Because the summer season was not quite underway the park had yet to open. Still, I was given a wonderful behind the scenes tour by the park staff showing me two of their biggest attractions:

The Basin & The Flume.

If you aren’t sure what to do and see when you visit, these two stops are a must. Check them out this video from my my time at Franconia Notch Park.

Be sure to check out their visiting hours, fees and directions by checking the Cannon Mountain website.

You can also get more info about the other parks in New Hampshire including Franconia Notch by visiting the State Park Website or by visiting the New Hampshire Website.

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To wrap up the ‘At a Glance’ posts, I bring you Day Four of the New Hampshire Road Trip.
If you are just joining this series – be sure to check out days 1, 2 and 3 first so that we are all on the same page.

Here we go!

Following some delicious food and a musical evening at “The Music Hall” my mom was off to bed. I on the other hand wanted to check out the Portsmouth nightlife. Some quick research and questions later I found myself at The Red Door – a trendy little spot identifiable by of course, a red door. There was a cool mix of electronic/techno music that I’m not usually a fan of but it worked in this setting.
I tried their espresso martini, which was delicious, but unfortunately left me wide-eyed once the night shut down.

When I finally fell asleep, it was in my comfy bed at the Residence Inn – Marriott. I had never stayed in an extended visit hotel like this and with it’s full equipped in room kitchen, someone on a budget could save some solid cash by making their own meals. We had a delicious breakfast in the morning (the USA loves their waffle makers!) and only had to walk a block to be right in the heart of Portsmouth proper.

Before leaving Portsmouth, our last stop in New Hampshire, we set out for a bit of shopping on this damp morning. The city was quiet and sleepy, so we had it pretty much to ourselves. There are a ton of shops to go through and having done some looking around the day before, my mother had a few items she wanted to pick up. I’ll share those with you later. The locals continued to be sweet as pie and we even had a shopkeeper ask us if we were ‘Canadian’ because we were so friendly and talked to her. Canucks for the WIN!

Although Portsmouth meant the end of our New Hampshire road trip, not to mention we were feeling a bit worn out, we had one more stop to make before heading home to Toronto. Just two hours south was Bridgewater, Massachusetts where my friend and fellow travel blogger Ryan of Pause The Moment lives with his family.
Coming from a country where you can drive for a day and STILL be in the same province, 2 hours is nothing. We headed to Ryan’s home and spent the evening laughing, telling stories and feeling so welcomed by his family.
How often do two travel bloggers AND their moms end up in the same room. We had to capture the moment!
Thanks for having us and treating us like family!

On a Monday morning, with our New Hampshire Road Trip coming to a close, we began the 10 hour drive back to Toronto. While we originally considered stopping for the night somewhere halfway, we opted to drive the whole way, through rain, snow and wind (yes – it was miserable) and arrived back in Toronto late that night.

While this is just a glance at our trip and I’ll go more into detail on each adventure in upcoming posts, I want to send a HUGE thank you to New Hampshire Tourism for hosting us and all the wonderful people who treated us with such care and hospitality.

I will no doubt be back for more.

Which of these ‘At a Glance’ stories do you want to hear more about?

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~You can watch it above or read it below~

I am thrilled to be making one of the biggest announcements to date here on Backpack With Brock!

As you may or may not be aware, a month ago I submitted an application for the ‘Dream Travel Job’ with a company called Viator.

Basically, they were selecting 4 videographers to travel for 2 months in teams of two creating videos of the different destinations and tours Viator offers. One team would head to Europe and the other to North America.

Travelling & making travel videos = my ultimate travel job!

After creating my entry video, 2 rounds of interviews, votes and some unexpected turn of events I am beyond thrilled to share with you all some fantastic news….

I GOT THE JOB!!

I was selected for the fourth and final spot. WIN!

So now what? Well, I am leaving in just three weeks and heading to San Francisco for a week or two of training and preparation.

There, we’ll find out our itinerary, get set up with all the necessary gear, explore San Fran a bit (how can you not) and best of all – I’ll get to officially meet my travel partner Juliana Broste!

Yes, remember, we travel in teams of two.
Team One, which consists of Ryan Van Duzer and Asha Mevlana, were sent to Europe for their two months.

Juliana and I are Team Two and will spend our trip in North America traveling to about 20 cities in 60 days.

I finally will get to explore more of this amazing and massive continent!

My co-pilot, Juliana, is also known as ‘Traveling Jules’ and has a blog of the same name. She has mad camera, producing and hosting skills and will no doubt be a total blast to travel with.

Backpack With Brock & Traveling Jules take on North America with Viator!   -  What’s not to love?

Thank You

I want to thank everyone who has helped me get to this point. My friends, my family, my fellow travel bloggers, and you, for following and supporting this blog which has essentially been my two years of practice for a gig like this.

