Page 176 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

174  NE W ENGLAND

New Hampshire wind ever recorded on earth:
230 mph (370 km/h). On clear
New Hampshire’s natural beauty is evident all over the state. days there are panoramic
The northern part is rippled by the tall peaks of the White views from the top. There are
Mountain Range and the spectacular chasm of Franconia Notch. hiking trails and an auto road
Ponds and lakes, such as the pristine Lake Winnipesaukee, dot to the summit, but the most
exciting way up is by the Mount
central New Hampshire. The main cities – historic Concord and Washington Cog Railway.
lively Portsmouth, with its scenic Atlantic coastline – nestle This steam-powered train
amid the tranquil farmlands of the south. chugs the 3.5-mile (5.6-km)
route to the top along a heart-
stoppingly steep track. Some
of the best alpine skiing is
in Tuckerman Ravine on
Mount Washington.
k Franconia Notch
I-93, Franconia Notch Pkwy. n (603)
823-8800. Park: Open daily. Flume
Gorge Visitor Center: Tel (603) 745-
8391. Open May–Oct: 9am–5pm daily.
& for Flume Gorge, Visitor Center, &
The striking exterior of the Omni Mount Washington Hotel campgrounds. ∑ nh.stateparks.org
j Bretton Woods Minister Winston Churchill, and This spectacular mountain
three US presidents. Surrounded pass, carved between the
* 550. k n (800) 346-3687. 8
∑ visitwhitemountains.com by 27 sq miles (70 sq km) of Kinsman and Franconia ranges,
parkland, its facilities include and designated as the Franconia
This tiny enclave in the Mount a 27-hole golf course. Nearby, Notch State Park, has some of
Washington Valley has an unusual Bretton Woods ski area offers the state’s most stunning
claim to fame. In 1944, with alpine skiing and 62 miles natural wonders. Foremost
the need for currency stability (100 km) of cross-country trails. among them was the Old Man
after the economic upheavals of the Mountain, a rocky
of World War II, it hosted the } Omni Mount Washington outcrop on the side of a cliff
United Nations conference that Hotel that resembled a man’s profile
led to the establishment of Rte 302, Bretton Woods. Tel (603) 278- until the nose and forehead
the Inter national Monetary 1000, (800) 314-1752. 7 = crashed down in May 2003.
Fund and, later, the World Bank. Other attractions compensate
The setting for this historic Environs for the loss. The trout-filled
meeting was the magnificent Dominating the Mount Profile Lake reflects the brilliant
Omni Mount Washington Washington Valley is the 6,288-ft colors of fall foliage on the
Hotel (see p186). Opened in (1,917-m) peak of Mount slopes of Cannon Mountain.
1902, the hotel’s white exterior Washington, the highest in the A boardwalk and stairways
and crimson roof stand out in northeastern United States. lead visitors through the Flume
contrast to Mount Washington, The peak has the dubious distinc- Gorge, a narrow, chasm whose
looming behind it. The hotel has tion of having the worst weather granite walls tower more
entertained several distinguished in the world, and in April 1934 than 90 ft (27 m) above the
guests, including the British Prime clocked the second-highest board-walk, while an aerial
Fall Foliage in New England
Thousands of visitors head for New England in the fall, to gaze in
wonder at the annual changing of leaf colors. The color change is not
just a capricious act of Nature. As daylight hours diminish, the leaves of
deciduous trees stop producing the green pigment chlorophyll, and
other pigments hidden behind the chlorophyll’s color now burst into
view. More pigments are produced by sugars that remain trapped in the
leaves. The result is a riotous display of shades of yellow, orange,
crimson, and maroon. The peak period for “leaf-peeping” varies from
early October in northern New England to late October in the southern
section, but this can differ, depending on the weather (see Fall Foliage
Hotlines, p183 and www.yankeemagazine.com). Glorious colors lighting up the
New England landscape in fall
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp184–6 and pp187–9

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm