Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we go! Isn’t that Little Red Riding Hood? I think so. Well anyways, Pickity Place is the place to go if you want to step into a real life fairy tale. In fact, the cottage that now houses the restaurant was what the Little Golden book illustrator used as a model to illustrate her version of Little Red Riding Hood.
It is indeed a cozy, fairy tale cottage. An enormously old tree full of character towers over the little red cottage. When it is time for your meal to begin (they do 3 seatings a day) the hostess rings a bell by the door. The waitresses hustle and bustle in the relatively cramped space (little cottage after all) to get you all 5 courses in the proper order, explaining each edible herbal addition.
The quality and creativity of the food alone is enough of a draw to go to Pickity Place, never mind the quaint setting. Each month, a new menu is revealed, with 5 new courses to try: A dip appetizer, soup and bread, salad, main entree, and a yummy dessert. There are always 2 entree choices, one of them being a vegetarian option. It’s usually a hard decision, as both entrees are always excellent. All the food is prepared fresh using herbs grown right there at Pickity Place.
Oh, and I can’t forget about the beverage options! They have a few fun options including a lavender lemonade, a strawberry basil tea, an orange tea, and Mocha coffee (complete with cinnamon stick straw). They let you change which drink you try each time you run out, making for a fun variety- I always save the mocha coffee to have with my dessert.
The fun doesn’t stop when the meal is over; then it is time to explore the gardens! I’ve gone at all times of the year, and it is always beautiful. June, of course will be the best month to explore the flower gardens. However, even in the winter, the garden blanketed with snow, the cozy cottage nestled in, and the big tree watching over is still charming. During spring and summer months, stop by their greenhouse to get herbs and flowers for your own garden! Their plants are reasonably priced and I’ve found them to be of high quality.
They book up fast (special days sometimes over a year in advance) so be sure to make a reservation! If you really get hooked on Pickity, they have a frequent diners card; I’ve never been that committed to it, but some people go once a month! I like it for special occasions; it’s a great place to take someone visiting the area. Pickity Place is a quintessential New England experience!
I am an utmost beginner. I walk around the new property – overgrown with years of neglect – and seek out the plants. They’re all in half stages of growth: much past their humble April beginnings and not nearly in their full on July-August glory yet. I walk around, plant to plant, wishing I could know them – not just to identify them, but to really know them – as Rosemary Gladstar does, Helen Ward, Susun Weed, Lora Kroll… just some of my teachers. I want to touch a plant and know it’s inherent qualities instead of ripping up these “weeds” blindly – unknown to the medicines and properties they contain – and then replacing them with herbs bought with my hard-earned cash; when I could be using these plants dubbed weeds all along. Making teas and tinctures, healing my ails – visible and invisible; helping my friends and family. This is how I’m feeling toward the “weeds”.
The only way to know is to learn and experience. Come along with me and learn too. Begin at the beginning. I will share what I learn as I learn it.
An event I look forward to every summer is the League of New Hampshire Craftman’s annual fair held in Sunapee, New Hampshire. At the foothills of Sunapee’s ski mountain, a number of huge white tents are set up and within is every form of fine art, craft, and beautiful skilled art work you can imagine: Photography, painting, etching, ceramics, pottery, knitting, felting, weaving, jewelry, wood crafts, rock sculpture, and more!
Group weaving project – everyone’s invited to contribute!
Every summer growing up, my mom would take my sister and I to the Sunapee Craft’s Fair. We were each allowed to pick out one little thing to buy; a tiny carved and painted wooden goose, a stained glass sun-catcher, a pewter stegosaurus, a small raku pot in the “seconds” bin for 20 dollars. I still treasure these things. I’m thankful my mom introduced us to artisan made crafts at such young ages! Though I don’t get up to crafts fair every single year anymore, I still hold such a place of fondness for this fair in my heart. From here forward I will try not to miss it (I even drove up by myself just for the afternoon last August!). There are new things to see every summer! Many of the artisans put on live demonstrations. I personally loved watching Richard Foye’s raku pottery demonstration this past year. The colors he gets on his finished pots are so beautiful!
Richard Foye at work creating Raku pottery!
