Drive-In at Airport

Last Saturday's weather was picture perfect, a break from recent sweltering temps here in NH.  It was a perfect day for a short road trip to a local aviation museum.

A lineup of vintage and muscle cars at the Aviation Museum car show

No, we didn't go to see planes — instead, we saw a lot full of vintage and muscle cars on display at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire in Londonderry, NH. The auto show was a fundraiser for the museum and show admission also allowed visitors to tour the museum at no additional charge. We did too, but the museum is small and was very crowded, so no interior photos taken on this trip.

Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, Londonderry, NH

The main building includes the airfield’s 1937 passenger terminal and control tower. In 2011, the museum was enlarged to include an Aviation Learning Center. The museum supports plane building programs at area high schools. The historical museum is operated by the New Hampshire Aviation Historical Society, a non-profit group focused on preserving aviation history within the state through various exhibits and programs. (Astronaut Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr, a native of nearby Derry, NH, was the first American to travel into space. In 1971, he became the fifth and oldest person to walk on the Moon, age 47.)

There was no lack of vintage autos at Saturday's show. Below are assorted views of some beautifully restored cars with a bit of history and tunes. Over the years, autos have been glorified in in pop music across genres. Why? In music, cars symbolize the open road, settings for romance, cruising and nostalgia.

There were a number of vintage Ford cars in this show, although I'm not sure any were the 1932 Ford Coupe hot rod popularized in the 1963 song, Little Deuce Coupe by the Beach Boys. This song was the B-side to group's hit single, Surfer Girl. The term specifically references the year of the car's production, with deuce being slang for two in 1932. The Beach Boys released an album titled after the car and also included the song on the later Sounds of Summer album. The Deuce Coupe became a cultural icon and appeared in hot rod culture movies like American Graffiti.

This Oldsmobile model was spotted in two different colors, red and gray. 

The photos below show a close up of the front and rear styling of the vehicles.

There were a number of colorful pick-up trucks at the show.

Here's a look at a few more colorful autos, including a Hot Wheels version of a popular die-cast toy car.

The Buick auto below had a vanity plate of Tank with a carful of passengers. The front seat driver was a large stuffed toy version of the Tweety Bird cartoon.

And, this Dodge ↓ had a plate of Esther, perhaps a sweetheart or the car's owner?

Some of my earliest car rides were taken in a car similar to this one ↓ which was the pride and joy of my late father years ago..

This Studebaker Coupe was like one owned by my father

The 1950 Studebaker Champion Starlight Coupe attracted attention because of its ultramodern styling. Its center "nose" resembled part of an airplane, its wraparound rear window and long, horizontal rear deck were radically different from 1930s and 1940s teardrop cars. (This term referred to autos with a distinct aerodynamic, shaped body design, which is referred to as Streamline Moderne.) 

The 1950 and 1951 Studebaker models marked a sharp break from 1930s streamline or art deco styling and the beginning of flamboyant, futuristic styling of the 1950s. Studebaker led the way in this design and marketing change. The unique front end, combined with sleek and stylish lines, set it apart from anything on the road and Studebaker sales were fairly strong after WW II reaching a peak with the 1950 model. The Champion was one of Studebaker's best-selling models because of its low price, originally between $1,514 to $1,592, depending on the specific model (Custom or Deluxe). Today, the price of a 1950 Studebaker Champion Starlight Coupe varies, ranging between $17,309 and $31,037 depending on condition.

The Plymouth Road Runner was named after a cartoon character

Beep Beep is the sound most associated with the Plymouth Road Runner, a muscle car that Chrysler introduced in the US for the 1968 model year, marketed under its Plymouth brand. The Road Runner combined a powerful engine with a sparse trim and a price that undercut increasingly upscale and expensive muscle cars like the Pontiac GTO and Plymouth's GTX. The Roadrunner model was initially a sales success. However, in the 1970s, its performance and sales declined due to an increasing focus on fuel economy and the adoption of stringent US emission standards. 

Plymouth paid $50,000 to Warner Bros.-Seven Arts to use the Road Runner name and likeness from the Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner cartoons. Plymouth also paid $10,000 to develop a beep beep horn.

Two different model years of Pontiac GTO

The mid 1960s Pontiac GTO remains one of the most popular muscle cars in auto history with nearly 100,000 sold in a single year. The GTO name was inspired by the Ferrari 250 GTO and is an Italian abbreviation for Gran Turismo Omologato 

The most iconic song about the Pontiac GTO is the 1964 tune, Little G.T.O by Ronny and the Daytonas. This pop song celebrates the then-new muscle car, highlighting its performance and features like the three deuces and a four-speed, and a three-eighty-nine. The song was a hit. It sold 1,250,000 records and reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in September 1964.

According to one story, originally the Beach Boys were approached to record the song, but wanted a lot of money up front to record it. The Beach Boys later did the song, but in my opinion their version is not as good as the original.

Ironically, the Beach Boys released their own muscle car song in 1962 song, 409 was about a Chevrolet Impala, equipped with the 409 cubic inch V8 engine. The song, which celebrates the engine's power and performance, was originally released as the B-side of the single Surfin' Safari.

Monkees & Monkeemobile (Internet source)

The Monkeemobile was the iconic car of the 1960s pop group, The Monkees. This customized 1966 Pontiac GTO was built and designed by custom car designer Dean Jeffries and further customized by George Barris for the group's popular TV show The Monkees. Two cars were contracted and built in 4 weeks, one for the TV show and one as a promotional for touring car shows around the US. After the television show ended, both cars were offered back to Jeffries for $2,000 each. He declined to purchase them.

