In New Hampshire, wild turkeys are part of the landscape! photo by James Cummings
Maybe you are the type who likes to shop until you drop. If so, the outlet stores of North Conway, New Hampshire, and Kittery, Maine await you. Perhaps you love antiques. North Conway has a nice historical society building to visit, if it happens to be open while you are there.
There are small shops scattered all over the state, from Nashua to Keene, from Northwood’s Rt. 4′s, “Antiques Alley,” to Salem and other places. Keep in mind that some places have closed recently, or are undergoing a makeover. If you have had a favorite in the past, perhaps a call ahead will avoid disappointment, if the economy has driven the shop out of business.
Exeter is a fun place to visit. There is a great Chinese restaurant not too far from the American Independence Museum. Both are always fun to visit. Downtown Exeter has a few small shops and is a pleasant place. Up the hill from downtown sits the prestigious school, Phillip’s Exeter Academy, a high school preparatory school, similar to St. Paul’s School in Concord, where only the cream of the crop are admitted, those who are the sons and daughters of the well-heeled of society.
The New Hampshire Humanities Lecture Series is free to the public and historical/musical programs are presented on week nights and weekends, alike. These presentations are unequaled in content and diversity of any series I have ever attended.
The New Hampshire Historical Society/ Museum of New Hampshire History in Concord has set up an enjoyable exhibit called “America’s Kitchens.” While you are there, be sure to visit the permanent exhibit on another floor, and the gift shop. There are plenty of gifts from which to choose, but you will be tempted to gift yourself with an array of books, handmade soaps, bobble-head dolls of figures in New Hampshire history like Franklin Pierce, Sarah Josepha Hale, and one of the latest, “Chinook,” a sled dog from New Hampshire who went to the Antarctic. Downtown Concord, New Hampshire is home to three quilt shops, and a N.H. League of Craftsman store that sells fine crafts by juried members. On North Main St., the League of Craftsman Gallery features exhibits of local N.H. artists.
Here you see ducks playing in the sun, in the Merrimack River. The male Mallard is the most brilliant, his green head reflecting the sun. One of the females is upside down, fishing.
Of course, not too far away, on the Concord campus of the New Hampshire Technical Institute is the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium, that has a new addition this year. In downtown Concord, one may tour the New Hampshire State House, and enjoy the statues on its lawn. Simply walking around downtown Concord will yield some wonderful architectural details, if you enjoy seeing old buildings. At the Historical Society building on Park Street, there is a Lincoln exhibit, at the moment. Ask about their Lincoln program scheduled for the evening of July 16.
This natural site in Groton, NH is perfect for hiking. Swim at your own risk. The brisk Cockermouth River’s mill wheels ran three mills in the nineteenth century.
Turning to the out-of-doors, there are plenty of opportunities for hiking, especially in the White Mountains, a much beloved area that artists have painted, through the centuries. There are natural rock formations such as “The Basin” and “Indian Head.” Of course, our famous landmark, “The Old Man of the Mountain” is no more, except in photos, old postcards, and in song. Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown is a great place for re-creation if you like swimming, hiking, archery, and picnics. The Park can accommodate large groups in a special group area, making it ideal for family reunions.
If you like the beach, there is no shortage of them here, both lakeside or oceanside. New Hampshire is a small state and one can drive from one end to the other or one side to the other, within a day or less. There are many more sites of interest to visit than could possibly be covered in this short overview!
York Beach, Maine, not far from New Hampshire’s border is a favorite destination. You can see salt water taffy being made, through the window of a candy shop. The beaches are clean, and there are many, little shops for picking up gifts and souvenirs. There is a lighthouse at York that is much photographed, and no longer in use as a working lighthouse where people actually live.
Both Greyhound dog racing and Nascar car racing occur in Belmont. If you are the more quiet, reflective type, you might enjoy visiting one of the 36 small cemeteries in that small town. In the same general area, Tilton has outlet malls and the Tilt’n Dinner that has a 1950s atmosphere with music from the era, noise, and down home cookin’.
Manchester is home to the Currier Art Museum, an upscale art museum that was closed for renovations for awhile and has reopened, bigger and better than ever. It is always a fun place to visit. Check their website for programs offered to all ages. If you would like to begin to understand the role of textiles and the mills in making Manchester the city it is today, population-wise and otherwise, then visit the Millyard Museum. Exhibits about the first Indian/ Native Americans are part of the permanent installation.
