New Hampshire Magazine's Best Places 2020

B E ST P L AC E S N H

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE FOR NEWCOMERS with secret spots, trails to outdoor glory, insider tips and useful maps

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Contents 12

Four Seasons

top photo courtesy nh.gov; left by kendal j. bush; right by joe klementovich

New Hampshire Magazine’s travel writer shares her picks for the ideal locations to experience our ever-changing weather. From the Seacoast in spring to snowy scenes in the Mt. Washington Valley, here’s how to make the best of all four seasons in the Granite State.

by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers

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Cities (and Towns) on the Rise

Finding the best sometimes means keeping an eye on promising up-and-comers. These cities and towns are poised to become the next great places you need to know about.

by Barbara Coles

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100 Things You Should Do to Know the Real New Hampshire

Twenty-five years ago, Steve Taylor, a lifelong scholar of all things New Hampshire, compiled a list of places, things to do, events and other diversions that offered insight into the culture and values of the state. Much has changed since its last update in 2006, so Taylor revisited the list, tweaking a few things here and there. See if you can experience all 100.

by Steve Taylor

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Best Places 2020 18

42 Eat Smart

From a Revolutionary War spark to the first American in space, big things went down in NH.

by Emily Heidt

Map It Out Big History

20 Lost and Found

Our state is rich in history, some of which is well known to both residents and outsiders. And then there are these fascinating links to our past, which we think might surprise you.

by Marshall Hudson

24 Take the Real Estate Plunge

If you’re ready to mow the lawn and shovel the driveway, then there are plenty of smart spots for first-time buyers. Here are a few such places.

by Crystal Ward Kent

26 Boutique Shopping

Though Granite Staters have a reputation as being a flannel-loving people, there are plenty of local boutiques offering the latest in fashion.

Stylist Chloe Barcelou recommends her favorites.

Dining out can be challenging when you have dietary restrictions. Here are the restaurants meeting those needs, from gluten-free to vegan, with delicious results.

72 Take Your Pet

46 Summer Fun for All

Beloved family attractions such as Story Land are beginning to offer sensory-friendly days for children who need quieter, calmer surroundings.

by Mary Ellen Hettinger

50 Live Weird or Die

Alien abductions. A ghost town. Mysterious stone formations. An empty gorilla cage. Here’s a guide to the state’s most curious locations where weirdness reigns.

For those with four-legged friends that are like members of the family, discover trails, beaches, parks, hotels and even restaurants that welcome your furry relatives.

by Emily Heidt

78 Where the Fun Begins

by J.W. Ocker

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Map It Out Haunted NH If it’s supernatural thrills you seek, these are your best shots at spooky sightings.

These are the basecamp towns. Each has easy access to the great outdoors, a community with a sense of adventure and a culture that values keeping it local.

by Chloe Barcelou

32 Best Places for Bicycling

by Katherine Oakes Englishman

photo courtesy nh.gov; top right by ella lobdel; bottom right by joe klementovich

56 Retire Without Retreating

Retirement may sound like an ending, but most retirees will tell you that their lives have just begun. Learn about the places where the best years are yet to be.

by Lynne Snierson

Whether you use your bike for transportation or recreation (or both), there are rail trails, paved and gravel roads, challenging mountain terrain, scenic routes and more available in the 603.

by Paula Bedard

36 The Path Less Traveled

For when you really need to get away from it all, these remote outdoor places offer solitude and the chance to experience the true restorative power of nature.

by Erica Thoits

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Map It Out Literary Landmarks Our state produced and inspired many great authors and poets. Maybe there’s something in the water?

On The Cover Fly fishing on the Dead Diamond River near Errol — Photo by Joe Klementovich

84 Samantha Brown Gets Around

The Travel Channel star and the host of “Samantha Brown’s Places to Love” on PBS gives a little love to her home state, and learns a thing or two about what it has to offer to avid explorers.

by Rick Broussard

96 Ayuh: Worst Places

When you’re sitting in summer beach traffic at the Hampton tolls or fending off ticks and tourists in the mountains, it can be hard to remember why we believe New Hampshire is the best place to live. Still better than Massachusetts though.

by Bill Burke

When this issue went to press, much was still up in the air due to COVID-19. As such, some things in these pages may have changed. Make sure to visit nhmagazine.com for updated information on dates, restaurants and more.

Volume 34, Number 5, ISSN 1560-4949 nhmagazine.com |

BEST PLACES 2020

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Best Places

EDITOR’S NOTE

Walking Our Way Home You learn a lot walking a dog around the neighborhood every day. One lesson is that all creatures have their own favorite places to visit and enjoy.

By RICK BROUSSARD

M

y daily dog-walking duties were once a somewhat lonely business. Strolling with a leashed descendant of an apex predator is a bit like being on a spacewalk: You can’t really relax until you get back to the airlock. This spring, for reasons you probably understand, every dog owner in town seems to be out and about, turning my quiet spacewalk into a series of fraught canine encounters.

“Yuna,” the cheerful mass of fur-covered muscle who is the reason for my walks, doesn’t mind a bit, as long as we hit her favorite spots along the way. These consist of a few neighbors’ homes where she is engaged in ongoing arguments with small housebound dogs. They press their snarling faces fiercely against windows as we pass and Yuna either ignores or out-barks them. She’s also quite fond of the public gardens and the train tracks and underpasses where the homeless tend to camp. She finds so many interesting sights and smells to investigate there and she gets a lot of attention from the “residents” who often will offer a treat of some kind. Dogs remember things like that.

Chances are you have your own beloved places, stores and cafés that always lure you back, and possibly for similar reasons. The beauty and fragrance of a location can leave a lasting imprint, and the kindness of strangers is always memorable, even when they are shop clerks or waitstaff.

But the bustle that now accompanies dog walking has been a revelation. The once-quiet streets of Concord are festooned with chalk art, laughter echoes from driveways and backyards as kids, presumably on break from their home-based classwork, invent new games with their siblings and parents.

I witnessed one tourney involving a grizzled dad in a wheelchair circling a netted trampoline next to a basketball hoop with a variety of balls being tossed about. I have no idea what the rules were (or if there were rules at all), but all seemed to be having fun. Teddy bears

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peer from porches and dangle in picture windows to provide a “bear hunt” for younger kids walking with their parents.

All this helps me to remember that those houses I’ve been walking by every day were filled with special people called “neighbors.” As I said, it’s been enlightening.

This special issue of New Hampshire Magazine was conceived last year and we’ve been working on it in pieces ever since. The concept of a guide to “best places” coming out just as the spring was turning to summer seemed perfect at the time. It’s a subject we know a lot about and one that people always find useful. Little did we know then that the people of the state and much of the world would be as housebound as Yuna’s bark buddies, just as we were prepping to go to press.

As a result, many of the places and businesses that we celebrate in this issue are hunkered down as well, and unlike people, who can get by on food, water and toilet paper while avoiding the microscopic enemy that’s plaguing us, businesses and attractions need people.

The sad truth that underlies our present reality is that the pandemic of 2020 will cost us some number of those people (neighbors) and businesses. It’s a sobering thought for us as we pull together the final strands of this issue and send it to print, but in one important way it only strengthens the mission of Best Places New Hampshire.

Crayon rainbow signs reading “Everything is Going to Be OK” or “We’re All in This Together” seem sweetly naïve in the age of a deadly virus, but from the mouths (and crayons) of babes comes truth.

And when we emerge from our houses, basement offices and sick beds, we’ll breathe some cleaner-than-usual air, visit friends and even embrace them, and then we’ll start looking for some things to do. And, just like Yuna, we’ll remember and seek out those places that gave us joy, excitement and fulfillment. We will keep this guide updated as much as possible online with changes, closures and other caveats, and hopefully it will serve as a map to us all as we walk our way back home.

Go to nhmagazine.com for updates and more information.

Contributors Joe Klementovich

After graduating with an engineering degree from the University of New Hampshire, Joe Klementovich, whose photos appear throughout the issue and on the cover, moved to the White Mountains to pursue rock and ice climbing. Various climbing trips with a point-and-shoot camera inspired him to grow his photography skills. Now he is an editorial and commercial photographer, covering everything from Mt. Washington to the Everglades. His work has appeared in a number of national publications. See more of his work at klementovichphoto.com.

Barbara Radcliffe Rogers

Barbara Radcliffe Rogers, who wrote “Four Seasons,” is New Hampshire Magazine‘s regular “Our Town” writer. She is a travel and food writer specializing in her native New Hampshire, the northeastern United States and southern Europe.

She is the co-author of more than 30 travel guidebooks, including the “2019 Frommer’s Guide to New England.” Follow her travels at worldbite.wordpress.com.

J.W. Ocker

J.W. Ocker, who wrote “Live Free or Weird,” is a travel writer from Nashua focused on strange sites.

His book, “Cursed Objects,” debuts in September. Visit him at oddthingsiveseen.com.

Steve Taylor

Author of “100 Things You Should Do to Know the Real New Hampshire,” Steve Taylor is a scholar, farmer, journalist and longtime public official. With his sons, he operates a dairy, maple syrup and cheese-making enterprise in Meriden Village.

He has been a newspaper reporter and editor, and served for 25 years as New Hampshire’s commissioner of agriculture. Taylor

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was the founding executive director of the New Hampshire Humanities Council and is a lifelong student of the state’s rural culture.

Lynne Snierson

Lynne Snierson, who wrote “Retire Without Retreating,” is a freelance writer who covered the National Football League and Thoroughbred horse racing during her award-winning career as a sportswriter. The Laconia native, who loves animals and is passionate about their welfare, lives in Salem with her retired champion Shetland sheepdog Mavis.

Paula Bedard

Paula Bedard, who wrote “Best Places for Bicycling in the 603” is a road-, gravel-, tandem- and fat-biking enthusiast. She’s also the board president for statewide biking and walking advocacy organization Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire, and is a League of American Bicyclists certified safe cycling instructor who teaches safe cycling classes to all age groups.

For more information, see bwanh.org.

Mary Ellen Hettinger

Mary Ellen Hettinger, APR, who wrote “Summer Fun for All,” is an award-winning reporter, editor, writer and accredited public relations professional. She won a gold award in 2015 from the Parenting Media Association for her news feature on what to do if you think your child has a mental health issue.

Jenn Bakos

Frequent New Hampshire Magazine contributor Jenn Bakos took photos for “Four Seasons” and “Where the Fun Begins.”

She specializes in capturing life’s special moments and in photographing small businesses, especially those with a farm-to-table focus. See more of her work at jennbakosphoto.com.

Best Places 2020

Kendal J. Bush

Before calling the Monadnock Region home, photographer Kendal J. Bush, whose photo appears on the table of contents, traveled the world as an editor and videographer for the National Geographic Channel and NBC. She combines experience as a photojournalist with her film school education to yield colorful, creative portraits and corporate, wedding and event photography. See more at kendaljbush.com.

Barbara Coles

Longtime former New Hampshire Magazine managing editor Barbara Coles wrote the feature story “Towns (and Cities) on the Rise.”

Ryan O’Rourke

Ryan O’Rourke, who created three maps for this issue, is an associate professor at New England College Institute of Art and Design. As a freelancer, he has worked with a wide variety of book, editorial, advertising and institutional clients. He has illustrated 14 children’s books and has written two.

He’s also won a number of awards from the International Reading Association, Children’s Book Council, American Illustration, Society of Illustrators and more. Visit him at cargocollective.com/ryanorourke.

Chloe Barcelou

Chloe Barcelou, who wrote “Boutique Shopping,” is an artist, creative director, stylist and model. In tandem with her partner Brandon Batchelder, she launched the production company B&C Productions, which specializes in the production and artistic direction of films, photography, theatre, set design, prop fabrication and more.

Marshall Hudson

New Hampshire Magazine’s “What Do You Know?” contributor Marshall Hudson wrote “Lost and Found.” He is a land surveyor, farmer and New Hampshire history buff. He knows a thing or two about the underexplored regions of our state as a result of his more than 40 years surveying and traipsing around New Hampshire.

Crystal Ward Kent

Crystal Ward Kent, who wrote “Take the Real Estate Plunge,” is a freelance writer who has written for numerous local and regional magazines. She owns Kent Creative in Dover, and is also the author of several books for kids and adults.

Bill Burke

“Ayuh” writer Bill Burke is the managing editor of custom publications at McLean Communications (New Hampshire Magazine’s parent company). He is also the man behind our Cubicle Concerts series, which you can see at nhmagazine.com.

A messAge from our sPonsor

A Place in the Heart CMC is based in the heart of New Hampshire. Our mission extends beyond the boundaries of our hospital and even beyond our network of physicians and skilled health care providers. We know every patient we serve wants nothing more than to get back to the things they were doing before they came to us. Those activities, pleasures and adventures are quality of life — sources of strength and happiness.

The many locations, passions and activities included in this special issue of Best Places New Hampshire play a big role in the overall health of New Hampshire citizens. We are proud to support this guide to the very best places to help you pursue whatever makes your life more engaging and meaningful, because everything we do to keep you well is a means to that end. We hope you enjoy — and USE — this magazine and join us in celebrating New Hampshire’s special place in the heart of each of us.

Brad Fitzpatrick

Freelance illustrator Brad Fitzpatrick is New Hampshire Magazine’s longtime (15year) “Ayuh” (formerly “Last Laugh”) artist. You can see more of his work at bradfitzpatrick.com.

Katherine Oakes Englishman

“Where the Fun Begins” writer Katherine Englishman is a freelance writer and yoga instructor who loves to travel and experience the outdoors, whether that means surfing, hiking, camping, biking or skiing. Learn more about her at katherineoakes.com.

Dr. Joseph Pepe President & CEO, Catholic Medical Center CEO, GraniteOne Health

Gus and Tug

Gus and Tug are two adventurous French bulldogs who travel the state. Their human Ella Lobdell took the photos that appear in “Take Your Pet.” Follow their travels on Instagram @gusandtug. nhmagazine.com |

BEST PLACES 2020

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Best Places

SEASONAL SPOTS

Portsmouth from the Piscataqua River

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Best Places

SEASONAL SPOTS

Four Seasons Best Places to Turn, Turn, Turn

In New Hampshire’s ever-changing climate, where seasons are so distinctly different, it would be a shame not to enjoy each in the place that shows it off best. Our landscapes and diversions are as varied as our weather, from the snow-capped White Mountains and crystal lakes to a busy seaport and lush rural landscapes around Mt. Monadnock. And to each there is a season.

courtesy photo

BY BARBARA RADCLIFFE ROGERS SPRING in Portsmouth and the Seacoast Spring comes earlier close to the ocean, and with it the glorious display of tulips at Prescott Park, overlooking Portsmouth Harbor. The gardens at Strawbery Banke bloom throughout spring, decorating the dooryards of preserved homes that display four centuries of Portsmouth history.

Browse in the specialty shops on Market Street and tour a historic house or two — the Moffatt-Ladd, Runlet-May and Governor John Langdon houses have lovely gardens hidden behind them.

Drive south along the coast, stopping to smell the lilacs at the Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion. On Memorial Day weekend, the Lilac Festival celebrates their status as the first to be planted in the New World.

Learn about sea and shore life at the Seacoast Science Center at Odiorne Point, and follow the shore to see Fuller Gardens, where the Japanese garden blooms in May as the perennials open; the famed roses begin blooming in June. Stroll along the beaches, a bit cold for swimming then, but lovely and peaceful. New Hampshire’s Isles of Shoals seem to float on the horizon.

Portsmouth is filled with restaurants and plenty of historic sites to visit. The Black Heritage Trail traces the seaport’s long history since the days when slaves arrived by ship to be auctioned at its waterfront. More recent maritime past is recounted in the USS Albacore, a 1955 test submarine, now a museum. nhmagazine.com |

BEST PLACES 2020

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Best Places

SEASONAL SPOTS

gardens of The Fells, a fine example of a late-19th-century summer estate.