I’ve also always admired the carved wooden spoons. Two years ago, I finally got one! I am sad to say I cannot remember this artist’s name, but he was kind enough to show me the tools he uses to carve spoons and recommended ones for home carving. Another fun thing to do is take a ride up and down the chair lift to see the beautiful mountain view! You can buy tickets to do this in the lodge. I’ve only done that a couple times, but it is a stunning view – just don’t do it if you’re afraid of heights 🙂
There is a sculpture garden, fairy houses, a trout pond, a children’s tent, lots of yummy food. Really, something for everyone. The dates for this year’s Fair listed on the League of New Hampshire Craftsman’s Website are:
August 3rd to August 11th 2019 from 10 AM to 5 PM daily
I still think about these ceramic Koi Fish!
As a random aside, I discovered a sweet little farm shop on the way home from the Fair last year ~ the Sweet Beet Market at 11 West Main Street in Bradford, NH. It’s a nice place to stop for a snack for the road or to get your week’s produce. I just thought it was super cute. A perk of driving home on back roads! You never know what you will discover.
As if there wasn’t enough to look forward to this summer 🙂
Guess what’s coming up soon! One of my most favorite times of the year: Brimfield! What is Brimfield you say? Well, only just the treasure-hunter’s, antique-lover’s, junk-picker’s paradise! 14 acres chock full of weird and wonderful stuff! Brimfield Antiques Fair is held three times a year in Brimfield, Massachusetts, and it is always worth a trip. You literally never know what you will find there! Some years I’ve gone all three times, and some years just once, but I don’t think I’ve skipped a summer since finding out about it in 2012. While a bit more crowded (and a bit more pricey!) than it used to be, it is still very fun to poke around, even if you go just to look.
Back when I was newly married, and first setting up house, I used to buy lots of things at Brimfield, to fill in the gaps for things we needed, and replace “boring” things with antique or prettier versions, such as intricate silverware or fun little juice glasses. Then I went on a bit of a Marie Kondo-inspired minimalism/tiny house/wanting to live in a yurt kick and went a couple years without buying ANYTHING at Brimfield- just going to look around (which was still wicked fun!) And now, this year, some of the practical little things I purchased for our home back in 2012 need replacing – our cloth napkins are stained, our dish cloths ragged, our juice glasses and all but 1 of our water glasses have broken. So I will once again be shopping for practical things at Brimfield. I love holding out for the treasure hunt. I will gladly wait a year until I find the perfect, old antique thing before I drive out to a box store or order something online. Finding the perfect little thing for your home at Brimfield is just so fun! And it feels better to re-use something and give it a new life, especially knowing that it was made during a time period where quality was prized over quantity and profit.
It can be overwhelming the amount of stuff there is. I find if you LOVE something and it is totally unique and a cheap price – just buy it then and there. If you hesitate at all, take a photo of it (ask the dealer first! sometimes they get mad about photos) and then at lunch, scroll through the photos of things and see which things you forgot about already and which you are still thinking about. The things you forgot about should probably not go home with you.
In terms of practicality, there are a few things to consider. Brimfield is HUGE. There is no way to see it all in one day (believe me I’ve tried, as I’m sure my mother and friends will attest!) If you try to see it all in one day, it is exhausting and I think you end up seeing less in a weird way, cause you are only just skimming the surface. The tents line both sides of Route 20 in Massachusetts. The traffic from Highway 90 is AWFUL. If you can go any other route (such as coming in from the North on route 19/Warren Road – do it! I’ve sat in traffic on 20 for 2 hours before). I’ve tried all manner of parking arrangements- park in the beginning, drive to the very end and park, park in the middle- either way, it does not matter- you will never be able to see it all in one day. Just make sure you wear very comfortable shoes! If you go in July or September, it can be very hot! May is my favorite time to go- what a way to kick off the summer time! No matter what month you go, the earlier you arrive, the better and the more you will get to see.
