Dixfield, Maine

Note:  This is a "blast from the past" post as we work our way backwards to catch you up on our previous destinations. Please remember that we will not be doing any current postings for the next couple of months as we're visiting with family and friends in California.

Visited September 26-28, 2020

By Marty

 

From Bar Harbor we drove about three hours to the northwest and away from the coast to Dixfield, Maine. Dixfield is in western Maine just 40 miles from the New Hampshire border. On the drive and the ensuing days we were treated to our first full blown leaf peeper scenery!

 

Mountain View Campground in Dixfield.  We practically had the RV park to ourselves and, as you can see, we had an unobstructed view of the "mountain".

We only had two days in western Maine so we made the most of them. On Sunday we drove to New Hampshire for a hike near Mt. Washington. Sorry to say but no moose were observed on our gorgeous drive.

We stopped for a picnic lunch at a small reservoir along the way.

Our destination was the Tuckerman Ravine trail at the base of Mt. Washington. It was pretty cool to hike on the Appalachian Trail!

Mt. Washington, at 6,288', is the highest peak in the northeastern US. Mt. Washington is famous for its weather extremes. The highest surface wind speed ever observed by man, 231 mph, was recorded there on April 12, 1934. The lowest temp ever recorded at the summit is -47 degrees, without wind chill! In July the average temp is a mere 49 degrees.

The day of our visit Mt. Washington was forecast to be in the clouds with cold and gusty wind all day. Therefore we elected not to drive or hike to the summit.

For a view from the top and some interesting history about Mt. Washington check this out:

 Mt. Washington

This little frog is lucky he didn't get stepped on, blending into the trail as he did.

In the White Mountains of New Hampshire the trails are notoriously rocky and tree root studded.

Our hike to this overlook gave us amazing views of the incredible Fall color.  We hit the jackpot! And the photo doesn't nearly do it justice!

A short video of the panoramic view from the overlook:

More stunning colors on our drive back to Dixfield

It was late in the day when we came around a bend to see the sun setting behind Mt. Washington.

 The quintessential New England small town church in the Fall

 

On our second day in Dixfield I headed out on my own to explore the area further and look for more photo opportunities.  I was not disappointed! The church photo above and all of the photos below were taken on the same day, making this the biggest bang for the buck photo day of our trip thus far!

And a small town New England church has to have a cemetery behind it, right?

While I do appreciate the sentiment, as illustrated below in the ever so clever bit from Monty Python and the Holy Grail:  "I'm not dead yet!"

Monty Python: Bring out your dead...

Remember that this was heading into our first Covid winter.

 

Walking between the corn rows video. Pair this with some ominous music and you've got a short trailer for a horror movie:

A few random headstones in a field that I just happened upon.

An unattended roadside stand selling pumpkins and other produce. Payment is on the honor system. You put your payment in a small metal box attached to the wall of the shed.

I wouldn't dream of fiddle-heading here! Or anywhere else for that matter...

Wait... what is fiddle-heading anyway?  

From Wikipedia:

Foraged from the ostrich fern, fiddleheads are the fern plant's young shoots that look like tiny scrolls popping out of the dirt. Only available for a short window of time during the spring, they are a delicious delicacy with many devoted fans who can hardly wait for fiddlehead season. Fiddleheads are foraged from the wild in certain parts of the U.S. and Canada where they're also most often consumed. Some foragers sell them to markets, making them available to more people. Best when simply prepared by sautéing or steaming right after harvest, fiddleheads offer a charming taste of spring for simple dishes.

To see what a fiddlehead looks like and learn more:

More about fiddleheading

I really enjoyed exploring this covered bridge. My enjoyment level did diminish somewhat when I slipped from a large rock into the water to my waist while getting some photos. Fortunately my phone did not get wet.

Undeterred by my soaked trousers the next stop was for lunch and a beer at the Sunday River Brewing Company.

Did I take a wrong turn?

Nope...  These are actual town names in western Maine and eastern New Hampshire. I had read of this in my New England research months earlier and made it a point to seek out this road sign. If you look closely at the left margin you will see Big Foot lurking in the background.

Nature called as I drove past a State Park. Our blog is generally apolitical, but this one I couldn't resist...