Trip Report Three: New Hampshire

I have known Andrea online since we were pregnant with our now six year olds.  When she heard we were coming she invited us to stay, which was just lovely.  There's so much more you learn about a place when you get to meet with the people who live there rather than just see it as a tourist.  Andrea and Gary live near Concord in NH. 

We arrived from Plymouth and after lunch we headed off to a local orchard to go apple picking.

The apples that we picked were SO good.  Sweet and crisp and quite delicious.  They had lots of different varieties and you could put whatever you wanted into your bag.  The two girls felt that it was appropriate to do this in a Queenly manner and so dressed accordingly.

The orchard had a shop with all sorts of goodies, apples and pumpkins and maple syrup and baked products and it all smelt like heaven.

I love the way that in Fall the US seems to turn into a giant pumpkin and you can get pumpkin EVERYTHING. I bought some pumpkin fudge that was the best fudge I have ever tasted. I'm definitely going to try to find a recipie.  The orchard was also selling large pumpkins of the carving type you don't get here.  So Connor picked one out to carve later.

That evening Andrea and Gary had invited a few people over to meet the Aussie curiosities.  We had a lovely evening which culminated in Gary letting off the most amazing fireworks display!  Here are the kids watching the action.

The next day we went to a Nascar race.  On the way to the race we drove through the backroads to miss the traffic and went through the most amazing countryside with the fall colours just beginning to show. When we got there we parked in a farmers paddock and everyone was tailgating.  This is the coolest American tradition I think I came across (well apart from the pumpkin obsession LOL)  Basically, you arrive early, open your tailgate (boot) and get out chairs and a picnic.  It's such a nice atmosphere with everyone enjoying themselves. They do it before sports events and also other things, we did it again the next day before the U2 concert.

So here is everyone tailgating.  After the picnic we wandered down the road to the Nascar stadium.  That sucker was BIG, we arrived just in time for the opening formalities.  They had flags and the anthem and a flyover, and a prayer.  I can't imagine a car race here starting with a prayer that's for certain!!  When the cars started they were LOUD. I'm so glad we weren't right down the front, because it was even worse down there.

The littlies didn't last long because the noise was so loud, so after 100 or so laps, Andrea and I and the 4 smaller kids left the men and Jordan to enjoy the race and headed home to relax.

The next day Mia went to school with Andrea and Gary's daughter and the males of the bunch went into Boston,  they went to the USS Constitution (which was under repair) and then to lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe.  This is them on a boat, it's a big one, and it's grey so I guess it's a war boat, but as to it's name or what kind, well your guess is as good as mine.  When we picked the girls up from school Andreas lovely Mom shouted us lunch at a Japanese restaurant. The food was gooooooooood, and I tried Edamame for the first time, which apparantly are baby soy beans.  That is the way they should be eaten, yum!! 

That evening  Andrea and I went with friends of theirs to the U2 concert at the Patriots Stadium which was somewhere in Massacheusetts, near the Rhode Island border.  I have no clue exactly where.  We tailgated there too.  The concert was fabulous, by the end of it my feet were killing me and my voice was hoarse. 

While we were out Connor carved his pumpkin, and it was sitting waiting to greet us when we got home about 1am.

The next day we sadly said goodbye to our New Hampshire friends and headed off for a long days drive to Niagara Falls. That's for the next post.  We had the most wonderful time with Andrea and Gary and kids, they were so lovely and hospitable and we look forward to the day we can return their hospitality.