Let Me Live Free and Die in New Hampshire’s Lake Region!

  A feature in four parts: loving the loons, mail delivery by boat, a castle in the clouds, B & B Bliss

 

It’s the most heroic license plate in the USA - a call for bravery. If its message is followed - at  least the "live" part -  the result is exhilaration and  long lasting rewards. The variety of rich experiences that nourished me in New Hampshire all happened in a relatively small region encircling Lake Winnipesaukee. Each separate experience reflected the bravery of those who followed their dreams and allowed me to enter them for real. 

           

The Loon Preservation Committee

                                    Keeping the call of the loon alive

Many of us saw our first loon on our family’s cottage lake when we were young. The beauty of their perfectly patterned white and black markings and their striking red eyes held us in awe. Their haunting wails and hoots woke us up in the morning, and sent us off to slumber in a rather unique way... "The Lullaby Wail" became my favourite bedtime song.  

We took loons for granted; yet still, we became excited when we saw them floating by with a pair of chicks – maybe one on the mother’s back, the other proving he could swim solo beside her.  When we spotted them, we never gave it a second thought that their survival might be threatened; after all, there are thousands of lakes in North America.

I was one such uninformed person.  I found out just how wrong I was during a special trip I took to a very special place to learn more about the bird I loved.

                                                                                                             

I drove from Montreal to the Loon Preservation Committee in Moultonborough, New Hampshire. For the past 41 years this dedicated group of brilliant biologists along with more than a thousand volunteers have been studying loons in over 350 New Hampshire lakes. They are the largest and most loon-knowledgeable organization in the world. Their long-term work has resulted in the creation of our planet’s largest and most comprehensive data base for loons. Best of all, they are completely accessible; They have to be, for the success of loon preservation is reliant on educating the public with a view to encouraging empathy and compliance.

   video by John Rockwood

LPC’s work is daunting. It is not glamorous; in fact – as  LPC’s loon biologist Tiffany Grade highlighted the ‘downside to the job” on the loon cruise – researchers have to dirty their hands, even suffer through a sea of mosquitoes and brace themselves for some loon peck wounds when rescuing and tagging them, particularly at night. 

 As Tiffany explained: "By putting bands on the loons legs, we can identify individual loons, which helps us learn about their life history and how their productivity and survival relates to their health and contaminant levels.  What we learn by following these loons around helps us understand how to better preserve the species.  We go out at night with a spotlight, locate the family, and keep the light trained on them.  Because the light is so bright, they can’t see behind the light.  At that point, we imitate chick or loon calls and they come up to the boat to confront what they believe is another loon in their territory.  At that point, we net them and get them in the boat, where we put the bands on, weigh and measure them, and take feather and blood samples that we can test for contaminants and health factors.”

This monitoring process not only involves setting up cameras, but most importantly banding the bird on its leg with an unobtrusive geo-locator which allows for following the movement and mapping territorial changes of the loon families – in some cases a single male or female – finding out answers as to why dwindling populations occur, rescuing loons, discovering the territorial habits of loons, and the importance of mankind respecting their nests. Public education is foremost, and I must say that the video I watched at LPC centre taught me so much, as did the loon cruise I signed up for.

                                                             Watch this video  
                                                    http://www.loon.org/looncam.php      

During the Squam Lake cruise, (the very lake where the movie “On Golden Pond” was shot), we were given binoculars to spot the loons. Tiffany, Squam lake Project Biologist was familiar with the loons coveted territories – no small feat considering Squam has 16 pairs of loon that enjoy 57 acres of lake. To date, 60% of the loons have been banded, and she did not hold back on sharing several success stories, such as LPC’s man-made nesting rafts comprising wire frame  with  fabric camouflage - set up for for a family, so that racoons would no longer kill the chicks. She told us about a female loon that kept looking for better locations, and her original nesting area was not giving her chicks. She ended up kicking out a female loon and taking over her “hubby’ and soon she was with chicks.

Her funny true anecdotes about loons were mixed with informative facts, and hands-on touching of a loon bone and a replica of an egg, and yes had many loon sightings. What joy!

