Woodstock

Day 31
Destination: Woodstock, New Hampshire
Route: Back roads, Route 104, Highway 3A, Highway 93
Miles Ridden: 93    Total Miles: 6,832

Points of Interest:

• White Mountain National Forest
• Blaire Bridge (covered)
• Woodstock, New Hampshire
• Lake Newburgh

Our third day in New Hampshire, and what a day it was.  After Mikie Three Meals fixed another great breakfast for us and Gary once again jumped in the stream, we mounted our silver eagles and took off for points north. Although we didn't have an actual destination in mind, we ultimately ended up at Woodstock, New Hampshire.
 
To get there however, we road a dirt road for several miles which took us to the top of a mountain. From this vantage point, we could see the valleys below, a lake and some great examples of the ranch homes and barns common in this part of New Hampshire. Most of the homes are two story with wide wood sidings, many with brightly colored metal roofs and barns. A couple locals stopped by, and we had a nice chat with them.
 
We left, and made our way to Woodstock. Woodstock in located in north central New Hampshire, a very short distance from the border with Vermont to the west. It has many attractions, but the one we liked the most was the Blaire Bridge. This is a covered bridge, not uncommon in New Hampshire. This one was built in 1870 to replace one originally built in 1829. The bridges have wooden decks, and only one vehicle at a time are permitted on the bridges. We later had lunch in Woodstock, and returned on back roads and Highway 3A so that we could run alongside Lake Newburgh.  New Hampshire had a major influence on the Colonies' decision to boot out the British before the Revolutionary War, and also played important roles during the Civil War (or the War of Northern Aggression, if you happen to live in the South), including the battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. We stopped at a very old cemetery, and found several markers from the Civil War, including one where the permanent guest had been killed while carrying the regimental flag during the Battle of Deep River, Virginia. There is a lot of history to be found and explored in New Hampshire. The state is truly beautiful, with great roads anxious to be explored and wonderful people.