Welcome to
New Hampshire, affectionately known as "The Granite State." If
you
are an experienced New Hampshire traveler or future first-time
visitor, we have
many helpful trip suggestions as well as mountains of detailed, local
online
storytelling to share with you right now...
Best of New Hampshire Travel, Vacation and Food Feature Stories
Best of New
Hampshire
Vacation, Travel, Food
Blog Posts
More ideas on things to do
and places to eat
in The Granite State. Posted at The Thrifty New England Traveler and
New
England
Travel and Food Photo blogs
Visiting New Hampshire and Carrying Those Memories Home Year-Round
A few personal thoughts of New
Hampshire from
the publisher of VisitingNewEngland
Echo Lake at Franconia State Park, N.H.
by Eric Hurwitz
The
best thing about growing up in Massachusetts was the many vacations we
enjoyed in New Hampshire. The trips to Silver Lake in beautiful Hollis,
N.H., were just a half hour away, but seemingly far away from
everything.
To this day, it wouldn't be a New Hampshire vacation for kids without
swimming in cozy, clean Silver Lake,
playing ball in the pine tree-cooled fields, making sand castles, and
eating hot dogs and hamburgers until blue in the face. Set in the
quintessential New England colonial, church-steepled town of Hollis,
Silver Lake is a quiet place to be close to family, make lots of new
friends and years later happily relive those memories in the photo
scrapbook and videotapes.
Silver Lake in the fall.
People do not go to
New Hampshire, however, to seek out just Silver Lake. Silver Lake is
just a prime example of vacationing families finding their own special
destination and the many things to do in the "Granite State."
New
Hampshire is ultimately craggy and rugged, full of rocky terrain
leading up to majestic mountains and stunning vistas. Mount Washington
is New England's highest point at over 6,000 ft, but the "high points"
just don't end there -- the state peaks frequently with great tourist
destinations for children and adults, alike.
Theme
destinations like Storyland,
Santa's Village and Clark's Trading Post rev up the fun quotient
for children, while revving
up the adult side is July's Motorcycle weekend and, in the winter, some
of the best skiing in the northeast. For those who like a quiet time,
New Hampshire has plenty to offer from the tranquil artist's village of
Peterborough
in the southwest region to the relaxing, more mature
environs of beautiful Wolfeboro
in the Lakes Region. Wolfeboro is
America's oldest resort community. It is well known for good reason,
too: take a stroll down any of the east side streets and you'll end up
with one of the prettiest views in New Hampshire -- a cool, calm lake
surrounded by mountains. Nice walkways and a gazebo add to the charm,
as well as extremely friendly residents who have a respect for their
town and the people who visit their charmed community. Once at the
lake, it's hard to believe one is just a major league baseball
rightfielder's throw from Main Street. The feeling of going from a busy
-- but not too noisy -- Main Street to aa place of great solitude by the
water in just seconds provides a great option to those torn between
shopping and relaxing within the same continent.
Wolfeboro, N.H.
There
are many Wolfeboros in New Hampshire, especially in the Lakes Region --
pretty, quaint, friendly and open to visitors staying in their towns.
A
little further north of the Lakes Region are White Mountains. This area
is made for family fun, especially in the Lincoln-North Woodstock area.
Great scenery, Mount Washington, motels with indoor swimming pools,
family style restaurants that are easy on the wallet, great skiing in
the winter, and lakes with crystal clear water perfect for summer
swimming are just a few of the things that have families coming back
year after year.
A Best of New Hampshire vacation tip for a place to stay in the White
Mountains:
the spectacular Mt. Washington Resort in Brettons Woods. The
picture pretty much tells it all about the famous all-inclusive
resort...
Omni
Mt. Washington Hotel, Bretton Woods. Courtesy of Omni Mount Washington
Resort.
