Into New Hampshire with a happy cycling buddy.
I confess that politics colors my view of New Hampshire. To start with, New Hampshire's motto has always seemed a bit odd to me. Is it an aspiration? A command?
But what really warped my view of the state is something that really has little to do with New Hampshire itself. It's the modern version of a utopian community that wants to transform New Hampshire. The Free State Project -- a product of self-described libertarians and Ron Paul supporters -- has a goal of getting 20,000 like-minded folks to move to New Hampshire. If successful, New Hampshire would become a nearly government-less paradise where it's every freedom-loving soul for him (or her) self. Somalia leaps to mind.
The other problem I have with New Hampshire is entirely practical. Many New England states skimp on street signs, but New Hampshire seems to be the skimpiest.
At a typical intersection of two roads, one might reasonably expect two signs -- one for each road. I don't know how many intersections we passed with no signs. And the problem is compounded because a road's name will change in the middle of a straight stretch. Without google maps, we'd still be wandering around amidst Ron Paul supporters out in the woods.