New England USA Mini Road Trip 2020 - Day 4 - New Hampshire #fiveexplore #newenglandroadtripusa2020

DAY 4: Monday 12th October 2020

Our perceptions are based on our previous experiences. When we haven’t experienced something, we struggle to adjust our perceptions until we see it for ourselves. I thought this trip had shared everything America’s fall had to offer. That was until we set course for New Hampshire.

Detailed breakfast negotiations were completed with Lyra and we were then allowed to check out. It was impressive that one of my children went to such lengths complaining so we adjust our daily schedule based on her whims. With Mount Lyra dormant for the next few hours we headed towards Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest body of water in New Hampshire.

Route 111 was a narrow road surrounded by colours that I didn’t realise existed on trees. It was as if someone had turned the colour brightness and contrast up on a 1980s TV. Jaws dropped as the garish oranges, reds and yellows glared in the morning sun. Like an endless hall of mirrors, the traffic light leaves repeated across the horizon – red, orange, green, red, orange, green, red, orange, green….

We eventually arrived at the beginning of a 21-mile-long lake in the town of Alton. The contrast of fall trees and sapphire water were beautifully stark. The surrounding landscape was becoming increasingly undulating.

We headed further around the shoreline to Ellacoya State Park and walked onto a lonely beach where the lapping waves nudged the sleepy seagulls next to us. Just in case we were getting lost in the beauty of our surroundings, Alaina fell in the wet sand and spent the next twenty minutes in a huge sulk as her favourite trousers and shoes had been ruined.

Leaving the water, we visited Beans & Greens Farm. A plethora of pumpkins and children’s swings warmly welcomed the girls. Across the road we experienced the star attraction, our first corn maze. We signed a COVID-adapted insurance form and disappeared for nearly 2 hours in a lost world of sheaves and maize. Lyra said she would only enter the maze if there was a reward. The ‘reward’ involved solving several clues and word puzzles. Sarah was in her element. The children were ready to leave. After several lost turns Sarah interrogated other guests and messaged family members to ensure we had the answers to all the questions.

Back in the gift shop the children proudly claimed their reward – a plastic toy maze. I would have happily bought every plastic maze in the shop and saved an afternoon of corn trauma. To finish the day Lyra and Alaina bought strangely shaped pumpkins and we headed back to the car.

Further west, larger mountains rose from the horizon and the orange colours deepened in the setting sun. The beauty of our surroundings was a parody of previous days. Ever more beautiful and entrancing.

It is impossible to do justice with words so hopefully some of the photos can articulate the scene better than I ever will. When words fail her Sarah often looks to popular cheesy songs. Today she expressed herself by singing songs about Gummi Bears and Postman Pat.

At the very end of our journey we crossed into Vermont, the green mountain state. Nestled in the hills was the final stop on our journey. Tomorrow the rains arrive yet I hope we can have one more experience that broadens our perceptions.

In addition to this blog, you can check out our Instagram feed for more photos and short posts documenting our travels and family adventures @fiveexplore