We attended their 13^th annual “Spicy Celebration” on Sunday, August 23^rd where we got to try a 1 0unce cup of each vendor’s chili, both in the amateur and professional divisions! That doesn’t sound like a lot until you try 40 chilis and realize you had 40 ounces of chili!  The event also had craft vendors, where we purchased some really tasty BBQ sauce and seasoning, additional food & beverages for purchase, and a live concert (cost including within admission) by Rosemary Baby Blues.

Where we stayed:

During our time in New Hampshire we stayed at Sandy Beach RV Resort and Campground. It’s an Encore property located in Contoocook. It’s about a 15-minute drive to Concord, New Hampshire’s state capital, and about a 10-minute drive to Pats Peak. This is a beautiful park with sites large enought o accomidate our large 45 foot rig (call ahead they dont have too many that big). The campground is located on a secluded private lake with only a few houses on it and no power boats; great for paddle boarding or just for a dip!

If camping isn’t your thing then check out the Colby Hill Inn, an amazing bed & breakfast in the area. Make sure to stay for dinner, the restaurant is amazing!

About the Area:

Southern New Hampshire is a well traveled destination for locals, but many tourists haven’t found it yet (we love that!). Henniker New Hampshire is the home to New England College, the college that Erik’s father went to. That is when Erik’s father fell in love with the area and decided to settle down in the town next door, Hillsborough, NH. There is a bit of a debate on how to spell Hillsborough, the sign on way into town says Hillsboro, others say Hillsborough… we’ll let you be the judge!

Just a few miles away is the Franklin Pierce Homestead, the childhood home of the 14th U.S. President.  You’ll also find tons of hiking, ATV & snowmobile trails, skiing and sales tax free shopping! If boating or the beach is your thing check out Franklin Pierce Lake, a powerboat and swimming friendly lake that offers spectacular views and the best nature has to offer.

Attend the Chili Festival & Other Great Local Events

Next year’s chili festival is on Sunday, August 21^st 2016. If you like to eat or make chili mark your calendar because you can attend to eat or enter your chili to win. Check out the Chili New Hampshire link for additional event information and to see the 2015 winners!

Happy Chili Eating!

The post Chili, Chili & More Chili – Henniker, NH 2015 Chili Festival! appeared first on LivinLite.net.

Area Summary

Madison, CT is right off Interstate 95 and has all kinds of cute shops. Some small and others large  like Stop and Shop and Starbucks. It has all of your ‘normal’ needs with a fun New England vibe.

Campground(s) We Stayed

We stayed at Riverdale Farm Campsite in Clinton, CT. (full review) It’s a short 5-minute drive from the town of Madison and Hammonasset Beach State Park.

While we only stayed at the Riverdale Farm Campsite for two weeks in mid-April, we checked out a few fun stops along the way.

Things To Do

Hammonasset Beach State Park is located off exit 62 of interstate 95. It is Connecticut’s largest shoreline park with over 2 miles of beach.

Park activities and facilities include:

• Salt Water Swimming and Fishing
• Walking Trails
• Picnic Tables and Shelters (check the website or call for picnic shelter rentals)
• Camping (check the website or call as date restrictions apply)
• Bicycle Riding
• Carry-in Boating
• Nature Center Programs and Exhibits
• Boardwalk
• Car Top Boat Launch
• Concessions
• Bathrooms and Showers

Note – Fees apply for parking and camping. Call to check on season rates and click on the website above.

The Clinton Outlet Stores – in the shopping mood? The Clinton Outlets is a 10 minute drive from Madison and has tons of designer stores at wholesale prices. It’s a go to place to get your shopping done on a budget.

Places We Ate

Donahue’s … we came here a few times once for lunch with my Mom and her friend and the second time for dinner and live music. The restaurant was split into two areas one for the bar and live music and the second for a sit down dining experience.

For lunch we sat in the dining area and we both had their house burger. You can make it the way you like it, with a variety of cheeses and toppings to pick from. Excellent burgers cooked just the way we wanted; hit the spot!

For dinner we went back another day! We had steak and potatoes and the fried catfish special again both good and cooked very well. The bar was packed for the live music and the overall experience was fun and I would definitely recommend checking it out.

Clam Castle … is owned by same family as Donahue’s and located right next door. Speak to Chris or Patrick they will give you the rundown.