Yes, dogs are allowed! This was such a cute pup we met 🙂
If you end up buying a really big, bulky piece, the dealer will generally be kind enough to hold it for you until the end of the day (most dealers pack up between 4 and 6 pm) at which point, you can somehow navigate your car through the maze to get to them and pack up your find! If you plan to buy a lot of little things, carry a tote bag, or even better, a backpack to keep yourself hands free. Bring snacks and water with you – believe me, you will not want to walk all the way back to your car. I’ve even stashed my lunch by a tree somewhere so I didn’t have to walk all the way back to my car, but I’m not going to “officially” recommend that – hehe it was a good idea though. Of course, there is food to purchase in the middle of it all, but it is expensive and there are not too many healthy options (although that changes every year!) – think “Fair Food”.
I’ve gone in rain or shine, and though I prefer shine, rain isn’t so bad. All the dealers are under tents, and it is less crowded in the rain. Just make sure you wear the right jacket and footwear for moisture or you will be miserable. The fairs run from Tuesdays to Sundays, although some dealers (and entire fields!) do not open until Wednesday, and some do not stay all the way until Sunday. I’ve generally gone on a Friday. It’s not too picked over at that point, and it’s close enough to the end of the week where you can sometimes haggle a deal. Most dealers don’t mind you making a reasonably lower offer (especially if you are buying multiple things from them or a bigger piece). Some dealers are not super friendly- just telling the truth. You will quickly figure out their attitude 🙂
Taken from the official Brimfield Antiques Show Website, the dates for the 2019 shows are: May 14th through 19th, July 9th through 14th, and September 3rd through 8th. Mark your calendar for the dates now, so you can plan on getting there. Have fun!!!
Perhaps the most special of all the New Hampshire small towns is Harrisville. Situated in the Monadnock Region of the state (which is special in general), it is a lovely old mill town right on a lake. It has a yarn shop which is quite fancy and esteemed, and a general store that makes some of the best food ever. Seriously. Most of the old mill buildings are converted to artist’s studios (sometimes they are open to the public). Harrisville doesn’t have to be a little place you stop to on the way to somewhere- you can make it a destination. Bring a kayak for the lake, take a poke around the yarn store (there’s a lot more in there besides yarn) and have an excellent meal at the store. Just a little stroll around town admiring the quaint houses is fun too.
The Lake, Yarn from Harrisville Designs, and a fresh cider donut from the General Store: All in a day’s visit to Harrisville!
I like going to Harrisville in any season and (of course) my favorite thing is having lunch at the store. I mean, look at this food! They always have a variety of fresh creative salads available, their decaf iced coffee is the tastiest ever, and the desserts just scrumptious (I will be forever craving that strawberry rhubarb pie!)
The mill building in front of a sunrise; the village cozy under snow
Kayaking in Harrisville Pond is delightful. The Public Library is that little brick building right on the edge of the water! If you look closely, you might see a beaver swim on by 🙂
I love going to Harrisville. Any season or time, it is always a joy to go there.
One July morning, our little white converted camper van packed and loaded, Ethan and I headed to the Portland, Maine seaport and eagerly sat in line to board the CAT ferry. Before we knew it we were speeding along at a nice clip, over waves waves waves listening to a wonderful musical duo play Celtic tunes on electric bagpipes and fiddles. We were heading to the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, across the Maritimes of the Atlantic between New England and Canada. Nova Scotia is a very “human-sized” place as I like to think of it- it’s easy to get to places, there aren’t huge distances between attractions (such as in the American West) and it isn’t an exhausting place to visit (it was actually the most relaxing trip I’ve ever taken). There are no real hazards or safety concerns to worry about, very low crime, mild weather, well-maintained roads, and very friendly locals. Scroll way down to the bottom if you’d like some practical tips. But now, enjoy some of my favorite photographs as I outline our 6 day itinerary in Nova Scotia~
Day One ~ Portland, Maine to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
The CAT high speed ferry leaves out of Portland, Maine. Bring some reading material as you will be sitting in your car in the boarding queue for quite some time. After boarding the ferry, run to the front so you can get a seat facing forward! I am NOT prone to motion sickness, yet felt pretty queasy during the 5-6 hour crossing because we got a seat that faced sideways. Although it was beautiful to watch the ocean passing by (keep your eyes open for whales- I saw 2!), I felt much better when we finally snagged a vacated table that faced straight ahead. Maybe it was just an extra wavy-day. At any rate, I should have taken Dramamine. The on-board entertainment and food was excellent on the ferry, and cut 11 hours (!!) off of our driving time from New Hampshire.