From a base in New London, where entertainment is assured by the New London Barn Playhouse (this summer’s hits include Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” and “A Chorus Line”), you’re handily between Lake Sunapee an the smaller Kezar Lake in Sutton. On its shore, Wadleigh State Park is a well-kept secret with its long pine-shaded beach and quiet waters for kayaks, canoes and fishing (no jet skis interrupt the peace).

Step back into an earlier century at Musterfield Farm during their August Farm Days and make ice cream from ice harvested the previous winter from Kezar Lake.

Downtown Portsmouth has it all — history, dining, local shops, breweries and beautiful water views — all within walking distance.

Lake Sunapee

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trees, making much of its shore appear undeveloped, and Mt. Sunapee rises alongside, reflecting in the water.

Savor the views from a lake cruise or watch the sunset on a dinner cruise aboard the replica steamship MV Kearsarge. Swim at Mt. Sunapee State Park beach, climb the mountain for the views and spend a summer afternoon amid the

courtesy photos

SUMMER at Lake Sunapee Summer is when New Hampshire’s lakes come to life, filled with boats and swimmers as the cottages and camps on their shores reopen for the season. There are plenty of lakes for every taste, but for ours, the Lake Sunapee area has just the right mix of activity and lakeside greenery. Cottages hide discreetly among the

FALL in the Monadnock Region From the iconic mountain to the Connecticut Valley’s sweeping river views, the landscape of New Hampshire’s southwest corner is dotted with intimate village scenes: white meeting houses and historic homes around a green framed in orange, red and yellow leaves. And covered bridges — the town of Swanzey alone has five crossing the Ashuelot River.

September and October are the best months to climb Mt. Monadnock, an invigorating day hike with views to Boston and

BEST PLACES 2020

Best Places

SEASONAL SPOTS

photo by jenn bakos

Mt. Washington on a clear day. Autumn leaves crunch underfoot, and the last part of the climb ascends from woods to open granite ledges. Don’t expect to be alone at the summit on a beautiful fall day.

Small towns dot the rolling landscape.

Harrisville’s tidy brick mill buildings and library reflect in Harrisville Pond; Walpole’s stately old homes surround a green with a gingerbread bandstand; Fitzwilliam’s meeting house faces venerable Fitzwilliam Inn’s double-decker porch. Wander country roads for more foliage viewing and discover other picture-worthy villages: Hancock’s much-photographed brick church, hilltop Nelson and Jaffrey Center.

Follow alongside the Connecticut River from Chesterfield through Westmoreland (there’s a Paul Revere bell in the church steeple), stopping for a tasting at Poocham Hill Winery, then join Route 12 north to Allyson’s Orchard to pick apples and drink cider with views across the foliage-painted valley. The harvest is in full swing, so take advantage of the farmstands to buy fresh-

Harrisville’s tidy brick mill buildings reflect in Harrisville Pond; Walpole’s stately old homes surround a green with a gingerbread bandstand. picked fruits and vegetables.

Choose Keene for a base, right in the geographical center, halfway between Mt. Monadnock and the Connecticut River.

Stop at the Horatio Colony House Museum, and browse Main Street to find local crafts, books, vintage treasures and clothing.

WINTER in the Mt. Washington Valley From a base in North Conway at the foot of Cranmore Mountain, you can easily ski there as well as Attitash, Black Mountain, King Pine and Bretton Woods. That’s just for downhill; Jackson XC, Bretton Woods, Bear Notch Ski Touring and Mt. Wash-

Harrisville Pond nhmagazine.com |

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SEASONAL SPOTS

The Mt. Washington Valley area offers a number of renowned ice climbing spots.

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photo by joe klementovich

Best Places

photos by joe klementovich

SEASONAL SPOTS

ington Valley Ski Touring offer miles and miles of groomed trails, with spectacular mountain scenery. One weekend in February, you can ski between valley inns and stop for chocolate treats.

Try ice climbing at Cathedral Ledge, snowshoe through the winter woods or ice skate in front of North Conway’s Victorian railway station. Not a fan of ice and snow? Fine, curl up by the fireplace at a country inn, have hot coffee at the Metro, shop in an original 1939 5&10 store or visit the Mount Washington Observatory’s Weather Discovery Center and be glad you’re in North Conway, not at the summit.

You can revel in the views of snow-covered Mt. Washington from a warm spot at a B&B overlooking the valley or watch the winter moon rise over Cranmore Mountain from the dining room at the White Mountain Hotel.

Along with being our pick as New England’s No. 1 ski town, North Conway is known for its shopping, a good way to stay warm on a winter day. Locally owned shops and boutiques line Main Street. Along with

Zeb’s General Store in North Conway sells a number of local New Hampshire and New England specialty goods.

Zeb’s General Store (the place to find New England specialty foods) are shops devoted to fine leather goods, sportswear, local handcrafts, fine art, handmade chocolates, metal sculptures, candles, toys, olive oil, yarn, kitchenware and consignment clothing.

Dozens of restaurants in North Conway,

Jackson and along Route 16 serve everything from Irish and Indian to Mexican and old-fashioned Yankee favorites, and there’s a choice of brewpubs and après-ski spots. For assurance of local ingredients and house-made dishes, look for the yellow Valley Originals flag. NH

It’s not all about downhill skiing in the Mt. Washington Valley. There are miles of trails maintained by a number of organizations throughout the region’s towns. nhmagazine.com |

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MAP IT OUT

There’s history to be found everywhere in the Granite State, but here are some of the historic events that went on to shape and change our country and our world.

Visit nhmagazine.com for more information on these historical spots.

Illustration by Ryan O’Rourke

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Best Places

HISTORY

LEGEND (by date)

for this map of Historic NH

1719 First Potato planted in America, Derry: Scotch-Irish immigrants plant the first potato ever planted in this country at Londonderry Common Field.

1772 The Pine Tree Riot, Weare: Ebenezer Mudgett, a liquor merchant, led this protest against the British king, inspiring future rebellions within New Hampshire (including the pivotal gunpowder raid at Fort William and Mary), and, it’s speculated, the Boston Tea Party.

1774 Powder Raid at Fort William and Mary, New Castle: Considered one of the (or simply the) first major acts of rebellion leading up to the American Revolution.

1776 Declaration of Independence, Exeter: With three signers of the Declaration of Independence, New Hampshire was also first state to set up an independent government. In 1788, New Hampshire cast the deciding vote for the new Constitution. A copy of the Declaration, which was originally delivered to Exeter (then the state’s Revolutionary War capital) on July 16, 1776, was discovered at the Ladd-Gilman House in 1985. You can see the New Hampshire Dunlap Broadside of the Declaration today at the town’s American Independence Museum.

1811 Manifest Destiny, Amherst: Horace Greeley, the founder and editor of the New-York Tribune, is born in Amherst. Though it’s not proven, he’s generally credited with writing the famous slogan “Go West, young man, and grow up with the country,” one of the main Manifest Destiny catchphrases.

1822 Books for All: The Dublin Juvenile Library, established in 1822, was the first free public library. The Peterborough Town Library, established in 1833, was the first library supported by public taxation.

1872 Concord Coach, Concord: The first of these famous coaches was built in this year. The “coach that won the Old West” transported people and goods across the West and starred in many classic Western movies.

1914 Skiing Becomes a Thing, Hanover: The first intercollegiate ski meet (1914), the first American slalom race (1925) and the first American downhill race (1926) were all staged by Dartmouth College in Hanover.

1944 The International Monetary Conference, Bretton Woods: Financiers from 44 countries gathered at the Mount Washington Hotel for the conference, during which the World Bank and International Monetary Fund were established, and the American dollar was designated the standard of international exchange.

1853 First meeting of the Republican Party, Exeter: On October 12, 1853, Amos Tuck called a meeting in Exeter, allying the political parties opposed to the Democratic Party and proposing the name Republican.

1946 First Integrated Team, Nashua: Brooklyn Dodgers president Branch Rickey assigned Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe to the Nashua Dodgers, a new farm team, making Nashua, New Hampshire, the first modern city to host an integrated professional baseball team.

1961 First American to Travel in Space, Derry: East Derry’s astronaut can actually claim two firsts: In 1961, Alan Shepard became the first American to travel into space, and then in 1971, he accomplished another first (and probably only) when he whacked a golf ball on the moon. Local Henniker Brewing Company’s pale ale “Miles & Miles” commemorates this odd piece of space history as Shepard once said his golf ball went “miles and miles and miles” above and across the lunar surface.

1986 Christa McAuliffe Is the First Private Civilian in the History of Space Flight, Concord: The Concord High School teacher died with the rest of the crew on January 28, 1986, 73 seconds and 48,000 feet after liftoff.

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HISTORY

Lost Fire Towers From about 1900 until the late 1960s, almost 100 of New Hampshire’s mountains sported a fire tower on their summit, and a warden watched out over the forest, sounding an alarm whenever he saw smoke.

Many of these fire wardens, or “lookouts,” lived in a small cabin on top of the mountain near the tower. Today only about 16 towers are still manned, and much of the fire-spotting is done by airplanes. The old fire towers and cabins were prone to lightning strikes, high winds, fire, vandalism or just age and deterioration once they stopped being used. Most are gone now, lost forever to history, but in some places you can still find tower anchor pins, concrete footings or some remnant of the cabin. On the Starr King Trail in Jefferson, the cabin is long gone, but the fireplace remains standing, reminding us of New Hampshire’s fire tower heritage.

The Kiss’n Bridges

Lost and Found

Finding New Hampshire’s lost or hidden places by marshall hudson

New Hampshire is an old state rich with history and full of lost or forgotten places, some of which may be hiding in plain sight. If you are willing to get off the tourist trails and do some exploring, you can rediscover these hidden links to our past. To find the best of these lost places, you’ll need to be prepared to drive the backroads, talk to the locals, read old maps and maybe do some brush-busting. To get you started, here are a few lost places to find once the stay-at-home order is lifted.

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Lyme Horse Sheds Gone and forgotten are the days before automobiles, when everyone traveled by horse. While you can park your car, lock and leave it, that didn’t work well for horses, particularly in bad weather. What do you do with your horse and buggy when you need to go to Sunday morning church service? At the Lyme Congregational Church, they solved the problem by building horse sheds.

A continuous line of individual horse stalls was erected on adjacent town land, and then the stalls were sold to church-going individuals (without the land). Above

photo by marshall hudson

The fire tower on Magalloway Mountain in Pittsburg

By my count, New Hampshire has 54 covered bridges left over from the horseand-buggy days when bridges were regularly built with roofs and sides to keep the elements from rotting out the wooden decking. With the development of iron, steel and concrete, the covered wooden bridge became obsolete. Remaining covered bridges have become lost or forgotten as new roads diverted to steel and concrete bridges, which could carry heavier loads and faster traffic. Which of the remaining covered bridges is the best one to go find is a subjective opinion, but I’d suggest the Bath Village Bridge in Bath and the Ashuelot Bridge in Winchester.

Both are not to be skipped.

Best Places

HISTORY

each stall they placed a numbered plaque with the owner’s name on it. Not only were the sheds available for use on Sundays, but also whenever the owner came into town on business. At one time, there were two additional lines of sheds for a total of about 50 stalls, but once they were no longer needed most were removed, and only 27 remain today. This row of 27 sheds is said to be the longest string of contiguous horse stalls in New England. The sheds still sit on town-owned property, but are maintained by the Lyme Congregational Church with private funds. Saddle your horse and go find these reminders of New Hampshire’s pre-automobile past.

Lisbon Charcoal Kiln

photos by marshall hudson

The stone kiln in Lisbon, which was once used to make charcoal for nearby iron smelters, is reminder of bygone days when charcoal was a commodity needed by blacksmiths and iron foundries. Pine knots and other waste wood material from nearby sawmills were slowly burned in a low-oxy-

The ruins of Madame Sherri’s castle on Rattlesnake Mountain in West Chesterfield

gen rock kiln to remove water and produce charcoal. Charcoal was the preferred furnace fuel because it burned more slowly than firewood and created a more intense heat that was better suited for the refining of ores. Charcoal also had the advantage of being locally produced as opposed to coal, which needed to be shipped into the state.

Madame Sherri’s Castle Finding the ruins of Madame Sherri’s castle on Rattlesnake Mountain in West Chesterfield isn’t difficult, but it is off the

beaten path, and will likely only be found by those actively seeking it. The castle was once the home of Paris-born Madame Sherri, who lived extravagantly in this rural town. Madame Sherri was a Paris nightclub dancer and then a theatrical costume designer in New York City during the roaring ’20s. In the 1930s she bought hundreds of acres in Chesterfield and built a castle where she entertained New York friends with lavish parties.

Madame Sherri was said to dress scandalously, which caused some consternation among the local workers constructing her home. Reportedly, she often wore nothing at all except a black fur coat that she slipped into and out of easily. She was also seen wearing feathered boas and high plumed hats while traveling the muddy backroads in a chauffeur-driven Packard touring car. She bragged that she lit only one match a day, and used each dying cigarette to light the next one in a long-tipped cigarette holder always in her hand. Rumors persisted that she was involved with

The historic Ashuelot Bridge in Winchester nhmagazine.com |

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HISTORY

bootlegging during Prohibition, or that she was on the dodge from French authorities and using an alias.

Wherever her money came from, it dried up near the end of WWII and she moved to Vermont. She died in 1965 at age 87 as a ward of the town of Brattleboro. Brattleboro filed suit against “The Belle of Chesterfield,” seeking reimbursement from her estate for expenses and outstanding bills. In 1962, Madame Sherri’s castle was destroyed by fire, but the stone staircase remains for the curious to find.

METALLAK’S GRAVESITE

Many place pebbles, coins and other small tokens on Metallak’s grave in Stewartstown.

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What remains of the sheds in Lyme is said to be the longest string of contiguous horse stalls in New England.

says he was a skilled hunter who lived off the land, and that he once rode on the back of a moose until he was able to kill it with his knife. Metallak was friendly to the white settlers and guided them hunting, fishing and trapping.

Metallak went blind in one eye when he poked himself with a needle while sewing moccasins, and years later he lost sight in the other eye when he slipped and fell and a stick stuck him in the eye. He was found

by trappers who brought him to Canada to heal. Wishing to return to his own camp, he hired a man to guide him back home, but the guide took his money and left him in Stewartstown, where he resided for a few years until he passed away about 1850, reportedly at the age of 120. If you visit the grave of Metallak, custom says to place a pebble, coin or some other small token on his headstone to show respect for the last of Coashaukes, gone but not forgotten. NH

photos by marshall hudson

The Last of the Coashaukes is buried in a small cemetery on a dirt road in Stewartstown. Metallak, “The Lone Indian of the Magalloway,” was the last survivor of the band of Coashauke who inhabited the upper Androscoggin and Magalloway river watersheds. Metallak was known as the “lonesome chief ” because the majority of his people had died from smallpox, in the French and Indian War or had simply left their homeland. Metallak, however, was determined to stay in his ancestral lands and lived in a camp at Umbagog Lake. Legend

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Best Places

REAL ESTATE

Take the Real Estate Plunge Smart Spots for First-Time Buyers to Put Down Some Roots

BY CRYSTAL WARD KENT

I

s there affordable housing in the Granite State for first-time homebuyers?

The answer is “yes,” but the best buys are driven by location. In premium areas, such as Rockingham and Hillsborough counties, first-time buyers need to do their homework in advance so that they can move fast to take advantage of rare deals.

According to the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, the median sales price for a single-family home is $289,000 statewide. However, popular areas such as Rockingham County see an average of $389,000 (an increase of over 13% from last year); equally desirable Hillsborough County comes in at $300,000. Strafford County, home to Dover, New Hampshire’s fastest-growing city, offers prices at an average of $270,000, with the Concord area just below at $267,000. Belknap and Carroll counties, home to the Lakes Region, come in at $250,000 and $276,000.

The lowest pricing is in Coös County, the far north, at $135,000, or Sullivan County, tucked on the western side of the state,

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where homes start at $157,000.

