Get Ready to Fire Up the Trebuchet

We have some punkin chunkin to do! If you're wondering what the heck I'm talking about, then maybe you should plan a visit to the Yankee Farmer on Route 31 in Greenfield, NH. We learned about the farm on a whim this morning and decided to take a short drive out there this afternoon to watch some pumpkin throwing.

We drove about 10 miles down a pleasant but deserted country road before coming upon the Yankee Farmer -- a nice New England farm stand with a twist. Farmer Steve Seigars and his family operate a trebuchet, the oldest type of catapult known to man. They use this impressive machine (more than 50-feet high) to launch pumpkins into a hillside. But there's more...this is a worldwide competitive sport and the Seigars currently hold the world championship record throw of 1,658 feet!

This was all new to me, but apparently not new to the rest of the world. There were about 150 to 200 people milling around the hillside waiting to see an 8 to 10-pound pumpkin sail through the air. What a fun way to spend time outdoors on a beautiful fall day! Not to mention there are lots of great pumpkins, apple cider, home-baked bread, an ox-driven cart (and more!) at the Yankee Farmer.

The pumpkins fly each Saturday and Sunday afternoon between 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. until October 25th. Check out the Yankee Farmer website for directions and more details. We saw an orange pumpkin hurl through the air today, but I learned that competitive "chunkers" (that's what they call themselves) generally use white pumpkins, but not just any old garden variety white pumpkin. The Lumina is much-preferred for its smooth skin, spherical shape and density. Who knew? For me, punkin chunkin is one more reason to love New Hampshire!

History is a Highlight of Minuteman Bikeway

The Minuteman Statue on Lexington Battle Green

We biked a portion of the Minuteman Bikeway yesterday, starting in Bedford, and passing through Lexington and Arlington. Yes -- it's in Massachusetts, not New Hampshire, but it's only about a 35-minute drive from us. This bikeway is in the Bike Trail Hall of Fame.

The entire 11-mile trail spans from Depot Park in Bedford to Alewife Station in Cambridge and is heavily used by bicyclists, joggers, inline skaters, and walkers. It's 12-feet wide, paved, and mostly flat, making for easy biking.

It was cool and overcast as we started out. The highlight of the ride for me was a stop at the historic Lexington Battle Green. If you start in Bedford, this comes up around mile four and requires a slight detour from the path. (The Bikeway has mile markers.)

We've visited the Lexington Battle Green before, but it's always interesting to see. This is the actual spot where the American Revolution began in 1775. There's an impressive Minuteman statue, a Revolutionary Monument (where the colonists who lost their lives are buried); a historic tavern; and nearby, the Old Burying Ground with gravestones dating from 1690. Well worth a detour from the bikeway!

The rest of the bike path was mostly tree-lined, passing fairly close behind homes, shops, and factories. Given the bikeway's close proximity to the towns of Bedford, Lexington, and Arlington, you have several options for lunch or a break. There's even access to a StarBucks from the trail. Compared with other rail trails we've been on, this one crossed many more roads, including above busy Interstate 95. As we approached mile seven, it started to rain, so we turned around and headed back, riding the last two miles in a chilly rain.

I'd recommend the Minuteman Bikeway if you want an easy ride and you enjoy American history or at the very least -- a pleasant stop in a beautiful New England town green.

Things to Know Before You Go: The best source of information can be found on the official website, http://www.minutemanbikeway.org/. To find directions quickly, select "Bikeway Basics," and then "maps."

On-Road Biking in Newington, NH

We wanted to plan a bike ride in the Portsmouth area for Labor Day and after consulting pedaling.com, settled on a route near Pease Tradeport (the former Air Force base). It was a beautiful day for a ride and actually a nice choice for an on-road route.

My inspiration for this ride was a 14-mile route I found on pedaling.com. Using Google maps, I tried to shorten the route to about 10 miles. Not sure how well I succeeded since we missed a turn and I didn't have a working odometer. But all in all, it was a very pleasant country ride with few hills and very light traffic, taking us mostly through Newington. Our reward at the end was a stop at Redhook Ale Brewery located in Pease Tradeport.

