire's coastline, we stopped along the border of New Hampshire and Massachusetts at Salisbury State Reservation to answer the call of the Atlantic Ocean. Maine had a coastline, but no significant views of the ocean, not like this. So we sat down for the afternoon to enjoy the simplicity of the beach and power of the ocean. We agreed that this is the third windiest place we've been to - putting the California coast at #1 and Bear Butte State Park in South Dakota at #2.


There were only a handful of campers at the Salisbury State Reservation, and we were one of two goofy enough to be in a tent. Thankfully, we found an embankment to block some of the wind, but our fellow tenters weren't as lucky. Their tall tents whipped like flags in the wind - so much that their heavy air mattresses couldn't keep the tent steady.

We had plans to visit Cape Cod later in the week, but decided to first visit the lesser known Cape Ann. It has wonderful names like Rockport, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Essex. We drove through Rockport and walked the town's streets and window shopped. You can see remnants of an old fishing village, but for the most part, the streets are lined with pricey homes and summer rentals. We did find a gem of a coffee shop that stays open all year and spotted a few fishing boats in the harbor. There is nothing like the smell of salty air!


The day was beautiful, so we headed north to Halibut Point State Park. The park is home to sheets of 440 million year-old granite, making this an ideal place for businessmen to operate a granite quarry.


Babson Farm quarried here in the 1840's, then production was increased by the Rockport Granite Company. The company collapsed in 1929, and the quarry serves as a recreation area full of trails and interpretive areas. It is a popular spot for dog owners, and we found this big guy cooped up in a van waiting for a walk.


We should have known better than to attempt a visit to Salem during Halloween, but we lost track of the days. With hotels running anywhere from $200-$400 per day with a four night minimum in Salem, we were grateful to the maintenance staff at the Winter Island Campground, just northeast of Salem. The campground was closing that day, for the season, and the guy said "Sure, you can stay here tonight. You'll be our first walk-ins for the day, and our last walk-ins for the season." He pointed us to the best campsite in the park, left the bathrooms unlocked, and psst... he didn't even charge us to stay!

After a month of celebrations, most of the crowds have left Salem, and it was time for us to do a few touristy things. The town was pretty, especially with this fall weather, but the residents were exhausted. We learned that Halloween 2009 brought over 100,000 visitors to this tiny town, so exhaustion was understandable and acceptable. The one place we were looking forward to was the Salem Witch Museum. Unfortunately, it was 20 minutes of rushed information, and not worth the $8/person admission fee. You can learn more about the trials through books, online research, or from your 8th grade history class!


But Salem isn't the only great city in Massachusetts, nor the only place to enjoy a bit of history! But Boston would come soon enough. Next stop - The Cape! (Cape Cod)