Opportunities do exist in the higher-priced counties, but buyers need to adjust expectations and plan ahead. “The single-most important thing you can do is get preapproved,” says Kelly Arsenault of Keller-Williams/Londonderry. “This saves time, and determines how much you can actually spend. You want to be able to act if you find the home you want. Firsttime buyers should talk with a financial planner about a realistic budget that they can live with. You don’t want to spend all of your money on a home and then have no cash, no quality of life. Determine what you are willing to do without to get a house and what you are not. Understand your expenses. This gives you a realistic picture of your ongoing finances before you enter the market.”

Arsenault also advises new buyers to think realistically — and outside the box.

“Many of the homes affordable to firsttime buyers in the popular locations may need work, whether those are repairs or

upgrades. These homes may not be exactly what buyers want, but if they like the location, and can picture themselves there — it can work out well,” says Arsenault. “Buyers can get a 203(k) Renovation Loan that will fund improvements. Those can be done before people move in and the payments can become part of their mortgage. Also consider the resale value; if the location is good and the home has potential, live there for five or 10 years, then move up to your dream home. Or consider buying a duplex, living in half, and renting the other half and saving that money for your next home.

There are options to get you where you want to be if you are flexible.”

Carrie Barron of Bean Group in Portmouth says that homes can be found in Rockingham County for $280,000, but buyers need to expect 1950s-era ranches and Capes, or other smaller stock. “Many of these homes are in great neighborhoods and they go quickly,” she says. “A buyer needs to be able to see the house that day, and even so, there will be multiple buyers

Best Places

REAL ESTATE

competing. This is why it’s important to be preapproved and know your financials.

There are two groups competing for these homes — first-time buyers and experienced homeowners who are downsizing, so it’s tight. I advise people to prioritize where they want to be, and to shed preconceived ideas of what the house has to be like. Forget what you see on HGTV — homes can be improved, but you can’t change the location, so start there. I also recommend that new buyers educate themselves — the New Hampshire Housing Association website is an incredible resource when it comes to home-buying.”

Diane Silva of RE/MAX On the Move notes that the 1950s-era homes tend to be well-built, having more actual lumber, so resale value can be good. “Some towns also have more turn-of-the-century homes, which can be good buys but may have no insulation and dirt basements. If you don’t want a fixer-upper, don’t settle, but if you are willing to do the work, you can get a place with good potential.” She also urges buyers to look at the “in-between towns,” which people tend to

forget. “Getting away from the I-95, I-93 and Spaulding corridors saves money,” she explains. “Think Barrington, Epping, Epsom, Kingston, Fremont, Sanbornton

First-Time Homebuying Tips • Get preapproved and know your finances.

• Work with a knowledgeable, experienced real estate agent who knows the area, has the financial connections, and contractor connections.

• Make sure your agent responds promptly to your calls.

• Check the internet constantly for listings.

• Know what you can and can’t do without.

• Don’t be locked in — think outside the box.

and Loudon. Sometimes home prices even vary greatly within a community. North Manchester is more expensive than over

by Chester, for example.”

Silva also recommends using a buyer’s agent, a real estate agent who will work directly for you with your best interests in mind. “A buyer’s agent will call on past clients, send mailers out to neighborhoods you like, and do everything possible to get that home for you,” she says.

Lifestyle also needs to factor in. How far will you commute? Will it matter if you have a long drive and miss your kids’ after-school activities or have to drive in bad weather? Can you make a job change or telecommute? What are the schools like and other resources? If you are in a remote area, is there daycare? All three real estate agents agree that buyers need to consider the full picture before choosing their location.

“Frankly, new buyers need to expect initial disappointment because it’s a sellers’ market,” cautions Arsenault. “But, they also need to keep the faith. The right house will be found if they are patient. The more patient they are, the more likely that they’ll find their house. This is a waiting game.” NH

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SHOPPING

Bountiful Boutiques

To guide you to the perfect gift or to inspire your own retail adventures, our fashion editor lists her own “secret” shopping spots in eight cities and towns COMPILED BY CHLOE BARCELOU

P

eople who like to shop (and who doesn’t?) tend to aim for big targets, like department stores, outlets for major brands or (for those places that still have them) shopping malls. And nothing can beat a great downtown for its variety of shops and other diversions. But the secret to finding the sweetest spots for the serious shopaholic is to think small — ­ boutique small.

A great boutique is a beacon because a small store stocked with an owner-curated array of fashionable attire is almost always surrounded by other such personable shops and cafés. Find a sweet boutique and you’re pretty much assured you are on a street or in a shopping district that will offer other surprises and delights.

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Based on that philosophy, we enlisted New Hampshire Magazine’s fashion editor, Chloe Barcelou, to divulge one of her own most-guarded secrets: Her list of the small shops that fuel her own fashion needs and that supply her with the couture, shoes, accessories and bargain-basement sales items that she relies on to compose her fashion features.

“Growing up, shopping with my mom was one of my favorite pastimes,” says Barcelou. “Shopping and fashion run deep in my lineage. That’s perhaps why I am a professional shopper now, and why I so deeply enjoy the feeling that comes with discovering a quaint boutique in a small town off a backroad.” She guarantees you’ll find many treasures and inspirations in the

shops listed here. “I understand why bigbox stores, with their convenient hours and low prices, are so popular, but they can’t hold a candle to a local shop that displays artisan finds, local and USA-made tags, knickknacks you didn’t know you needed, and staff who are kind, supportive and helpful.” Of course, she notes, an added bonus is knowing you’re supporting local communities and keeping these shops in business for the next avid shopper to find their own treasures and inspirations.

Bella Funk Boutique in Littleton

courtesy photos

Littleton’s charming Main Street is home to many locally owned shops.

Best Places

SHOPPING

Portsmouth

BLISS BOUTIQUES Bliss is a high-end designer, casual retailer perfect for jean hunting, T-shirts, sweaters and daily attire.

Brands include Prairie Underground, Joe’s Jeans, Citizens of Humanity, Velvet, Splendid, Hanky Panky and American Vintage. blissboutiques.com SAULT NEW ENGLAND Carrying a wide

range of high-end men’s clothing, accessories and an apothecary selection, SAULT is the go-to for a classic New England aesthetic. Brands to choose from include Patagonia, Levi’s, Alex Mill and made-inUSA selections like Raleigh. saultne.com

LADY PICKWICK’S Lady Pickwick’s is a girly girl’s dream come true. With a variety

of everything feminine from makeup and vintage hats to corsets and hosiery to silk pillowcases and luxury clothing, this small boutique is as enchanting as it is versatile.

Lady Pickwick’s is a Portsmouth must. pickwicksmercantile.com

MARKET SQUARE JEWELERS Estate, antique, vintage, and modern jewelry and rare gems can be found at Market Square.

You’ll feel as if you’re treasure hunting. marketsquarejewelers.com FOOTNOTES Since 1946 Footnotes has

been a staple for footwear finds, featuring a variety of labels from Birkenstock to Stuart Wiseman and a selection ranging from wedges to muck boots. Footnotes has you covered. Or not, if you prefer sandals. footnotes.com

photo courtesy nh.gov

EDITOR’S NOTE: This issue of the magazine was in production when the scope of the novel coronavirus pandemic was just being understood and, while it’s not clear when such common joys as adventure shopping will once again be restored, we will keep this guide refreshed with changes and closings in the online edition of this publication. In the meantime, it may provide some vicarious (or online) retail therapy and a chance to plan ahead. Visit nhmagazine.com for updates.

CLUB BOUTIQUE & CITY SHOES Club Boutique & City Shoes share space on a quaint side street. At this two-for-one shop you can find some casual attire to mix and match, or an outfit for your next black-tie event, complete with shoes and accessories. clubboutiquecityshoes.com

Littleton

CASH ONLY VINTAGE With a wide variety of vintage clothing, ranging from ’50s denim to ’80s T-shirts and sweaters, Cash Only is the go-to for retro-inspired styling.

Find Champion sweatshirts from the early days in pristine condition, or well-loved leather moto jackets. The owner is friendly and knowledgeable, and the store itself is a gem to treasure hunt through. Despite the name, Cash Only does take credit cards. instagram.com/cashonlyvintage BELLA FUNK BOUTIQUE Run by two fun, local ladies, Bella Funk stocks a variety of quality designer labels perfect for a stylish day at the office or a casual evening on the

Bella Funk Boutique nhmagazine.com |

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SHOPPING

vine Clothing Co. boasts a large selection and a friendly staff along with brands such as Free People and boutique jewelry brands such as Unode50. gondwanaclothing.com

BLACKSHEEP PROVISIONS MODERN VINTAGE This fun, richly decorated vin-

bra fitters in the state, Zoë & Co. helps a lady to find the most comfortable, most affordable and most stylish bras, ranging in sizes from AA to KK, with every style imaginable. Also stocking tights, crinolines and sexy lingerie in a charming and beautiful boutique setting. zoeandcompany.com

tage store carries an array of eclectic clothing. From kimonos to Irish wool sweaters to Gunne Sax dresses, and even vintage records ­— you can find your next favorite piece at Blacksheep. blacksheepnh.com

LONESOME WOODS Are you looking for vintage lumberjack gear? A 1940s wool plaid? An old but pristine pair of logger boots? How about a vintage Pendleton blanket? An artisan candle in “campfire” scent? Snowshoes? Find all of the above at Lonesome Woods, located in the next town over in Bethlehem. lonesomewoods.com

Concord GONDWANNA & DIVINE CLOTHING CO. A staple in Concord for fun, relaxed and chic clothing and gifts, Gondwanna & Di-

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ZOË & CO. One of the only professional

SUSANA’S SEWING STUDIO Carrying a wide range of hip and artistic clothing, this studio’s inventory includes rare finds such as European labels Ewa i Walla along with locals like Krista Larson Designs. Susana herself tailors, repairs and makes from scratch everything from bloomers to prom dresses. facebook.com/susanasewingstudio

LILISE DESIGNER RESALE Are you looking for designer labels such as Chanel, Dooney & Burke or Christian Dior at a quarter of their original price? Look no farther. Lilise Designer Resale also carries

a wealthy amount of vintage and one-of-akind pieces full of fun and style. liliseresale.com

BRITCHES OF CONCORD Britches carries a large selection of both men’s and women’s clothing. Men will find sportswear, suits, tuxedos and ties, while women can shop for dresses, sportswear, accessories, silk scarves and more. britchesconcord.com

Keene MIRANDA’S ON MAIN Miranda’s is a beautiful boutique that fills a range of needs. Anything from formal gowns to hip shoes and bags, to jewelry, hair accessories, outerwear and more. Brands include Fly London, Eileen Fisher, Adrianna Papell and Joseph Ribkoff. mirandasonmain.com MOE-MOMENTUM CLOTHING Fun and hip, Moe’s is the place to find a downto-earth casual look for work, running errands or lounging in style. Moe’s is also appealing for young people interested in fabulous looks at a price they can manage. facebook.com/moeclothing.keene.nh

courtesy photo

town. Brands include Johnny Was, Free People or Hudson and AJ jeans. They sell many made-in-the-USA items, as well as goods from local artisans such as Linny Kenny Leather. bellafunkboutique.com

Best Places

SHOPPING

MILLER BROS.-NEWTON Perhaps the most distinguished men’s shop in New Hampshire, Miller Bros.-Newton has a posh collection of men’s clothing, ranging from authentic Irish wool sweaters to Johnny Bahama Hawaiian shirts. With a complete inhouse atelier, you’re able to not only find the perfect suit or tuxedo, but also have it tailored to perfection by a knowledgeable and friendly staff. millerbrosnewton.com

photo by barbara williams

TED’S SHOE & SPORT In the market for some athletic wear and sporty shoes? Ted’s is stocked with shoes for all ages from running sneakers to hiking boots and Crocs to Birkenstocks. tedsports.com

Peterborough

Blacksheep Modern Vintage

ALICE BLUE Peterborough’s beautiful two-story boutique located on a side street features artisanal designers from around the globe, as well as local makers. With couture and more casual labels in addition to jewelry, bags and accessories, Alice Blue offers lush variety and a friendly staff. facebook

MARKETPLACE

Shop. Dine. Explore.

Spend the day with us on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee!

10 Unique Marketplace Shops • Five Distinctive Restaurants • Waterfront Boardwalk and Park Award-Winning Sculpture Walk and Gardens • Al Fresco Dining • Friday Night Music in July & August Mill Falls Marketplace • Shops open daily at 10 a.m. • Routes 3 & 25. • Meredith, NH • millfalls.com nhmagazine.com |

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Best Places

SHOPPING

Exeter

Statement Boutique in Manchester

LUNACHICS LunaChics carries fan favorite brands such as Free People, Spanx, Nic+Zoe, Michael Stars, Lucky Brand and many more. The perfect spot to style a casual look for work or a night on the town. lunachics.com DENIMRACK One of the best places to find the perfect pair of denim, Denimrack carries a variety of brands plus couture labels. With every wash, fit and style available, it’s easy to find your next favorite pair of jeans (or jean shorts or denim jacket). Though they no longer have a physical location, visit their online store. facebook.com/shopdenimrack boutique to shop for bras and lingerie.

With professional fitters available to help you and a vast variety of styles, fabrics and sizes, it’s easy to see why Top Drawer has been voted best lingerie shop, year after year. topdrawerboutique.com

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www.matlaws.com 30

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courtesy photo

TOP DRAWER Top Drawer is a lovely

PuddleJumpers children’s shop

Best Eyewear Boutique

An adorable little shop in downtown Exeter, Puddlejumpers has been around since 1989, carrying toys, gifts and clothing for babies and children. puddlejumpersnh.com

Nashua

Camaraderie Boutique Two friends came together to bring Camaraderie to Nashua. A trendy boutique, Camaraderie offers fashionable finds and special touches with their personal shopper offerings. camaraderiestyle.com

Fresh of Nashua With the motto “a casual chic boutique,” Fresh of Nashua carries a variety of funky, fun and fresh designs and styles. With labels such as Desiqual, Elana Kattan, Jo Jo Loves You of Boston and many more to choose from, you’ll be feeling fresh after a trip to this delightful boutique. freshofnashua.com Mother & Child Clothing & goods One of the most fun places to “treasure hunt” for your next look, Mother & Child has long been a staple in nearby Amherst.

An enourmous selection of hardly worn, previously loved pieces practically ensures you’ll find your next beloved wardrobe staple. m-c-clothing-and-goods.myshopify.com

EYEWEAR FOR THE MERELY

EXTROVERTED

TO THE TOTALLY

UNINHIBITED

204 Main St., Downtown Nashua 603.880.6700 | www.myoptic.net

Manchester and Bedford

Statement Boutique Statement offers just what the name promises — a wide variety of statement pieces, from chunky, colorful jewelry to fun knits, patterns and prints. At this unique shop, you’ll find a little of everything, from shoes and accessories to outerwear to business attire. statementbtq.com

Alapage Boutique A wonderful spot for trendy casual finds, Alapage carries fashionable, hip brands such as Young, Fabulous and Broke, Paige denim, Velvet, Tribal Sportswear and Liverpool. alapageboutique.com Arnaldo Joseph Boutique Tucked away in the charming Bedford Village Inn, this little boutique carries a variety of contemporary fashion labels and styles to choose from. Complete with accessories, stunning jewelry and select apothecary items, and a friendly and attentive staff. bedfordvillageinn. com/arnaldojosephboutique-en.html NH

The Perfect Place For Your Special Occasion Showers • Graduations • Private Receptions

Our Private Dining Room accommodates up to 45 Offering various menu options

Convenient location with plenty of free parking

CRsTheRestaurant.com 603.929.7972

287 Exeter Rd, Hampton, NH nhmagazine.com |

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RECREATION

BEST PLACES FOR BICYCLING

in the 603 New Hampshire has hundreds of miles of scenic roadways that are perfect for bicycling, everything from peaceful farmlands, rolling hills, challenging mountainous terrain and quaint historic villages.

Maybe you consider your bike a transportation tool instead of a recreation device. Whether it’s biking for transportation, recreating, paved or gravel roads, rail trails, fat-biking, mountainbiking, or if you choose to add an electric-assist to your ride, there are plenty of options in the 603.

Here are just a few of some best places for bicycling.