One story she told brought us loon lovers to tears. The event occurred between the years of 2004 and 2005. In short, there was a 45% loss of loons on the lake, and by 2007, there was only one surviving chick to on Squam. Without the intense rigorous research of the LPC, the crisis would never have been known. It took years to find the source. LPC eventually found out that three tributaries full of contaminants were washing down into the lake during storms. It was killing the loons.

They also found out that loons were dying from ingesting led sinkers and gigs. After several trips and much persistent lobbying with New Hampshire’s Environment State Department, LPC gave loons their much needed voice. On June 22^nd, of this year (2016), a law was passed making it illegal to sell led sinkers and gigs if they were more than one ounce.  Anything more was barred form sales.  Loons were ingesting them and their gizzards could not cope with the toxins. They were dying.  Ponder this: Analyses of loon eggs from Squam Lake during the period revealed elevated levels of flame retardants. PCB’s, furans DDT, insecticides and more which compromise the loon’s immune system causing a killer fungal growth called aspergillosis.

Truly, without LPC’s exhaustive research and the ensuing reaching out to the public and government, one wonders if loons would continue living at all. Canadian, Harry Vogel. Senior Biologist/Executive Director of LPC is always ready to answer questions, and I had many. Having studied loons for over 20 years, Mr Vogel is an expert in loons; his passion for the bird is palpable. You need only speak with him to know this. He revealed that there have been setbacks, but LPC’s persistent staff has “begun to make a dent in the issues facing loons. We’ve learned about loons and their own challenges, and we’ve discovered that they are uniquely able to illuminate threats to other wildlife and to the aquatic environments on which we all depend. Partnering with others has immensely helped us in our efforts to preserve loon. We’ve come a long way since 1976, when we had just one shabby old environmentally-harmful boat at a time there was only one loon chick to keep track of on Lake Winnipesaukee that year. Gone are those days of equipment limitation and lack of staff.”
 

Always fund raising, researching, educating and rescuing, The Loon Preservation Committee has given loons their own collective plea wail.

 

                                                                                                                     
Throw away those led sinkers and gigs! Simply sit back and watch the loons as they pass by your boat, canoe or wharf.  Whaaah, whaah!

Check out their excellent video/display room and lovely gift boutique; it's a one-stop place to learn, shop, reserve your Squam Lake cruise and mix with other loon-loving folks.

                      The Loon Preservation Committee's website is www.loon.org. 

Call 603-4765666.

                                  

                                                 Read about America's  most unique post office on water: click here

 Lake Winnipesaukee's Floating Postal Service

                                            

                 

  Lofty Dreams Lead to a Castle in the Clouds

Lucknow – not so lucky

It’s a lovely place to visit, an estate high up in Moultonborough, New Hampshire. The one-way winding road up to this gentleman’s estate is winding but well worth the ride. On your way up, stop off at the famous boulder that resembles a planet-sized slice of roast beef.




Ponder the fact that bigger things await you at the end of the road. 
A trolley will take you up even further to the Castle in the Clouds.

Now called, "Lucknow", it exemplifies  the early 20^th-century arts and crafts romantic design style of stone and oak whose hearty construction has endured the test of time. Inspired by Norwegian architecture, the outside is humble yet rustically appealing in its alpine feel where mountain and lake blend with natural appeal. The view of Lake Winnipesaaukee is breathtaking.

Perched on 6,300 acres of land, the mansion not only comprises 16 rooms, but a green house, farm buildings, a tennis and golf court, and 45 miles of carriage and bridal trails.

Built in 1914, the grand home, which took 18 months to complete, was owned by Thomas Plant. Leaving his memories of poverty behind, he masterminded a home   where he and his first wife, Olive could live richly,  

and with the feeling of dining and dwelling on top of the world.
 