The AMC Nash Rambler was featured in a popular novelty song

The Nash Rambler was a compact, front-engine, rear-drive automobile manufactured and marketed by the Nash Motors division of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation for model years 1950-1954 in a sedan, wagon and convertible body style. When Nash-Kelvinator merged with the Hudson Motor Car Company in 1954, the Rambler became a product of the American Motors Corporation (AMC).

This car was featured in the humorous novelty song, Beep Beep (the Little Nash Rambler) recorded by The Playmates (1958). The song describes a road duel between drivers of a Cadillac and a Nash Rambler. Concurrent with this song, AMC was setting production and sales records for the Rambler models. Beep Beep was also popular with workers building the cars on assembly lines in Kenosha, WI.

The Playmates from Waterbury, CT, were one of the first rock & roll groups signed to NY-based Roulette Records. The label didn't want to release Beep Beep as a single for several reasons: it changed tempo with the increasing speed of the drivers; it named contemporary cars on the market; and it wasn't danceable. However, when disc jockeys began playing it off the Playmates album it forced the label's hand, and Roulette released it as a single. It stayed on the Billboard Top 40 charts for 12 weeks and peaked at No. 4 selling over a million copies and garnering a gold record. 

Obviously from previous posts about cars, we enjoy seeing them in all shapes and styles having gone to many outdoor shows and indoor museums. Summer months are the most popular for outdoor shows as most vintage car owners keep them garaged the rest of the year. Apologies for any ear worms from the song links. For anyone who enjoys novelty car songs, here's a 1959 tune sung by Paul Evans.

Trading Off & Nonna's

That's what we have been doing in the kitchen the past few weeks — only for dinner. Breakfast and lunch are excluded aside from Grenville's weekend breakfast prep.

This routine started soon after Grenville said complained that I was hogging the kitchen. He explained that he wanted his own kitchen time to try some new recipes from his America's Test Kitchen subscription.

This is our apartment kitchen, both sides

Before this changeover, we usually took turns cooking dinner depending on which one of us volunteered or insisted (guilty as charged). He was right in that I was spending the most time there.. The exception was on weekends when pancakes (sometimes crepes) or omelets were for breakfast, Grenville's favorites.. 

A small kitchen is nothing new to us. In our former NJ homes we had small galley-style kitchens (sorry, no photos,). Back then, there were outdoor grills there, so most warm weather, even in colder temps we cooked outdoors. Now, living on the 5th floor of a former mill, outdoor grilling is in the past. There's no open spots on the grounds because of the parking lot. Such is one of the drawbacks of apt life, but there are also pluses, like so many local restaurants in walking distance.

Later, after we purchasing and relocating to VA, we knew that a larger kitchen definitely was in the future. So, as part of the renovations, we replaced a very small kitchen there. It was really smaller than in our NJ homes and even our current NH kitchen.

This was the kitchen in our former VA home

The above photo shows the remodeled VA kitchen looking from the entry near the refrigerator.

Another view of the VA kitchen

This photo shows the opposite end of the remodeled VA kitchen looking to the stove. There was a lot of counter space to work. we often shared kitchen duties with one doing the prep and the other the cooking, a joint effort. We miss this space.

Now, living on the 5th floor of a former mill, there's no outdoor cooking. not even on the grounds since there's an outdoor parking area.

Dining out is nice when we travel and also as we have so many restaurants in downtown Nashua, NH (about 30 within walking distance). We both enjoy cooking at home, but tend to get in each other's way — two chefs and limited counter space. Yes, it can be done, but our styles of food prep and cooking are different.

Grenville does crepes in VA

Beatrice prefers to have ingredients prepped, chopped, measured (spices, liquids) and put in bowls or containers for quick access when cooking starts. She also spreads kitchen utensils, cookware and cutting boards on counter space. (Some of you may know this by the French term, mise en place or everything in its place.)

Grenville is less ordered and doesn't like to clutter the counter space. The best way to describe his style is as you go; meaning he gets ingredients and pans out as needed.

At first, we considered alternating kitchen days; but, Grenville said that he would rather have an entire week, so we agreed on Monday - Sunday, seven days and started trading off about 6 weeks ago. Also, when one of us cooks, the other does cleanup (usually). If we've been away or dined out with friends during the week, we don't add or subtract a day(s) to one another's week, overall it sort of evens out.

Our cookbook collection which was downsized, slightly

One thing is definite, there's no shortage of cookbooks in our apartment as shown in the above bookcase collection. Yes, they are used depending on what's planned for dinner during the week. Our preferences tend toward fish and chicken, then pork with beef in last place. Vegetables and salads are also favorites here. I don't know if it's the same for any of you, sometimes we have to look through a few to find a recipe. And, when all else fails, we search online — doesn't everyone?

Giveaway cookbooks went to friends and the library

This photo above was taken, after we downsized the collection (a bit) and found new homes for them. The biggest book on the bottom was given to a friend, the others were donated to the Friends of the Nashua Public Library for a future sale. Cookbooks are always big sellers; there's never a shortage of donated ones.

Special cookbooks have their own shelf space

The left side of this bottom shelf is reserved for specialty and/or holiday cookbooks. The right side has vintage cookbooks that belonged to our mothers. Two that are taped and wrapped are from Patrick's mom, the red one above those was my mom's basic cookbook. The classic Betty Crocker Cookbook was bought 40 years+ ago after a move to my first apartment.

