Wednesday 9th September, 2009.

It's always a scratty day when it comes to the day before we move on to the next place. So, we decide to stay local, so's to give us time to do all those things we meant to do in North Conway and have been putting off and, of course, to pack. And don't forget, we hope to go on a 'moose-spotting' trip this evening. This photo is of Vicky outside the White Mountains Resort. It's not the best photo we took of the hotel but it was taken on the day in question, at least. It's been an unexpected joy to stay here and it will be a shame to leave.

Just down the road from our hotel is a community of houses such as this one. Vicky has taken a shine to it. You can, perhaps, see why. It has been unoccupied for the entire week we have been here. Others like it were only occupied for the Labor Day weekend and are now vacant once more. If you've got a spare $2m, or so, you could buy one. Or, perhaps, rent it for the weekend.

To keep things local we head north up R16 for a return visit to Jackson. Vicky says she took this photo. David says he took it. We have two very similar versions. Whatever, it gives you some idea, we hope, of why we liked walking around Jackson and its environs so much.

We drive back to the hotel and 'ring up the 'moose tour' company. We are shocked to find that they have stopped running the tours because most people have now gone home after the Bank Holiday. They tell us another company is still doing the trips but that it is based some 50 miles north in Gorham. As the moose only come out at dusk we reckon we'll have to drive back after dark and we don't fancy that. Needless to say, we are now both on the grumpy side. It's an outrage, we conclude.

We hit North Conway just after lunch and head for the outlet stores: North Conway's all-year-round claim to fame. Well, that, and being a winter ski resort. They know how to get tourists to part with their hard-earned here, alright. But, no matter how hard we look, we can't find anything at a cheaper price than we could get it for back home. And believe us, we tried. Vicky bought a T shirt, just to have something for all that effort, for about $7. We are still in a grump.

This Church is situated on the North Conway main drag. Apart from it being a nice building: look at that sky. We have been blessed by the weather since we have been in New England. Just one wet day since we arrived. Even the locals are pleased as they have had a rotten summer by all accounts.

We have had a fantastic week in the White Mountains and we shall be sorry to leave. Now we must head back to the hotel and pack and gird our loins for the long drive south to Cape Cod. Have we mentioned we are in a bit of a grump?