So here's the route we took:
We started at the Park 'n Ride on Grafton Road (off Route 33) in Portsmouth, located inside Pease Tradeport.
1. Turn right out of the entrance onto Route 33.
2. At .4 mile, turn right on Portsmouth Avenue (unmarked), across from the Sunoco station.
3. At a little over one mile, turn right on Newington Road, which eventually becomes McIntyre Road.
4. After about 5 miles, turn right on Little Bay Road.
5. Take a right on Nimble Hill Road and then left on Arboretum Drive, taking you back into Pease.
6. Follow Arboretum Drive (which becomes New Hampshire Avenue) to a Right on Grafton Road. This takes you back to the Park 'n Ride.

The most scenic part of the ride was on Newington Road. It's a typical New Hampshire country road with apple orchards, cows, horses, and corn fields. Quite pretty and very relaxing.

You could actually ride your bike to Redhook Ale Brewery if you were to stay on New Hampshire Avenue which curves around to become Corporate Drive -- but it would probably add another 1-2 miles to your excursion. We chose to drive for that cold brew and mid-afternoon lunch, enjoyed al fresco. It was a refreshing way to finish the ride!

Things to Know Before You Go: The Great Bay Wildlife Refuge (1,054 acres) is also located on this route. While we rode along the wooded refuge, we never actually saw the entrance and didn't take a side trip. I understand there are a number of walking trails there.

Directions: I recommend doing a 'mapquest' or GPS entry to 185 Grafton Road, Portsmouth, the address for the Park 'n Ride.

Save the Date for Newmarket Festival

I just read about the Newmarket (NH) Heritage Festival taking place Sept. 19-21 and it sounds very cool. It's the 11th annual -- how come I've never heard of this before now? Anyway, what first attracted my attention was the kayak and boat tours on the Lamprey River.

They also have flyfishing workshops, a climbing wall, historic exhibits, and lots of multicultural entertainment of the singing and dancing kind. There's a Bavarian Band, a Latin Band that will host a Caribbean dance party, and a Canadian fiddler...all this in a small New England mill town!

I'm marking my calendar so that I don't miss the Extreme Air Jump Rope Demo and Workshop on Saturday, Sept. 20. I have a new fascination with and appreciation for jumping rope ever since I was challenged by my doctor to try it as a way to build bone density. Don't laugh -- (yes, everything jiggles). So far I'm only up to about two minutes per session, but I can definitely appreciate the stamina and skill it takes to keep the rope going. See you at the Festival!

Biking Mine Falls Park in Nashua

What a beautiful summer day! We left our "to do" list for another day and took our bikes out to Mine Falls Park in Nashua. This is a classic case of almost overlooking what's in our own backyard. Mine Falls is about 4 or 5 miles from our house, in the heart of the city. It's a 325-acre woodland between the Nashua River and the Nashua Canal.

We certainly were familiar with Mine Falls before today...we cheered on our youngest daughter at many a soccer game there back when she was playing. We've also kayaked the Nashua Canal and had even walked a trail or two. But today was really the first time we explored several trails by bike and I have to say, I think we'll be returning often. This place is easy to get to and it's cool.

The trail surface at Mine Falls is mixed, but very rideable. Short sections are paved and the rest is mostly hard-packed dirt. The Park has a series of intersecting loop trails, which are part of the New Hampshire Heritage Trail. Don't ask me the trail names or the mileage -- all I know is that we crisscrossed the Park and were often riding alongside the picturesque river or the canal.

In a few spots, the road noise from the Everett Turnpike is pretty loud, but otherwise this is a very pleasant ride. We spotted a Great Blue Heron, a turtle sunning itself on a log, and several ducks napping. Mine Falls is a fairly busy spot -- you'll be sharing the trail with other bicyclists, walkers, and joggers. But don't let the busy-ness or the intermittent noise scare you off from enjoying the park. It really is a small oasis in the heart of the city.

A guy named Chuck who writes Hiking with Chuck has an incredible amount of information about Mine Falls on his website, including some trivia. Apparently Chuck jogs or walks MF at least once a week. Aside from detailed information about the flora and fauna you can see there, Chuck has some interesting observations and stories about the wildlife he's encountered in the Park.

We're hoping to return before too long, possibly to launch our kayaks onto the river from one of two boat launches. Maybe we'll see you on the trail or on the water!

Things to Know Before You Go: There are orange markers trailside, indicating poison ivy. Sorry, I can't recall seeing any facilities here, although there may be some near the soccer fields.

Directions: Mine Falls has several access points. We entered the park from the end of Simon Street, off of West Hollis Street. You can also enter at the end of Coliseum Avenue in Nashua or near the Conway Arena on Riverside Street (near Nashua High South). I realize these are general directions only, but at least it gives you some starting points.