listen, i’m sure new hampshire is a very lovely state. but why were all of the fun science museums and petting zoos closed on the day we chose to explore the southern side of the state?

cousin christine and her husband, matt, have brought regina pizza out to iowa a couple times — but it was so much more delicious fresh. best pizza in new england? uncle fred seemed to think so. jason and i were both quietly thinking of him while we ate our lunch.

there are a lot of random side roads in new hampshire and one of them led us here, searles castle, as our first tourist pit-stop of the day. it’s not really open to the public, but we enjoyed sneaking around the perimeter to snap some photos.

a little ways away on another random side road, past little countryside communities: america’s stonehenge. they have alpacas.

i’m sure that one was smiling at me.

jason is smiling in this photo because this is early on in our forest meandering. it was a humid, hot, full of bitey bugs kinda day. but anyway, here he is at one of the area’s hiding caves.

i’m not really sure what to call america’s stonehenge — a monument? an exhibit? maybe just “structure” will suffice.

photographs of rocks aren’t terribly exciting.

this was some sort of sacrificial alter, which is kind of exciting. right below it is a hole in the rocks and if someone was in those caverns and speaking, it would give the impression of some mysterious spirit’s presence. ooh, spooky.

there was a lot more of the area that we didn’t explore, mostly having to do with astronomical alignment of various structures. it was stinkin’ hot that day, though. i was done with the forest.

but i’m never done with critters.

continuing on…

american bullfrog.

green spotted frog. i think? i didn’t write it down because i thought i would remember it until i shared these photos. little did i know that it would take me 3 months to get them shared, ‘eh?

on to concord!

i imagine this was filled with some sort of moonshine. since they were celebrating and all.

on top of the history museum is a lookout for rangers. it was a somewhat precarious climb, but a pretty great view!

i was trying to make it seem like i was part of their party, but mostly this just turned out to be an awkward photo. oh, well.

not tony stark, but i’m sure somehow related.

gold medal flour! we have one of those in minneapolis, too!

remember when days were longer? like, sunset wasn’t until after 7pm? i miss those days.

i kept putting connor’s puzzle together and then he kept destroying it. i guess we kept each other entertained!