When we were kids we were lucky enough to have a vacation place in the White Mountains of NH. Of course, as kids we didn’t see it that way since our friends went to camps or Cape Cod and we hung out in New Hampshire and hang out with our parents. Who knew those were going to be some of the best days of our lives? While our friends went to arcades and the ocean we walked in the woods or swam in the Pemi River. We would hike up to Franconia Falls and/or cross the river at Hancock campground. We would stay in the water until our lips turned blue and only got out because mom said we had too! Our favorite swimming hole was the Lady’s Bath Tub; we would ride our bikes up the Kanc and look for the path that ran though the woods (this is now the Lincoln Station Riverfront condo’s development). The big treat then was going to Clarks’ Trading Post for the bear show and if we were good getting an ice cream cone.

Today my teenage son has a seasons pass to the Whales Tail water park with it’s colossal wave pool, multiple slides, hot tubs, arcades and a variety of food services. He has a group of friends that go quite often and I think he has fun there. It’s hard to tell because he says everything is boring but he comes home penniless and wants to know “what’s there to eat”.

I hear myself saying you know when I was your age we didn’t have anything cool to do all summer. Maybe less really is more, a banana bike and a hidden swimming hole kept us from being bored all summer. Don’t get me wrong I’m glad there are more choices for entertainment than when I was a kid, but a hike in the woods that ends at a swimming hole should still be on the list of cool things to do at any age.

Who remembers the Lady’s bath tub before they built condos there?