10/27/21

The Nor’Easter let up a bit this morning and it was time to drive to the New Hampshire coast. My first stop was Hampton Beach, which is a huge summer tourist destination for New Englanders. If you live New York or north on the East Coast, and don’t feel like going to the Jersey Shore for your summer beach vacation, then you’re probably heading here. The place is usually very crowded, but I was here in late October in the middle of a Nor’Easter, so it was pretty much empty.

Of course, before I reached Hampton Beach, I had to leave North Conway and drive down the ‘Kanc (as it is called here…the actual name is the Kancamagus Highway). With the storm and fog lifting, this meant driving through some of the prettiest parts of New Hampshire, making it hard to leave the area. It also gave me my first actual glimpse at the mountains in the area (they do exist!). Here’s what the Conway region of New Hampshire actually looks like:

And then I made it to the Atlantic Ocean. This was my first time seeing this ocean in my life! It was cold, windy, rainy, and absolutely miserable, but I loved the sea-salt smell that hung in the air and every moment of the event. With my visit to Hampton Beach, I have now seen this country coast-to-coast. And my Jeep has now travelled the entire continent too: from Pacific to Atlantic! Good job, Jeep!

After my short visit to Hampton Beach, I drove north to Portsmouth. And oh boy! Portsmouth deserves its own blog entry as it is yet another new favorite spot of mine in this country, right alongside my newly found favorite town of Marquette in northern Michigan.

More to follow.

Cheers,

Rob