First Day Reflections

September 19th, 2025

We rolled out on a glorious fall day in the Mt. Washington Valley, after a few last-minute errands—topping off the diesel tank in the “big city” next door to the farm, North Conway, NH.

Our route carried us along scenic Route 16 through the southern White Mountains, skirting Lake Winnipesaukee before winding west into Vermont’s Green Mountains. Along the way, we passed the towering Bennington Battle Monument—the state’s tallest man-made structure—marking the Revolutionary War victory at the Battle of Bennington.

By evening, 329 miles later, we pulled into our first night’s stop: “boondocking” at Woodlawn Farms Brewery just north of Utica, NY. Small-world moments found us there—a couple from the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon on their way to Acadia, and a family who spends summers in Eastham. Free camping, decent beer, good food, and friendly faces.

Not a bad start to life on the road….