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Remember how much fun you had at last year’s Moose Festival? Well, this year’s Moose Festival is coming up in just two weeks, and it isn’t too late to make your plans.
There’ll be the same stuff, only more, and bigger, and better! The two-week forecast says partly sunny with highs in the seventies and lows in the fifties for all three days. It’s gonna be nice.
The last two years we’ve even had a US Congressman walking the streets, shaking hands, and asking folks how’re they doing.
What’s new? Helicopter rides! 11:00 am to 7:00 pm Friday from behind the Bridge Street Gym. That’s just down from the Trinity Methodist Church and the Town Hall and the Civil War Memorial. Trinity United Methodist is where the Quilt Show is going to be (1:00-6:00 pm, so you can check ‘em out while you’re waiting for your helicopter ride).
There’s going to be a Moose Tour to Averill, VT, and I can guarantee that you’ll see a moose or two (and a caribou, and a bison cow or so…. well, maybe not the caribou, but if you swing out by Errol they’re raising bison over there).
Saturday, the Berlin 17-piece Jazz Band will be over in Canaan, VT, at the Canaan Community Park from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (though they’ll break from 1:00-2:00 so they won’t have to compete with the Moose Calling Contest). And, helicopter rides! And balloon animals for the kiddies! And pony rides! But the big new thing will be a hike up to Table Rock in Dixville Notch. That’s a rugged little hike, but from the top you can see two countries, three states, and the place where we have the First-in-the-Nation Balloting every election day. If you’re going to go hike Table Rock register by calling 603-538-6777 or e-mail prospmw[at]localnet[dot]com.
Sunday (in addition to the usual), there’ll be guided hikes around Lake Francis. Meet at the parking lot of Young’s Store on Rt. 3 north of Pittsburg Village at 9:30 a.m. and bring plenty of water and bug spray. Pre-registration as above.
Did I mention Bobo the Clown? Bobo will definitely be on hand Friday and Saturday. And while I can’t guarantee that they’ll be back, last year we had a couple of Mormon Missionaries walking the streets with looks of absolute wonder on their faces.
So come on up to the North Country. We make our fun the old-fashioned way—we make it ourselves, only we have helicopter rides and pony rides and clowns and congressmen. Boy, howdy! Only a four-hour drive from Boston for a taste of real old-fashioned Yankee tourist squeezing.
Places to stay locally range from B&Bs to tourist cabins to motels. Or even The Balsams.
And really, seriously, where else are you going to get Moose Burger BBQ and craft-made mosquitoes constructed from gen-u-ine moose dung?
What about the Wolfman guy? Is he gonna be there?
Don't think the Wolfman will be there. He's going to be menacing the train down at Clark's Trading Post on those same days.
But you know what! On your way to Moose Festival you could stop off at Clark's, see the trained bears, and go for a ride on the railroad and see the Wolfman for yourself.
My Other Half is trying to talk me into coming out to visit. We'd thought about it last year, but either the weather was crap or something else came up, and since it's an overnight for us we have to actually plan this sort of thing.
Since we aren't actually going on a honeymoon...
A m00se festivaled my sister once.... Ok, maybe not, but she lives in less-northern New Hampshire, and has a dog the size of a m00se.
I've eaten moose, but never seen one, despite various trips to northern New England. Very disappointing. If only I had some vacation time...
There are going to be two guided moose tours, one Friday night and one Saturday night.
Plus, just driving through Moose Alley any time of the day you may well see a moose. (Driving at night -- you could see the moose Way Close Up.)
I do NOT want to see moose up close on a road at night, not, not, not!
I had caribou meat at a meal in Montreal at the Worldcon. It was somewhat on the gamey side. I've never had moose meat.
Moose is tasty. A high point of a year in a small-ish Canadian town further north than the one I currently live in was the 1/8th of a moose in our freezer, via the father of one of my mom's students. (She taught 2nd Grade.) One-eighth of a moose is still an awful lot of moose. Tasty, tasty moose.
