The Gorge-eous Kanc!

Saturday morning we set out for New Hampshire, which is just an hour west of our place in Saco, Maine. There were three things we wanted to do: drive the Kanc, hike Flume Gorge, and enjoy the sights of White Mountains National Forrest. We accomplished all three and it was beautiful! All glory to the Lord for this opportunity.

The Kanc

The Kancamagus Highway, affectionally called “the Kanc” by locals, is a 34.5 mile scenic drive along NH’s Rt. 112. It is known as one of the best Fall Foliage viewing areas in the country. The highway winds across the state, connecting Bath to Conway through the heart of the scenic and mountainous White Mountain National Forest. When we spoke with folks in the area they would say “you gotta drive the Kanc”. I had it on our list of activities before we ever left Texas. Some prior research really pays off!

Our route followed the Saco River, which is beautiful! The river starts in the White Mountains and flows into the Atlantic Ocean near our home here in Saco. The beach is just about 10 minutes from our place. Dale took his drone one evening after work. Hopefully you’ll see some of that footage in the future.

Flume Gorge

The second highlight of the trip was Flume Gorge, which is a natural gorge extending 800 ft horizontally at the base of Mount Liberty in Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire. Cut by Flume Brook, the gorge features walls of granite that rise to a height of 70 to 90 ft and are 12 to 20 ft apart. We were blown away by the unique sights and the ability to get literally into the gorge on a very handy walking path.

The Flume Gorge was the only activity that had a fee, which was $18 per person. It’s worth it. The path is about 2 miles long and is filled with so much natural beauty with plenty of viewing opportunities. It also has two covered bridges. We spent about two hours there. If you don’t reserve online, you won’t get in! At least not in October.

Scenic Byway

After our stop at the Gorge, we continued driving the scenic highway through the White Mountains, then back home to Saco. You can see our route here. It was about a five-hour drive, but with all of our stops it took much longer. I’m surprised at how rural the area is. Our previous stays were in much more populated and high-traffic areas.