Franconia Notch, scenic pass between the towering peaks of the Franconia (east) and Kinsman (west) ranges in the White Mountains, northwestern New Hampshire, U.S. The pass is located in Grafton county just north of North Woodstock and is about 8 miles (13 km) long.
The route is very scenic, passing through dense forests and rural lands.
Not much time has passed since the vampire theme has been open to interpretation, but a few fledgling attempts to exploit the expectations of tourists are seen at this scenic pass where Stoker set his novel.
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail passes through the park, and the southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway begins in the park and extends to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.
With a unique, sustainable viticultural landscape that was awarded Unesco World Heritage status in 2004, the scenic route passes through a patchwork of hundreds of currais, tiny stone-walled vineyards, which protect the vines from sea breezes, and is surrounded by woods nurturing heather, incense trees and picconia azorica, a white-flowering shrub endemic to the Azores.
The roadway, now named the Chinook Scenic Byway, passes by the King County Fairgrounds and Enumclaw King County Park.
US 40 Scenic, which passes through the Billmeyer Wildlife Management Area, descends the mountain to the community of Piney Grove, where the highway intersects Orleans Road.
This is almost a blessing: from here on the trip is a scenic pleasure, passing sparkling beaches and coves on the Mediterranean, and occasionally curving inland through Provence.
Getting around * The best way to sample New Zealand's three long-distance railways is with a Scenic Rail Pass (00 64 4 495 0775; tranzscenic.co.nz), operating in the same way as a hop-on/hop-off bus service, but over the course of a week or two.
You'll go full throttle across the tranquil waters of the Keys, while visiting several scenic locations, passing between both the Gulf and the Atlantic in the process.