Presidential Mountain Range in Gorham

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photo by joe klementovich

BY PAULA BEDARD

Best Places

RECREATION

photos courtesy paula bedard

CENTRAL

Trinity Bicycle Works Walldogs mural in Keene

Mascoma Lake Northern Rail Trail in Lebanon

LEBANON In bustling downtown Lebanon, you can easily access the western terminus of the 57-mile gravel surface Northern Rail Trail (fnrt.org). It runs all the way to Boscawen, and has spectacular views of Mascoma Lake, Webster Lake, Mt. Kearsage, Mt. Cardigan, a covered bridge and much more. Choose your mileage accordingly. If you’re up for some distance, the Danbury Country Store, 27 miles from Lebanon, makes a nice rest or lunch stop.

You can easily shorten this trip by turning around whenever you want and enjoying lunch or dinner in downtown Lebanon.

FRANKLIN For some super fun and flowy mountain- or fat-biking, try the artfully carved trails at Franklin Falls Dam Reservation area in, you guessed it, Franklin.

It’s an enchanted forest of buff single track.

Trails range from easy (Moose Gully, Rusty Bucket, Stump) to advanced (Rogue, Caddywhompus, Mighty Chicken). For more information, go to nemba.org.

photo courtesy nh.gov

WEST

WOLFBORO From downtown Wolfboro, you can easily access the 12-mile Cotton Valley Rail Trail (cottonvalleyrailtrail. org) and ride to Wakefield and back for a roundtrip total of about 24 miles. It’s a scenic trail with amazing views of Crescent Lake and Lake Wentworth. After your ride, be sure to walk through downtown Wolfboro with its many restaurants, shops, parks and museums.

PETERBOROUGH If riding on paved roads through rolling hills and quintessential New England scenery is your thing, start from Francestown center and ride along Route 136 to Peterborough. Have lunch at Twelve Pine or any of the many other irresistible options, like the Peterborough Diner, Toadstool Bookshop, Baker’s Station or Harlow’s Pub, nearly all of which offer outdoor seating. About 22 miles roundtrip, and Peterborough is divine.

KEENE It doesn’t get much better than Keene. Bike trail options include the Cheshire Rail

Trail, the Ashuelot Rail Trail and many more. Pick one and explore. Park in downtown Keene for a scenic out-and-back in just about any direction. Roll or stroll through the historic downtown area, being sure to seek out the “Magical History Tour” of evocative murals that grace 16 of the city’s downtown buildings. There are also six covered bridges within a 16-mile radius of downtown Keene. If you’re thirsty or hungry, there are many inviting watering holes, bakeries, cafés and restaurants. Keene rocks.

EAST

SEACOAST Ah, the seacoast! You haven’t lived till you’ve ridden Route 1A along New Hampshire’s stunning seacoast. With a road or hybrid bike, head east on Route 111 in North Hampton, then north on Ocean Boulevard. Stop, rest, and enjoy the scenery at the entrance to Odiorne Point State Park, then turn around here for your approximately 22-mile out-and-back. You won’t regret it. It’s a flat trail, but be prepared for gusty ocean breezes that are not always a tailwind. The views cannot be beat.

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NORTH

LITTLETON There are 22 adventurous miles of options for mountain- or fat-biking in Littleton at Parker Mountain Trails (prkrmtn.org). The trails are stupid-fun with views of the Presidential Range. If you’re undaunted by a little climbing, try pedaling all the way to “Linda’s Lookout” for a stunning mountaintop panorama.

Après ride, Littleton’s Main Street, a Great American Main Street award-winner, along the scenic Ammonoosuc River, is a hub of restaurants, cafés, breweries and shops. It has a vibrancy that’s unmatched in the state.

CROSS NEW HAMPSHIRE ADVENTURE TRAIL This rugged, 83-mile

trail transects the northern part of the state, from the Maine border in Shelburne, New Hampshire, to the east, stretching west all the way to the Vermont border town of Woodsville, New Hampshire. It’s best done in sections, but if you’re a multiday bike packer, definitely put this one on your list.

The website xnhat.org has all the info you need to complete this North Country gem.

SOUTH

GOFFSTOWN With a hybrid, gravel or mountain bike, you can explore eclectic Goffstown with its beautiful 5.5-mile gravel-surface rail trail, the Goffstown Rail Trail (goffstownrailtrail.org). It has beautiful views of Glen Lake and the Piscataquog River. In Goffstown Village, the historic depot building is now home to Apotheca, a bike-friendly and inviting coffee, tea and flower shop. Head east on the rail trail to connect directly to Manchester’s paved rail trail system known as the Piscataquog Trail. Take the Hands Across the Merrimack bridge, which has a spectacular view of the Queen City, to access many downtown Manchester destinations. It’s about 16 miles roundtrip from Goffstown to downtown Manchester.

Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail from Shelburne to Woodsville

photos courtesy paula bedard

GORHAM A trip to the North Country’s Gorham for biking is well worth it. Stay for a few days and explore the gravelsurface, 18-mile Presidential Rail Trail (friendsofthepresidentialrailtrail.org). It is a section of the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail (xnhat.org). Start at the Presidential Rail Trail parking lot near Moose Brook State Park and head west toward Jefferson. Hit it in late June for jaw-dropping lupine blooms.

Mountain bikers of all abilities will swoon over the 22 miles of trails built and main-

tained by the Coös Cycling Club (cooscyclingclub.org). Just go get some. Afterward, downtown Gorham has many food and beverage options like White Mountain Café, Libby’s Bistro and SAaLT Pub.

Winter fat-biking in Littleton

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SALEM If your preferred ride is a skinny-tire road or hybrid bike, you most definitely want to check out the paved Salem-Windham-Derry rail trails (fsbpc. org). Starting in Salem at Tuscan Market or at the Windham Rail Trail parking lot, simply head north, all the way to Hoods Pond in Derry, about 11 miles from Salem.

Scenic mentionables include many bogs, forests and ponds, as well as historic depots in Salem and Windham. There are many opportunities for rest and or food stops along the way. Check out The Grind Rail Trail Café in Derry or Windham Junction.

photo by joe klementovich

Goffstown Rail Trail

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MORE INFO

These organizations offer tons more information about bicycling. Check out their websites or Facebook pages, or better yet, support them with a donation or membership.

Granite State Wheelers granitestatewheelmen.org New Hampshire’s largest and most active recreation road and off-road bicycling club, offering weekday and weekend group rides, events and multiday trips. Membership gets you discounts at select bike shops and more.

New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition nhrtc.org A collaboration of rail trail organizers and users with lots of resources on New Hampshire’s rail trails, including a statewide listing and suggested rides, plus trail building updates.

Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire bwanh.org New Hampshire’s statewide biking and walking advocacy organization whose mission is to get people biking and walking more often. Efforts focus on statewide education, legislation, policies and infrastructure that supports bicycling and walking for transportation, recreation, and health and environmental benefits.

New England Mountain Bike Association nemba.org A community of mountain bikers committed to creating epic riding experiences, preserving open space and guiding the future of mountain biking in New England.

Bike Friendly Communities

Did you know New Hampshire has five communities designated by the League of American Bicyclists as Bicycle Friendly Communities? It’s part of their Bicycle Friendly America (BFA) program. The BFA program provides a framework, tools and incentives that allow states, communities, businesses and universities to make bicycling a more realistic and efficient option for transportation and recreation.

Communities with a Bicycle Friendly rating are more likely to have features such as bike lanes, bike parking, signage and other safety infrastructure designed for bicyclists. They have active and dedicated planning commissions and bike-ped advisory committees that focus on the needs of bicyclists and walkers, not just cars.

Currently Keene, Concord, Portsmouth, Lebanon and Hanover have been awarded this designation, ranging from bronze to silver level. Visit the online version of this story at nhmagazine.com for a sampling of what these communities have to offer for bicyclists.

E-Bikes

Just a heads-up that electric-assist bikes, known as e-bikes, are a rapidly growing trend nationwide and many New Hampshireites have embraced this option for a variety of reasons. Some folks are just getting older and find a little boost is needed to get up hilly New Hampshire roads.

Others simply want to get to work or other destinations without working up a sweat. Parents towing kids or anyone towing any kind of cargo are thrilled to have this option. It helps you maintain safe speeds when riding in or near traffic or maneuvering up hills. A significant percentage of folks with physical limitations due to health issues (arthritis, MS, Parkinson’s disease, joint issues, lung issues, muscle issues, cardiac, you name it) have discovered that e-bikes allow them to enjoy riding again, or in some cases, for the first time.

There’s definitely a learning curve with understanding where these bikes fit in the grand scheme of things. Are they considered motorized vehicles or bikes? Like most states, the New Hampshire state law passed in 2019 categorizes them as “bikes” and not as “motorized vehicles,” but there are some issues to be aware of. For example, the most popular Class 1 e-bike option is a pedal-assist only (no throttle). You must be pedaling to get any assist from the very small (typically around 350-watt) electric-assist motor. This electric-assist motor is designed to cut out (stop providing assistance) when the bike reaches 20 mph. Class 2 e-bikes have a throttle, which means the bike can be powered without pedaling, and are not allowed in some areas. The higher-powered Class 3 e-bikes have even more restrictions. While all three categories of e-bikes are perfectly legal on roadways, rail trails and mountain bike trails typically have some restrictions. For more information, see bwanh.org/ebikes.

The popular Class 1 e-bike is most commonly accepted anywhere traditional bikes are allowed. As always, wearing a helmet is highly recommended no matter what your ride, and required by New Hampshire state law for people under 16 years of age. An e-bike could work for you. Test ride one now at just about any bike shop.

League of American Bicyclists bikeleague.org Nationwide bike advocacy organization, protecting the rights and promoting the safety of bicyclists since 1880.

For more information on the Bicycle Friendly Community program, including how your community can apply, go to bikeleague.org/bfa. nhmagazine.com |

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th P a TLess heTraveled Best Places

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Camp on an island in a remote northern lake, gaze at the Milky Way free from city lights (or any lights, for that matter), hike through a vast wilderness — these are just some of the ways to find an escape in nature

BY ERICA THOITS, PHOTO BY JOE KLEMENTOVICH

The view from the porch at the Oceanic Hotel on Star Island, where the nonprofit Star Island Corporation offers a variety of restful and educational summer retreats.

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and scenery all in one place. Birders will There’s much to love about New Hampshire, but perhaps its be interested to know that the refuge was biggest perk is that, no matter where you are, you’re close to named the first Important Bird Area in the state, and New Hampshire Audubon offers nature. Every region has something different — ocean beaches, excellent trail guides. clear lakes, mountaintop views, expanses of wilderness, extensive trails and so much more — enough variety that you could spend a The Seacoast Star Island lifetime exploring all the Granite State has to offer.

The largest of the Isles of Shoals, Star Island There are, of course, famous spots known (and visited) by is located about 7 miles from the mainland.

Day visitors are welcome, and for those people from around the world: Mt. Washington and its inwithout a boat, both the Isles of Shoals famous weather; Mt. Monadnock, the second-most climbed Steamship Company and Island Cruises offer transportation. But the best way to mountain in the world; Wolfeboro on Lake Winnipesaukee, experience the island is to stay overnight. the country’s first summer resort; and Hampton Beach with its The Star Island Corporation operates the Oceanic Hotel, which offers comfortable boardwalk feel aren't exactly locals-only secrets. but decidedly not modern accommodaThough our landmarks are famous for worthy reasons, tions, which is all a part of the charm of the restorative power of nature is often best sought well sustainable island living. The nonprofit organization is sincere in its conservaaway from the crowds. Here are recommendations in tion efforts, hence the rustic hotel with every region for “secret” (or at least less-frequented) shared bathrooms and minimal amenities.

Throughout the season, they host a number places to get away from it all.

Great North Woods 13 Mile Woods Located near Umbagog Lake (see the opposite page for information on Umbagog Lake State Park), 13 Mile Woods Community Forest along the Androscoggin River is ideal for both fishing and taking in the scenery via canoe or kayak. If you really want to get away from the crowds, this is the place. In some parts, the nearest major city or town is over 30 miles away, which has the added benefit of outstanding stargazing.

Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge Located beneath the mountains just north of the Presidential Range in Jefferson, Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge has been called one of the crown jewels of New Hampshire’s landscape. Here you can hike through both wetlands and forest (sections of the trail are boardwalks that wend through bogs and around ponds), experiencing a huge variety of wildlife, plants

of programs and conferences that include yoga, spirituality, art, history, sustainability and more. It’s a place where you can connect with yourself, friends and nature.

Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge Established in 1992, this refuge, which protects 1,000 acres for migratory birds and other wildlife, is located along the eastern shore of Great Bay in Newington. It’s one of the longest stretches of undeveloped shoreline along the bay, consisting of mud

White Mountains

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photo by joe klementovich

Pemigewasset Wilderness At 45,000 acres, this is the largest wilderness in the White Mountain National Forest. The 60 miles of maintained trails are for hikers only — no other transportation is allowed, including bikes. At one time, what is now a serene forest contained an extensive logging railroad system.

Between 1880 and 1940, over one billion board feet of timber was removed from the area, and unsustainable logging practices caused a devastating fire in 1907. Happily, the Pemigewasset Wilderness has since regrown, and now offers beautiful terrain for backpacking and hiking.

Star Island, the largest of the isles of Shoals off the coast of Portsmouth, is home to the Oceanic Hotel.

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LAKE UMBAGOG A pristine lake awaits in the wilderness of CoÜs County. The remote beauty of Umbagog Lake State Park, one of the newer additions to the state park system, is well worth the journey, and promises a summer adventure you won’t soon forget.

Tucked away up north along the border with Maine, it has a base park campground with 27 sites with electrical and water hook-ups available, three cabins, 33 remote campsites and four remote cabins in isolated locations around the lake that are accessible only by boat.

photo by joe klementovich

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Bowman Island are accessible via docks on its northwest and southeast ends.

Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee MINK BROOK NATURE PRESERVE Though located just south of the college town of Hanover, the 112-acre protects habitat for wild brook trout, bear and other wildlife while providing trails (foot traffic only) for enjoying this peaceful area. As the name of the preserve suggests, two brooks — Trout and Mink Brook — wind through the forest. The property offers a variety of walking terrain, and the easy Quinn Trail is accessible to both strollers and wheelchairs and links up with the trails in the Tanzi Tract, another preserve in Hanover. On the south side of Mink Brook, wooded hiking trails lead to more preserved land located in Lebanon.

Merrimack Valley BENSON PARK

Accessible Trails

photo by john hession

There are two popular state parks in southern New Hampshire (Bear Brook and Kingston), but if you’re hoping for

The Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in Cornish blends natural beauty with artwork by the great American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

Monadnock Region SHELDRICK FOREST PRESERVE Before Europeans settled in New Hampshire, what would become the Granite State was covered in mature forests with centuries-old, 200-foot trees. Nearly all of that forest was cleared for timber or pastures by the mid-1800s, making such majestic trees a rare sight. However, a glimpse into the past remains. Strolling through the 227-acre Sheldrick Forest in Wilton, with 40

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its cathedral-like stands of 150-foot trees, is about as close to how New Hampshire looked before settlement as you’ll find.

Lakes Region

courtesy photo

flats, salt and freshwater marshes, swamps, ponds, streams, woodlands and fields.

These rich and varied habitats provide refuge and relaxation to wildlife and people alike, and are home to the state’s largest concentration of wintering bald eagles, and several state-listed rare and endangered species. Even though it’s a part of our small coast, here you can bike, hike, paddle and watch wildlife away from the crowds.

SQUAM LAKE Squam Lake, though famously the site for the film “On Golden Pond,” is still one of the most pristine and peaceful in the state.

Big and Little Squam Lakes are naturally spring-fed and connected by a channel in Holderness, and between the two offer thousands of acres for exploration. There are plenty of opportunities for hiking and learning about wildlife (Squam Lakes Natural Science Center or Kirkwood Gardens are great choices), but consider paddling out to one of Squam’s islands. Chocorua Island is home to a unique, rustic nondenominational chapel for quiet contemplation, Moon Island’s beaches are available to nonmotorized boats and the campsites on

Crotched Mountain has over 4 miles of fully accessible mountain trails. This is the longest trail network of its kind in the US, offering everyone — regardless of physical ability — the chance to explore this beautiful area. For those with disabilities or anyone who has trouble getting around, the gently sloping mountain trails are able to accommodate wheelchairs, powerchairs and other means of assistance. To find more accessible trails around the state, visit traillink.com.

