We needed a stop between Lake George and Maine and decided on North Hampton, New Hampshire. We stayed here for about three and a half jam-packed days. Stay tuned to hear more about our favorite park here in a future post.
Campground There is something about this campground that just feels more comfortable to me. I can’t exactly put my finger on it. We had to sign a document stating that we had self-quarantined for 14 days before entering NH and would adhere to the campground’s strict safety procedures, but, honestly, that’s not all of it. We have the smallest yard out of all our sites so far, but we are tucked in next to the other big rigs for a change — a group of fancy Class A’s. Our site is the last full hook up in this area of the campground and there are some potted plants in a nice landscapes area separating the switch to partial hook-up sites. We’ve been blessed to have several sites in front of us empty during our stay, a luxury of mid-week camping. It’s a nice level spot with a gravel driveway like we experienced at West Haven and that might be part of it. There is nothing as satisfying as setting up on level ground. There’s also less adjusting which happens after the RV “settles” and after rain on grassy spots. We relaxed in the evening, tired from the day’s drive. Kaeli found a dead bunny near the woods behind our RV and gave it a proper burial. The girls met a boy parked next door and played for awhile before he pouted because “your parents only let you play bored games.” Not board, bored. Yup, we are those parents and proud of it. Kaeli spent the evening making elaborate puzzles to leave for him.
Monday, we woke to stifling heat. The kids begged me to join them outside where they were sifting through the rocks in the driveway and flower bed, covered in a layer of dirt. They reminded me of Linus from Charlie Brown. It was so hot that even with a fan blowing on me in the shade, I could feel the puddle of sweat forming on my back, but was too sluggish from the heat to actually move my body indoors. Inside, it wasn’t much better; the a/c couldn’t keep up with the heat. The kids spent a good part of the day playing with their rocks and occasionally playing games with the boy next door and some random boy who looks Riley’s age and has already been spotted on all three loops of the campground, wandering free range. The girls were pretty awesome about letting these boys know that they couldn’t play if they didn’t keep distance, wearing their masks around their necks in case they needed to use them. On several occasions, I heard Riley say, “Whoa. Back up; you are way too close.” At one point, she climbed up in the truck bed and sat on a plastic tub like royalty, teaching the boys (down on the ground) how to play twenty “guesses.” Kaeli is learning the art of moving her body in response to other children’s advances and using sophisticated excuses when needed to escape. There may be value in learning about peer pressure and standing up for oneself even during this time of social distancing.
The Sea Coast
In the evening, we brought dinner in the car and went for a drive to explore. We discovered several places that we felt comfortable exploring more in the days to come and thoroughly enjoyed the most beautiful sunset drive along the coastline. I could never live in this kind of neighborhood, even if I won millions in the lottery. I think there are social expectations that come hand in hand with this type of wealth that simply don’t interest me. But the houses were grand, impressive architectural wonders and the rocky ocean line was gorgeous.
The drive up the coastline was probably my favorite part of our stay which we recreated each evening. It’s fun looking at the houses and guessing about the inhabitants, their professions, the insane activity schedule of each child, and the gatsby level dinner parties. We took wild guesses on how much each home cost, adding more for unique features or waterfront square footage. We never checked our work because we aren’t being graded here. The views of the water were breathtaking and we enjoyed watching the sunlight sparkle and eventually, the sunset behind the mansions.
We stopped at the beach on two separate evenings. On our first excursion, we weren’t yet familiar with the NH rules, so we left Ginny behind. The beach has posted current covid restrictions, including not stopping.
This rule wasn’t followed exclusively by the beach-goers, but the spirit of the regulations were in place with limited people with plenty of space between them. With the exception of two families camped out in beach chairs, people were either resting against the rocks on the edge of the beach or walking.
The girls were thrilled to run in and out of the waves, and, despite our admonishments to only enter up to their ankles, both girls eventually “fell in,” and let themselves be swept away by a wave. By the time we left, the ends of their hair were dripping and their clothes were soaked. We turned the heater on in the truck to watch the sun set as we travelled back to our campground.
For our next visit to the beach, the girls wore their swimsuits, giggling and swimming as John and I sat perched on the rocks. There is nothing quite as relaxing as closing your eyes to feel the vibration of the waves and hear the rhythmic crashing. The girls played for awhile as we enjoyed adult conversation and people watched.
There were several families who were feasting on take out from a restaurant across the street and a few had clearly visited the ice cream parlor with the sticky sweetness trickling down their faces from the cones. Ginny loves everything about the beach from the seagulls to the soft, diggable sand and her tail is in constant harmony with the sound of the waves, thump, thump, thump. When we were tired, we said one last goodbye to the beach, grateful for our brief time in New Hampshire. I can definitely understand the allure of this enchanting coastline.
