Welcome to New Hampshire and Maine!

Welcome to New Hampshire!  We spent a night in Lincoln, New Hampshire, preparing to go across the Kancamagus Highway over to Maine.  We chose this route because it’s one of the most scenic drives through the White Mountains of the state.

We had dinner at The Common Man restaurant.  They serve a variety of meals and are well-known among the gluten-free New Hampshire community.  It was another good suggestion from the people of the internet who helped us plan our trip.  I couldn’t decide what to order at first until I thought about it – we’re in New England, so it’s obvious that I should have the New England pot roast.  It was so delicious!

We got gas in Lincoln before heading out for the day as we were going as far as Bangor, Maine, so it would be a long driving day.  It was $4.29/gallon.

The Kancamagus Highway is named for its proximity to Mount Kancamagus.  It goes through the White Mountain National Forest.  The road is windy but is well maintained, unlike some of the other roads we’ve found ourselves on this trip.

There are several waypoints and trailheads along the highway.  Before we left home, I had picked out one that I wanted to stop and see.  It’s the Sabbaday Falls trail – a short walk (0.7 round trip) with slight elevation to a little waterfall.  It was a cooler morning, so as we went into the forest, it got even cooler, so I was glad to have a light jacket.  It was the first morning we felt like we needed them.  The walk to the falls was pretty easy and it was worth the time to go see it.

       

Shortly after completing the Kancamagus Highway, we were in the state of Maine.  This is significant because this is when DH achieved visiting his 50th state!  There was a Maine Tourist Information center just after we entered the state, so we stopped there.  The lady at the desk asked if she could help us with anything, so I told her she could officially welcome him to his 50th state.  She smiled, said congratulations, and then pulled out a certificate for him commemorating his arrival into his 50th state.  She said they get quite a few people coming through that finish their 50 states in Maine.  It was so sweet!  And he was so happy.

When we stopped in Augusta, Maine, later at a Shaw’s Pharmacy and grocery store, we learned that in the state of Maine, they charge you a nickel for every bag you get from a store.  And they also charge a bottle fee for plastic bottles.  We had this happen with cans in Michigan.  I haven’t figured out where we could return our empty bottles to get our nickel back.  I’ve started asking each time I make a purchase if they are going to charge me for something extra!

We eventually made it to our hotel in Bangor, Maine.  We stayed at the Comfort Inn, and it was pretty comfortable.  We also liked that there was a Mexican restaurant, Las Palapas, in the parking lot that offered 10% off to hotel guests!  It made it nice to not have to figure out what to have for dinner after a long driving day.

The next morning was a wonderful surprise for me at breakfast.  Not only did they offer gluten free bread pre-wrapped, they made a gluten-free toaster available for use.  It wasn’t one they just keep out – it has its own shelf in the staff area and is clearly labeled gluten-free.  They use clean gloves when bringing it out for guests, and as soon as you’re done with it, they get another pair of clean gloves to take it and put it away again.  I’ve never seen a designated gluten-free toaster at a hotel breakfast bar before.  It was a lovely beginning to the week we were spending in Maine.

Up next: headed to geographically significant points.

~ Cindy D.