So the last week I've been alternating hiking with rest days, and on rest days I've done a little sightseeing and some scouting.
October is time for the Return of the Pumpkin People, a MWV contest of Halloween type displays.
You find these all over the Bartlett/Jackson/Conway area.
The best ones usually have some clever current topic ... this year there are of course some political ones, all done with good taste and humor.
This one is my favorite -although it is in a location where it's hard to see the whole thing, and traffic is sketchy. Best bet is to park at the Red Parka or at Grant's and walk over 
The amount of effort and detail people put into these displays is remarkable!!
The buzz this year is about the one down on Rt 113, with Hillary and Trump ...
The sign says " Hey Donald did you get my email about the return of the Pumpkin People? "
I still like the wall one better.
And I thought the Trump display outside the puzzle factory was kind of ironic and appropriate ... since his popularity is such a puzzle 
Ragged Mountain's Intervale Trail Shelter was pretty interesting, both concept and construction. I think they should have raided the Jackson Inn's display for one of their bears, though. Would have made a good addition
Setting out a display of The Shining takes a little bit of courage for an Inn, I thought -
Walking around North Conway I saw this tree ... not one of the Pumpkin People displays, but fascinating anyway - it's apparently a hollowed out but still living apple tree, with the hollow filled in with Masonry.
Sadly, the Strawberry Farm had no display. I thought theirs was the best without question the last couple years.
And the Art Museum didn't have a display this year. I asked the curator about it ... and with the most deadpan face I've seen in a long time, he told me they do have one this year.
But I wasn't the only one who'd missed it.
Their display is the Invisible Man 