As this is a food post and we both cooking in and dining out, here's where we dined at a NH restaurant in February while on our road trip to the White Mountains. We had spent the afternoon traveling on the Snow Coach on Mt Washington as part of my birthday celebration. We learned about this area restaurant from a couple who had dined there the night before and were going back that night.

It was a happy coincidence as we had recently seen the Netflix film, Nonnas, based on the true story behind the founding of Enoteca Maria, a restaurant in Staten Island, NY, where actual grandmothers (nonnas) cook from traditional cook family recipes. The film is focused on owner Joe Scaravella, who risks financial ruin to honor his late mother and grandmother by opening an Italian restaurant, hiring local grandmothers as chefs. The restaurant is well known for hiring nonnas from around the world. 

The stars of the Netflix Film, Nonnas (Internet source)

The film features Vince Vaughn as Scaravella and Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro and Susan Sarandon as the nonnas. We found it to be a heartwarming, very enjoyable film which focused on food and family complete with strong performances from the lead actresses who played the nonnas. 

Nonna's Kitchen in Gorham, NH

While we haven't been to Enoteca Maria, we found something just as good and so much closer in the small town of Gorham, NH. This small restaurant, Nonna's Kitchen, is located in what was once a barber shop on historic Exchange Street. The interior has the original tin walls and ceiling and is very cozy, It was the perfect setting to enjoy a delicious Italian meal on a Saturday evening. While the restaurant looks empty in the photo below, we dined early, within a half hour, tables were filling up. 

Interior of Nonna's Kitchen

After dinner, we talked with the mother of the current owner, who is now the Nonna. She had opened the restaurant in April 2017 with her husband and it was named in honor of her mother (also Nonna). Although her husband and mother have since passed, the family has carried on the tradition. The restaurant is now run by herself and her son along with his wife.

Tomato-basil soup, homemade pasta and tiaramisu

The family-owned restaurant continues their passion and love for cooking. Recipes have been passed down from generations with some added new creations. All the pasta is made fresh daily and cooked to order. Everything was delicious, including the homemade dessert of tiramisu. If you're ever in NH, do yourself a favor and eat here. You won't be disappointed.

How about You ?

Are kitchen chores and cooking shared or is it a solo effort? And, do you cook from a book, online recipe, freestyle method or all (or some) of these?

BIG THANKS to fellow bloggers who read the previous post about how this blog started and commented too. Also, thanks for sharing your own blog journey, and in such great detail which were shared with Grenville/Patrick. We appreciate that sharing our lives and adventures is interesting and plan to continue.

Looking Back & Ahead

It's been a pleasure over the years, 15+ to be exact, for Patrick (Grenville) and myself Dorothy (Beatrice) to have met many wonderful people through blogging. 

It's greatly enriched our lives to become blog friends with many here in the U.S., Canada and worldwide who have shared their lives, adventures, family and more. And, we've been fortunate to have met bloggers in person, not only on road trips, but on getaways abroad — all wonderful, exiciting and fun experiences. 

WAIT . . . this isn't a Farewell Post

Instead, it's a bit of nostalgia after time (too much) was spent time looking back at earlier posts this week and realizing this blog so long ago. And, I also, learned that text in colors, like yellow, do not work well, black always is best. Also, found out that, photos in many older posts no longer display or the alignment is off.

Yikes! Once we started blogging, we were quite active at it. In fact, there were some months when we posted more blogs than there were days in the month! The first 2 years we had over 400 posts for each year, more days than in the year. While we've become less prolific in terms of posts per month, posts have usually been longer. We're never at a loss of ideas it seems.

How did the blog name happen?

Penguin is misspelled as Penguinn with an extra "n" on purpose. Once upon a short-lived time we thought idea of starting a B&B at our VA home and giving it a unique name. We had a collection of frog and penguin stuffed toys, many were gifted to us (never share that you like something or your family and friends will add to your collection). The name The Frog and Penguinn was selected. However, the B&B plan never happened after a friend who ran one in NJ shared her experiences and later sold the business. The blog name stayed.

The first post in mid-January 2015 was written by written by Grenville T. Boyd; the next one was authored by Beatrice P. Boyd. 

What about those odd author names?

Blogging was new to us and rather than give our actual names, we used aliases that we modified a bit. The names Grenville and Beatrice were borrowed from Boyds Bears figurines we owned and we added the random middle initial for fun.

Our Boyds Bear Collection of Beatrice & Grenville still on our bookshelf

How did have so much to post about early on?

To start, especially for those who have not been reading the Frog & Penguinn blog from back then, here's why. We sold our home in our native NJ and relocated to a very small town, Onley, on the VA eastern shore (spelled differently, but pronounced as only). The VA house was our first one together after our later-in-life re-marriages and each having our own home/townhouse. We wanted an "ours" home even if we would have to do some home-work and we were not disappointed there..

The VA house at first sight and a For Sale by Owner sign

The house we bought (above) was an older 1913 Victorian-style former farmhouse and it definitely needed updating. After deciding where to relocate, we made a couple of house hunting trips to the Eastern Shore. We saw this on our last day there, then called the number, met the owner, made an offer and hand shook on the sale. Try doing something like that in today's housing market anywhere else.

