Earlier this year, you may recall I took off on a four day road trip with my Mom to the beautiful state of New Hampshire, USA. 
(Check out the announcement video here)
We had an absolute blast, but before I could share our adventures with you, my photos and videos went M.I.A. Insert sad face. But wait – good news – I am happy to say I was recently able to recover them! Insert happy face.
Without further adue: New Hampshire Day One!
To catch you up to speed, this whole road trip idea came about when my Mom had a few unexpected days off and wondered if I’d like to join her in exploring somewhere ‘not too far from home‘.
A few phone calls later we were on the highway with our Tim Horton’s coffees and the music blaring. With a 10 hour drive ahead of us, we didn’t book our first night and instead opted to see how far we’d get.
We found ourselves driving around the farmlands of upstate New York at 1am and agreed it was best we stop and sleep.
Heading out early the next morning, we drove through stunning Vermont and into New Hampshire. For the record, we had no GPS or phone, just an old school paper map. We never got lost.
Our first stop of the trip was Franconia Notch State Park. What a place!
New Hampshire has some pretty astounding nature and Franconia Notch is a shining example. As the park had not officially opened for the season, the staff took us around to see some of the main highlights. We walked around a few trails and ended up at ‘The Basin‘ where the water had shaped and smoothed the rock into a natural whirlpool.
Along the way, I got to see my first covered bridge of the road trip – something I was really looking forward to.
They also took us to see ‘The Flume.’ This gorge was created because the middle of three different rocks eroded faster than the ones next to it.
Mother Nature is magical.
My favourite part was Echo Lake Beach where my Mom and I snapped a tender photo memory together.
In the summer you can camp, bike ride, hike, you name it! In the winter, they’ve got ski hills so you can hit the slopes.
Check out my video of Franconia Notch State Park to see more.
After so much driving and nature, it was time to rest our heads.
As if what we had already seen wasn’t enough, we were soon surrounded by the marvellous White Mountains.
So quiet and relaxing.
We spent the night at the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Highland Center in Crawford Notch.
This place is very suited for the outdoorsy type, (there is gear for purchase and rent) but also a good fit for those who just want to chill out surrounded by nature without exploring it. My Mom and I had our own room, a fantastic view, and wifi.
Oh, and it’s ‘green’ lodging in an effort to protect the environment around it!
For dinner, we found ourselves sitting down family style with other guests for a 4 course meal – together. It was so pleasant to simply sit, share stories from our days and enjoy delicious food.
While on the topic of food – breakfast was equally yummy and fuelled us up for the day ahead!
Our stay at the Highland Center and visit to Franconia Notch State Park made for the perfect kick-off to our New Hampshire road trip and left us excited for Day Two – when we visit The Cog Railway and the Valley Snow Dogz! 
For some extra goodness – drive to the nearby Omni Mt. Washington Resort for sunset. You can also walk around the inside and learn about the hotel’s extensive history – without big bucks to stay there (if you’re on a budget like I am of course.)
Special Thanks to New Hampshire Tourism for hosting my mother and I on this road trip.
If you are considering a visit to New Hampshire, check out their website, facebook, twitter or connect with me to get more info.