October 8th 2012: Ziplining in Lincoln, NH

Today before heading into New Hampshire to do some ziplining, I decided to head to Lowell in the morning to do some sightseeing there. The first place I went to was Muldoon Park at 31 Billerica Street, where there are nice views of the Concord River here.

Muldoon Park

The Dr. Joseph D. Sweeney Park nearby at 951 Lawrence Street, however, was pretty rundown, and the views of the river from the park were not as good.

Concord River

Dr. Joseph D. Sweeney Park

In the very same area also resides the Wamesit Falls on the Concord River Greenway at Lawrence Street near Moore Street before crossing the river.

For the rest of the day before lunch, I went around to look at interesting buildings.

Lowell Spanish Seventh Day Adventist Church

Eliot Presbyterian Church

Old Sacred Heart Church,
159 Moore Street

Old Lowell Jail House,
Thorndike Street and Highland Street

Butler Middle School

Look to the Word and Live Ministries

Shaughnessy Elementary School

St. John's Episcopal Church

Lowell Superior Court,
360 Gorham Street

Abraham Lincoln School

St. Margaret Church

Calvary Baptist Church

Tyler Park,

Tyler Park and Westford Street

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,
421 Princeton Boulevard

Finally it was time to go get lunch, at Heritage Farm Ice Cream and Restaurant in Lowell, where I had a Groupon to use. This place is a typical seafood restaurant with ice cream on the side, and apparently they were going to close that Friday, so I was really lucky to use my coupon then.

For 30 bucks, I got the New England Clam Chowder, which came in a bread bowl, and the Shrimp Roll, which came with fries, and lastly the Frosted Brownie with Hot Fudge for dessert.

New England Clam Chowder

Shrimp Roll and Fries

Frosted Brownie with Hot Fudge

The clam chowder was not too bad, while I enjoyed my shrimp roll, the bread itself being very crisp as well.

By the time I got to my dessert, though, I was already pretty full, so I could only take a few bites of it. I was going to be late for my ziplining in New Hampshire as well, so I decided to hightail it out of Lowell to head toward Lincoln, NH.

It was a 2 hour drive from Lowell in Massachusetts to Lincoln, NH, where I actually was 2 days before, climbing up Mount Pemigewasset. As the White Mountains came up, I took several nice views of them from inside my car.

When I finally reached my destination at Alpine Adventures, I was running out of gas, and I still had some time, so I decided to fill up at a nearby gas station. Unfortunately, the filling was taking so long that I decided to walk around to take pictures of the mountains in the distance.

Finally, I decided it was taking too long, and ended after knowing I had more than enough to get home.

My friends were already waiting for me when I arrived. After registering with our Groupons, we waited a little for our time to come.

Area for the kids

When it came our turn to go, we were suited up in a harness and helmet, and brought to the mountains on a jeep.

Our jeep

There was a short stretch where we went off road, and the bumpy ride reminded me of my time driving a jeep during my time in the army, although this time I was the passenger feeling every single bump in the road. The driver did everything he could to make it so as well.

On the jeep going to the mountains

It was a short walk to our first zipline, which at first sight did not seem so scary, looking to hug closely to the ground from where I saw it while waiting for my turn to go. As it turned out, it led to a platform high up on a tree away from the hill we were on, so the adventure began here.

Me ziplining

Next I had to cross a suspension bridge, which I might not have been able to do looking at the the gaps in the bridge and its wobbliness.

Suspension Bridge

Log bridge

The lines became more and more challenging, with me having to run off for some of them, and the last one was a yoyo zipline where we keep going back and forth along the same line until we stop, to be helped down by a ladder. I did that by jumping backwards on my own accord instead of being pushed off by the guide.

Another of the lines high above the ground

The Yoyo zipline

The longest zipline

View of the mountain in the distance

My friends ziplining

After a fun experience ziplining on the Treetop Canopy Tour, which was over way too soon, we got back as the sun was beginning to set. We decided to head back to Lowell in Massachusetts for dinner, where I had a Groupon for dinner at Garcia Brogan's, a typical bar-restaurant serving Mexican food.

For the $40 I had to spend, we got the Carne Asada, an 8oz Skirt Steak with sweet plantains, mexican rice and pinto beans, which was cooked really well and tasty, the fish tacos, made with baked haddock, lettuce, pico de gallo, chipotle aioli drizzle and green onions, which were really fresh as well, and finally the chicken Fajitas, of which I only liked the chicken meat and not the peppers, onions and pico di gallo it came with.

Carne Asada

Chicken Fajita

Fish Tacos

Guacamole

The guacamole that came with the fajitas was interestingly laid out as well.

While we were eating, it turned out that it was trivia night as well, although I would not have fared very well at it as the questions were only about sports and entertainment.

Other than that, the food was not that amazing or special in my opinion, especially in a typical bar setting. I would say this place is alright I guess, but I've had better elsewhere.