For the less mature, there is
Hampton Beach, a premier New Hampshire vacation destination on the
limited New Hampshire seashore. Hampton Beach has tattoos, surfer
dudes, future Jerry Springer guests, sloping foreheads, women who don't
know the word "modesty" and... a beach, mounds of fried dough and pizza
that isn't -- For better or worse, everyone has a Hampton Beach story.
Full of show-offs and people who just can't seem to get that office
job, Hampton Beach is a prime New England summer vacation spot and
offers one of New England's prettiest beaches if you block out the
honky-tonk. -- it's a great stretch of beach perfect to stroll and
swim. Like Howard Stern, those who like Hampton Beach stay a day or
two. Those who don't stay a week.
Hampton Beach, N.H.
New
Hampshire is not famous for its cities, but Manchester is worth a look.
Not too long ago, Manchester was a run-down city casting its head down
on the Merrimack River, with urban blight and a Gotham City feel. The
vacant mill buildings overlooking the River eventually filled up with
businesses, stores, restaurants and other attractions, creating a
vibrant entrance to the inner city, which has followed suit. The
downtown is alive with a new entertainment center, lots of new retail
and dining choices, and growing neighborhood pride with many homes
being lovingly restored to their original splendor. The great
Manchester International Airport is all shiny and new and has helped
bring further appeal to this proud city.
Lakes,
mountains, fresh air and other rural delights ultimately put New
Hampshire on the map as a great New England vacation destination. It is
the place where childhood memories are made, no matter what age.
Nissitissit Covered Bridge in Brookline.
We encourage you to read our Best of New Hampshire Vacation,
Travel Food stories through our online library at Visiting New
England.com. Enjoy!
Happy travels,
Eric at VisitingNewEngland
List of New Hampshire Trip Planning
Articles
Hanover, N.H.
Find great destinations, attractions in The
Granite State at our Best of New England Travel Lists section
Discover
must-visit NH destinations in the Best New England towns and cities
article
Experience
local family fun things to do in the Best New England Attractions
article
Check
out incredible NH hotels in the 10 Memorable Weekend Getaways in New
England article
Chutters
in Littleton features the longest candy counter in the world
Best
ski resorts for kids
Find
top cross country skiing spots
Experience
a timeless White Mountains summer family road trip
Finding lobster roll and New England clam
chowder to die for at The Beach Plum
Port City Pretzels, an amazing small business
success story in Portsmouth
Pickity
Place, Mason: 5-course lunch, gifts, gardens, cozy red cottage setting
for 1948 version of Little Red Riding Hood
Taking in breakfast and a morning walk in
Peterborough
Homemade ice cream like you've never tasted
before at Hayward's Homemade Ice Cream in Nashua
Feeing right at home in Exeter
CJ's Great West Grill, Manchester
What
to expect when visiting downtown Hanover
Parker's
Maple Barn restaurant in Mason specializes in maple-based foods
Echo
Lake in the White Mountains reflects the scenic beauty of The Granite
State
Why
hidden Walpole might be a better destination that popular vacation towns
Lively
Meredith features a beautiful setting on Lake Winnipesaukee
Finding authentic New Hampshire joy in Harrisville
Red
Jacket Resort in North Conway features indoor water park
Portsmouth:
New England's most appealing small city?
What
it feels like to visit the only Henniker on earth
Downtown
Keene is a city that offers a quaint New England small town setting
Exploring
Wolfeboro on the quieter side of Lake Winnipesaukee
Locals create art in Nashua
Popular
walks in the Lakes Region
What
NH amusement park made "The Best of New England" list? Find out here
Markey's
Lobster Pool in Seabook is the ultimate New England lobster shack
The 3 best NH pancake houses
Scenic drives and overlooks in the Mount
Washington Valley
Hollis offers a timeless fall travel experience
Hampton Beach might not be for everyone, but,
then again, maybe it is
Find great NH apple orchards in the story on
Best New England Apple Picking Destinations
See what Granite State destination is listed in
The Best Picnics in new England article
Book a Room in NH and get a great rate
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