We set off on a late summer/early fall wander the other day, not sure what we would find, but not really looking for anything in particular, either.
The last of our roads chewed up by Hurricane Irene a couple of weeks ago is now open, so we motored out on Route 302, heading for Crawford Notch.
We must divulge that Crawford is our favorite notch and if ever presented with the opportunity to go back in time, we would go back to the days when the first visitors came by rail through this beautiful notch.
So imagine our delight when we arrived at the Gateway just in time to see the Notch Train pull into the lovely Crawford Depot. Taking in the sounds, the colors, the sky, it was a tableau that could have today, yesterday or 100 years ago.
With fall coming along nicely now, why not think about seeing the colors by train? Here in the White Mountains, we are lucky to have three railroads that take you through vistas and panoramas you can't see from the road.
The Mount Washington Cog Railway takes passengers up to the top of the highest mountain in all the Northeast for an amazing panorama of the foliage spread out like a braided rug, while the Hobo Railroad follows the Pemigewasset River, which reflects the fall colors in the water and the blue sky above. The Conway Scenic Railroad, in addition to the Notch Train, takes a lovely ride through the Mount Washington Valley.
Whether you come here by plane, train or automobile, we are standing by at the White Mountains Visitors Center, off exit 32 of Interstate 93 in North Woodstock, to help you have the most fun on your trip. We are also available by phone, at 800-346-3687, and our home on the web, www.VisitWhiteMountains.com, is packed with information to help you make plans.
