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Re: [OM] [IMG] Columbus Day

Subject: Re: [OM] [IMG] Columbus Day
From: "Sawyer, Edward" <Ed.Sawyer@xxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:22:15 +0000
> New Hampshire is the New England's bastion of conservatism.  Everything there
> is different...As long as you don't do anything that will prevent them from
> ripping you off or sue them, you are very welcome there.

Please. NH is democratic, not conservative. At least in the populated parts
of the state. We're definitely a "blue" state. VT and ME are more
conservative, in day-to-day life, if not in politics (though there also I
think).   Ripping off?  NH is the lowest-tax-burden of any state, basically.
E.g. No sales tax. Even for tourists. ;-)

> The campsite even
> run by their government, was not an exception: run in a fine efficient manner
> of free-market capitalism, the number of facilities and their quality was
> barely adequate,

State Campgrounds are under the state park system, which historically is
ridiculously under-funded.  Complain to State Govt., as the rest of us do.
Maybe something will change but I doubt it. (re above: re: Low/no taxes)
Better yet, go to a private campground if you want a "Glamping"-type
experience... 

> but what the most interesting things was the fact that they
> were eco-friendly (concept largely unheard of there, that later proved to be
> just an afterthought), which I wouldn't know if I were not coming from the one
> of  the ?socialist states?.

WTF? Environmentalism has been a well-known and well-regarded concept in NH
for decades, unlike many other states (I can think of a  lot of examples)

> See, in the rest of the New England, these
> facilities have a nice sign now the recycling system works including a short
> list of items that should not be thrown in (such as cigarette buds or feminine
> products), because they interfere with its operation and stop the process of
> recycling.  Instead, you get a nice personal
>  note from the management reminding you that although there is miles and miles
> of forest out there, you are prohibited from foraging wood for your campfire
> and instead, should buy whatever their office offers, which ended up to be a
> tiny bundles of pine wood that cost six bux each...really, pine wood?  I never
> saw the signs that ban the use of alcohol, but see they had speed
> bumps...which were symbolically put in places where one could easily see them,
> but not where really needed...

Traditionally a lot of "joeys", e.g. wanker tourists, like to tear around
campgrounds with their gomaros or other obnoxious vehicles: hence
speedbumps. It's for the idiots, not normal folk.  Also, re: firewood - most
tourists don't know how to sustainably harvest firewood. Not to mention that
it's not theirs (e.g. If everyone could cut their own wood out of the
state/national forest, how would that go over? ). Besides, picking up
deadfall is one thing, but if that was allowed then people would invariably
start cutting live trees too.   Bring your own wood or don't complain,
IMNSHO. It's no different than a convenience store, really. (pay more to
have it right now and in a convenient time/location).

> The woods were beautiful, and the lakes too.  We rented a canoe to explore
> them.  You can see the pictures.  Unfortunately, it looks like it was a dry
> year, so the colors of fall were not as pretty as usual.

Foliage was slower this year than normal. Some of it was just as good as
normal, but some was more muted. All of it was/is later than usual.

> The near town of Washington had a neat center, I wish I had more than  three
> minutes for pictures.  I also went the next evening, but the family insisted
> on coming too.  Upon descending into town, they saw the surrounding area and
> its inhabitants and refused to get out of the car.  So, guilt reduced my
> photography time to less than ten minutes...

That is a  neat little town, no doubt. Featured on many calendars and iconic
new-england type scenes, for the whitewashed church and other buildings.
Nice place. 

FWIW
-Ed



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