When I said Onley, VA, was small, here's a comparison: In our Beachwood, NJ, town there were over 11,000 residents compared to Onley, VA, with just over 530. We now live in Nashua, NH, the second largest city in the state with over 91,000 residents.

What did we post about?

Once we were settled in, we decided to share our progress with anyone who would read about it. Everything  — not just the renovations, but the gardening for both vegetables and flowers and recipes (a lot) and meals on for how we used the veggies which was very large for only 2 people. One thing you quickly learn on the VA Eastern Shore in summer time is that a lot of your neighbors also grow veggies, no one needs giveaways. We bought a small freezer; I made many zucchini breads and zucchini-based meals.

Who commented?

It was a slow start and most posts received no comments or just a few, often from our friend and neighbor, Possum. We weren't deterred as we had a lot of projects going on with renovating the older Victorian home so there was never a lack of subject matter and if there weren't a lot of folks commenting, that didn't matter.

Also, we had internet service, but no TV connection as the local cable company was not especially reliable. Years back, streaming wasn't as popular as today. DVD movies rentals were our source of entertainment from our own collection or rented from the video store in town (remember those days?). Truthfully, after dinner and writing a blog post, it was bedtime for us.

Then it (finally) happened

After a few months, OK give or take 6 or more, we started getting comments from other bloggers. WOW! it was great to find out that folks were reading our posts. Among the earliest to comment were John (AC or Anvilcloud), Lois who posted from a cruise ship on which her husband, Kjell, was an officer. There was also Doris in PA and Denise in VA (both of whom we’ve met several times), Kathleen (Eggs in My Pocket, TX), Elaine in Alaska (who we met when she and Marty visited NH), Grammie G in ME (who we also met), Ludwig in GA (another meet up when visiting my cousin).

By the end of that first year, along with some regulars, we were receiving comments from bloggers throughout the U.S. and beyond, including Mona (Montana), Steve (Iowa), Connie (Iowa), Elaine (Canada), Sandra (FL), Scott (Utah), Larry (Iowa), Valerie and John (England), Christer (Sweden). It was very exciting, that's the truth!

In the years since that first post, there's been many more comments from folks who comment now and then (or no longer comment) and from bloggers from years back who still read and comment and those we've met. You know who you are; we appreciate y'all. 

Bloggers are an online community of friends

And, we miss them when they're no longer here. Sometimes, a blogger has stopped blogging completely, maybe giving a reason, or not. Sadder yet, several bloggers have passed away: Mona (Wsprsweetly of Cottages), Lorraine (Mamas Mercantile) and most recently John (By Stargoose and Hanglands). We miss all of them.

In some cases, a family member kindly posted an update of a blogger's passing. But, when nothing has been posted, we wonder if anything had happened or did he/she just decide to call it quits, as some have done. Maybe the same has happened to some bloggers you've known as well ?

There's always a NJ connection

Former blogger Goldendaze-Ginnie (NC) was born in the same (and only) hospital in Plainfield, NJ, as myself and also had family living there. Another connection was that she grew up and attended college in New England, where we now live, later moving to NYC. Ginnie voluntarily stopped blogging in 2022 at age 89. If anyone has an update, please share.

In looking back over more than a decade of blogging, not only have fellow bloggers shared their lives and interests, but been there for many of ours, including:

• Moving from our native NJ to VA
• Renovating and gardening of our old home
• Moving (again) from VA to a mill apt in NH
• Births of grandchildren
• Deaths of loved ones 
• Celebrations of birthdays & holidays
• Anniversary celebrations & special occasions
• Day trip getaways & road trips in the U.S. and Canada
• Travels abroad (more to come)
• Humor (Friday Funnies posts)
• Curiosity (What is This? posts)

As noted earlier, we don't blog as often as before, also while I do read your posts, I do not comment on each and I'm sure many also do the same here. We both have other commitments and interests, volunteering to ham radio and still enjoy road trips, near and in recent years even farther. 

We enjoy sharing our lives with all who read, regardless of any comment left. Today, Beatrice (Dorothy) is the primary blogger; Grenville (Patrick) is semi-retired from active posting, but reads and contributes (a lot). Jointly, we invite you to come along on our wanderings and anything else that interests us — and maybe you as well. 

Your Turn — Please feel share to share your blogging story, THANKS.

Diana's Baths

Spoiler Alert: what follows has nothing to do with the late Princess or her bath. (Thanks to blogger Sandra for the chuckle about the post title.)

Our May anniversary road trip to North Conway, NH, included a short hike to Diana's Baths a small series of waterfalls near the town of Bartlett, NH, in the White Mountain National Forest. The cascading falls measure about 75 feet high. The main attraction is a 12-foot waterfall which is fed by Lucy Brook and cascades over large granite boulders.

If you're wondering if the waterfalls were named after the Roman goddess of the hunt,. Yes, they were but the details are very scant. According to online sources, around 1859, a Miss Hubbard of Boston, who was a guest ay the old Mount Washington House in North Conway, christened them Diana's Baths, presumably after the mythological nature goddess. 

In the 1960s, the name became official in the when the U.S. government purchased the land and made it part of the White Mountain National Forest.

Before time, and still today, the pools were known as Lucy's Baths. The stream that flows into the waterfall is named Lucy Brook after the family that operated a sawmill here in the 1800s. 

