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Travels with Bufford: The Willey House, NH
by Bufford
I’ve been spending a lot of time traveling around New Hampshire, seeing things
and meeting people. The other day I was up in the White Mountains driving
around in my Homer (that’s a motor home to most folks, but to me and my wife
Beatrice it’s a homer way from home so we just call it the Homer…It ain’t pretty
but it gets us where we got to go.)
Anyway, I got off track. So, me and the Beatrice were driving around on 302 in
the Homer, coming down through Crawford Notch and we saw a sign that said
Willey House. Not knowing what a Willey House is we decided to stop and find
out.
After we parked the Homer in the parking lot we walked over to the buildings.
One was a State Park information building and the other a gift shop and place to
eat. But there wasn’t a house! All that was there was a rock and a sign that said
“Sight of the Willey House.” Turns out that’s where the house used to
be…because a long time ago the mountainside behind the house let go and there
was a landslide. The whole family and some hired hands went running out of
the house to escape the landslide and they was all killed by it…but the house
was untouched.
Guess that would have been a good day to stay home.
Anyway, after looking at the rock for a while (oh, yeah, the house ended up
burning to the ground years later and that’s why just the rock is there), I looked
across the road and saw a pond with ducks in it. Now, I like ducks so we went
over to see them. There were other folks there and they were going up to a
gumball machine thing and putting money in and throwing what came out at the
ducks so I figured it wasn’t bubble gum after all since the ducks were eating it
and I know for a fact that ducks don’t like bubble gum anyway. (I guess it
wouldn’t be a lot of fun for them anyway since you need lips to blow bubbles. ) It
turns out the pond is named Willey Pond, after the Willey family that got killed I
suppose.
So me and Beatrice walked over the bridge and around the pond after we put
some money in the machine and threw the stuff at the ducks, which they ate.
While we were on the bridge we could see trouts in the water. There was a
breathtaking view of the cliffs on Mt Willard across the pond and up the Notch
Mt Webster was real tall right across from the buildings and the rock.
It’s a real beautiful place.
I like to take a picture of myself in different places so before we left I had Beatrice
take a picture of me by the rock. There was a man and a woman going by and
they must have been having a real good day because they were just a laughing at
the rock and stuff while I was getting my picture taken.
Anyway, I said hi and told them I was Bufford and traveling around New
Hampshire. Turns out they came all the way from California. He wanted his
picture taken with me so I obliged and off they went, still laughing.
It’s great to meet happy people.
Me and Beatrice went inside and I bought a chili dog and ate it while Beatrice
looked around the gift shop. She bought some White Mountain Popcorn there
and it was about the best popcorn I ever had. Turns out it’s made right in
Henniker, New Hampshire.
So after all that it was time to go so we got in the Homer and started it up and we
were off to find out next interesting stop along the way. It wouldn’t be long
‘cause there lots of them up here.
We had a great stop at the Willey House, and you will too if you go there.
About Bufford:
Bufford (who is fast becoming a New Hampshire icon) likes to take pictures and
write stories about his adventures traveling around New Hampshire in his
Homer. If you spot him while visiting New Hampshire (and you can’t miss
him!), make sure you say hello. And you can always write to him at
wstone2@verizon.net (he loves fan mail).
by Bufford
I’ve been spending a lot of time traveling around New Hampshire, seeing things
and meeting people. The other day I was up in the White Mountains driving
around in my Homer (that’s a motor home to most folks, but to me and my wife
Beatrice it’s a homer way from home so we just call it the Homer…It ain’t pretty
but it gets us where we got to go.)
Anyway, I got off track. So, me and the Beatrice were driving around on 302 in
the Homer, coming down through Crawford Notch and we saw a sign that said
Willey House. Not knowing what a Willey House is we decided to stop and find
out.
After we parked the Homer in the parking lot we walked over to the buildings.
One was a State Park information building and the other a gift shop and place to
eat. But there wasn’t a house! All that was there was a rock and a sign that said
“Sight of the Willey House.” Turns out that’s where the house used to
be…because a long time ago the mountainside behind the house let go and there
was a landslide. The whole family and some hired hands went running out of
the house to escape the landslide and they was all killed by it…but the house
was untouched.
Guess that would have been a good day to stay home.
Anyway, after looking at the rock for a while (oh, yeah, the house ended up
burning to the ground years later and that’s why just the rock is there), I looked
across the road and saw a pond with ducks in it. Now, I like ducks so we went
over to see them. There were other folks there and they were going up to a
gumball machine thing and putting money in and throwing what came out at the
ducks so I figured it wasn’t bubble gum after all since the ducks were eating it
and I know for a fact that ducks don’t like bubble gum anyway. (I guess it
wouldn’t be a lot of fun for them anyway since you need lips to blow bubbles. ) It
turns out the pond is named Willey Pond, after the Willey family that got killed I
suppose.
So me and Beatrice walked over the bridge and around the pond after we put
some money in the machine and threw the stuff at the ducks, which they ate.
While we were on the bridge we could see trouts in the water. There was a
breathtaking view of the cliffs on Mt Willard across the pond and up the Notch
Mt Webster was real tall right across from the buildings and the rock.
It’s a real beautiful place.
I like to take a picture of myself in different places so before we left I had Beatrice
take a picture of me by the rock. There was a man and a woman going by and
they must have been having a real good day because they were just a laughing at
the rock and stuff while I was getting my picture taken.
Anyway, I said hi and told them I was Bufford and traveling around New
Hampshire. Turns out they came all the way from California. He wanted his
picture taken with me so I obliged and off they went, still laughing.
It’s great to meet happy people.
Me and Beatrice went inside and I bought a chili dog and ate it while Beatrice
looked around the gift shop. She bought some White Mountain Popcorn there
and it was about the best popcorn I ever had. Turns out it’s made right in
Henniker, New Hampshire.
So after all that it was time to go so we got in the Homer and started it up and we
were off to find out next interesting stop along the way. It wouldn’t be long
‘cause there lots of them up here.
We had a great stop at the Willey House, and you will too if you go there.
About Bufford:
Bufford (who is fast becoming a New Hampshire icon) likes to take pictures and
write stories about his adventures traveling around New Hampshire in his
Homer. If you spot him while visiting New Hampshire (and you can’t miss
him!), make sure you say hello. And you can always write to him at
wstone2@verizon.net (he loves fan mail).
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