Great Expectasia: White Mountains

We just got back from a long weekend in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. It was our first unassisted trip with three children. It's not only that we survived it, but we even had a lot of fun! There were a few moments of chaos and overwhelmed-ness, but very few (for example entering a restaurant with the baby crying, Sam running and Elie running away and yelling). The kids were awesome, and we hiked a lot. This was our first trip where we hiked and if Sam was tired we could NOT carry her. We were outnumbered by our kids.

All hail the minivan again. We packed everything we needed including two strollers, a box fan, two pack n'plays, a bouncy seat, a huge boppy, an ice chest, a hiking backpack for a baby, a high chair booster thing...PLUS all of our clothes and stuff, and it didn't even make an impact on the minivan. We could see out the back. We didn't even have to pack it well - it was like a grain of sand on the beach. That thing just oozes space.

Day one we got up early and meant to leave the house around 8:30. I was trying not to be annoying and naggy, so I let it be, and we left around 9:30 (and then made a stop off the highway for coffee...). We decided to do a quick bathroom break in Concord. It was a beautiful day, there was a beautiful farmer's market, and we were enjoying, so we stayed for a few hours. We got back into the car and drover farther up, entering Franconia Notch State Park. Our first stop was the Flume Gorge. It was a two mile loop, out to the flume, on the boardwalk through it and around and back. Sam did this one with a few complaints. Elie walked quite a bit of it too. Koby slept.

On the boardwalk on the flume hike, at a waterfall

moving the glacial boulders

making mommy nervous, sitting on the covered bridge edge over the Pemigewasset River

all of us at the end of the hike

We got to our house we had rented near the south end of the White Mountains, through Air BNB, and it was totally fine (the Addy Shack). We were pooped after a long day, and we happened to have thrown a bit of food in the car, so we had sandwiches for dinner and attempted to put the kids to bed. We tried to put Elie and Sam in the same room downstairs. Unfortunately Elie would not leave poor Sam alone - he kept yelling, "wake up ra ra!!!!" so after a while (um, at 9:30, after we put him to bed at 7!!!), we finally moved her to a futon upstairs. I think I went to sleep before they finally did.

Day two we got up and moving around 9:30 and we went to Loon Mountain, in Lincoln, near where we were staying. We took a gondola up the mountain, which was fun for the kids (and easier than walking...). We were kinda underwhelmed by being on top of the mountain until we found the glacial bounder caves. We had no idea what they were, but Sam, Matt and Elie went down a big ladder into them and they had the best time. Elie came out onto the boardwalk that skirted the caves after a few caves, since they were kinda hard for a 2 year old. Sam and Matt found their way around and under all of these amazing, huge boulders. It is like a totally natural playground. She was so proud of herself. Life highlight for her.

Then we went back to Lincoln to get pancakes for lunch (that was the stressy moment, but it passed quickly) and headed across the Kancamagus Highway (112), toward Conway. Silly me, I thought the kids would fall asleep and take their nap in the car. It was a BEAUTIFUL drive with amazing overlooks and loads of hikes on either side of the road. Elie finally fell asleep and had a small nap before we turned around and found a short 0.5 mile hike which took us around an old logging railroad area and by the Swift River. Eh. Then we went to Sabbaday Falls, a 0.6 mile hike, to the falls and back. It was a beautiful waterfall, and below the falls we took off our shoes and went in the water - it was FREEZING, but the kids loved it. We stopped at a local tavern for dinner on the way home. The kids were great, and luckily the tavern had a great grilled cheese. Sleeping was much easier the second night (though Elie still cried for about ten minutes, poor dude).

Koby enjoying the view up the gondola on Loon Mountain

Samara coming out of one of the caves on the glacial bounder

Matt, Samara and Elie at Sabbaday falls

Oops - this looks like a Flume photo from the day before

getting our feet wet near Sabbaday Falls

Day three Koby got up to eat around 5:45 and wanted to hang out too, until he went back to sleep at 6:30...when Samara woke up. Sam and I watched a little PBS until Elie woke up around 7:40. Finally Matt and Koby woke up around 8:45 and we threw everything in the car and drove east to a hike near where we were staying, the Smarts Brook Trail. We originally planned to do a three mile loop, but I thought that might be too much for Samara, plus we didn't have that much time, so we instead got lost and ended up on the Tri Town Trail, with a bit of elevation, until it met the Smarts Brook Trail and we found the cascades. It was a beautiful waterfall, and again, we could stop, have a snack and get our feet wet (most of us did that on purpose. Some may have fallen in...). I tried to distract Samara with stories, songs and just about everything else I could think about. She was amazing. Most of the time she was skipping, singing or just walking happily. After this, we grabbed a quick pizza lunch and drove all the way back home.

Adding a third to a hiking trip makes it so that number one must walk, which is limiting in terms of what we can do and how long it will take us. But the logistics in general of traveling haven't really changed. We already know how to travel with kids. I already know how to hike and nurse at the same time. All in all - a total success and super fun. We already want to go back (or somewhere else to get outside).