Very Beautiful, indeed

What a surprise to discover a real castle as we drove through New England. I took this photo of the historic Winnekenni Castle in Haverhill, Massachusetts. The exterior survived a fire, but the interior was destroyed. It has been restored. The gorgeous grounds, lakes, ponds and castle today are used for recreational purposes and maintained by a conservation department.

1861, Dr. James R. Nichols, a chemist and agriculturist bought the Darling Farm, which sat on a hill overlooking Kenoza Lake to use for his experiments with chemical fertilizers. After a visit to England he was inspired by castles and convinced that the granite boulders found locally in the state on most farms, could be used as building materials. Construction of his castle began in 1873 and was completed two years later in 1875. He called the building Winnekenni Castle and the surrounding farm Winnekenni, an Algonquin Indian word for “Very Beautiful!”

Then we were off to New Hampshire to Hampton Beach where I dipped my toes in the Atlantic Ocean and left my footprints in the sand.

Bruce, my late friend's husband showed us around the beach town.

And of course the guys couldn't pass up the arcade. This is a picture within a picture. Can you see their reflection on the screen? 

 

We had a picnic on a rocky area of the beach, but because protected birds were nesting, we could not walk on the beach. I did find some interesting shells at low tide. There is so much rich history and natural beauty in New England.

The two day drive from the Midwest was indeed worth it. America the beautiful!