The Kancamagus highway is one of the nicest roads in the Northeast. Running from Lincoln to Conway New Hampshire, it traverses Mt. Kancamagus, headwater of both the Saco and Swift River. It is sometimes difficult to maintain in the winter, but the summer months are a breeze. The area is within a national forest, so the area is managed Federally. The roads, thus, are in very good condition.

Along the highway, you’ll pass many scenic areas. From Lincoln, the first and more hidden openings are trailheads for longer forays. Further along you enter a scenic vista area as the road winds it way up the mountain. The pavement for this serpentine and sometimes hairpin stretch is flat and solid, perfect for a cruise. Coming down is much of the same. Entering the foothills the terrain moderates somewhat as you follow the Swift River. Lucky for the early summer passerby, the river offers many recreational venues. In addition to hike accessible waterfalls and large mountain lakes, the river provides fishing, swimming and limited boating potential.

I first learned about the place as a summer camp student at Waziyatah. Lower falls is an area of the river which offers some thrilling play; here the flow of the river has created some natural waterslides. The experience varies based on how high the river is running, but there is a predictable pattern of water which has, over the centuries, worn some very smooth crevices into the rock. But this ain’t no cheesy kids park. In fact, the area is quite dangerous. Visitors could, theoretically, slip and be seriously injured (but rest assured dear reader, the Feds certainly have a few good lawyers in their arsenal.) These chutes have formed within the larger context of jagged boulders, little swirling pools, and a myriad of river creatures; here nature has allowed mankind to play. On a sunny day, you can swim, scamper between outcroppings, sun, or, if you are brave, ride a little.

But don’t go right in the middle of the day, after all, I’m not the only one to know about this. The region is just south of Franconia via I-93 and is dotted with ski slopes, mostly tasteful amenities and ample other outdoor opportunities from tame to eXtreme.

I just spent a few hours at the local roller skating rink. I was trying to think about the last time I actually went roller skating, and if my memory serves me correctly, it was at Wal-Lex. Wal-Lex was this great 50’s style entertainment venue. There were two buildings, one housed the roller skating rink and the other was a bowling/pool hall place. It was a perennial favorite among friends and many a birthday party was held there.

To keep things in check there was an old Chinese man, Wing, who would wear a referee uniform and skate around, whistle in mouth, ready to call you out if you pushed the limits a bit too far. Another great thing about Wal-Lex was that every time you went, at some point they would stop the regular music and play the “chicken dance.” Wing would lead the crowd, and en masse, everyone would stoop down and flap their arms at their side… it was corny but we all loved it.

I remember after I had been away at college for a while I came back home for a break and happened to be out by Wal-Lex. Sadly, the times had moved beyond such simple pleasures, and in its place was a generic Petco/Staples shopping plaza. It was sad to see the place gone, it was as if a certain part of my childhood had been erased. So tonight’s pleasures were a bit nostalgic, and yeah, I didn’t fall.

Dreams. For me they come and go in no particularly discernible pattern. Last night they came. I found myself back in an unknown hotel. This time, however, my parents were visiting. I was there as me, i.e. a VISTA, and I had been there before. This was a grand place, but as with many of my dreams, wrought with some glaring inconsistencies.

I was involved with a few things: 1) helping to prepare a meal for unknown guests in a basement kitchen, 2) showing my parents around and 3) worrying about a meeting that I probably would not be able to make. Within this unknown familiar hotel I was aware of another theme of previous dreams of mine – broken elevators. Although the hotel had 6, in some shafts they creaked by slowly and crookedly, doors agape; others beckoned but seemed a bit off and as a result I did not trust them.

Instead we took the stairs down to the 2nd floor which was where the great ballrooms and the balcony of the theater were located. The place was occupied with other guests, setting up for events, rehearsing formal dinners. One particular ballroom had large square windows on each side – it was dark outside, with just the faintest hint of the retreated sun. A black family in formal wear was taking pictures and enjoying themselves before their guests arrived. The next room was a magnificent bar, well stocked and already with a bit of a buzz that would surely increase as the night progressed.

But the real treat was the room behind the bar through the door on the right. This room I remember the most vividly. The entire space had been preserved in the style of the original hotel owner, an eccentric man who is believed to haunt the room. The kindly but strange Italian caretaker greets us and points out some of the notable features, including an old bed, chair and scattered reading material. Unlike the rest of the hotel, this room is dimly lit, as it would have been in olden times, and faintly musty. Though spooky, it is not, however unpleasant.

At some point I am lying in the bed until I feel a poke at my feet at which point the attendant warns me of ghosts. Outside the window a diorama has been constructed and from it I can view the old port city, itself bathed in late twilight with the fog rolling in. But my breath quickly obscured the window and it’s time to leave. I thank the man, kissing him on both cheeks, Italian style, and wonder what kind of strange person calls this haunted room home all day. As for the dinner and meeting, those matters remain unresolved.

And I can’t help but wonder about the people in the town as the fog rolls in.