A Moose Festival with helicopter rides, real live Congresscritters, and the possibility of a Mormon in the missionary position! Thrills and wonders!
For a moment there, I thought it might be called the 'More Moose Festival' which would certainly distinguish it from the other moose festivals out there.
OMG, Jim, it is a mark of how awesome this post is that in spite of my current work arrangements (which have me driving 800 miles per week), I have a strong urge to drive right up there (from Georgia).
Hope y'all have nice weather and a great time.
There aren't apparently a heck of a lot of other moose festivals.
There's the Bennington Moose Festival in Vermont.
There's the Talkeetna Moose Dropping Festival up in Alaska.
There's the Roosevelt Bull Moose Festival in Seattle, WA.
There's the Abbe Museum's Chocolate Moose Festival over in Maine.
And that's about it.
Jim @12 noted:
"There's the Abbe Museum's Chocolate Moose Festival over in Maine."
I approve of this product and/or service.
3:O)>
Cadbury
The Talkeetna Moose Dropping Festival: "As Ghod is my witness, I thought moose could fly...."
And when you're up for the Moose Festival, don't miss the opportunity to stop by Le Rendez-Vous (as seen in the New York Times!)
(Last year I mostly missed Moose Festival: Two major motor vehicle collisions, a diabetic emergency, and a heat-related injury, 'mongst other things.)
Ah, it does sound delightful -- maybe next year.
Especially since it's so close to Vermont, which I've wanted to visit ever since discovering that some of my paternal ancestors left there to settle in the part of the Northwest Territory that later became Michigan. (Or, according to another family document, they were born in "the state of Vermont, so called" -- but that seems to have been written by a relative who was a New Yorker with a firm belief that his state rightfully extended farther west, perhaps even to the Pacific ocean.)
James D. Macdonald (14): No, no, it's buffalo that have wings.
When I was in Talkeetna last month, all the locals made sure to point out that no actual moose are dropped--just their droppings. Apparently the Moose Dropping Festival has had some trouble with PETA et al. over that misconception.
Considering I never got down to Portsmouth to look for the glowing tombstone, due to getting a job.....
This might happen.
Depends on the weather.
Once I saw a horse fly....
Ponders the existence of a "guided moosel".
Maybe that's what they use for the "Guided Moose Tour" above?
ITWSBT
Cadbury
#16 Don: You know Toad Woods is close to both New Hamster and Vermont, right? Right.
Where else can you get a craft-made moose-quitoe? Why, any tourist stop in Alaska. You can also get moose-letoe.
The family used to give moose turd jewelry as a gag gift for *years*. There's something about itty-bitty ruminant droppings that over-activates the weird crafts desire...
And really, seriously, where else are you going to get Moose Burger BBQ and craft-made mosquitoes constructed from gen-u-ine moose dung?
Sweden?
Also, Cadbury Moose at #13 opines:
Jim @12 noted:
"There's the Abbe Museum's Chocolate Moose Festival over in Maine."
I approve of this product and/or service.
I've had it. Well, whisky-marinaded moose steak with a dark chocolate sauce. Quite nice, but VERY heavy stuff.
Alas, this year's Talkeetna Moose Festival had some unhappy events:
Talkeetna Moose Dropping festival turns to mayhem
Possible death, rowdies disrupt normally family-friendly event
A weekend of mayhem at the annual Talkeetna Moose Dropping Festival has left one young man presumed dead, others injured and dozens of locals wondering what happened to their one-time family-friendly fundraiser.
Two days out, and the weather report says 70% chance of rain, courtesy of Danny boy. And quite near tonight's frost advisory.
Woo!
Senator Shaheen is running around downtown eatin' fried dough right now!
The streets downtown are packed.
If any of 'em clutch their chest and fall to the ground, they're mine!
The weather yesterday was glorious, but today it's low-hanging clouds and rain.
At least it isn't as rainy as two years ago....
Jim @27:
If any of 'em clutch their chest and fall to the ground, they're mine!
*snort*
"A moose! Are you serious?! Well I don't look forward to seein' one o' yer rrrots!"
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