In the 1860’s, the five-acre site was purchased by George G. Lucy, who after building a house and barn on the banks of the brook, built a water wheel powered sawmill in the middle of the cascading waterfalls. In the 1890s, Lucy who recognized the tourist appeal of the falls, built a three-story, 12-room boarding house for visitors. But, the business proved unsuccessful due to competition from five other hotels in the area. 

In the 1930’s, Chester Lucy, built a concrete dam with a water feed and turbine system to replace the water wheel used to power the sawmill. However, the site was abandoned when the invention of portable mills was introduced.

Hattie Lucy operated a gift shop beside the falls through the 1940s with an ice house behind it to cool soda that was sold to tourists. Lucy and her son, David, lived in the home through the late 1950s when the house was sold. The new owner, who also purchased the remaining land, wanted to install electric power at the property and live there. Forest officials objected as the power would need to come over national forest land. So, the land was sold to the government and became part of the White Mountain National Forest. In the 1960s, due to vandalism and deterioration any buildings still remaining on the site were torn down and removed.

Today, remnants buildings that once stood on of the site are still visible including old cellar holes and parts of the dam system, feed tube and turbine gears that were used to power the sawmill.

The waterfalls are popular with visitors, especially children, who like to explore the many rocks, ledges, cascading falls and pools in the brook. There's several levels with numerous small waterfalls and pools. The park service allows swimming here, another reason its large appeal during warmer months. 

The hike to Diana’s Baths is a fairly easy, about 6/10ths of a mile on a relatively flat, wide gravel path. It's well-kept and cuts through a forest of tall pine trees. The day of our visit in mid-May was warm and sunny and the site was fairly uncrowded with other visitors.

There's a large parking lot at the entrance to the hiking path along with a self-service pay station. Visitors must purchase and display a daily pass on their vehicle's dashboard. However, if you already have one of the various national park passes, as we do, that can be displayed instead.

If you are ever in this part of the White Forest area in NH, a visit to Diana's Baths is highly recommended. We can't believe it took us so long to make our first visit.

It's 603 Day in NH

It's the third day of the sixth month and, in NH, that means it's 603 Day.

In 2018, former Governor Chris Sununu declared June 3 as 603 Day, also called New Hampshire Day. Since then, it's become a tradition for Granite state residents to celebrate all things New Hampshire to show their 603 pride. 

It's not a state holiday; however, Governor Kelly Ayotte supports the tradition by encouraging residents to visit the state's tourist attractions and small businesses.

Why 603?

It's the telephone area code that represents the state of New Hampshire in the Eastern time zone, also known as America/New York.

Area code 603 is one of the longest area codes to cover the entire state without being split or overlaid in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). In October 1947, this area code was created as one of the original 86 numbering plan areas. 

Area code 603 vanity plate seen recently

That said, NH isn't the only state that can claim this distinction; however, it's one of four out of the total six New England states with a single area code.

Currently, 12 U.S. states have a single area code: Alaska (907), Delaware (302), Hawaii (808), Idaho (208), Maine (207), Montana (406), New Hampshire (603), North Dakota (701), Rhode Island (401), South Dakota (605), Vermont (802) and Wyoming (307). 

The two other New England States have multiple area codes, Massachusetts with 9 and Connecticut with 4 area codes.

Interestingly, the largest U.S. state, Alaska only has a single area code because of its sparse population and large geographical area. That made me curious as to which U.S. state(s) have the most area codes as of 2025.

Not surprisingly, those honors went to the second and third largest states: California (third largest) with 38; Texas (second largest) with 28 area codes 

What really surprised me was that the next two states with the most area codes are not even in the top 10 largest U.S. states.

Florida, the 22nd largest state has 23, followed by Ohio, the 34th largest state, with 15 area codes.

Ironically, the 2nd largest U.S. city, New York, has 5 area codes and the state of New York has 22 area codes overall.

In the 1990s, the number 1 was added before U.S. area codes and telephone numbers as the country code. This lets the telephone system correctly route calls whether within the same area code in the U.S. or internationally when the U.S. country code of +1 is used.

So now you know, all about 603 day, but there's more (of course).

How did area codes start?

Lily Tomlin as Ernestine

Before 1947, most telephone calls were made with the assistance of a central office operator. Callers would pick up their phone, wait for an operator to ask, number please, then give the desired number. The operator would manually connect the call through a switchboard by plugging cords into the appropriate outlets to establish a connection between the caller and the recipient. The central operator also acted as an emergency dispatcher. 

The role of a switchboard operator was famously re-enacted by actress Lily Tomlin in the 1970s Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In sequences as Ernestine. Who can forget herl her opening lines — one ringy dingy, two ringy dingys and A gracious good afternoon, is this the party to whom I am speaking?

In October 1947, Bell Labs (now AT&T, Inc. formerly American Telephone and Telegraph Company) developed the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) to simplify long-distance calling by allowing direct distance dialing (DDD) without operator assistance. The plan divided most of North America into 86 numbering plan areas (NPAs) and each was assigned a unique three-digit NPA code or area code. The new numbering plan included 152 area codes, each could serve up to 540 central offices. Originally, only 86 area codes were assigned. 

There's always a New Jersey connection

My home state of NJ received the first NPA code in the new system, which was area code 201. The fact that Bell Labs was headquartered in Murray Hill, NJ, might just have been a factor. The second area code of 202 was assigned to the District of Columbia. The allocation of area codes was readjusted as early as 1948 before implementation of the plan started. 