I also want to say a HUGE thank you to Viator for bringing me on board. I shall do you proud!

How To Follow Along

This is definitely a journey you do not want to miss and while I don’t have all the details yet, there are a number of ways you can follow along.

Of course you can stop by here, the blog, as I’ll try to give some updates if and when possible: we’ll be moving fast and have a lot of work and ground to cover!

There’s also a special Viator blog for our team and trip: Dream Travel Job Team 2

You can catch us on Twitter:
Me: @backpackerbrock (click here to follow)
Jules: @travelingjules (click here to follow)
Viator: @viatortravel (click here to follow)

And on Facebook:
Me: ‘Backpack With Brock‘
Jules: ‘Traveling Jules‘
Viator: ‘Viator Travel‘

This will be nothing short of an epic adventure and I am thrilled to once again be taking you all along with me!

Stay tuned as the journey unfolds and again: Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.

Yours Truly,
Brock

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Weather was great. Company was great. New Hampshire was great!

Here’s a quick glance at what went down.

We spent the night at the cozy and VERY kitschy Common Man Inn in Plymouth. The rooms had so much character and it was interesting to learn about the history of the hotel and how it it used to be a wood mill. They’ve got a restaurant and cafe inside that both served up some delicious eats!

I was told you can’t visit The Common Man Inn without meeting Fletcher the Cat. He’s been there since they opened and is basically their little celebrity. He even follows people to their rooms! Of course, I had to snap a photo with this cuddly guy!

Leaving Plymouth, we headed to the coastal city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This place was very different from our other stops on our New Hampshire Road Trip. Winding streets, little shops and enough sea food to fill any craving.

On our one and only night in Portsmouth we checked out the Singer/Songwriter Festival put on by The Music Hall. They have regular shows throughout the year and on this specific night I had the pleasure of seeing two amazing performers: Elsa Cross and Lucy Wainwright Roche (pictured above). I’m converted! We had an incredible evening!
Both are definitely worth checking out!

With Day 3 officially wrapped, I headed out on the town to explore some New Hampshire night life. More on that to come!

Thank you again to Visit New Hampshire for hosting me during this road trip.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Have you ever been to Portsmouth? Or listened to Elsa or Lucy before?

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Day two was just as much a success as day one. Here’s a quick glance through photos of what we got up to: more to come later.

To start the morning, we headed to The Cog Railway at the base of Mt. Washington. Behind me is the original train – circa 1866 – that would literally push the coaches up the mountain. Because the Cog doesn’t officially open until next week, I got a behind the scenes look at how the trains work and how they are built. Next time, I’m going up!

Just a few minutes up the road from The Cog is the Mt. Washington Hotel. It is beautiful!! We slipped in for lunch and took a walk around. So much history in this one hotel and it has the perfect spot. I felt like royalty.

In the afternoon it was time for some puppy love! We headed south to the Waterville Valley where we would meet the lovely Valley Snow Dogz. I had paws and snouts and tongues coming at me from every which way and boy did  feel loved! Yet again, another reason to come back. This time, in winter!

As we wrapped up the day and headed to Plymouth where we would be staying the night at The Common Man Inn, we came across this beautiful covered bridge – another thing I was looking forward to in New Hampshire!

Tired and worn out, we enjoyed dinner at The Common Man’s restaurant: Foster’s Boiler Room (unlimited cheese and crackers for the WIN!) and then called it a night!

Thank you to New Hampshire Tourism and today’s hosts for a lovely day.

Stay tuned for Day 3!

Have you been to any of these places?

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Since the itinerary is pretty packed during my stay and as I want to make use of every waking moment to explore this place I’m going to stick to some quick, round-ups of each day with the help of photos.

I’ll save the full posts about what I got up to for when I get home and am resting up for the next adventure.

Ready? Set? GO!

The morning kicked off EARLY as we drove through upstate New York and then Vermont where, at one point, we were surrounded by windmills. Everywhere you looked they were spinning in the wind.

A first major stop of the trip was Franconia Notch State Park where we checked out the Flume among other things. Basically, there were three massive pieces of rock – like a hamburger - but sideways. Anyways…the middle rock eroded much easier than the outside rocks and thus created this Flume.

This picture does not do it justice!

Before leaving the park, we zipped down to Echo Lake Beach which had this gorgeous vista. If you are into
outdoor activities – this is the place for you!

Our day has wrapped up here, at the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Highland Center in Crawford Notch. It’s quiet (now that the children are sleeping – I’ll fill you in later), I can see the stars, the food is delicious and my Mom is sound asleep as I write this post.

No doubt the day was fun and action packed.