Mr Plant who started out working in a shoe factory in Bath Maine, ended up eleven years later taking over the factory. His rags to riches life soon however turned full circle. He invested in Russian bonds and eventually  ended up on the brink of bankruptcy. Let's not forget that his first wife divorced him, and from that, Mr Plant generously gave her $1 million – a handsome sum in 1941.                                                                           

  

              

Unable to sell the property, it was mortgaged to a friend who allowed the Plants to continue to occupy their own home. When Plant died in 1940 – on his way his way to a hospital across from the lake (he had a ruptured hernia), Lucknow’s dark clouds appeared.

It would take over a decade for a clear sky to appear.

In 1959, Lucknow was opened to the public with a new and fitting name. Now its cared for by the non-profit Lakes Region Conservation Trust, this marvellous estate with its 16 rooms offers a wonderful glimpse into his family’s personal belongings and rooms filled with furniture from the period. 

Enjoy your self-guided tour. You'll see some vintage pieces, including a kitchen chest and a really cool shower.

You may wish to drive up Park Road, an alternate route to reach the castle. Hike the Shannon Brook trail there.

 

The address is 171, Old Mountain Road Moultonborough, NH.

Call: 603 -476-5900. 
 The website is www.castleintheclouds.org

         
The Thais Touch: tenacity turns an abandoned B&B into beauty

Since the age of six, Thais St Clair had always been fascinated with houses – especially if they had mysterious passages that led to staircases where a secret room was lurking. Such was the imagination of Thais whose interest in dwellings never seemed to wane. But life happens: she ended up traveling to Japan at the age of 16, and then worked in a high power job for a semi-conductor company that often took her to Japan. Not surprisingly, she’s fluent in Japanese. 

Thais is a giver with a gentle soul; she also had a long teaching career, but the dream of owning a B & B still lived in her mind throughout her careers.

 

“I wanted people to have a place to stay that was personable, where you could converse with others in an easy way. I grew tired of the cold atmosphere I experienced staying in hotels where you couldn’t talk easily to others.” 

In 2012 – though living in California – she began her Bed and Breakfast search. Her

dream became reality the following year; she bought a gracious but tired-looking. It had been lying dormant for three years. Conveniently located in Centre Harbor, the 

Victorian noble house benefited from Thais’s ingenuity. After some serious wall papering, covering walls and ceilings in colour-rich paint, and adding alluring touches,  Sutton House B&B opened its doors.

                                 

                                   A huge marine mural adorns the entrance.

       

Cozy corners feature Queen Ann style and Chinese pieces of furniture, creating lovely sitting areas. What a lovely nook for sitting and reading!

    

Mindful of the importance of family, and how she wanted her B&B to reflect this, Thais made sure most rooms were designed for inter-generational families – one that would warmly welcome children, allowing the entire family young and old to have their own suite.

She achieved this grandly. Her purple peony room sleeps four, and most rooms accommodate at least three guests with no extra charge.  

 My room had a bed big enough to fit in two King Henry the 8ths! Called the teal orchid room, it has it own turquoise orchid. There's so much room. I loved the floor-to-ceiling drapes. 

I felt like I could very well have been one of his wives (without their outcome). It was royally huge, and the bathroom was as well.  

      With its own fireplace and enormous Jacuzzi tub with a shower – I was seduced.

 

 I didn't want to leave this special place. I could grow old here and be perfectly content. 
                         

Thankfully, Thais is well aware of the plight of aging travelers trying to avoid stairs. The first floor room has been designed with seniors in mind and those who are mobility challenged. There are even two access ramps.

Speaking of time passing... the B&B is 151 years old, and this is part of its charm; it continues to retain its historical Victorian appeal. Despite a fire in 1993 – the only trace of its havoc are the small charred markings on the ground floor banister. Thais wished to leave them as a historical signature of a piece of its past.

  

A pool sits at the back of the expansive 16-room B&B, and at its front – a glimpse of wonderful Lake Winnipesaukee stretches into view among the trees.