The first customer-dialed direct call using an area code was made November 10, 1951, from Englewood, NJ, to Alameda, CA. Soon afterwards, Direct distance dialing (DDD) was introduced countrywide. By the early 1960s, DDD had become commonplace in cities and most towns in the U.S. and Canada. By 1967, the number of assigned area codes had grown to 129. As of 2025, there are 335 assigned area codes nationwide.

Rotary dial phone

Rotary dial phones were introduced to the public in the early 1900s. The first commercial installation of a rotary dial system was in La Porte, IN, in 1892. The first standardized mass-produced dial telephone, the Western Electric model 50, appeared in 1919. From the 1920s to 1960s, rotary dial phones were used widely replaced in the 1960s to 1970s, by push-button or touch-tone phones, discontinued in the  1980s. The rotary phone shown here was identical to the one in my parents' home which came in a basic color, black.

Today, NJ, the 4th smallest U.S. state, now has 10 area codes, the same as the lrger states of GA, NC and VA.

And, now you know MORE about area codes, maybe not all, but some more. Also, Grenville, aka Patrick, is to “blame” for this post as he informed me that June 3 was 603 day in NH. 

Although I didn't include a video link to Ernestine, you can check many of her fun calls online (YouTube). It was a fun trip for me down memory lane and may be for you too.

Ticket to Ride

Our anniversary getaway wasn't a long-distance road trip but in state. We traveled 2-1/2 hours to Gorham, NH, stayed at the Glen House, the fifth hotel so-named and took a scenic railroad excursion. This post is a long-ish account of our adventure.

The Glen House is at the base of the Mt Washington Auto Road, across the street from the Great Glen Trails Outdoors Center where we boarded the SnowCoach for my February birthday adventure. Back then, we had stopped in for a look around the hotel. Talk about keeping things all in the family — the Libby family, which owns and manages the auto road, also owns this hotel and the Outdoor Center. 

Elihu Libby

The Libbys are descendants of Elihu Libby, who at the turn of the 20th century, bought the Glen House. In 1906, Libby also purchased the then-named Carriage Road, now called the Mt. Washington Auto Road known as the oldest man-made tourist attraction in North America. The 7.6 mile road climbs 4,618 feet from the base to the summit and it re-opened for auto travel last weekend. The drive averages about 30 minutes and while Patrick had considered driving it again, it wasn't the best weekend weather-wise, so it was a train ride this time.

More about the train ride later, first information on our lodgings. While the current Glen House is barely 8 years old, it's the fifth so named hotel in a series of grand resorts and hotels dating to 1852, in Pinkham Notch close to Mt. Washington in the White Mountains of NH. (The Glen is the historic name given to the picturesque valley at the base of the road.)

Hotels abounded in the area with the 1851 completion of the Grand Trunk Railway which established a route from Portland, ME to Gorham, NH, bringing more visitors to the area. (The Grand Trunk Railway operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and in the states of CT, ME, MI, MA, NH, and VT.)

Photo of the first Glen House  (Internet source)

The first (future) Glen House opened in 1852, when J. Bellows converted a farmhouse into a hotel and sold it to Joseph M. Thompson, who expanded and renamed it to the Glen House. By 1866, the now grand hotel featured views of Mt. Washington, Tuckerman Ravine, and the northern Presidential Range. Guests could go to the summit of Mt. Washington on the newly opened Carriage Road, visit natural sites in the area, or relax in game rooms, parlors, library, dance, enjoy sports, go on a carriage ride, or enjoy a theater show. In 1869, Thompson drowned in a heavy rainstorm after going to check on his nearby sawmill.

The Milliken brothers (who I couldn't find details about) took control of the first Glen House after Thompson's death. Within a few years, the Milliken brothers had not only rebuilt, but again expanded the hotel. But, in 1893, this second Glen House also fell victim to a fire which completely destroyed it. 

Photo of the second Glen House (Internet source)

This time, it was not rebuilt and the Libby family of Gorham, NH, obtained the site and once again it was converted to housing. The servant's quarters, which were not destroyed, were expanded into a 40-room hotel that became the third Glen House. In, 1924, it too was destroyed by fire.

Photo of the third Glen House (Internet source)

In 1925, a smaller fourth Glen House was built serving winter sports enthusiasts and summer travelers. In March 1967, the hotel caught fire and burned to the ground.

Why did these old hotels burn down so often?

The 1860s saw a boom in NH tourism, especially to the White Mountains. which meant more people and possibly more chances of accidental fires or arson. Nearly all hotels were built from wood, making them highly susceptible to fire. Natural factors such as dry conditions, strong winds, and the presence of dry tinder could have contributed to the spread of fires. Fire safety measures were not sophisticated then compared to now. Fires spread quickly causing significant damage and usually resulted in total devastation. 

Photo of the current and fifth Glen House (Internet source)

In September 2018, the current and fifth Glen House opened on Rt 16 in Gorham, NH, outfitted with sprinklers and various safety measures. The 68-room, three-story year round hotel was built with sustainability features. It's heated and cooled by a geothermal system. Building insulation is a combination of spray foam and rigid panels. with LED lighting inside and outside. The Otis elevators regenerate energy when moving up or down, returning energy to the building for use elsewhere. Water fountains provide for filling reusable water bottles. An outdoor fire pit uses propane vs. wood, to help maintain the air quality standard in the Great Gulf Wilderness area west of the hotel. Future plans include installing solar arrays to increase onsite energy production.

