can you canoe?

     For our last summer adventure and a celebration of the beginning of Fall, Jason and I drove up to Dartmouth University in Hanover, New Hampshire to visit our good friend Chase. We arrived late at night and actually spent the night in Dartmouth's dorms. The next morning we tasted our first hot cider of the season and sat on a bench on The Green facing the Baker-Berry Library.

The Baker-Berry Library

    That morning, we headed off for a hike on the Fire Tower Trail in Vermont. Hanover is just a 5-minute drive over the Connecticut River to Vermont. The hike was short, but  so steep. Jay and I felt like amateurs while we huffed and puffed and took in the gorgeous scenery of the Appalachians. Luckily, we saw a salamander during the trek and used it as an excuse to stop and catch our breath. At the end of the trail, there was a tall stairway in the middle of the forest. We climbed all 96 steps to the top to witness an amazing view of the Appalachian Mountains covered in trees with leaves of green, yellow, orange, and red. Up there, if you remained completly still you could experience absolute silence. Jason and I agreed that the only other time we had ever experienced that kind of silence was when we were in a hot air balloon over Southern California. When you're above the world, all cares and worries below just remain below.

I spy a salamander

Taking a breather

Tower of Babel?

Almost there

96-steps later

The view from Fire Tower was incredible

In the middle of the Appalachians

Next time we'll bring a bike

     I thought that was our adventure of the trip, but we then drove to the Connecticut River to rent a canoe. Yes, that's right, Danielle got into a canoe, in the water and in a life jacket, of course. I was freaking out before we got in the boat and the entire trip in the boat. But let me tell you, I rocked the rowing! I didn't like having to switch sides to keep it going straight, but I did like pushing the water with my paddle. Besides having my shoulders kill afterward, I actually had a lot of fun and would do it again.

A Huck Finn-esque island

Somewhere passed the bridge is where we started

Our fearless captain

Shoving off

Jason, clearly, not doing his fair share of the rowing

     Before heading back to New York, Chase showed us the Dr. Seuss room in the Baker-Berry Library that has a gorgeous collection of some of his original illustrations. Dr. Seuss graduated from Dartmouth in 1925. Our adventure was short, but it was so worth it to catch up with Chase. 

Dr. Seuss Room

More illustrations from Dr. Seuss

Dartmouth's unofficial mascot: Keggy