We arrived in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and after waiting to offload and go through customs and immigration (don’t forget your passport!) it was around midnight. We found a campground just outside of Yarmouth to stay at, Camper’s Haven. It was inexpensive, but very loud – I had trouble sleeping – it seemed people were up partying late into the night (to be fair we did arrive on the eve of a Canadian summer holiday – so that could be what contributed to the atmosphere) We just needed somewhere to park the van legally and sleep. We woke early the next day and set off, eager to see what this new country had in store.
Day Two ~ Yarmouth to Lunenburg
Yarmouth to Lunenburg via the southern coastal “Lighthouse Route”
Day 2 Highlight: The Ovens
Naturally formed sea caves that you can climb down into!? Yes please! This hiking and walking park was gorgeous, and if I remember correctly cost us about $35 USD for admission and overnight camping permit. Set on the ocean with dramatic cliffs and beautiful evergreen trees, rocky beaches, peaceful ponds, and friendly farm animals, The Ovens is truly a place to see!
One tip for The Ovens is, while Ethan & I generally don’t plan ahead, if you know for a fact you want to camp here, make a reservation well in advance so you can get a campsite right beside the water! As you will see in one of the photos below, there is a tent perched very close to the ocean. Of course all the sites like that were booked when we rolled up the day of, but if you are able to book in advance, try to snag a beach side site!
Day 2 Highlight: Lunenburg
Lunenburg was a beautiful seaside town filled with quaint shops, art galleries and eateries. The buildings closest to the water were painted a brilliant red, and, along with all of the other colorful buildings, made for quite a colorful place. The docks alongside the town look across a small bay and out towards fields and pastures beyond. Really quite picturesque. There were old ships moored at the docks and when we visited, we were able to board one for free which was very fun and nautical.
If you want further adventure and sights, down the road from Lunenburg is Mahone Bay – another gorgeous and quaint little town which is worth going to. We only just drove to it to look, but I would have liked to explore further. (next time!)
Day 3 ~ The Ovens to Blomidon Provincial Park
Instead of going on to Halifax from The Ovens/Lunenburg area we drove due north on route 10 towards Middleton. (Halifax is probably great – but, as my husband is not a fan of cities, we tend to avoid them). Once we reached Middleton, instead of getting on Route 1 we took Route 221 as I read on Trip Advisor that this route had more traditional Nova Scotian scenery. Since Route 221 runs parallel to Route 1, we didn’t worry about getting off our course and it was a beautiful route, filled with rolling old farmland and pastures, and dotted with pretty houses and neat old barns. We took it for a ways, then meandered back to Route 1 on towards Wolfville and the Tangled Garden.
Route 221 through Nova Scotia’s beautiful pastureland
Day 3 Highlight: Tangled Garden
Sigh. The Tangled Garden. I wish I could transport myself back there. Flowers, herbal infused honey and vinegar for sale, a sweet little garden cafe… I’ll let the photos speak for it~ this may be my favorite place we visited on the whole trip! (I’m a garden lover!)
Beautiful fields of Lupines on the drive from Tangled Garden to the Cape Split trail head
Day 3 Highlight: Cape Split Hike
North of Wolfville is a peninsula called Cape Split that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean’s Bay of Fundy. There is a hiking trail that runs the whole length of the peninsula and ends with spectacular views of the bay. It is not a difficult hike by any means, no real steep or technical parts, it is just long – so bring food and plenty of water. There is really no where in the area to purchase these things either, so plan ahead! The long and winding woodland trail is really worth it for the stunning views at the end.
Before your Trip Practical Tips:
The price of the CAT ferry jumps up and down quite a lot from day to day it seems, so when booking, play around with the departure dates before you purchase, if you have the flexibility to do so, to secure the best price.
Change your money to Canadian currency before you get there. I didn’t find Nova Scotia to be an overly tourist-ey place, so money changing kiosks were nowhere to be found, especially when arriving so late at night from the ferry. We were so thankful we thought to get the money beforehand, so we didn’t even have to worry about it. Many places do accept other currencies but you get the best prices if you pay in Canadian currency.