Inerior features of current Glen House

The newest Glen House hotel was designed and built mainly by NH firms. It's owned by four families of the Mt. Washington Summit Road Co. of which the Libby family are majority owners. Coincidentally, the annual hotel ownership meeting was being held the weekend of our stay.

Ticket to ride on the Conway Scenic Railroad

Now, onto the train ride, which was the reason for our getaway to celebrate our 1st date anniversary. We had tickets to ride in First Class, costlier than coach seating, but we splurged as this was a once-a-year celebration.

Conway Scenic Railroad depot, North Conway, NH

Above is the exterior and interior of the Conway Scenic Railroad train station which is directly across the Green, the town center in North Conway, NH. The classic 19th-century train station is painted yellow with decorative white trim and red accents and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Conway Scenic Railroad was established in 1995, running on a line established in 1875 and runs several historic cars. The Notch Train we traveled in consisted of a diesel locomotive Model GP-38; Café car, coach car, open seating car and first class car. 

Diesel engine on Conway Scenic Railroad Mountaineer excursion

This heritage railroad is owned by Profile Mountain Holdings Corp. It operates over two historic railway routes: a line from North Conway to Conway formerly part of the Conway Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad, and one from North Conway through Crawford Notch to Fabyan once part of the Mountain Division of the Maine Central Railroad. The Conway line is owned by Conway Scenic, the Mountain Division is owned by the State of New Hampshire. Railroads once dominated the White Mountains. 

Open seating car on excursion train

Our trip was on the Mountaineer, a round-trip journey that starts at the main station in North Conway and takes a 4-1/2 hour journey some 50-60 miles through the Mt. Washington Valley and over rugged Crawford Notch to Fabyn Station, NH, and then back to North Conway. The excursion recreates the experience of travel abroad a post-WW II transcontinental streamlined train with passenger cars reminiscent of the 1950s era. In fall months, it's is a very scenic and popular New England trip.

First Class seating was very sparse on this first run of the season

Last weekend's excursion was only the second one of the 2025 season, the train was not crowded. The Mountaineer resumed operations in mid-May with only a Saturday run. High season is starting in June with weekly excursions on Tuesday and Saturday, then in July and August, there's excursions daily, except Monday. This schedule extends through the scenic New England fall season. High season seating is also higher priced. Yikes! our 1st class ticket will be $25 higher than last weekend.

Views along the train ride showing overcast & foggy conditions

While the weather outside was chilly and damp with on and off rain, we managed views of the Saco River and traveled across several viaducts (trestles) through rocky

Abel Crawford

crags at the top of Crawford Notch, which was named for Abel Crawford considered a pioneer of tourist industry in the White Mountains. Crawford and his family were early promoters of the area, as well as innkeepers, guides, turnpike builders and investors. Crawford arrived in the area in 1792 and built a cabin. In the Notch, the Crawford family constructed the Notch House and Crawford House, which was one of the White Mountains’ grand hotels. The first railroad to run through Crawford Notch opened in 1875 running from Portland, ME, to Fabyan, NH. 

Our journey to Crawford Notch included live narration mostly on the first half of the trip, less so on the return which passed the same landmarks in reverse. The narrator noted historic and scenic highlights along the route. Like much of the rest of northern New England, Crawford Notch was part of the homeland of the Abenaki tribe of Native American people. 

Many of the tales were quite unfortunate given the history of this area, which was filled with dangers in the early years. Untimely deaths occurred in many of the stories including the unfortunate tale of the Willey family, the fate of Nancy Barton who died while chasing her fiancé thief and the explosion of the Maine Central 505 in which two men died.

 The Willey House Inn and tavern (Internet source)

Samuel Willey Jr. and his wife, Polly, owned a farm in Lower Bartlett before relocating to Crawford Notch with their five children. They moved in hopes of starting an inn and soon after purchased the Old Notch House built in 1793. Then, Willey hired two men to enlarge and repair the house, turning it into a two-story home with stables and a barn which he then renamed The Willey House Inn and Tavern.

Its location was in a scenic valley filled with sugar maples and spectacular fall colors. The Willeys anticipated tourists would come for the White Mountains scenery, yet most visitors who stayed were NH and VT farmers passing through Crawford Notch heading to Portland, ME. In June of 1826, a severe rainstorm tore through the White Mountains causing a landslide across the Saco River. A mass of soil and vegetation slid into the floor of the valley close to the house. Afterwards, Willey built a nearby stone shelter where the family could flee if a landslide again threatened the valley. When another violent rainstorm and landslide in Crawford Notch imminent, the Willeys left their home. A search party found the couple, two of their five children and two hired hands in the stone shelter. Ironically, the rockslide missed the house entirely. It was situated near a rock ledge that divided the major slide into two streams leaving it intact. 

Painting of the area near the Willey House by artist Charles Codman (Internet source)

News of the Willey family tragedy spread, attracting tourists to the region captured by the story and awed by the house. In 1835, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Ambitious Guest, a short story about the tragedy. Artist Thomas Cole, founder of the Hudson River School of Painting, painted a landscape, Distant View of the Slide that Destroyed the Willey Family. This literature and art drew people to the White Mountains, exactly who the Willeys had hoped would come.

Some folks tried to capitalize on the new interest in the region by converting the Willey house into a hotel and offering tours. Though unconfirmed, some say this story is the origin of the phrase gives me the willies. Mount Willey is named for the family. The WIlley Trestle, also named for the family, is 94 feet high and 240 feet long, spanning the Willey Brook between Mt. Willey and Mt. Willard. The Willey House is now an interpretive center within Crawford Notch State Park.

