Small town, down-home, country type feeling

Small town, down-home, country type feeling

I am writing this by the light of the campfire as our vacation winds down on a cool Thursday night. I am listening to the river as it runs through the trees, watching the orange-blue flame of the fire, and wondering, do the people that live here appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds them on a daily basis as much as those who visit do? I see the ocean on an almost daily basis and I haven't lost any appreciation so I am sure the residents of the white Mountains don't either. It sure is hard to imagine not waking up here every morning and not thanking God for such a beautiful world.

One of the best things(at least in my opinion) is how open everything is here. It's so nice to see undeveloped land, houses in the middle of nowhere, and quaint little villages that make up the town center. Everyone has acres and acres of land, with the most incredible views. The highway seems to stretch for miles..and there is no traffic. Everything is so open, you could be going at ninety miles per hour and not even realize it.

Many of the restaurants are family owned. We went to one today in Littleton, NH called "The Coffee Stop." The owner served as the hostess and the server, and she new everyone that came in...except us of course. I almost felt like an intruder! That's not to say the atmosphere was unfriendly...it was anything but. The food was great, the service excellent, and the "homey" feeling would have made up for anything that was lacking. Nothing was however, and for more than a brief moment, I wondered what it would be like to be a "Local. I just love that down-home, small-town atmosphere.

Another place we tried for breakfast(we ate out every morning due to inclement weather...more about that ina future entry) was called Polly's Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill, NH. The atmosphere, although nice wasn't quite as homey. The history was what intrigued me. This family-owned restaurant is housed in a building originally used for storage that was built in 1830. It was located on a maple sugar farm that has been owned and operated by the same family for over a century. The restaurant opened in 1938 as a tearoom where they served pancakes, waffles, french toast, and of course, tea. The entire building is decorated with artifacts found in the famiyl attic or passed down through relatives. The make every kind of pancake known to man...and the taste is so good you almost don't even need syrup or butter. We are going back again on Friday with Ryun's grandparents.

I originally meant for this to be the start of a camping trip review type entry but, I have decided to do that next. It's late, I am tired, and my sleeping bag awaits.

10:17 a.m. - 2003-07-27