Partly Sunny was the forecast for this morning so we went out in search of the elusive sunshine.  We went back to drive the Kancamagus Highway again hoping for some wonderful sights.  There was a brief moment of sunshine, but that’s all.  The leaves are about at peak color now but without the sunshine and a better camera my pictures don’t look any better than they did when we drove it last week.

Sunshine!

The Flume Gorge at Franconia Notch State Park was our next stop.  We hiked the two-mile loop through the Flume and through some very scenic areas. The boardwalk provided us the opportunity to see the gorge up close and get a good look at the ferns and mosses that grow there too.

Flume Gorge

Covered Pedestrian Bridge

The next thing was to ride the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway.  Once at the top we hiked a 30 minute trail to a lookout tower and took in some breathtaking views in all directions.   This was not as high up as when we visited Mt. Washington, and it was no where near as cold and windy as that was.

Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway

.

One more stop before heading home…The Old Man of the Mountain, a legendary granite profile of a man’s face on the side of a mountain.  This has been an iconic symbol for the state of New Hampshire for many years.  Then on May 3, 2003, it collapsed and fell off the mountain.  The Old Man of the Mountain Profiler Plaza has recreated the experience of looking up and seeing the old stone face.

The Old Man of the Mountain Profiler Plaza

Looking up at the mountain along a profiler rod you can again see the face back where it belongs.

He’s Back!