Don’t forget your passport!
Well those were the first 3 days of our little Nova Scotian adventure. Stay tuned for the rest of the trip! Keep adventuring, Callie 🙂
When I come across a poem I love, I will write it in my journal. “A Timbered Choir” by Wendell Berry is a poem I never want to forget. I think it is my all-time favorite poem if I had to chose one. Forgive my little scribbles and messy handwriting but I felt it more fun to share this way then to just type it out here. But if you really want to experience this poem, please scroll down to the link below to hear Berry read it for himself!
Wendell Berry himself reads his beautiful poem in the video made by Laura Dunn posted in the link below. The video is the trailer for the film “Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry”. The film itself is beautifully made and relaxing and an interesting portrait of the author and farmer’s life. Do have a listen to the trailer, you won’t regret it:
After watching it, I am sure you understand why this poem has been echoing in my mind lately. The cadence of his voice and the powerful images in the video are captivating, important, real, and stopped me in my tracks. I’ve listened to his voice read “The Timbered Choir” over and over. I intend to read a lot more of Wendell Berry’s work.
Did summer go by fast or what? (And this post is really really late!! Because fall flew by as well!) I think it’s because we didn’t have much of a spring time transition this year. All of a sudden, it was summer. Though it feels like it slipped away so quickly, looking back on the photos and memories, we really lived in many beautiful summer moments this year. More and more I am trying to inhabit the present, to really SEE what is around me, to notice the small details, and the big connections between everyone and everything. Here are a few of my favorite summer moments captured~
Elysian Hills Tree Farm ~ Dummerston, Vermont
Sunset in the Harbor ~ Newport, Rhode Island
Tomatoes at Moulton’s Farm ~ Meredith, New Hampshire x Sunset ~ Center Harbor, New Hampshire
On the way to the Basin ~ Franconia, New Hampshire
Field of Sunflowers at Colby Farm ~ Newbury, New Hampshire
Gregg Lake ~ Antrim, NH x Lobster Roll at Sunset ~ Rye, NH
The docks ~ Center Harbor, NH x Mornings ~ Center Harbor, NH
Green Tomatoes ~ Home x Incoming Storm ~ Greenville, NH
Pony in the Field at Kroka ~ Acworth, NH
Twilight Time ~ Center Harbor, NH x Wild Blueberries ~ Pitcher Mountain, Stoddard, NH
Summer Fields ~ Sugar Hill, NH
Flora de Passion ~ Home x Favorite Walking Place ~ Temple, NH
White Mountains Waterfall ~ Woodstock, NH
Canoeing with the Pup ~ Greenfield, NH x Delphinium Bouquet ~ Home
Sunday Blooms ~ Peterborough, NH
Walk Around MacDowell Lake ~ Peterborough, NH
Mid-Summer’s Bounty ~ Home x Blooms and Breakfast ~ Home
Red Nasturtiums ~ Home x July Bouquet ~ Home
Garden Textures Late Summer ~ Home
Just Floating ~ Hancock, NH x Coneflowers and Zinnias ~ Wilton, NH
Sunset at the Beach Plum ~ Rye, NH
Freshly Picked ~ Milford, NH x Sunflowers Outside of the Bakery ~ Alstead, NH
Fly Fishing ~ Center Harbor, NH x Little Friend ~ Temple, NH
Skies Over White Mountains ~ Woodstock, NH x Wild Blueberries ~ Stoddard, NH
The quality and creativity of the food alone is enough of a draw to go to Pickity Place, never mind the quaint setting. Each month, a new menu is revealed, with 5 new courses to try: A dip appetizer, soup and bread, salad, main entree, and a yummy dessert. There are always 2 entree choices, one of them being a vegetarian option. It’s usually a hard decision, as both entrees are always excellent. All the food is prepared fresh using herbs grown right there at Pickity Place.
Oh, and I can’t forget about the beverage options! They have a few fun options including a lavender lemonade, a strawberry basil tea, an orange tea, and Mocha coffee (complete with cinnamon stick straw). They let you change which drink you try each time you run out, making for a fun variety- I always save the mocha coffee to have with my dessert.