Breakfasts are stunningly gourmet as Thais, her son Kody and her co-chef, Nancy cook an assortment of fresh dishes that have you starting your day feeling full and in high spirits. From delicate crepes filled with mascarpone, ricotta and cream cheese – sublimely delicious – they alone deserve a Michelin star – to other kinds of sweet surprises, sensational blueberry scones – prepared from scratch in the kitchen – everything moves from fresh preparation stage into the oven and then onto your plate.

The fruit, home-made quiche, lovingly created by Nancy – New Hampshire smoked sausages, wonderful eggs with meat and all kinds of goodies mixed , the incredible French toast topped with coconut, almond slices and icing sugar – all of these morning blessings filled our bellies and put a wide smile on our faces. I loved Sutton House B&B and its convenience. I was able to drive to all the attractions and boat cruises described in the features below.

 

The website is: www.sutton-house.com. 

The Floating Post Office on Lake Winnipesaukee

     Mail delivery by boat, and you’re welcome to come along for the ride! 

Lake Winnipesaukee's vast 72 square miles (44,000 acres with a depth of 4000 feet) is one of the New Hampshire’s most famous loon-laden lakes. Not surprisingly, it becomes a playground during the summer.  But camps, cottages and the few permanent residents need to get their mail. Most of these folks are staying on one of the lake's 240 habitable islands. In total, there are 365 islands of which 274 are navigable. The depth of this wondrous lake is 4000 feet.
                           

                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                               
 

One frequent visitor, carrying a special load, floats into view every day from June 15^th until September 2^nd. It’s the M/V Sophie C. It stops at two YMCA Camps, another smaller camp, several island associations, and all kinds of stops – dropping off packages and letters, along with lots of ice cream for the many residents.

This unique pontoon with its lower and outside deck of seats for tourists has been doing this for decades. It’s the only one of its kind in the USA; and although I am no mailman, it’s one ride I didn’t want to miss. So I boarded the boat and sat next to three huge bags stuffed with letters.

What a great way to enjoy the lake while getting lots of information from Captain Paul Smith who’s been doing this for 31 years. His trusty assistant Betty was there to do the book keeping.

 

 We passed several islands: Rattlesnake Island, Bear Island, Long Island, even an 1860’s former grist mill that stands like a pointed steeple on one island. You can see it from the boat. At each wharf, we were always greeted by happy campers.

The itinerary was mapped carefully. Here’s what I enjoyed: Captain Smith would dock the mail boat, and residents standing on the dock seemed to put on a show – jumping off tall steeple poles  they had climbed at the wharf – counting 1,2,3; or simply waving to us all as we arrived and as we left. 

The entire two-hour trip was so much fun – thanks to Captain Smith's joking and eagerness for us to come up and talk to him and Betty. “We don’t just deliver the mail, we deliver a party," he said.

I learned a lot about Lake Winnipesaukee, but most of all I had a darn good time out on this beautiful lake with all the folks on board.  We left from Weirs Beach at 2 pm. But there’s also a morning departure at 11 am.

You can buy your ticket before departure at the booth, or order it on line at: www.cruiseNH.com

photos taken by Terry Rotoring (except first one of boat)

BORDER BULLYING

I was at the Darby line Quebec/Vermont border on my way to New Hampshire border. Feeling keen to get to Sutton House B& B in Harbor City, and excited  about meeting finally meeting the folks at the Loon Preservation Committee that booked me on a loon cruise on Squam Lake. My enthusiasm was about to be squashed.

I was in the slowest moving line, and when I got to the agent, it cam eto a long halt.

Leaning out his window, the young twenty-something customs agent took my passport, and looked at me askance.

He began to bombard me with a load of questions about the fact that I was traveling alone – a woman driving far and alone. I could hear the wheels (or should I say rocks in his head) turning. He paused, and I said I often drive alone. "Do you know the Gatineau region?” N was his answer. Well I spent my summers there with a pump, an outhouse and fishing with my dad. I have that in my blood. Being alone is in my way. He seemed perplexed, even fascinated.