Tomorrow we’ll be heading to the base of the oldest mountain train in the world, meeting some sled dogs and Plymouth.

I’m ready for it.

Thank you again to New Hampshire Tourism for hosting me during this road trip. So far – SO good!

If you have any suggestions for my visit here in New Hampshire – please share with me in the comment below or tweet/Facebook this post with the above buttons.

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Exciting announcement time!

It all came around very quickly.
At home in Toronto I don’t have a car. I get around the city by bicycle, foot and public transit. So when the opportunity to have a set of wheels for a few days I couldn’t not make the most of it.

After a few quick emails and map research I devised a 4-6 day road trip that I am excited to announce!

Objective: Explore a place within 12 hours drive from my home.

Destination: New Hampshire, USA

Co-Pilot: My Mother

So, as the journey begins, stay tuned to my Facebook and Twitter profiles as well as here on the blog.

Thank you to the state of New Hampshire for hosting me. Check out the New Hampshire Tourism site and take a look at what this great state has on offer!

Also, if you are from New Hampshire or have been and have any reccomendations please share them in the comment below or over on Facebook or Twitter.

Enjoy the adventure!

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I have successfully committed to doing something for 31 days, with no exceptions, and made it.

At the beginning of March I shared a post titled ‘Marching Into March With Happiness‘. In it, I committed to finding happiness first in my day to day life. I had watched an incredible TEDTalk (you can find it in the post) that examines how so often we set goals for ourselves and plan to find happiness upon reaching those goals. However, when you get to the goal, you set a new one and never truly get to revel in that ‘achieved’ happiness.

Instead, the speaker suggests that if you live with positivity and find your happiness first, you will actually better achieve those goals you are setting. Are you following?

So, for the month of March, I committed to actively being ‘positive’ and finding my happiness first. I will confirm the obvious that it worked wonders.

Each day, I made a point of doing things that I enjoyed while having a positive prospective and that carried through into my projects and daily activities. March was one of my most productive months yet.

I also created my ideal morning hoping it would have a ricochet effect on the rest of my day. When you are travelling or working from home (both of which apply to me) routine can be hard to come by and your days can easily be scattered and jumbled.

Nearly every day for the past month, upon waking up and I have disregarded my computer or phone and instead headed straight to a cafe and read a chapter of a book. This had me laughing and the creative and imaginative cog wheels of my brain turning before anything else. I then made an outline of how I wanted my day to go and what I wanted to accomplish.

It was marvelous!

I will most definitely continue you this routine.

On top of being positive I vowed I would post every day throughout March. 31 days – 31 posts.

Yes, there were a lot of photo posts, but I didn’t cop out. After ‘dropping the blogger ball‘ for a while, it feel superb to be back on track.

I have so many more post ideas I’m excited to put together, but also created some great posts under pressure.

Some of my fav posts from the last month would be:

‘You Searched It’ - Bizarre Ways People Found My Blog

The Iquazu Falls Brazil Video Post (which has been a looooooong time coming)

Celebrating International Women’s Day

A Guest Post by Shannon: The Foodbyte South Africa Edition  

And of course, the saddest post – The Spork: A Bid Farewell To My Favourite Travel Item

I want to thank you all again for the wonderful comments, tweets, shares and encouragement. I’m thrilled to continue bringing you better and better content.

What would you like to see featured on Backpack With Brock?

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I’ve gotten into the habit recently of sharing some of the cool travel related videos and photos I have come across around the web.

Sure I’d love to always show you ‘my videos‘ and ‘my travels‘ but I feel it’s important to acknowledge my colleagues in the field.

And…that’s what I’m going to do today.

I was recently sent this video by Black Sheep Films. They’ve got some other pretty cool travel videos that I suggest you check out, but this one if my facourite.

Basically, it’s a video featuring beautiful Buenas Aires, Argentina but they’ve added…a roller coaster and other thrill rides.

You see these lovely shots of the city and amongst them, people zipping through. Having been to Buenos Aires allow me to break it to you that these rides do not actually wind through the city (in case you were planning to hop on the next flight down there).

It’s likely better for you to watch the video, as it speaks for itself.

What did you think? 

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Do you ever have those days where no matter how hard you try, your minds fleets to some place far away. A place you have been or just seen in photos and videos.

For me, today is one of those days.

I am sitting in a little cafe here in Toronto trying to get work done, but my mind is Italy – on the coast to be specific.

My visit to the stunning Cinque Terre and hiking through it’s 5 villages left an imprint on my heart and since that day, the Italian Riviera has been at the top of my ‘Places I Must Get Back Too’ list.

If you haven’t seen the post about my stay there, check out my Cinque Terre Italy Video to get a better idea of what I mean.

Is your mind daydreaming of being somewhere else? 

Share with me in the comments below!

