One of our favorite summer activities in NH is berry picking. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries- doesn’t matter. We love it all! We really enjoy our summers in the country. Maybe even more so because the rest of the year we live in a city?

lots of these places run on the honor system- just leave the money you owe in the box..

picking wild blueberries down by the river

and on the side of the road

my favorite blueberry picking place is here, but I think they’ve since closed

we made blueberry muffins, pancakes, shortcake- you name it!

we went back again once Madeline and Audrey arrived

farm animals there

The next afternoon we decided to hike the trail at Madison Cascades (not far from the Madison Boulder)…

Kiera did a school report about mushrooms this year and is obsessed with them

it was really beautiful there..

our little scientists 🙂

time to head home..

back at the parking lot

Grandma had heard some good things about the local Loon Center, so we decided to check it out..

our animal/ nature crazy girls were actually into the info video where they learned all about the NH Loon

Loons everywhere- even on the bathroom curtains!

the visit even inspired their art work 🙂

Then we headed over to Camp Calumet to take a pontoon boat out onto Lake Ossipee, where there is a protected Loon habitat..

me and the Hubs

Loon nesting sanctuary

We saw some! Too bad there’s no zoom on my camera..

Audrey and Grandma

I grew up going to this rope swing every summer. Glad to see it’s still going strong (actually, the tree directly behind this one is the one from my childhood, but it was hit by lightening. See the jagged stump?).

driving the boat just like last year

then it was time to relax and play at the family camping beach

looking for frogs (I used to do the same thing at that little pond when I was a kid).

Papa cuddles

Quinnie even lost a tooth there- which made it even more special!

We love Calumet!!