One of the things I love about where I live is the convenient location to almost everything.  On a hot summer Saturday, I can be at the ocean in 30 minutes.  Except for morning rush hours, I can be in downtown Boston in 30 minutes for everything a big city has to offer, or go the other way and in 5 minutes be driving amongst farms and fields.

In the fall, we like to take daytrips whenever the weather cooperates.

We went to Castle in the Clouds a couple of weeks ago and saw the waterfalls and mansion just north of Lake Winnepausaukee.

Last Sunday we took a short drive west along winding roads where I snapped this picture of a 250 year old building in Townshend where they once made barrels (and is now a historical society-sponsored gift shop).

Today, hoping the threatening clouds would clear away ( they did, a little), we drove north, hoping to see the Polar Caves (but they close early in October), so took a scenic drive around the area.

Calm rivers and bright leaves are the norm.

This is “New Hampshire covered bridge #44”, rebuilt in 2003 after the older one was arsoned.

Nearby Plymouth, home of Plymouth State College was a nice place for a lunch stop (and watching the passing “scenery” – god I feel old sometimes!)

Out of Plymouth, back into farm country.

Newfound Lake is a peaceful 7-mile long lake that has not seen the commercial development of Lake Winnepausaukee (yet).  This little “house” sits on an island and is a boating rest stop.

Didn’t expect to see a roaring almost-overflowing stream which turned into a river – think it might have been a controlled release from New Found Lake.  Quite spectacular to see spring-like flow at this time of year!

And there’s still lots of foliage time left here!

Gorgeous photos!  Sometimes I think I don't need to totally remove myself from honk-honk land, just get myself a honk-honk so I can go hang out with the moo-moos now and then.  But there's a lot of ka-ching between now and then!  And in the meantime, 3 great parties coming up (4 if I've still got the energy left for next year!)

Love, Columbine  (whose year turns on 10/31)

Mike,

Those sure are purty! I like where I live too for many of the same reasons, but add an hour onto those times. Very nice! Thanks for sharing.

Anne

Ladies and gentlemen, I don't mean to gloat, but I give you:  My Commute.

These pics are not a half hour away, nor an hour and a half away, this is a selection from what I see in the 7 minutes it takes me to get home from work on Mondays.  (If tomorrow is as nice a day as today, I'll show you how pretty the drive into town is)

(The Musquodoboit River, from the bridge in one direction)

(The Musquodoboit River, from the bridge, in the other direction.  This is the last thing I pass before I turn onto my street.)

Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawd, I love where I live. 

MikeB:

This is “New Hampshire covered bridge #44”, rebuilt in 2003 after the older one was arsoned.

 

 

Very nice. I LUUUUUV Covered Bridges, for some reason they weren't popular in Ontario (or perhaps they were torn down when roads were widened). For some reason though I always feel compelled to hold my breath as I go under one, no idea why. 

Nice pics, Shar, but how far do you have to drive for GBS concerts?!  

This year I had one 5 miles away, another 45 minutes away, and two I had to skip (Boston and Freeport), a 1/2 hour and one hour respectively, away!.  Last year, one 20 minutes away and one 30 minutes away - how lucky can you get?!

Sharneliz:

grumblegrumblegrumblegottagivemikethatonegrumblegrumblegrumble. 

Sorry, there's more to 'great places to live' than beautiful scenery!

I've lived near or in Boston most of my life, and even though I prefer the countryside, I love everything a big city can offer - theater (Broadway tours, big-name concerts, the symphony), great restaurants galore, world-class museums, historic stuff, etc etc.

Oh, and for the sports-minded, 

Sorry, Mike, didn't realize we were in having a contest.  Thought this thread was a place for people to share why THEY love where THEY live.  Didn't realize it was a "Why Boston is the best place to live" thing.  My mistake.

You guys both have the right to boast about where you live;  I had the pleasure of visiting both places this summer.  And Mike, as much as I love a game at Fenway (at least I did back when I could get tickets!), Halifax is where I want to have my 40th birthday party and Nova Scotia real estate is something I have googled.  Go north, young man, and you'll be jealous of Sharn's home! 

Everyone should feel free to boast on why they love where they live!

I have been to northern Nova Scotia twice - but the last time was in 1975!  I hitchhiked from Maine to visit some friends.  They lived in Aspen, a little south of Antigonish.   Not much going up in that area back in those days!

It's so beautiful in Nova Scotia.  My husband was almost as annoyed with me there as he was when we were in Ireland.  We'd be driving along and I'd say "stop!  I need to take a picture!"  He got to the point where he'd just slow down as soon as we were approaching a particularly scenic spot.

Plus, the bars in Halifax were so cool.  I only went into one, but on the Harbor Hopper, much like Boston's Duck tour, we went past several other bars that looked so nice.  That's why I've decided that all of my friends should accompany me on a Halifax pub crawl for my 40th birthday.  Fortunately I've got more than 2 years to work out logistics.

I love Boston.  I met my husband in Boston and we tend to go up there just about every summer, but Nova Scotia was really great.  I just wish it was closer.

For the record, I love Long Island more than Massachusetts and Nova Scotia put together! 

"For the record, I love Long Island more than Massachusetts and Nova Scotia put together!  "

A sentence I never saw coming!