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Earth Hour is coming!

March 31, 2012 to be exact

Have you heard of it? I hope so!

The concept was originally launched in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million people and 2,000 businesses participated by turning off lights, electronics and anything that uses electricity for 1 hour in an effort to take a stand against climate change.

What I didn’t know was that the following year, the second city to participate was my home: Toronto, Canada.

From there, the project exploded and soon 35 countries and 400 cities and towns were on board.

This year it is expected that 135 countries and territories, and 5251 cities and towns will take part in Earth Hour 2012. That’s huge!

While the idea is to ‘switch off‘ we are encouraged to look past the ’60 minutes’ and continue to conserve and protect our planet through conservation and awareness.

To get a better idea, give their promo video a watch below:

So how are you going to get involved?

Will you be travelling in a foreign city/country or will you be home?

No matter where you are, here are a few suggestions as to how you can do your part:

• Find a local event. There are often live performances, gatherings, speakers in major cities around the globe.
• Log off. I know I will be turning off my computer and phone. I will take the opportunity disconnect from digitial and connect more with those I am with in person.
• Unplug appliances and turn off the lights in your home.
• Plan a party (lit by candle light) and create discussion around how we can all help protect the environment.
• Write a letter or make a call to your government representative to voice your support for green energy

Personally, I hope Toronto (where I will be) steps things up a notch. The last time I was here the lights weren’t exactly “off“, especially in the big buildings throughout the city.

Come on Toronto, don’t drop the ball again…

How will you participate in Earth Hour?
Have you before?

Photo Credit: 1, 2

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As a follow-up to the Vietnamese marching band I recently shared with you, I now present an Indian marching band.

This group was parading through the little town where I was living in the south of India as part of a wedding procession.

Being one of only three visitors, everyone knew who I was, so when I pulled out my camera to snap a photo, the entire group stopped to make sure I got it.

They were standing right in the middle of the street and holding up traffic but insisted I get this picture.

Mission Accomplished.

Although the photo is good, I love video for a reason because the music, and dancing in the video footage I got of this moment really brings this photo to life. You can see it in my Srivilliputtur India video.

I don’t know what it is about India that gives me such an interest in returning when I see a photo like this one. However, when I close my eyes and actually take myself back to my time there, I quickly recall the frustrations and anxiety it inflicts on you.

Perhaps I will return, just not right before monsoon season.

Rookie mistake!

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On my second and last day in Nice, France my friend Mindy and I made our way to a farmer’s market in the older part of town (though the whole city is pretty old if you ask me).

We walked through the rows of tables, each one filled with a different item for sale. Fruits, vegetables, baked goods, crafts and then we came across this table of spices and herbs.

I couldn’t believe how many varieties there were. As Mindy smelt away, trying to find a herb to take home to her parents, I stood in awe of how many delicious meals one could cook up with all these great scents and flavours.

While I wouldn’t say photography is my strongest skill, I’m pleased with how this shot turned out as it captures the extensive collection of herbs and spices this woman is offering.

I’ll admit Nice, France was not the place I would expect to find something like this.

Take a few minutes and check out my Nice, France video. There are some pretty hilarious street performers featured.

What’s your favourite spice?

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Asia, you and your signs are simply too much.

I was sifting through my thousands upon thousands of photos from my travels when I came across this little bit of China goodness.

Sorry to paint this visual but I recall being in the bathroom of a little book shop/cafe/pub in Beijing, China and the above sign was posted in each stall.

Often times signs like this one throughout Asia are in broken English and the humour comes from the interesting collection of words used. This sign however is funny because it is very over the top and is written well.

It is a harrowing experience fixing it.

Golden.

I recall laughing hysterically and pulling out my camera to take a photo.

Note: My camera was with me for no other reason then for safety as it was with me at all times.

While I have countless other photos of signs I discovered through Asia, my collection of funny signs in India are some of my favourites.

This is yet another shining example of why you must keep your eyes peeled when you are out and about, you never know what funny sign you might spot.

What funny signs have you seen in China or in any part of the world for that matter?

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Maybe it’s the loud instruments, the upbeat songs, or the fact that everything is in sync (I’m convinced I have a bit of OCD).

So, when I was in Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam and I heard this band playing their tunes from a few streets away, I had to get closer.

Following the sound, we eventually found the group of kids playing on a set of stairs that seemed to be the entrance to a special event that night.

Decked out in their colourful uniforms they played their songs and I clapped along happily. I was in my glory.

Look closer and you can see to of the kids have a bit of a fight in the moment I caught on my camera.

If you want to hear this awesome Vietnamese  marching band actually playing their music, check out my Ho Chi Minh Vietnam video!

What do you think of these kids?
Are you a fan of a marching bands?

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