Moxie … we came here for dinner on a whim. We decided to grab a drink and an early dinner. To our surprise everyone in Madison likes to go out early! It was 6pm on a Friday and we tried to eat at Bar Bouchee but it was completely booked. The next street over we found Moxie a ‘New American Restaurant’. The atmosphere was fun with signs on the walls and a unique drink and beer selection. If you like beer try the Mother Plunker or if you are in the mood for a spicy cocktail try the Chupacabra but be careful because it is really spicy! We ate the Sun Raise Burger and the Thai Port BBQ. Both were delicious and if we are ever in Madison again we will be going back to Moxie.

Overall Opinion

Madison, CT is a quaint New England town that we enjoy to visit in April  before it gets really packed up with tourists. It’s more of a late spring and summer town as thats when the beach really heats up. The restaurants are fun and the food is great, but try and go out a little later as we found places are not as packed late and you might hit a few drink specials.

Would we Recommend?

We would absolutely recommend stopping in Madison, CT and at Hammonasset Beach State Park for some great food and some fun in the sun!

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We found a great place with all of the above in the Clinton/ Madison, CT area.

Name Riverdale Farm Campsites
Location: 111 River Road, Clinton, CT 06413
Type: RV Park
Website: http://www.riverdalefarmcampsite.com/

Overview:

Riverdale Farm is a 5 minute drive off of interstate 95 and a 15 minute drive from the New Haven train station in New Haven, CT. MTA runs local and express trains to Manhattan almost hourly so this is an excellent place to park if you want to check out the city but miss the hustle and bustle of an RV near NYC.

The grounds are right next to a river and many of the sites surround a small lake for swimming. The campground also has and a big pavilion for grilling and hanging out outside.

Their office and shop sell a variety of items ranging from food, cleaning products and toys.

There is also a playground, tennis court and basketball court for you and the kids.

Additional Features:

• Good Sam Rated
• Clean Restrooms (verified)
• Adult Lounge
• Strong Wifi
• Game room
• Onsite store
• Laundry
• Wood Shed
• Propane filling (portable tanks)

What we liked

• Location
  • As mentioned above, there are very few RV campgrounds near New Haven and New York City. Especially ones that accommodate big rigs like us. Check out our area highlights post.
• Website
  • It is very organized and informative. The campground map was easy to find and the website navigation was user friendly.
• Connectivity
  • Strong wifi signal, giving us the ability to work and stay connected. There are multiple wifi access points that appeared to be fully independent meaning if one had issues you could switch to another.
• Grounds
  • The overall grounds were clean with a variety of site hook ups – 30 & 50amps. Some with electric and water, some with electric, water and grey water and some with electric, water and sewer.
• Staff
  • Fairly attentive: We found if we asked for information or help they were always willing to assist.
• Local Attractions
  • Town of Madison, CT was really cute and had a bunch of great restaurants. We went to Moxie – they have a fun atmosphere and a tasty beer selection. We also went to Donahue’s if you are looking for a good burger and some live music.
  • Hammonasset Beach State Park is a 2 mile drive away with 3 large beaches and several picnic areas to choose from.
  • Clinton Crossing Outlet stores are a 10 minute drive as well. With stores like Ralph Lauren, Gap and Kenneth Cole. Just to name a few.

What we didn’t like

• Staff and campground inconsistencies
  • It is a family run business. We believe the owner’s children are occasionally running the front desk. We love family run businesses but we found the service you receive isn’t always consistent.
• Caters to long-term residents and frequent guests rather than the published rules
  • 12 out of our 14 days we stayed at the campground was quiet and uneventful but two of them we felt like we were on spring break.  Those days included residents having a large party with loud music and a massive light show after quiet hours (video).  There were also people speeding around on golf carts above the posted speed limit.

Overall Opinion

Overall the campground was a good experience for us. We enjoy a little excitement from time to time and we sleep like the dead so a little noise was no bother. That said our site was located on the other side of the lake from the noise which may have been intentionally which we definitely appreciated.

We suggest double-checking everything that was promised to you. Also let them know exactly what you want and when.

A few other good to knows:

1. Their max RV length is 45 feet. They placed us in one of their largest spots and we just barely fit and were close to power lines.
2. They only take cash or check. No credit cards. Be prepared when you arrive.
3. Arrive during office hours if you can help it. We arrived after hours and were promised a map to our site location but nothing was provided. If we had not called ahead to get our spot number we would have been stuck guessing in the dark.

It can be a great experience for those who don’t expect resort level treatment and appreciate the great location and unique atmosphere.

Would we stay again?

We would definitely stay here again.

LivinLite.net Ratings

• Accessibility – 8
• Connectivity – 9
• Cleanliness – 7.5
• Staff – 7
• Surroundings (local attractions) – 8.5

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