He changed the subject:  he asked me where I was headed and I told him a loon cruise in the lake region. He paused, and then asked if I knew anyone in New Hampshire or had documents to prove where I was going. I hadn’t taken the email bookings showing the friendly banter between the people I was to meet up with, but I replied that I hoped to meet my B &B host and the cruise biologist, and that perhaps a friendship might form.

 He then asked me a series of quiz type questions: “When was the last time you were in the States?” I asked if he meant stopping through an airport of visiting a city? I thought I was in a quiz show, and he said, like a quiz host, “the airport”. I said, "I think it was Orlando or Miami coming back from Mexico". I got the date right, but the year wrong. Oops! He looked like a teacher scolding a student when he held up my passport pointing to March of this year. How could I have forgotten? I was in San Miguel launching me new novel. I apologized.

Then he asked me what I did for a living. I referred to my retirement as a teacher. I did not mention my writing career. That would have surely put me in jail.

“Put your car in park and pop the trunk,” he demanded, and then the weirdest thing happened. My lovely car refused to move into ‘park’. The stick shift was locked; it was on Drive and my foot was on the break. He began giving me a driving lesson - telling me to keep my foot on the break (which it already was on obviously). I panicked telling him I could not move the shift. Instantly I saw my cruise plans going up in smoke. Was my car on the blitz? He came out and looked in the trunk. There was nothing there of course. Still persistent, he asked if I had alcohol or food on me - a question he was supposed to ask me in the first place, I thought.

Another long pause, and then the man showed his complete ignorance. He really wanted the answer to the question he was about to ask. Like a wide –eyed child, out came his question – nothing to do with customs: “What’s a loon?” I then proceeded to imitate the “whah whah” sound of the beloved bird. He looked puzzled. I then told him about the Canadian loony – the one-dollar coin with a loon on one side.  I was the teacher. Then with a big smile he said “Have a nice trip, Nancy.”

 It took me a good half hour to recover form his interrogation, and I had spent a half hour with him – already having to wait one hour to reach his window.

 Coming back into Quebec, I had not one ounce of trouble. A simple where are you from and what was the purpose of your trip. A smile came on his face, and said – off you go!”

Walter’s Basin in Holderness, New Hampshire

                                                                                   

                                 Feasting lakeside after a lovely loon cruise

What a fabulous menu of American cuisine – the best of it. Gary Chaffee, the chef is simply cooking up quality ribs, pasta, seafood and several of your chicken favourites using an unparallel palette-pleasing assortment of flavours. I was delighted to see that gluten-free dishes were on this menu in both the main dishes and appetizers. That’s rare, and it shows that the concept behind the creation of the dishes is sophisticated and mindful of health. Sitting at the lakeside restaurant of Squam Lakes was relaxing and wholly fitting to the royal food I chose to have. I ordered the Ahi-tuna starter on a crispy won-ton adorned with tiny strips of seaweed topped with a crescent of avocado. Deliciously addictive!

 Then came my clam chowder soup that was thick and oh so satisfying; it is freshly made. A thick hunk of brisket arrived as another appetizer on a sweetish bun. Tender and subtly flavoured, this filling creation was original. Diving into a key lime pie perfectly suited my dessert yen. It was so irresistible, I wanted the recipe. I then and sinfully admit I wanted to taste their dessert specialty – though the menu offered an embarrassment of royal choices. This was a bumble berry pie with whipped cream and ice cream on the plate. The sweet raspberries, rhubarb, apples and blueberries filled me until I waddled out like the docks swimming on the lake. 

 

By the way, their exotic coffees with alcohol are the best I have ever tasted in my travels. The Mad River beans (the name of the coffee) are ground freshly in nearby Campton – a coffee coup for New Hampshire’s lake region. The wine list is just right, and their drinks have names that sport humour and originality to reflect their concoctions; some are named after islands in Lake Winnipesaukee. I hear the Rattlesnake is to die for (no pun intended) Come by boat or on land; or even if you have to swim to get there, Walter’s Basin offers bounteous feasting.

