Patricia Cummings, standing by a stream in (Stoddard, NH?) – on the “road to Keene.” photo by Jim, taken a few years ago, before my hair turned grey!
California is a different world. I lived there. The big cities have strange people … like the guy in the next car, speeding down the Interstate, sucking on a baby pacifier and looking at the occupants of our car, as if we were the crazy ones! In some instances, I think the most sane of all live at the zoo. When we visited the San Diego Zoo, some little boys on the school playground, just beyond the fence, decided to drop their pants and “moon” everyone, whenever the two-tiered, tour bus passed by. So special! Right …
People in California don’t have access to many antiques or antique stores, locally. There is a paucity of antique quilts there, compared to the Northeast. The New England states are: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine. Some folks in California do not know even that basic fact! We are such a draw for foreigners who visit here, with frequency. They probably know more about the geography than our own U.S. residents! In the fall, we seem to attract many Japanese tourists, and Germans, too.
New Hampshire is a melting pot of ethnicity and has been for centuries. Part of the reason was the Amoskeag Mills. If you plan a visit here, think about checking out the Millyard Museum and the Manchester Historic Association. Nearby, is the S.E.E. Museum where there is a simulated mill village constructed with thousands of Legos. It is a Science Center, primarily, and has many hands-on activities for children.
New Hampshire has it all: the mountains, the seashore, and the proximity to many outlet stores in Conway, NH; and over the border into Kittery, Maine. A stone’s throw from Boston, Nashua, NH is composed of quiet residential neighborhoods, lots of businesses and shopping. I do believe the sign that says, “Welcome” in French, should be changed to “Bienvenidos,” as Nashua has a large and growing Latino population.
Heading up the highway to Concord, one passes Manchester. The population is much less and there is next to no industry here; and little crime. We are home to the State Prison; the Swensen Granite Co. (quarries); and a great museum. Main street is composed of a lot of little shops, including two quilt shops (and another quilt shop is not far).
Concord is centrally located. To the west is Keene, with lots of shopping and eateries. It is home to Keene State College and Antioch College. To the north of Concord is Canterbury Shaker Village; Tilton, NH with its outlet malls; the Lakes Region with Keepsake Quilting; and the Remick Museum not far from there, not to mention the picturesque Mills Falls complex (hotel and restaurant) in Meredith; and the League of NH Craftsman’s shop in Meredith (a town that sits right on part of Lake Winnipesaukee). Hart’s Turkey Farm Restaurant can’t be beat and is often crowded; and the wonderful Moultonboro Country Store has something for everyone, from quilted pocketbooks, to iron hardware, to books, cooking gadgets, and Sasparilla to go with your penny candy!
In New Hampshire, there is plenty of opportunity to hike, bike, swim, canoe, and enjoy birdwatching and people watching. The Mall is a good place for the latter. Our small towns are generally composed of characters who tell it like it is, sometimes in quite a Yankee fashion. That is, the lingo might be hard for outsiders to catch, as would be the droll humor.
The seacoast is wonderful. I can smell the seaweed as I write this! I am not a sun worshipper and it is not fun to think of catching a few rays, but for those who like to lay on the beach, you’ll have a lot of other beached whales to keep you company. Speaking of whales, why not try a whalewatch, out of Portsmouth Harbor? Buy some Dramamine, just in case. Motion sickness is definitely not fun.
The White Mountains are very picturesque and have unique features you would enjoy. They have been the subject of paintings, forever. I had written about the Willey House, in a previous essay here. Our “Old Man of the Mountains,” a natural stone feature that is no more, except on old postcards and photos. I could go on and on. I love this state, having been born here, and I know its every nook and cranny, of which there are many, and I’ve only talked about some of its finer points.
I will bid you adieu, for now. I hope I have given you a glimpse of the place I call home.
Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications
