This week we headed out to dinner with our Rod's brother, our sister-in-law Jody and their two boys. They bought a house on the same lake as us this Summer. Ours has been rented out since the beginning of summer. We finally overlapped time at the lake this week. We have been enjoying every minute of it. Heading to their house for pancake and bacon breakfasts, swimming off our dock, bbq's and dinners out. It's been a nice time for the girls to connect with their cousins. Good times! We even went out to dinner at the Common Man in Claremont one night together and sat on the patio next to the waterfalls. Loud but beautiful. A perfect spot for a summer meal! And the company was pretty cute too! After dinner we walked to a bridge that overlooks the falls and the cousins threw rocks down into the river below. We headed off to grocery shop and they headed off to put the boys to bed. Our only regret is that our cottages aren't closer so we can't hang out together after the kids are in bed enjoying the fire and their company!
Today we wanted to find a waterfall. I finally found Pollards Mill Falls on Falls Road in Newport NH. Literally 10-15 minutes and 7 miles from our lake house. Apparently it is privately owned and the current owner allows people to swim in the watering hole all day as generations have done for years. We met Dale the current owner and the place was in fact his grandparents. He has been swimming here since he was a little boy and it was quite spectacular to see the little kids who know this river like the back of their hands. They flip and dive and jump in without a single hesitation. Frightening and fascinating at the same time. We hung out for a while and walked the river for a bit. Found calm pools to cross and swim in. Watched daredevils do things we couldn't imagine doing. By the end of the day we had all jumped in. The exit from the pool is a little tricky. A little slippery from the algae and the smooth rocks from years of wear by the water. But the pools themselves are amazing. Seventeen feet deep, waterfalls, slides, amazing jumps, and calm pools. What a wonderful way to spend a summer afternoon! Even I jumped in and I'm the biggest wimp of them all!
We met some wonderful people there today. Dale the owner, whose grandparents owned this house before him and who allows the public to swim here for free as generations have done. Apparently everyone in the area learns to swim in the waterhole below the falls. He walked up all red faced and sweaty from work at his house and dove into the "bath tub". Chatted with us for a bit and then showed us the "alligator pool" and other good spots for beginners. Adam, a precocious teen, who lives around the corner and did every possible dive, flip, and jump as a literal tour guide of the place for us. He showed us things we never even imagined were possible.
Another gentleman whose kids entertained us for hours. He has owned a house on a lake in NH for 30 some years and said it is the best decision we will ever make. He found out about these waterfalls 4 years ago on Chronicle. He was watching a show on Hidden Waterfalls of New England and right before a commercial break they mentioned that a waterfall in Newport NH would be coming up next. He says he drove by this road daily and never knew the falls existed. He owns a pontoon boat and never wants to leave the lake. He offers to take his kids to Water Country or other paid attractions and they beg to come to the falls. Every day. For hours! They spend 3-4 hours here on a daily basis. He had a 15 year old daughter and 13 year old twins, a boy and a girl. They held hands and jumped off the waterfall for hours on end. What a wonderful gift he is giving them by spending the afternoon there when he could be home working on his addition.
He pointed out another couple who are probably in their 80's from the Czech Republic who have travelled the world and spend more time at the falls than the owner himself does. They told him of all the places they have seen in the world, this is the most beautiful. They sat basking in the sun most of the time we were there but then the husband got up and walked into the largest waterfall. He let the water fall on his back and let the river rush at him. It must have felt like the best massage ever. As they left he held out his hand to help his elderly wife traverse the rocks back to their car. This is their one daily excursion and what an excursion it is.
The gentleman we were chatting with says the drive to his NH lake house is like the best blood pressure medicine his doctor could prescribe. He feels his blood pressure dropping as he drives the familiar roads to his house. Sort of like the power of the water that wears holes in the rocks and circles on the shore of the river. It has a powerful yet soothing affect on his stress. He comes year round even though he hates winters. While his kids snowmobile and play outside in the snow with neighbors he prepares hot chocolate and warm drinks for all of them upon their return.
After the majority of people left and the teenagers were long gone we decided to have a go at the pool. Without everyone watching it seemed easier to attempt the exit from the main pool. Kelsey jumped off a number of times and as I saw her sisters hesitate, a little worried to try, I decided that I would be a good example for them at risk taking and try it next. I am normally all about safety and control but didn't want my middlest to not try it and regret it later. I took off my shirt and walked over in my bathing suit and without saying a word just jumped right in. The kids were shocked to say the least. Getting out was a little tricky but we managed. Before we knew it Haley was jumping in and Lindsay even jumped in from the lower rock. Not to be outdone Rod had to jump in and then try the higher jump that his teenage daughter had done before him. I'm sure we will be coming back soon! Next time one of us will try the waterslide into the pool. We came home chilled from the falls to start up our gas stove and eat warm burgers with red wine. A great way to warm up after a wonderful day in a cool NH river experiencing the falls! (The battery in my phone died half way through our adventure which is ok since I was in the pool!)
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