Another tale of misfortune was that of Nancy Barton who, in the winter of 1778, succumbed to frostbite and hypothermia while in pursuit of her fiancé who had betrayed her and absconded with her life savings. According to Haunted Hikes of New Hampshire by Marianne O’Connor, 16-year old Nancy worked as a servant on Colonel Joseph Whipple's Jefferson, NH, farm. There she met and fell in love with farm worker Jim Swindell and shared with neighbors after he proposed that they planned to settle in Portsmouth, NH. Hindsight is always better as Nancy learned after she entrusted Jim with her savings, money earned working for Whipple.

Sign near site of Nancy Barton's death (Internet source)

Nancy left making arrangements to relocate to Portsmouth and Whipple and Jim conspired against her. Whipple supported the colonist fight for independence against the British in the Revolutionary War. The story goes he convinced Jim to steal her money and join the colonist army. Jim spent the money on a uniform. Learning her fiancé had done her wrong, Nancy set off in pursuit despite being warned of a dangerous trip in winter. She ignored cautions and left packing a few clothes and without food. Her trip through Crawford Notch was on a 30-mile snow-covered trail, Her clothing became soaked crossing a brook where she sat to rest. A search party followed her tracks hoping to find her alive, instead they found her sitting on a rock, frozen to death and she was buried by the brook. Hearing of her death, Jim was overcome with guilt and died in a psychiatric hospital. 

Hikers at Nancy Falls, circa 1929 (Internet source)

The Nancy Brook Scenic Area commemorates her death. For centuries, hikers traveling in this area of the White Mountain National Forest have reported hearing cries and shrieks of laughter. 

Maine Central 505 crash site
(Internet source)

On July 3, 1927, the Maine Central #505 which was built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1910 was called in to help a freight train up the grade in Crawford Notch. Due to a faulty water glass and a leaking boiler, the 505 exploded.

The blast severely injured the foreman and engineer, Oscar W. Clemons and Robert B. Morse who died a day later leaving 15 children between them. Later investigation determined that the explosion was most likely caused by an overheated boiler.

Crawford Notch is a major mountain pass through the White Mountains in New Hampshire. In 1771, a Lancaster hunter, Timothy Nash discovered it while tracking a moose over Cherry Mountain. He noticed a gap in the distant mountains to the south and realized it was probably the route through the mountains mentioned in Native American lore. Loaded with provisions, Nash worked his way through the notch to Portsmouth to share his discovery with Governor John Wentworth. There's evidence that the indigenous people of this region, the Abenaki, used a similar path through the White Mountains. European settlers found it in the late 18th century.

Switching the engine for the return trip to North Conway

At the Breton Woods station, the engine was switched for the return trip to the North Conway station. At this point, passengers usually are asked to switch seats with those on the other side, this way everyone can see the sights. As this trip was far from being fully booked, this wasn't necessary.

The Mount Washington Hotel as seen from the train

The route passed the stunning Mount Washington Hotel built between 1900 and 1902 by Joseph Stickney at a cost of $1.7 million. Stickney, a native of Concord, NH, made a fortune before age 30 as a coal broker in Pennsylvania. He envisioned the hotel as a luxurious getaway for urban dwellers looking to escape the city. This landmark hotel, now owned by Omni, was one of New Hampshire’s Grand Hotels. In 1944, it hosted the Bretton Woods Conference, which established the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. It's a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Frankenstein Trestle (Internet source)

Laying railroad track in this part of the White Mountains was no easy job.. We passed over the Frankenstein Trestle, an engineering feat that's become a popular spot for hikers to see. 

The Mountaineer train crossed it twice on the journey. At 80 feet and over 500 feet long, this elevated train bridge was a trip highlight, but not photographed on board. 

If you're curious, its name has nothing to do with the Mary Shelley novel of the same name, instead the trestle is named after artist, Godfrey Nicholas Frankenstein who spent time painting in the area in the 1890s. He knew and had painted a portrait of Dr. Samuel Bemis, a Boston dentist and early photographer of the White Mountains who also owned most of Crawford Notch and was at one time called Lord of the Valley. Bemis named a lake, mountain, brook, ridge and locality in the White Mountains after himself. In 1875, when the Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad built the railroad through Crawford Notch, the trestle was named for his artist friend, Frankenstein. Originally made of wrought iron, it was replaced with a steel version in 1893. It just goes to show that having well-placed and influential friends can mean you'll always be remembered.

Hanging out of the open car while going around a curve

Despite the weather, this was a wonderful excursion. While a return trip during the fall at the peak of foliage season would be wonderful, the cost would be higher, plus we have other travel plans in that timeframe. But, if you're in the White Mountains of NH then, check out the Conway Scenic Railroad to relax and take in the view.

This wasn't the only adventure we shared on our getaway weekend. There was one the day before. And, we dined at a wonderful restaurant as well. More on those in future posts. Thanks too for your well wishes left on the previous post.

FYI, many photos in this post (aside from the Internet borrowed ones) were taken with a new digital camera bought a few weeks ago for upcoming travel. It's a Panasonic Lumix introduced in January 2025 as a travel camera. The cost was quite reasonable and it features a very long zoom in such a small package. The cost has  increased in the few weeks since my purchase. Details to follow in a future post.