The Andres Institute of Art – “a sculpture park to delight the whole family,” as its website proclaims – occupies much of a hill alongside Route 13 in Brookline, New Hampshire. Over 70 sculptures are scattered around the property, which is laced with walking trails. The property is open dawn to dusk daily, and there’s no fee although donations are welcomed.
I spent an hour here on summer’s final weekend, and took these photos that show a sample of the artwork to be found along the Andres trails.
Plenty of trailside asters today.Mbari House by Geoffery Nwogu.Alignment by Hoa Bich Dao. The path uphill cuts a diagonal line in the background.Drawing Sculpture/The Myth, by Satoru Takata. Mount Monadnock, seen from the top of the hill at the Andres Institute.At the top of the hill, a surprising seat from which to take in the view. (Yes, the seat’s from a bowling alley.)Of all the sculpture along my way, this was by far my favorite:Souls Of Peace by Gerard Montonri.
Students from Northeast Catholic College in Warner welcomed me as I tagged along for their morning prayer service on Mt. Kearsarge. Bishop Libasci was among us as well, leading the service in the Rollins State Park picnic area before we trooped up the last half-mile to the summit. Good fellowship on a beautiful day!
Bishop Peter Libasci of Manchester, NH at far right, with students from Northeast Catholic College.
A tantalizing view from partway up the trail.
Bonus: a new historical marker in Warner. I’ve photographed more than a hundred markers statewide, aiming to capture them all.
August was a low-mileage month. That’s fine. This has been as lovely a month as I’ve seen this year, and I know things will only get better as autumn approaches.
Crotched Mountain (Greenfield, NH) from Gregg Trail, August. Ellen Kolb photos.
The Gregg Trail is accessible from the trailhead at Crotched Mountain school (take Crotched Mountain Road off of NH Route 31) in Greenfield. (You will not be looking for the Crotched Mountain ski area, which is on the other side of the mountain in Bennington). It’s a wheelchair-accessible path to a wonderful western overlook toward Monadnock. Even on a hazy day, it’s a pleasant walk. Past the overlook, trails continue to the summit ridge, though I didn’t go that far this time.
Mt. Monadnock from Gregg Trail overlook on Crotched Mountain, hazy August day
More short hikes on recent road trips
Rhode Island
I joined my husband for a trip to Narragansett, Rhode Island. While he had a road race, I enjoyed a quiet walk along Ocean Road. Sunny inland, clouds building offshore.
Off the Rhode Island coast. Ellen Kolb photo.
Alton and Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
I may be the only person on record to hike Mt. Major in Alton without getting to the top. Despite being in good energetic company, I was out of breath as the last ledge came in sight. I sent my companions on as I found a comfortable place to sit: a breezy bit of ledge with a few blueberries nearby (how did earlier hikers miss them?!). Another hazy day, but even a murky view of Alton Bay and Lake Winnipesaukee is better than no view at all. Bonus: after the hike, we went to the Wright Museum in Wolfeboro. I’d never been there, and it was a treat. I recommend it to anyone interested in World War II history.
A view from not-quite-the-top of Mount Major in Alton, NHThe Wright Museum in Wolfeboro, NH is worth a visit.
August 2015: new span will soon link the Goffstown and Piscataquog (Manchester NH) rail trails. Ellen Kolb photo.
I take back every pessimistic word I ever wrote about the difficulties that would have to be overcome in order to link the rail trails in Goffstown and Manchester, New Hampshire.
A month ago, there was a great big empty spot where the old railroad trestle over the Piscataquog River used to be. Now, sooner than I thought possible, a new bridge for pedestrians and bicyclists is in place. It’s not yet open, but I checked out the area today and saw a serious construction effort underway on the approach to the Manchester end.
I paid my first visit to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in Wyoming recently. Impressions, beyond the obvious “wow”:
A week isn’t nearly enough for either park, never mind both. I spent a week in Yosemite a few years back and came to the same conclusion.
I had to choose between hiking and driving within Yellowstone. It’s vast. My husband and I wanted to see as much of the parks as we could, so we wound up driving a lot and stopping for short hikes. My week was filled with bike paths, boardwalks and easy strolls.
The beauty of the west is so different from that of my familiar beloved New England that it’s hard to take in. Now I now what “Big Sky Country” means.
The summer crowds must be oppressive. I was in Yellowstone as Memorial Day weekend approached, which marks the beginning of the summer season. Things were already hopping.
Pelicans in Yellowstone? How did I not know about this?!
I felt very keenly that I was a mere tourist, not an adventurer. Adventurers spend more time away from their cars. But there was so much to see …!
All photos by Ellen Kolb.
Grand Geyser. Far more impressive than Old Faithful.The Yellowstone River cuts a stunning canyon.Minerva Terrace near Mammoth Hot Springs.Meadow along the west entrance road.Bison traffic jam: it was unusual to see calves at close range. In Grand Teton National Park: the view across Cotter Bay.I haven’t identified this flower. It was growing very close to the edge of a hot spring.Teton Glacier seen from the bike path along Teton Road.I wasn’t surprised to see eagle and osprey, but these pelicans were unexpected.
Workday or not, an 80-degree spring day calls for some trail time. Decked out in business clothes and dress shoes, I spent midday on a tame but worthwhile path: the Rockingham Recreational Trail from its Lake Massabesic trailhead near the Manchester/Auburn town line.
Rockingham Recreational Trail (Portsmouth branch), Auburn NH, east of NH Rt. 121. Ellen Kolb photos.
The trail extends more than twenty miles east to Newfields, which would make an interesting bike ride some other day. Pressed for time today, I walked only about a mile and a half before retracing my steps back to my car. I took my time to enjoy the birds (quite a variety near the lake) and take a few pictures from a boat launch. The trail is unpaved but wide and well-trodden. It was popular this midday: moms with kids, a guy fishing in a trailside pond, lots of dog walkers, even one dirt biker in defiance of the no-motorized-vehicle rule.
View of Lake Massabesic from boat launch just off Rockingham Rec Trail and NH Rt. 121.
Granite State Walker 