www.waltersbasin.com

Feast on Fabulous Fish at the Bay Restaurant

Big on Fish, Big on Taste  

 In Centre Harbor, New Hampshire – a popular but casual resort spot in New Hampshire’s lake region, the Bay Restaurant is the one to put on your place-to-eat-list. Here, the world becomes your oyster, for aside from the exciting choices of unique gourmet burgers, delightful appetizers and savoury salads, including the Bay’s notable noodle one with an awesome oriental mix; a healthy fruit and nut number creation, and other wonderful healthy selections – it is clear that at the Bay, fish rules! It’s featured in three of the four major categories on the menu. In the main meal section, seven of the eight offerings dazzle in title alone: fisherman’s platter. Gluten free Maryland crab cakes, maple glazed tips and shrimp sautee. The dazzling BBQ by the Bay whose ribs come with Jack Daniels BBQ wings, fried shrimp and cole slaw is a bounteous indulgence. And the list goes on. 

My dining companion, Thais St Clair, owner of Sutton House B & B knows about quality cooking. She selected the grilled salmon salad from the Greens category. Flavoured with a sassy fruit salsa. The salmon was tender, and she highlighted her enjoyment of the champagne vinaigrette.


 

I ordered the evening’s specialty: halibut Oscar with fresh lump crab, meat and asparagus topped with Hollandaise. Zucchini, dainty string beans, carrots and flavoured with herbs created a superb dish. The presentation was gorgeous; the green olive oil speckled with red paprika added beauty. The portion was huge, and the satisfaction  level too.

My waitress, Hannah, recommended the Chateau St Michelle – a chardonnay. It was a fine match. For dessert, I went to sin city with a dark chocolate with white chocolate imbedded in it, whipped cream and salted caramel truffle gelato. Thais chose the white chocolate chip raisin bread pudding. I snuck a taste. Wow!

The Bay restaurant is open for its gourmet breakfasts and lunches. It also delivers, but you’ll just have to travel to Centre Harbor in New Hampshire to get the goods. I’m not surprised that Amy Elfline’s penchant for quality and taste is reflected in the restaurant she owns with her husband, Paul. (She’s also a real estate agent for Lamprey in Centre Harbor, and I’ve seen her houses renovations).

The website is: www.themugrestaurant.com

Café Society (Directed by Woody Allen)

 

Glamorous, glib and regrettably forgettable ***

Allen has traveled back in time to the 1930’s whose famous actors (iconic movie names are dropped in this film – though we never meet them) are steered by the producer Phil Dorfman (smartly played by Steve Carrell). He’s a real big shot who takes under his wing his nephew Bobby (played  y Jesse Eisenberg) with appropriate angst that obviously is referencing Allen himself).  Naïve, romantic Bobby has left New York and his humble family to hit the Hollywood Hills in the hope of making something of his life. Here he falls in love with Phil’s secretary, Vonnie (played with lackluster enthusiasm by Kristen Stewart).

 Sadly, unbeknownst to Bobby, shy and modest Vonnie has a huge secret hidden up her sleeve – that in the end takes over the film; the remainder of the plot is largely built on a love gone amiss story. Irony and coincidence totally turn romance on its toes; Bobby gets the shock of his life, but he moves on to become a big time partner with his gangster uncle Ben who has opened up a  posh nightclub in New York.

The great parts in this film are stolen in the side story of Bobby’s gangster brother Billy, along with Bobby’s two parents who get out the laugh lines in the script. Jewish humour accounts for the greatest laugh lines in the film 

One can only surmise that the reason for this film may be that Allen has been hit with an enormous hunk of nostalgia of an era long gone that he once experienced. Bobby portrays Allen without a doubt, but the film lacks punch and purpose. The ending scene offers a corny close-up on the two once-lovers (now living in different cities) looking dreamy-eyed as they think about one another (New Year’s Eve has just rung its bell). Both are at parties, lost in their own thoughts about the romance they once shared together. The fade-away is even cornier. Clearly, Allen’s sentimentality is allowed at his age (80) – as he too thinks back about his own youth now lost to those days. Thus far, the film has grossed seven million dollars – not exactly a box-office runaway.