Nearby is the S.E.E. (Science) Museum, with its reproduction of the Amoskeag Mill layout built in Legos, was constructed with millions of pieces, and many volunteer hands. Interactive science displays for children abound there. Nashua has a nice children’s museum.
Newington, on the seacoast, has the best Mexican restaurant around, called Ixtapa. Well worth the trip! Major chain stores are the anchors of two or three large plazas in Newington, home of Country Curtains, a popular mail-order place that has a walk-in shop with high-end goods. From Newington, the highway to Maine is easily accessible, as well as the road to Rye which has a fantastic recreational area called Odiorne State Park (with a learning center, hiking trails, photo opportunities, and picnicking).
North of Concord, The Hood Museum at Dartmouth in Hanover, NH is a wonderful place to visit and has revolving exhibits. We have seen some great displays there! Many shops, bookstores, and eateries complement the atmosphere of that college town.
Just down the road from Hanover is Lebanon. Shopping is abundant, mainly due to tourists, and Vermont residents who like to shop and eat in New Hampshire to avoid sales taxes. There is a Lindt chocolate factory outlet and other shops you will enjoy. Nearby is Cornish, home of famous sculptor Saint-Gaudens. Even to just walk the grounds there is enjoyable, with its fountains and sculptures.
Just over the Connecticut River from Lebanon, there is a quilt shop, and a road that takes one to Woodstock, Vermont, a quaint New England town with loads of shopping, antiquing, and old bookstores. A central green is a pleasant place to rest on a park bench or to eat one’s lunch. The Billings Farm and Museum, a terrific place to take the family to see farm animals and exhibits, as well as a quilt show in August, is nearby. In Vermont, bird demonstrations are available, just beyond Quechee Gorge, a lovely, deep, natural formation carved the water and the centuries. A large mall with stores, including one for antiques, is present in the Quechee Gorge area, as well as other smaller stores.
This is the birthplace of NH stateman, Daniel Webster, in Franklin, New Hampshire, home of the (unrelated) Ellen Emeline Hardy Webster, about whom I have written a book. As a friend of the Jewett family, Daniel’s image still hangs in the historic home of the Sarah Orne Jewett House of S. Berwick, Maine. Webster figured heavily on the nineteenth century political scene.
We are very rich in the arts in New Hampshire and have been home to famous writers like Robert Frost. You can visit his former home in Derry, NH. The house is sometimes open for tours, but there are hiking trails and I believe you can picnic there. The property is managed by the NH State Parks system. I could provide a long list of musicians who have lived in the state including Irish singer, the late Tommy Makem; folksinger, Bill Staines; French-Canadian singer, Lucie Therrien, and many others. The list of talented writers and singers who hail from New Hampshire is too long to enumerate here. Let’s just say that there is no shortage of talent.
Keepsake Quilting is located in Centre Harbor, just south of Moultonboro’s wonderful Country Store. There is a Christmas Tree Loft store in Meredith, nearby. One can board a boat in Centre Harbor to tour Lake Winnipesaukee. The Lakes Region is a terrific area of the state and has high end shopping at Mill Falls Marketplace, as well as very nice hotels right there.
Downtown Portsmouth can be a day trip. There is the opportunity to have a guided tour through Strawbery Banke Museum (yes, that is how the name is spelled). One can go out in a Tugboat, or in a boat to see whales. Nature’s bounty of seafood is imminent in local restaurants. There are historic homes to visit, as well as a quilt shop on Market St. that specializes in fabrics and books for art quilting. You will love seeing all the beautiful old Colonial homes in Portsmouth.
Whether New Hampshire’s history brings you here, or its natural beauty, four season opportunities for outdoor re-creation, or its great food and shopping, devoid of sales tax, the state has something for every age and every taste. I have lived here most of my life, having gone away for a little while and returned. There is no place else I would rather live. I call New Hampshire, “home.” There are plenty of sights to see and ways to spend your vacation money. No matter what you do or where you go, you will want to return. New Hampshire is a state to remember.
Of course, we are a stone’s throw away from Massachusetts. In Lowell, the New England Quilt Museum continues to draw visitors. This June, the American Textile History Museum has re-opened and from what I hear, the new exhibits are grand. This coming week is the first week that the museum will be open to the general public with all of its new installations.
Yes, and what I have told you is only the tip of the iceberg. New Hampshire and the entire New England area are really fun to visit!
Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications