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something a bit quieter, Benson Park in Hudson is often overlooked. This 166acre recreational spot was once home to Benson’s Wild Animal Farm (1924-1987), and is now maintained by the Hudson Department of Public Works with help from a dedicated group of volunteers. You can pack a picnic, bring your canine companion to the dog park, or walk or bike along the 4 miles of easy loop paths.

Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee region courtesy photo

Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park The Saint-Gaudens estate in Cornish was the home of American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. He began living here seasonally in 1885 and year-round from 1900 to his death in 1907. Today you can walk the grounds and wooded trails, taking in artwork both natural and manmade.

From the historic estate, take in the views of rolling hills and the nearby Connecticut River, walk through the gardens and experience the place that once inspired a great artist. NH

Public Gardens

If hiking isn’t for you or is out of reach, public gardens are an easy way to enjoy the restfulness of nature.

Bedrock Gardens 45 High Rd., Lee bedrockgardens.org Distant Hill Gardens 507 March Hill Rd., Walpole distanthill.org Fuller Gardens 10 Willow Ave. North Hampton fullergardens.org Tarbin Gardens 321 Salisbury Rd., Franklin tarbingardens.com The Fells Historic Estate & Gardens 456 Route 103A, Newbury thefells.org

Bedrock Gardens

Drive • Tour • Explore MOUNT WASHINGTON Yourself • Drive • Guided Tours

Guided tours run all day on a first-come, first-served basis.

Reservations are also available online!

•

(603) 466-3988 MtWashingtonAutoRoad.com 1 Mt.Washington Auto Road, Rt. 16, Pinkham Notch, Gorham, NH nhmagazine.com |

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TASTY and ACCOMMODATING Food that caters to your taste buds and special diet

photo by emily heidt

BY EMILY HEIDT

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It’s hard enough to avoid dairy, stick to your gluten-free diet or eat vegan while at home, but it’s more challenging than ever when you’re dining out with family and friends. The good news is a restricted diet doesn’t mean restricted dining options. There are plenty of local restaurants that are dedicated to sustainability, locally sourced ingredients, and vibrant food that reminds us that we don’t have to sacrifice flavor for eating good food that is also good for you.

Whether you are gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan, special dietary restrictions don’t have to keep you from eating your way around New Hampshire’s best restriction-friendly restaurants.

You might not think of a tavern as a place where you can find many specialized dishes, but think again. The Railpenny Tavern in Epping is a family-friendly gastropub that features a diverse American fare menu complete with seasonal, local and fresh ingredients. The large, open

Opposite page and above: Healthy eating is delicious at Laney & Lu in Exeter, where they believe that “food serves a far greater purpose than simply filling our stomachs.”

dining room and rustic bar gives it a welcoming neighborhood vibe, and the menu is just as welcoming and down-to-earth.

Vegetarians and vegans will be delighted to find items like crispy sprouts, tavern fries, a poblano bean burger and a coconut green curry rice bowl to name a few, while those with gluten allergies can indulge in rosemary panko-crusted salmon or panseared sea scallops. Their tasty variety, from

courtesy photo

EDITOR’S NOTE: This issue of the magazine was in production when the scope of the novel coronavirus pandemic was just being understood and, while it’s not clear when such common joys as dining out will once again be restored, we will keep this guide refreshed with changes and closings in the online edition of this publication. In the meantime, it may provide a chance to plan ahead for when we’re able to once again venture out into the world. Visit nhmagazine.com for updates.

unique, delicious food and beverages to their comfortable atmosphere, means that your vegan friend and gluten-free family member can all enjoy a meal here together.

With locations from Stratham to West Lebanon, 110 Grill focuses on this same idea of dietary inclusivity with their seasonal menus that feature fresh ingredients and a range of gluten-free options. They pride themselves on creating a comfortable and upscale-casual atmosphere that comes complete with open kitchens, horseshoe-shaped bars and outdoor patios with fire pits to set the mood. Their separate gluten-free menu illustrates their commitment to accommodating all guests’ allergen needs. Enjoy an appetizer of crab rangoon dip and then move on to a buffalo chicken flatbread or Cajun salmon burger for your main meal. Eating fresh food doesn’t have to be boring and tasteless — a practice that you can also taste for yourself at Laney & Lu in Exeter.

The cozy atmosphere at LANEY & LU will make you want to stay well after you finish your turmeric latte and fiesta quinoa bowl. The café was founded as a way to celebrate community and the connection that food has in creating a more healthy, joyful life, and the menu is built around a simple concept: serving vibrant, real

The menu at The Railpenny Tavern is filled with delightful versions of all the foods you love. nhmagazine.com |

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Best Places food. They source from ingredients grown or responsibly produced, and buy local and/or organic whenever possible. Their plant-centric and gluten- and dairy-free friendly menu includes organic, fair trade coffee and tea, delicious smoothies and smoothie bowls, bright salads, warm rice or quinoa bowls, and savory sandwiches and toasts, all centered on their mantra to “eat consciously and live vibrantly.” The eatery combines a cool, chic environment with a locally sourced, sustainable, nutrient-dense ingredient list that reads like a garden — beautifully healthy.

Live Juice in Concord was created with the same intention of catering to the health-conscious by providing raw vegetable and fruit juices, smoothies, whole grain bowls, wraps and salads. The open space, complete with exposed brick walls, features shelves stocked with a variety of fresh foods. Their wide array of options, made with locally sourced seasonal ingredients, is what makes their menu appealing for

those with and without dietary restrictions. A gluten-free LJ western wrap is the perfect option for breakfast on-the-go, while an island breeze smoothie (dairyfree) and farmhouse salad or BBQ chicken bowl make for a delicious lunch. The staff also focuses on education, and likes their guests to understand the full capacity of raw fruits and vegetables, as well as the reasons why people eat them. Be sure to ask about the health benefits of the spinach in your salad or ginger in your smoothie the next time you visit.

Greenleaf in Milford takes the same seasonal approach as Live Juice. The team at this farm-to-table restaurant is inspired by the changing of the seasons, and sources from local farms, foragers and fishmongers.

Greenleaf is located in the historic Souhegan Valley Bank building, which dates back to 1865. The restaurant’s name is a nod to Boston-based architect Luther Greenleaf, who renovated the bank in 1907.

His original blueprints are framed on the

walls. Eat in the charming dining room or at the intimate chef ’s table, where you and five guests can sit in front of the open-concept kitchen. Enjoy gluten-free dishes like potato and leek soup or the vegetarian-friendly veggie wrap.

It’s all about community at the 130-seat Molly’s Restaurant & Bar, a favorite spot of both Dartmouth students and locals.

The walls at this timeless college bar are decorated with Ivy League memorabilia, local sports photos and artifacts. In warm weather, the outdoor patio is a welcoming place to take in the college town atmosphere. The gluten-free friend in your group will enjoy items like the superfood salad, brick oven nachos, steak and zucchini noodles, wood-fired stir fry, maple ginger salmon or the wood-fired pizza.

It’s the perfect neighborhood restaurant, much like Chef ’s Bistro in North Conway.

“Local fresh fun for everyone” is the motto at Chef’s Bistro. The restaurant is located on Main Street in the center of North Conway village, where you and your vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free best friend are served fresh, local and tasty food in a warm atmosphere. The menu is anything but boring and tasteless, with tasty options like fried cauliflower, sweet potato black bean chili, a vegetarian burger or assorted items on the charcuterie board. There are also small plates in case you just need a nibble.

At The Downtown Grille Café, good food and lovely water views come together. Take a seat at a table in the Lakeside Room or relax on the deck overlooking Wolfeboro Bay and Cate Park. Their breakfast and lunch menus offer a wide range of options for vegetarian and gluten-free guests, including breakfast wraps, sandwiches, waffles, soups and a variety of hot dogs. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a waterfront meal.

At these restaurants and others around the state, those with dietary restrictions are much more than an afterthought. In fact, all the chefs at the locations mentioned here prove that vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free meals can be just as satisfying and delicious as other foods. Perhaps the next time you dine out, you’ll be inspired to try something new — you might just be surprised. NH Left: At Greenleaf in Milford, find an exciting but welcoming menu with a nod to regional classics as well as seasonal dishes.

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courtesy photo

FOOD

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FOOD

Find It THE RAILPENNY TAVERN

8 Exeter Rd., Epping (603) 734-2609 railpennytavern.com

110 GRILL

Locations in Manchester, Nashua, Stratham, West Lebanon and Rochester 110grill.com

LANEY & LU

26 Water St., Exeter (603) 580-4952 laneyandlu.com

CHEF’S BISTRO

2724 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway Village, (603) 356-4747 chefsbistronh.com

LIVE JUICE

5 S. Main St., Concord (603) 226-3024 livejuicenh.com

More Noteworthy Spots THE FOUNDRY

54 Nashua St., Milford (603) 213-5447 greenleafmilford.com

GREENLEAF

50 Commercial St. Manchester (603) 836-1925 foundrynh.com

MOLLY’S RESTAURANT & BAR

CHANG THAI CAFÉ

43 S. Main St., Hanover (603) 643-2570 mollysrestaurant.com

DOWNTOWN GRILLE CAFÉ

33 S. Main St., Wolfeboro (603) 569-4504 downtowngrille.cafe

77 Main St., Littleton (603) 444-8810 changthaicafe.com

THE FARM CAFÉ & CONCESSIONS FOOD TRUCK 12 Emerald St., Keene (603) 354-3521 Facebook

LUI LUI

Locations in Nashua and West Lebanon luilui.com

GREEN ELEPHANT VEGETARIAN BISTRO & BAR

35 Portwalk Pl. Portsmouth (603) 427-8344 greenelephantnh.com

BLACK FOREST CAFÉ & BAKERY

212 Route 101, Amherst (603) 672-0500 theblackforestcafe.com

VIA ROMA CUCINA PIZZA & MEDITERRANEAN TOSCANA

2076 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway (603) 356-6622 viaromanh.com

LUCCIANO’S

4 Orchard View Dr. Londonderry (603) 432-2442 luccianoscafe.com

427 Amherst St. Nashua, (603) 821-7356 cucinatoscananashua.com

WILLOWS PLANT-BASED EATERY

55 S. Main St., Concord (603) 715-1095 willowspbe.com

Family friendly dining with award winning brews

• 20 handcrafted brews on tap • Farm-fresh ingredients • Locally sourced menu • First solar powered brewery in NH • Panoramic views of Mt. Kearsarge • Family-run restaurant since 1993

Serving Lunch and Dinner Daily | 40 Andover Road, New London | 603-526-6899 | flyinggoose.com nhmagazine.com |

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Summer Fun for All Sensory-friendly days are gaining in popularity at New Hampshire attractions MARY ELLEN HETTINGER, PHOTOS BY ILYA MIRMAN

G

oing to the amusement park or movies can be a lot of fun, but if you have a child on the autism spectrum, a trip out with the typical noise, sights and smells that go along with the experience can make it a not-so-fun situation for you and your child.

A number of Granite State locations are setting aside special days and weekends to accommodate parents who have children who need a “sensory-friendly” environment.

Story Land, New Hampshire’s iconic amusement park in Glen, has hosted Autism Awareness Weekends in the past in conjunction with Autism Speaks, according to Director of Marketing Lauren Hawkins.

Recently they flipped the focus from aware-

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ness to accommodating those with sensory sensitivities, introducing a calming room and quiet dining area in 2018 and Sensory Sensitive Weekends a year later.

“We felt there was a need to do more for those on the autism spectrum,” says Hawkins. Like last season, they will host two Sensory Sensitive Weekends planned for June 13-14 and September 19-20.

The main difference from normal operations is a decrease in sound, from

Above and opposite page: Story Land in Glen is planning to hold two Sensory Sensitive Weeknds this season.

background music, the rides and in the pathways, the piano and school bell, etc., without compromising safety speeches that need to be played. There are also accommodations for ordering food more quickly, and families are allowed to pack lunches and snacks if food lines are a concern.

Going Places? 10 Tips for parents of children with sensory issues To make any excursion fun for the entire family, it helps to travel as a team. Having two adults means you can divide and conquer when one child has an issue.

1. Keep in mind your children’s needs and capabilities. Your fearless firstborn may have screamed with glee on a kiddie coast-

EDITOR’S NOTE: At press time, Story Land announced its opening date, originally May 23, was delayed.

The new date was yet to be determined, but you can visit storylandnh.com/covid19 for updates. Other events, such as the Sensory Sensitive Weekends, may also change, so make sure to visit both Story Land’s website and nhmagazine.com for updates and new information. We’ll be doing our best to keep you informed of reopenings and schedule changes at all the attractions mentioned in this story.

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er at 3, but your extra-sensitive secondborn may not be ready until 6 — or ever. Forcing children into a situation they’re not ready for or shaming them for being frightened is a recipe for disaster.

2. Know everyone’s limitations. If heat or humidity cause you to break out in hives or triggers an asthma attack, have an escape plan: a seat in air conditioning. Early morning visits may be best.

3. If you’re at a motel or resort, take a cooling break in the pool or a nap midday.

Investigate two-day or late-day passes at amusement parks so you don’t feel pressured to do everything in one day.

4. Conversely, play to your child’s strengths.

If Robbie is fascinated by beads and numbers, let him play with the giant abacus at the museum as long as he likes — and capture it in a photo.

5. Be prepared. Story Land’s website has a virtual tour so you can plan your visit carefully.

6. If your child needs an inhaler or insulin, has allergies or gets carsick, don’t leave home without your kit, EpiPen or a change of

“We felt there was a need to do more for those on the autism spectrum.”

— Story Land Director of Marketing Lauren Hawkins

clothes. Bring snacks in case of delays. If your son has food issues, bring something he’ll eat. We all get cranky when we’re hungry.

7. Have a strategy for meltdowns. Where’s the nearest exit if Jonathan gets overtired? Can one parent continue on with the others so they don’t miss out? Coordinate meeting places.

8. Avoid peak, crowded times. On its website, the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire in Dover suggests times that are less likely to be busy and offers early openings for kids with special needs. (Or head to the museum on the first Sunday of each month during the school year for its Exploring Our Way Autism Partnership Program.)

9. Safety first. There’s no shame in using a harness and tether if Kimberly is prone to dashing off at high speed. According to Autism Speaks, drowning is the leading cause of wandering-related deaths for children with autism.

10. Be flexible and keep it fun. Enjoy what you can as much as you can and don’t sweat the small stuff.

“We also do quiet dining areas as best we

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where parents can see a movie with their child stress-free, with no concerns about distracting other audience members. If kids get up off their seats, it’s OK — whatever it takes for them to enjoy a movie.”

Chunky’s also offers closed-captioning (at limited locations) and sound-amplifying devices. Their menu includes gluten-free options.

Cinemagic Director of Charitable Giving Elaine Adam says their theaters have been offering special showings for a number of years, at parents’ request. Sensory-sensitive showings are offered once or twice a month in each location.

“Parents appreciate the relaxed atmosphere and that they can take all of their children there,” Adam says.

A day at the museum The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire’s Exploring Our Way program in Dover is designed for kids on the autism spectrum and their families so they can enjoy the museum just like everyone else. It’s held once a month on a Sunday morning when the museum is quieter. NH

Story Land was recently designated as a Certified Autism Center, meaning 80% of the staff completed autism and sensory awareness training.

can,” Hawkins says. The quiet dining room and calming room are permanent, and the latter has air conditioning and a few toys for those who need to regroup. For parents, days such as this enable them to relax without feeling stigmatized.

“We know there is a large portion of the community that can’t necessarily get out and go to an amusement park on any given day, so we’re delighted to provide a few weekends to make Story Land more accessible and fun for them,” she adds.

Story Land recently received designation as a Certified Autism Center from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBSSES).

This means that 80% of staff completed autism and sensory awareness training — how to recognize, understand and act compassionately when assisting families – and passed an exam.

All aboard While you’re in the North Country, Conway Scenic Railroad offers Sensory-Friend48

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ly Fridays at 4 p.m. on the Millie train.

“It’s air-conditioned, so there are no open windows,” says Manager of Marketing and Events Susan Logan.

Railroad crossings on the approximately one-hour ride around Pudding Pond will be “hand-flagged,” minimizing use of the train’s horn. Each child gets a gift bag with quiet activities. Advanced reservations are required.

Let’s go to the movies “Audience members are allowed to walk around, dance, shout or sing.” The newest “Mamma Mia” installment? No, that’s what Chunky’s Cinema Pub says about its monthly showings of first-run movies for kids with sensory sensitivity, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other issues.

“Once a month at all locations we show first-run movies with the lights up, the sound down slightly,” says Director Mike Manetta of Chunky’s.

“We want to create an environment

A version of this story originally appeared in New Hampshire Magazine’s sister publication ParentingNH, which is an excellent resource for Granite State families. Learn more at parentingnh.com.

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Best Places

CURIOSITIES

LIVE WEIRD OR DIE New Hampshire hides its strangeness better than most states. You’ll hear about our stunning mountains, lakes and forests first. Our insistence on prominence in the national political process. Our license-plate-worthy self-reliance. We’re a bedrock of a state. But when you lift up rocks, you usually find something weird hiding beneath. And we’ve got a lot of rocks. We’re the Granite State.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY J.W. OCKER

The extraterrestrial mural on the Far Out Diner in Dover

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Far Out Diner Dover New Hampshire is big in the universe. The Betty and Barney Hill abduction and the Exeter Incident both happened here. But if you want your exploration into the alienness of the state with a side of hash browns, visit the Far Out Diner. It’s a small eatery that serves breakfast and lunch and is festooned with extraterrestrial bric-a-brac. From the otherworldly mural on its exterior to the pop culture artifacts inside, you’ll get your fill of both food and flying saucers.

Muse of Comedy Statue Manchester New Hampshire has a fondness for a good stone face. And, since we lost our favorite, we’re always looking for our next. I’d nominate the 8-foot-tall stone face on the grounds of Saint Anselm College. It depicts the Greek muse of comedy and has also, in its own way, fallen off a mountain. In 1929, it adorned the apex of the art deco façade of the State Theater in Manchester, where it laughed for

and other rough structures. Its origin is unknown, but theories stretch from Native American astronomers to pre-Columbus Europeans to Colonial farmers to 20th-century hoaxers. Today, it’s a paid attraction touted as America’s Stonehenge, and, while not to the scale of its namesake, still offers plenty of strangeness.

The statue of the Greek muse of comedy once adorned a theater in downtown Manchester. Today you can find it on the Saint Anselm College campus.

decades above the city until the theater was torn down in 1978.

Mystery Hill Salem You won’t find a more controversial stack of rocks in the entire state and, possibly, the country. This bump of land, called Mystery Hill, is located in the forest of Salem. Atop the “hill” is a complex of granite blocks configured into passageways, sunken chambers,

Eli Wallace Horse Cemetery Littleton New England may be unique in the country for its historic cemeteries, but New Hampshire’s unique in New England for its horse cemetery. In 1889, Eli Wallace gave his wife Myra two bay Morgans named Maud and Mollie. The horses became more family than livestock, and, when the horses died in 1919, they were buried reverentially on Wallace’s land. After Myra’s death, Eli got another horse, Maggie, for company. She eventually joined the other horses beneath gravestones in a small spot, which is still maintained thanks to Eli’s will. Weird, but sweet.

Mystery Hill, also known as America’s Stonehenge, in Salem

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the paintings are allowed to be loud in Dartmouth’s library.

Ponemah Bog Amherst You may think of carnivorous plants as exotic jungle things, but New Hampshire’s got ’em. Sundews. Pitcher plants. Bladderworts.

We even lay down boards across mucky swamps so that we can see them. Ponemah Bog is once such place. A short looping trail wends through forest and swamp and all three types of plants. Most prominent are the pitcher plants, cone-shaped traps that slowly digest the insects who fall inside.

During spring, they’re bright green. In fall, an ominous red.

Top: Take a stroll through Ponemah Bog to see the carnivorous plants that reside there.

Bottom: “The Epic of American Civilization” mural at Dartmouth College

“The Epic of American Civilization” Mural Hanover Can you read with music playing? In crowds? What about surrounded by a grisly tableau of gods and monsters? In the library at Dartmouth College, a mural painted by José Clemente Orozco in the early 1930s

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wraps the entire room, depicting a history of North America, from its indigenous peoples to its European colonization and then industrialization. But it does so weirdly, with such imagery as a pregnant skeleton giving birth, a human sacrifice, a sea of snakes and other strangeness. Apparently,

Drowned Forests Rye New Hampshire has the country’s shortest ocean coastline, but what it lacks in beach it makes up for in drowned forests. It has two: one off Odiorne Point and another off Jenness State Beach. Most days, the only evidence of these watery woods is the historic sign denoting their existence. However, at just the right low tide, you might see the seaweed-covered stumps of cedar and pine dating back thousands of years.

The gorilla cage at Benson Park is one of the remaining items from the original zoo.

Memorial Arch of Tilton Northfield

This majestic arch on a hill looks like a memorial to an important event, but really it’s the empty grave of a rich man. Charles Tilton made millions on California gold in the 1800s, had his hometown named after him, and knew the perfect spot for a self-aggrandizing tomb — on a tall hill outside of Tilton. Thinking he could annex the property, he built a 55-foot-tall, 40-foot-wide stone arch above a lion-topped sarcophagus.

When he didn’t get the hill, he settled for a humble grave in Tilton, leaving the empty tomb as a great shady spot for a picnic.

Benson Park Hudson

Benson Park has everything you want in a park. Nature trails, a playground ... a gorilla cage. The 165-acre Benson’s Wild Animal Farm opened in the 1920s, and featured everything from giraffes to alligators to a 500-pound gorilla named Colossus. It lasted in various forms until 1987, when it closed and rotted into spookiness. In 2010, Hudson reclaimed it as a public park that maintained features of its previous life, including the gorilla cage, the elephant enclosure and a building shaped like a shoe.

Monson Ghost Town Hollis

The short-lived town of Monson was founded in 1737 and abandoned in 1770 due to limited resources. The ghost town is now a park, where the roads that once bore horse-drawn wagons are now walking trails through the woods. Scattered throughout are stone fences and cellar holes marked by signs proclaiming the names of those who once lived there. NH J.W. Ocker is a travel writer from Nashua focused on strange sites. His book, “Cursed Objects,” debuts in September. Visit him at oddthingsiveseen.com. nhmagazine.com |

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MAP IT OUT

Hauntings are just supernatural reminders that interesting stuff happened in a place long before we arrived. The Granite State is coming up on its 400th birthday in 2023. With that much history, it stands to reason that we’d have our share of ghostly goings-on.

Visit nhmagazine.com for more information on these historical spots

Illustration by Ryan O’Rourke

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LEGEND

for this map of Haunted NH Ocean-Born Mary House, Henniker A pirate captain keeps a ghostly eye on a woman named for his mother.

Three Chimneys Inn, Durham The inn’s original owner had a daughter who drowned in the river. He’s gone, but she returns.

The Notchland Inn and Nancy Barton Hart’s Location A tombstone displayed in the parlor of the inn reads: “1778. Nancy Barton. Died in a snowstorm in pursuit of her faithless lover.” Need we say more?

The 1875 Inn, Tilton As featured on “Ghost Hunters,” the inn’s resident spirit is Laura, who is said to have perished at just 12 years old during a fire sometime in the 19th century.

The Country Tavern, Nashua A jealous husband of Elizabeth Ford, who lived in the house two centuries ago, murdered her and her newborn baby and buried their remains on the grounds.

Some believe Elizabeth is still looking for her lost child.

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The Omni Mount Washington Hotel and Resort Bretton Woods The lobby, Madison Room and room 206 are all said to be haunted in this, the classy site of many ghost hunts.

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“Blood Cemetery,” Hollis Pine Hill Cemetery in Hollis is nicknamed for the ghost who supposedly haunts it — Abel Blood — buried there in 1867 next to his wife Betsy. There is a hand carved into the headstone that points upwards, and some say the hand will suddenly change to point down.

Woodlawn Cemetery, Keene People have reported the spirit of a little girl will peer out from behind trees and buildings, giggle or even follow you around.

Vale Cemetery, Wilton “The Blue Lady” Mary is said to haunt the cemetery. Blue lights rise from her grave and then slowly sink back down.

Island Path Road, Hampton Beach (The Goody Cole story) Accused of witchcraft in 1656 and again in 1671, Eunice “Goody” Cole died of natural causes in 1680. Today the area all along Island Path is said to be haunted — there have been reports of moving objects, lights and a figure that appears in the fog.

Toll Hill’s Ghostly Horse, Epsom Allegedly the ghost of a horse, trapped in an building during a blizzard, is still trying to escape, even in death.

The Ghost Jogger on River Road in Manchester It’s said that on Halloween night at 1:45 a.m. the ghost of a jogger can be seen along the road.

Wish there were one spot where you could find all the great locations covered in this issue?

You’re in luck.

Visit nhmagazine.com for our Best Places map, which we created to better direct you to the trails, restaurants, historic sites and all the other recommendations found in these pages. nhmagazine.com |

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RETIREMENT

Retire Without Retreating One view of retirement is as a layover for people on their way out of the world, but most retirees will tell you their lives have just begun. Here are the places where the best years are yet to be.

BY LYNNE SNIERSON

M

Lake Winnipesaukee

aybe you didn’t get to spend your college years at Dartmouth, but now you can enjoy your golden years in Hanover.

Located in the beautiful Upper Connecticut River Valley of New Hampshire, Hanover made the cut for the country’s “12 Smart Places to Retire” list in the July 2019 Kiplinger’s “Retirement Report,” and Money Magazine rated the town the sixth best place to live in America in 2011. This vibrant, inclusive and intellectually stimulating Ivy League college town consistently ranks high on many of the aggregated lists of the best places for retirees.

Although a college community could be the best answer for some active seniors, especially those with a keen interest in igniting their imagination and engaging their minds through academic pursuit, others are still trying to put together the puzzle pieces when picturing which nhmagazine.com |

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New Hampshire storytelling icon Fritz Wetherbee walks with Blake Tewksbury at the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough. Though the world-famous artists’ retreat is only open to the public once a year on Medal Day, its presence in Peterborough helps establish the town as a cultural center of the state. Tewksbury has delivered lunch baskets to visiting artists for decades.

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Concord Community Music School, the Kimball Jenkins Estate’s arts programs, the independent Red River Theatres, the Capitol Center for the Performing Arts and the

The Baker Memorial Library at Dartmouth College in Hanover was modeled on the famous Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

newly renovated Bank of New Hampshire Stage,” says Breton.

Concord’s lively downtown is also newly renovated. Within the last few years, the ease of access on Main Street, which is a

quintessential New England main street, has been improved. Traffic is now one lane on each side of the street, and the sidewalks, crosswalks, walkways and handicapped accessibility were all upgraded to make the area safer and much more user-friendly, especially for seniors.

“They want to be downtown more now, and they are really enjoying it,” says Breton. “There is more outdoor seating for restaurants, and now there a lot of very good restaurants with diverse cultural menus plus the classic American cuisine.

We also have all the locally owned shops and boutiques selling unique and specialty goods. Concord is a very nice and very safe place to be,” she says, adding that having the iconic Statehouse there creates extra buzz, especially during the run-ups to the first-in-the-nation presidential primary.

Hanover also boasts a bustling downtown with lovely shops and excellent restaurants, and having the Appalachian

photo by mark corliss

town or city would be the ideal spot for their meaningful third act.

Access to excellent medical care, outdoor and recreational activities, arts and cultural events, sporting events, volunteer opportunities, transportation plus walkability, safety, tax rates, housing costs and the overall cost of living should be carefully factored when coming up with the all-important quality of life quotient. Fortunately for natives and transplants alike, the Granite State offers many inclusive, wonderful and welcoming communities that check all the boxes.

Consider Concord. The capital landed on the most recent list at greatplacestoretire.com, and it was the only place in the state to impress the panel of judges.

“We’re centrally located and have a close proximity to the lakes, mountains, seacoast and forests,” says Stefanie Breton, the public information officer for the state’s fastest-growing city. “We have so much to offer culturally with the world-renowned

Best Places

RETIREMENT

Trail run right down Main Street speaks to the availability of the area’s recreational opportunities year-round, including those with the Dartmouth Outing Club and at the Dartmouth Skiway, located about 20 miles north of campus. Hanover offers a strong sense of community for blended ages with a rich cultural lifestyle, and one of the area’s biggest selling points to seniors is the top-notch Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. It is the state’s only Level 1 trauma center and sole in-state academic hospital and is affiliated with Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine.

“There is a great deal of interest from people, and not just Dartmouth alumni, from all over the country who want to retire here,” says Tracy Hutchins, president of the Upper Valley Business Alliance. “[Retirees] are moving here. We have a lot of very nice 55+ residential communities.

The arts and cultural events are ongoing, especially at the Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts, the renovated Hood Museum and Opera North, and there are a variety of ways to participate in lifelong learning or volunteer for a number of causes. Dart-

Fortunately, for natives and transplants alike, our state offers many wonderful and welcoming communities that check all the boxes. mouth engages in a lot of outreach to the community and Hanover is a phenomenal place to retire to,” says Hutchins.

Many in the Lakes Region feel the same.

Not only are natives staying put, others with an emotional attachment are moving in. Whether they went to one of the many camps on Lake Winnipesaukee as a kid, took winter vacations to ski Gunstock

Mountain, or spent lazy summers in a family cottage by one of the five lakes, they are drawn back. In droves.

“Retirees are coming to the Lakes Region. It is skewed to people who have a real appreciation for nature and the beauty of this region,” says Paul Charlton, vice president of marketing at the Taylor Home continuing care retirement communities in

! o o t y l i m Pets are fa Pets are like family here at Hunt Community, too! We are a pet-friendly Life Plan community, because we know that pets can be integral to living a joyful, active lifestyle.

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photo by michael moran

The recently renovated Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College is a cultural gem and offers free programs, open to all, including tours, lectures, conversations, sketching, storytelling, mindfulness, family days, workshops and social events.

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A Peterborough Players performance of “The Man Who Came to Dinner” starring the late James Whitmore (in wheelchair)

Laconia and Wolfeboro. “There are many who worked in Manhattan or another large city for their entire careers and have those great childhood memories, and now are choosing to retire here. They’re happy with the decision and love the lifestyle.”

Portsmouth, the picturesque maritime city filled with an abundance of museums and historic sites, is also popular for its array of entertainment offerings and senior activities, and it is close to a major medical center. Those desiring a more intimate locale will gravitate to the utterly charming towns of Exeter and Peterborough, which each topped different rating sites for New Hampshire’s best retirement spots.

Peterborough holds special appeal for those with a fine appreciation for the arts.

The Monadnock Region’s cultural center is home to the venerable MacDowell Colony for established and emerging artists in residence, the Peterborough Community Theatre, the Peterborough Players and the New England Arts Exchange. The terrific local music and food scene helped to vault Peterborough to No. 1 on niche.com’s 2019 list.

In Exeter the 55+ set is welcome to enjoy many of the educational and artistic offerings on the campus of Phillips Exeter Academy, one of the nation’s finest prep schools, and the short drives to Manchester and Portsmouth helped to land the town atop the list for best places to retire in New Hampshire by smartasset.com, and is among the 30 best in the nation. The availability of senior housing options and good medical care were prime factors in determining Exeter’s top billing.

No matter which city or hamlet is chosen, the best places in our state set the gold standard for living well in the golden years. NH

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ON THE RISE

a nd To wn s!

CITIES ON

THE RISE EVEN HERE IN THE BEST STATE IN THE COUNTRY (OUR OPINION, BUT HEARTFELT) CITIES RISE AND FALL OVER TIME. BUT SOME PLACES DON’T TAKE THE CHANGES LYING DOWN AND CHOOSE TO TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR FUTURES. LIKE THESE...

BY BARBARA COLES, PHOTO BY JOE KLEMENTOVICH Littleton’s River District, which is home to the popular Schilling Beer Co., is just one reason why this mountain town makes the list.

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ON THE RISE

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LITTLETON

Maybe Littleton took a cue from Pollyanna, the irrepressibly optimistic girl in the well-known children’s stories written by Littleton native Eleanor H. Porter. In the midst of the downtown, to mark Porter’s literary achievement, there’s a bronze statue of Pollyanna, arms flung wide, looking like she is welcoming all that is good.

And, for the 20 years the statue has stood there, there has been a whole lot of good happening and Littletonians are, well, optimistic that there will be more coming.

Not long before the statue was put in place, Littleton had become one of the first New Hampshire communities to institute the national Main Street program to help revitalize a downtown that had a 20% vacancy rate. Fast forward to today — the recent vacancy rate, the clearest measure of a town’s vitality, has been at a high of 5% and a low of 2%.

Along the way, Littleton received the honor of becoming one of only two New Hampshire towns

photo by joe klementovich

The stories are similar — once-vibrant New Hampshire downtowns, humming with commerce, decay into a place of empty storefronts, becoming shabbier by the day. It is a downward spiral that many, if not most, of the state’s cities and towns have witnessed over the years. Much of the decline started when the mills moved south in the ’60s and ’70s.

Recessions later played a part. So did the arrival of malls and online shopping.

But, like the green plant that grows in the crevice of a rock, cities and towns, one by one, gained new life. It wasn’t easy; it took considerable resources, determined leadership and a ton of community spirit. Here, we profile three cities and two towns that are among the most successful.

From left: Miller’s Café & Bakery, the original Schilling Beer Co. brewpub and Schilling’s new tasting room and production facility all overlook the Ammonoosuc River in Littleton.

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Schilling Beer Co.’s modern tasting room and production facility complements the original brewpub, which is located in one of the oldest commercial buildings north of Concord. The former gristmill dates back to the 18th century.

photo by joe klementovich

Two arched gateways adorned with colorful floating umbrellas guide you through Littleton’s Mill Street and Riverwalk.

(Milford is the other) that have been named a Great American Main Street Community, a coveted and competitive national award given by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Littleton is not just a vibrant Main Street with attractions like the world’s longest candy counter (112 feet!) at Chutters and entertainment at the historic Opera House; it has another trove of activity along the Ammonoosuc River, which parallels Main Street.

Among the businesses in what is called the River District, developed in recent years, is the Schilling Beer Co. in a converted 18th-century riverside gristmill, the League’s Littleton Gallery and the Riverwalk covered bridge. There’s also the Tannery Marketplace, a reconstituted 1878 tannery building, which has numerous small businesses, both retail and professional, occupying its 30,000 square feet of space.

“Littleton is an exciting place to be,” says Charles Mullen, manager of the Tannery Marketplace. “I call it the New York City of the North Country.”

That excitement is drawing a lot of young people to the town, a significant accomplishment in an aging state. It doesn’t hurt that the town is just off I-93 and close to all that the White Mountains can offer.

Five years ago, The Boston Globe described Littleton as “teetering on the edge of hipness.” Today, most agree, it’s no longer teetering. nhmagazine.com |

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Between the Rochester Opera House (pictured below), parades, eye-catching stores and plentiful dining options, Rochester has a little bit of everything for visitors.

the Main Street program, starting in 2006.

“Multiple organizations are working to get the city cleaned up,” says Angela Mills, executive director of Rochester Main Street.

“It’s a win-win for everyone.”

She credits city officials with providing the tools for new development. “They’re coming at it from multiple directions,” Mills says. Among the tools, financial help with grants and loans as well as changes in city ordinances to lessen red tape and encourage more downtown residential development. “Now someone might be able to create 20 apartments instead of three,”

she says, a change that can increase the foot traffic important to downtown businesses.

Also increasing foot traffic, the many events the city has, including free comic book day, the gay pride parade and the Christmas parade. Another big draw is the once-dilapidated 1908 Opera House, with its one-of-a-kind movable floor. In the late 1990s, it was restored through volunteer efforts and fundraising; it now hosts internationally recognized artists.

“I think people are now realizing the value of a healthy and vibrant downtown,” Mills says.

courtesy photo

This is the month when Rochester demonstrates why it’s called the “Lilac City” with its annual array of lavender.

Against that backdrop of color is a downtown that’s blossoming itself, with empty storefronts filling up with new businesses one by one, bringing down a vacancy rate that was once sky-high.

Rochester’s growing vibrancy was evident enough this magazine dubbed it a “City on the Rise” in the 2018 Best of NH issue. Noted was “a significant grassroots movement to bootstrap the city into prominence as a center for art, culture, dining and economic vitality.”

Part of the grassroots movement is Todd Radict, owner of Skele-Tone Records and one of the organizers of Rochester Rise Up, a group of store owners, community members and city officials that meet to determine ways to beautify Rochester. “If your city doesn’t look inviting, nobody’s going to come,” he says. Sprucing up buildings, cleaning streets and sidewalks, increasing pedestrian safety and adding color are just a few examples of what’s been done.

“There’s a very good vibe around Rochester now,” Radict says.

Rochester also benefited by being part of

photo courtesy rochester main street

ROCHESTER

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MILFORD

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Above: The Milford Pumpkin Festival draws tens of thousands of visitors to the town’s downtown every year. Below: Vynterest Antiques and Flips will be opening their new Barn on Savage Farm location in June 2020.

It wasn’t so long ago that you wouldn’t have seen world cuisine offered in Milford. “It was a little out-of-the-box,” says Rachael Barnard, co-owner of La Medina, which offers world cuisine. But she knew that diners in Milford and the surrounding area had grown more sophisticated and would support the venture.

Her restaurant is one of many that have opened their doors in Milford in recent years. Of note as well is Greenleaf, operated by a pair of restaurateurs renowned in the state. Chef Chris Viaud and Keith Sarasin, sensitive to the preservation of historic places, chose a circa 1860 downtown bank building for the restaurant.

It’s that type of preservation that many cities and towns hope for. “It preserves a piece of history,” says Lincoln Daley, Milford’s director of community development. He adds that the burgeoning number of restaurants in Milford provides the opportunity for other businesses to build on the foot traffic the restaurants generate. “It’s a nice little hot spot for businesses,” he says. One reason Milford is a hot spot is its prime location, close to Nashua and Manchester, not far from the Massachusetts line.

Back in the 1980s, it was a very different scene. According to the Milford Improvement Team website, Milford had just a few struggling businesses, deteriorating public ways and a reputation as a gathering spot for drug dealers. When the historic town hall was close to being condemned by the State Fire Marshall, the community responded by approving funds to restore it.

That was a catalyst for change. Grassroots initiatives, like making the popular pumpkin festival an annual event, began. Those efforts were formalized in a citizens’ group that eventually merged with Main Street America, a program established by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to address the issues facing older and historic downtowns.

Part of the Main Street program, which has successfully been used in many New Hampshire communities, focuses on improving the appearance of downtowns. In Milford, it meant brick sidewalks, attractive lighting and improving pedestrian movement around the downtown’s ring of stores — the “oval,” as they say in Milford.

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Downtown Claremont

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Since its grand reopening in 1979, the Opera House has become the entertainment center of the area with a full calendar of programming ranging from comedy shows to plays.

warned the buildings were too dangerous to enter. Long story short, Alex Ray of The Common Man fame and partner Rusty McLear built a restaurant and hotel there, a real draw for the city especially with the interstate nearby. There were other takers too, including the high-tech Red River company.

The revitalization of the mills — helped along financially by city, state and federal programs — provided the spark for the downtown to come alive.

One of the many businesses that would open its doors was Claremont Spice & Dry Goods. Ten years ago, Chiara Tosi-Nelson and her husband Benjamin bought the business and last year created a sister store, The Kitchen Drawer.

Benjamin had grown up in Claremont; his family had lived there for generations.

Returning to Claremont, seeing it as a thriving city, made them happy to be part of it. Chiara says, “This is a place you want to come back to.”

photo by joe klementovich

It was just before the Revolutionary War that Col. Benjamin Tyler built the first mill on the Sugar River in the Colonial settlement of Claremont. Many more mills would be built along the river and Claremont became a prosperous city. In 1897, the Opera House, its crown jewel to this day, was built.

A century later, Claremont was in dire straits, having followed the same trajectory as other aging cities, succumbing to the weight of economic dislocations. The long-abandoned mills along the river were slated to be torn down. The city was nearly bankrupt. Three city managers had come and gone in the space of a year.

“It was a desperate time,” says Guy Santagate, who became last in the string of city managers in 2001. He had come at the behest of a citizens’ committee that knew the city was in trouble and hoped his considerable experience could produce a turnaround.

Santagate started with what he felt could be the key to revitalization — the mills along the river, the ones the city was planning to tear down. After he convinced the city to wait, Santagate lured prospective developers to Claremont to take a look. “I knew it could be a beautiful property,” he says.

He also knew it would take someone with extraordinary vision to see the possibilities after walking past signs that

photo by stillman rogers

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LACONIA

photo by rob clifford

As other New Hampshire cities and towns started to rebound in recent years, Laconia lagged behind. It was, in large measure, because of actions taken a half-century ago that, while well intentioned, hampered the city’s recovery.

One of those was a major urban renewal project in the 1970s that, among other things, created a difficult traffic pattern that discouraged downtown development.

Another was a decision not to pursue a direct link to I-93.

For years, there were empty storefronts and little nightlife. Young people, vital to any city, left in droves. The median age shot up 20% between 2000 and 2016.

But, in 2017, an ambitious new master plan was formulated, one that would set the city on an upward trajectory for residential and commercial development. As a city official put it at the time, it would be a plan with “well-worn pages,” not one “that sits on the shelf and gathers dust.” And so it was.

The city’s efforts were amplified by citizen initiatives like Celebrate Laconia. It was set up in 2018 to plan events to celebrate

This world-famous neon sign features 696 11-watt chaser bulbs, 200 feet of neon tubing, and distinctively lights up to welcome visitors to Weirs Beach.

the city 125th anniversary, but its work soon went far beyond that. Jared Guilmett, one of the organizers, says the group’s mission was to be “a strong leader in increasing the vibrancy of the city.”

To help advance the mission, Laconia Talks was created. It’s a series of community conversations where residents gather to to talk about the city’s critical issues, among them how to bring young professionals to the city. Guilmett is hopeful that will happen: “Laconia is an attractive community and a lot of pieces are starting to fall into place. We want to

find a way to lock them in.”

One of those pieces is the cultural activity that will be provided, starting late this year, by the Colonial Theatre. The century-old Main Street performance venue, long closed, is now being restored to its former elegance; it’s one of the largest historic preservation projects in state history.

“It is a strategic investment in the community to continue to build opportunity in Laconia,” says Justin Slattery, executive director of Belknap Economic Development Council, which spearheaded the multimillion-dollar financing of the project. “It’s really an anchor to the downtown.”

There are other draws as well. For nearly a century, Motorcycle Week has brought bikers from across the country to Weirs Beach, itself recently undergoing significant sprucing up. And now thousands more come to the New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival, which was moved to Laconia from Keene a few years ago.

“We’re seeing a lot of can-do attitude in the city,” says Slattery.

Guilmett agrees: “Laconia is an energized community, ready to break through and really become a strong force in the Lakes Region.” NH

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MAP IT OUT

Our state is often rumored to have more working authors per capita than any other, so this list of some of the most famous is far from complete. But here are some of the writers who have so impressed the world that international visitors might stop in front of your house to ask the way to their homes.

No fair saying, “Can’t get there from here,” when you have this map.

Visit nhmagazine.com for more information on these historical spots.

Illustration by Ryan O’Rourke

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LEGEND

for this map of Literary NH The Frost Place, Franconia, the Robert Frost Farm, Derry: Some speculate that the reason our famous poet left so many farmhouses behind to tour was that he wasn’t that great a farmer.

J.D. Salinger’s house, Cornish: The notoriously reclusive author of “The Catcher in the Rye” was never that hard to find, but woe to those who bothered him in his retreat.

John Irving, Exeter: Many of the famous author’s most acclaimed books (“The Hotel New Hampshire” and “A Prayer for Owen Meany”) are set in New Hampshire.

Sarah Josepha Hale Memorial Park, Richards Free Library, Newport: Hale was an influential publisher who convinced President Lincoln to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. A prestigious literary award is given in her name each year.

Donald Hall, Eagle Pond Farm, Wilmot: The late US Poet Laureate’s home is being preserved by friends and fans as a shrine to his vast body of work.

Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” Peterborough: One of the most famous plays of all time was based on Peterborough and was written at the nearby MacDowell Colony.

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Grace Metalious, Manchester and Gilmanton: The author of the then-scandalous “Peyton Place” is known for Manchester (where she wrote) and Gilmanton (where she grew up).

E.E. Cummings, Madison: The popular and transformational poet, known for minimal punctuation, retreated here. His Joy Farm on Silver Lake is a National Historic Landmark.

Eleanor H. Porter, Littleton: The author of “Pollyanna” grew up here, and there’s a statue on the library lawn that honors her famously upbeat character.

Jodi Picoult, Hanover: One of the most popular authors today, known for her topical fictional themes, writes in the shadow of Dartmouth College.

Elizabeth Yates, Peterborough and Concord: Yates, who wrote “Amos Fortune Free Man” and other works, died in Concord in 2001. The Concord Public Library has an award in her name.

Willa Cather, Jaffrey: Best known for “O Pioneers,” she won the Pulitzer Prize for “One of Ours,” an unconventional story about WWI. She’s buried in Jaffrey’s “Old Burying Ground” near the grave of Amos Fortune.

Thomas Bailey Aldrich, Portsmouth: His semiautobiographical “The Story of a Bad Boy,” set on the seacoast, is said to have influenced Mark Twain’s creation of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. nhmagazine.com |

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Take Your Pet PET-FRIENDLY DESTINATIONS

BY EMILY HEIDT

photo by ellen lobdell

Tug in his backpack enjoying a break from the wind. Check out the adventures of Gus and Tug on Instagram @gusandtug.

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You know New Hampshire to be home to a variety of beautiful and noteworthy hotels, trails and restaurants, but did you know that your pets can join you in partaking in some of the same luxuries? Don’t leave your loyal companions home next time you go on a trip — bring them with you.

No matter where you’re headed in the Granite State, there are plenty of beaches, dog parks, hotels, trails and restaurants at your disposal for you and your furry, four-legged friends.

Trails

Hiking with your dog is a great excuse to get outside, connect with nature and explore all of the beautiful trails New Hampshire has to offer. Chances are your dog will enjoy the sights, smells, fresh air and exercise too.

LAKE MASSABESIC TRAIL, Auburn This is a 4-mile, heavily trafficked loop that offers the chance to see wildlife and is appropriate for all skill levels. The trail also offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until October.

Your dog must be on a leash if you are going to walk this trail.

FALLS IN THE RIVER TRAIL, Pittsburg This 3.5-mile, beginner-level trail runs along the Connecticut River and features breathtaking views of the gorge and flume near the middle of the hike.

It’s not uncommon to see a moose while you are walking, so leashing your dog might be a good idea.

MT. MAJOR AND BROOK TRAIL LOOP, Alton Bay This is a moderate-level, 3.7-mile, heavily trafficked loop with beautiful wild flowers, and ideal for walks April through November. This trail is a fan favorite for its hike along a pretty brook where your dog can drink and swim. Your dog is required to be on a leash, but not many people follow this rule, as there are as many dogs on the trail as there are people.

NORTH MOAT MOUNTAIN AND DIANA’S BATHS, North Conway This is a longer, more difficult hike, so only bring your dog if they are up for a few extra miles. While it is 10.2-miles roundtrip, Diana’s Baths is a fun place to stop and swim with your dog along the way. Don’t expect to be alone on a hot summer day.

courtesy photo

Soaking up the sun at the NASWA Resort on Lake Winnipesaukee in Laconia.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This issue of the magazine was in production when the scope of the novel coronavirus pandemic was just being understood and, while it’s not clear when hotels, restaurants and other businesses will reopen their doors, we will keep this guide refreshed with changes and updates online at nhmagazine.com. In the meantime, it may provide some vicarious enjoyment and a chance to plan ahead. Visit nhmagazine.com for updates.

MOUNT OSCEOLA, Lincoln If you and your dog are looking to tackle one of the Granite State’s famous 4,000foot peaks, Mount Osceola is a good place to start. This 12.3-mile round-trip hike has gorgeous views of the Kancamagus wilderness and plenty of wildflowers that make the steep trek worth it. The entrance at Tripoli Road is the more dog-friendly place to start. nhmagazine.com |

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“If happiness is the goal, and it should be, then adventures should be a priority.”

-Richard Branson

A hiker and companion on the 3.2-mile Mount Willard loop trail. This easy hike has a big payoff — the view of Crawford Notch from the cliff is fantastic, especially during foliage season.

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Beaches

control. Make sure to check the tidal charts before you head out as this beach disappears during high tide.

If salty air, sandcastles and splashing in the waves sound like the perfect day for you and your canine companion, then a trip to the beach is a must. When you are packing the chairs and umbrellas, don’t forget extra leashes, poop bags, fresh water and beach towels. Although dogs are not allowed on any ocean beaches in New Hampshire state parks, there are several pet-friendly beaches along the state’s 18 miles of shoreline to explore.

SEABROOK BEACH Located in Seabrook between Hampton Beach and Salisbury Beach, Seabrook Beach is a dog-friendly hidden gem for you and your pet. Dogs are required to be leashed year-round, and are limited to the hours of before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day. With this in mind, we recommend visiting off-season.

FOSS BEACH Foss Beach in Rye is a town-owned beach, which means that you and your dog are allowed anytime during the off-season from sunrise to 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. the Saturday before Memorial Day through the Saturday after Labor Day. It’s a long stretch of beach that runs from the Rye Harbor State Park along Ocean Boulevard past Washington Road. While the beach is rocky, you are allowed to have your dog off the leash as long as they are under voice

GREAT ISLAND COMMON For a more scenic beach visit, check out Great Island Common in New Castle. Consisting of 32 acres, it includes a small, sandy beach, rocky shoreline, picnic area and stone jetty popular for fishing. While you are walking your dog, don’t forget to look for the area’s two lighthouses, Whaleback and Portsmouth Harbor Light, and three local forts, Fort Constitution, Fort McClary and Fort Foster. No dogs are allowed from May 15 through September 15, but this is

still an enjoyable place to bring your dog (on-leash) during the off-season.

Dog Parks

Unplanned parties are the best, especially when your dog is involved. Before you bring your dog out to socialize, make sure that they are licensed, vaccinated and spayed or neutered. Check out these local dog parks and let your dog run free and maybe even make some new friends.

HUDSON DOG PARK AT BENSON PARK 19 Kimball Rd., Hudson This park boasts plenty of room for your dog to romp around from sunrise to sunset, and there are even two separate areas, large and small, for dogs to play leash-free.

LIVE FREE AND RUN DOG PARK Green Road, Kingston This is a fenced-in, off-leash park where you and your dog are encouraged to engage with the community around you, and participate in education, training and recreational activities. There is a membership

photo by joe klementovich

Make sure that you have a leash, collar, travel bowl, water and treats ready to go before you and your pooch head into the dog park.

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DERRY DOG PARK Fordway Extension, Derry This local park is completely fenced in, allowing your dog the opportunity to run and play freely in a safe and enclosed environment. There are also agility obstacles and available to keep your dog entertained from sunrise to sunset.

SHAKER FIELD DOG PARK 535 NH-4A, Enfield This park has something for every dog. The park features three separate enclosures: one for small dogs (30 pounds and under), one for large dogs (over 30 pounds) and a training area. There are also amenities like benches, tunnels, rock piles, boulders and tires.

Hotels

THE GLEN HOUSE 979 NH-16, Gorham (603) 466-3420; theglenhouse.com The Glen House makes it their goal to make sure “all guests, both human and canine, have the most enjoyable experience as possible.” Their $20 per day pet cleaning fee includes use of a doggie bed and doggie bowl to borrow during your visit, as well as treats and a welcome note for your dog.

ADVENTURE SUITES 3440 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway (603) 356-9744; adventuresuites.com Adventure Suites is a one-of-a-kind hotel that features themed suites where you can bring your dog, like the Tree House, Jungle,

CHURCH LANDING AND MILL FALLS AT THE LAKE 312 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith (844) 745-2931; millfalls.com Both vacation experiences offer pet-friendly rooms so you and your dog can enjoy the spectacular views of Lake Winnipesaukee.

There is a charge of $25 per animal per night, and your pet will receive a goodie bag with treats, toys and bowls at check-in. Complimentary litter boxes are provided for cats.

RIVERWALK RESORT AT LOON MOUNTAIN 22 S. Mountain Dr., Lincoln (603) 745-7500; riverwalkresortatloon.com This resort is the perfect place to bring your dog as it boasts plenty of local dog-friendly trails and town spots to check out. You will find plenty of ponds and rivers for a drink and a good roll in

photo stillman rogers

The days are gone when traveling with your pet meant staying at roadside motels with stained carpets and curious odors. Hotels all around New Hampshire are putting the “friendly” in pet-friendly by not only allowing dogs or cats, but pampering them too.

Above and below: Bring your dog along to partake in the great food and scenic view at The Covered Bridge Farm Table restaurant in Campton.

courtesy photo

Wine Cellar and Motorcycle Madness.

There is a $25 charge per dog per night, and pet sitters are available to watch your dog as they are not allowed to be in the room alone. If you reserve ahead of time, there will be a special treat waiting for your dog when you arrive.

fee to be a part of this park, but dues go toward keeping the space maintained.

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the sun. If Rocky gets too dirty on your hike, you can always take him to Mary’s Wash N’ Wags for a doggy spa day.

WHITNEY’S INN AT JACKSON 357 Black Mountain Rd., Jackson (603) 383-8916; whitneysinn.com The cottages at Whitney’s Inn at Jackson give you and your furry family plenty of room to move around and partake in the charming New England experience that its travelers seek. There are several golf courses and fly fishing spots a stone’s throw away, as well as hiking trails that you and your dog can both enjoy.

THE NASWA RESORT 1086 Weirs Blvd., Laconia (603) 366-4341; naswa.com This resort understands that dogs are an extension of your family, and they want to welcome them as such. A pet fee of $25 per night per pet is required, and all guests checking in will receive a “Welcome Kit” that includes a listing of pet services in the area, treats and a pet toy. Your room will also be provided with dog bedding, pet bowls and pet waste bags.

Restaurants

BRICK HOUSE DRIVE-IN RESTAURANT 1391 Hooksett Rd., Hooksett (603) 622-8091; bhrestaurant.net Drive up with your pup and enjoy a meal in your car or at a picnic table at this must-visit spot.

T-BONES GREAT AMERICAN EATERY Locations in Bedford, Concord, Derry, Hudson, Laconia and Salem t-bones.com Burgers, homemade chili steaks, stuffed scallops casino, chicken Parmesan and more are available at these hotspots. Your dog is welcome to sit with you at one of the outdoor terrace tables, and staff will be happy to bring them a water bowl and maybe even a treat or two.

THROWBACK BREWERY 7 Hobbs Rd., North Hampton (603) 379-2317; throwbackbrewery.com What’s better than cold beers and a friendly game of corn hole on a summer night? Bring your dog to hang out at the beer garden as you sample farm-fresh beer and food at this small, inspired brewery. You can’t bring your dog inside the restaurant, so make sure you bring someone to watch them while you order your meal. Dog bowls and water are available if you need them.

Don’t leave Tucker at home when it’s time for lunch. Restaurants around New Hampshire make it easy for your pet to join you at an outdoor table. Bone appétit.

COVERED BRIDGE FARM TABLE 57 Blair Rd., Campton (603) 238-9115; farmtablenh.com This hidden gem offers a unique menu as unique as the view. Bring your dog to the outdoor patio and enjoy the scenic Pemigewasset River and historic Blair Covered Bridge as you sip on a peanut butter and jelly martini.

LAKESIDE DELI & GRILLE 2 Pleasant St., Meredith (603) 677-7132; lakesidenh.com With a nice breeze and gorgeous lake views, this is one of the best places to hang out when the sun is shining. Your dog is invited to join you as you delight in a great selection of food and beers on tap. NH

VIRTUAL HEART WALK The American Heart Association’s New Hampshire Heart Walk is going virtual to encourage heart healthy activities while staying home.

On Sunday, June 7, all of New Hampshire is invited to the Heart Walk, participants and teams will not physically meet but are invited to get moving at home or around the neighborhood!

Visit NHHeartWalk.org today!

Locally Sponsored by:

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ADVENTURE

Winter fat-biking just outside of Littleton

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There are three things that make up a good adventure town.

The first and most obvious being easy access to the outdoors and endless ways to recreate. Second, a community with a sense of adventure that is deeply embedded in the culture, and works collectively to help it thrive.

Lastly, top-notch local brews, because no adventure is complete without a good beer. Yet, truth be told, no matter what you’re sipping on, it all begins and ends with a great adventure town to call home.

In a place like New Hampshire, none of these things are hard to come by, and each region has an outdoor mecca with a brand of fun all its own. Whether you want alpine trails and winding singletrack, a pristine surf break, or acres of backcountry ski glades, there’s a basecamp for you. Oh, and beer. There’s plenty of that too.

Ready to put down roots? Here are the best adventure towns in New Hampshire. photo by joe klementovich

BY KATHERINE ENGLISHMAN nhmagazine.com |

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meredith THE VIBE An easygoing lakeside escape THE FOOD + DRINK Twin Barns Brewery/Tamworth Distilling THE ADVENTURE Adventure in or on Lake Winnipesaukee, explore the Ossipee Mountains

Situated in the heart of the Lakes Region with the Ossipee Mountain Range as its backdrop, Meredith is downright dreamy. This lakefront town puts you on the shoreline of the state’s largest lake with close proximity to 5,000-plus acres of scenic hiking and riding trails in the Ossipee Range. Bald Knob, Mount Shaw and Mount Major are standout hikes in the area, complete with waterfalls and wide-open summit views of the lakes and surrounding peaks.

When it’s cold, locals get their thrills on ice: from the Pond Hockey Classic to the Ice Fishing Derby, and cross-country skiing or snowshoeing along the same Ossipee trails. In every season, this is a place to choose your own adventure.

As for food and drinks, the newly opened Twin Barns Brewing offers craft beer on tap, or travel 30 minutes north to sample the bespoke spirits and farm-fresh food at Tamworth Distilling & Mercantile.

White Lake in Ossipee

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littleton THE VIBE Heritage meets hipster THE FOOD + DRINK Schilling Beer Co. THE ADVENTURE All things White Mountains: skiing, hiking, biking, climbing

Don’t take it personally, Conway, we love you, we do, but it’s time for Littleton to get the mountain town cred it deserves. At the northern terminus of the White Mountains, Littleton straddles the North Country and White Mountain regions. However, the 10-minute drive to the Whites is what makes it an ideal basecamp for outdoor enthusiasts who want a quick mountain exit.

Here, a thriving maker scene meets a spirited outdoor adventure culture — a facet of their character that makes them unique, for sure, and pleasantly surprises out-oftowners. Foodies and beer lovers will happily get their fill at Schilling Beer Co., while everyone should experience Littleton’s ski town roots at Lahout’s Ski Shop — the oldest ski shop in North America. A national treasure, if you will.

Then, there’s the adventure: Franconia Notch State Park, Cannon Mountain, a burgeoning mountain biking trail system in nearby Bethlehem, plus climbing both indoors and out, all within a 20-mile radius.

photo by jenn bakos

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pittsburg THE VIBE Rugged and remote THE FOOD + DRINK Coös Brewing Company THE ADVENTURE Winding trail systems, pristine lakes and rivers, and Dixville Notch State Park Yes, the Great North Woods might be pretty far, er, north, but trust us when we say that it’s worth the trip. The tradeoff for the long drive is a wilder, more remote experience with plenty of natural beauty.

Pittsburg is an underrated adventure town that is no-frills in the best way. There’s no hustle or bustle, no flashy promenade to distract you, just a down-to-earth approach that puts the focus on immersing yourself in the outdoors.

The region is known for its impressive snowmobiling trail system, but there’s no shortage of human-powered adventures to partake in either. Its many glacial lakes — First and Second Connecticut Lake, Lake Francis — are delightful in the summer, and when frozen, make for excellent cross-country skiing. Beyond that, there are miles of biking trails, whitewater rafting and camping.

South of Pittsburg, the granite spires of Dixville Notch feel like New Hampshire’s own Dolomites.

At the end of the day, you’ll be glad to settle in and enjoy a cold one from the local Coös Brewing Company. Adventures and beer are the perfect pairing, after all.

The remote Pittsburg area is ideal for quiet reflection amid the vast wilderness. photo by joe klementovich

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sunapee

rye

THE VIBE Four-season adventure hub THE FOOD + DRINK The Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille THE ADVENTURE Hike, swim and ski the mountains and the lakes of Sunapee

THE VIBE The Seacoast’s Surftown THE FOOD + DRINK Smuttynose Brewery/Stoneface Brewing THE ADVENTURE Exposed reef breaks, sandy beaches and paddling the waterways In comparison to its mountain ranges and ravines, dense buffer of forests, and region of shimmering lakes, New Hampshire has a relatively short stretch of coastline. Yet, in classic East Coast fashion, what it lacks in size, it delivers in epic adventures.

Located along the 18-mile-long seashore is Rye, the Seacoast’s vibrant adventure hub. From town, surfers can easily paddle out to beach breaks like Jenness Beach and Rye On The Rocks, but it’s not out of the question to travel up Route 1A to find a better swell in Hampton.

For gear, head to Cinnamon Rainbows, Rye’s local surf shop that’s open year-round for retail or rentals. If it’s not pumping, or surfing isn’t your thing, there are other ways to get your fix: Spend a day on Sawyer’s Beach, check out the skate park, go out with the crew at Granite State Whale Watching, or head inland to Portsmouth Paddle Company for a mellower afternoon.

Of course, there’s the breweries. Smuttynose Brewery is a local institution now with a new outpost, called Smuttlabs. Its second location features a kitchen and a tasting room serving up limited-edition, small-batch brews. And, don’t pass up the chance to visit Stoneface Brewing to try some of their tasty craft beers after a sun-soaked day on the Seacoast. NH

photos by joe klementovich

Lake Sunapee

A peaceful slice of paradise with plenty of heart-pumping adventures, you’ll have a variety of outdoor endeavors with Sunapee as your basecamp. Despite its southern orientation, what might seem like its edging on the flatlands actually has plenty of elevation to gain year-round.

Hikers can scramble up to the summit of Mount Kearsarge via the Lincoln Trail for a challenging 8-mile-long trek with sweeping views of the state park. If being on the water is more your style, Lake Sunapee’s clear blue waters are where you’ll spend your time swimming, boating or fishing.

During the other half of the year, you can get your turns in at Mount Sunapee, a popular ski resort that boasts the highest vertical drop in southern New Hampshire. Alternatively, Ragged Mountain is just 30 minutes north, where you can slide around on 200+ acres of fun skiable terrain.

If you’re hungry, you’ll fare well at The Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille. Feast on locally grown and organic dishes while enjoying some local beers. In the summer, you can dine al fresco or get cozy indoors when the temps drop.

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Samantha Brown Really Gets Around

Television’s “Travel Goddess” picks her favorite spots in her favorite (home) state

BY RICK BROUSSARD, PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAMANTHA BROWN

S

Samantha Brown on Squam Lake

he’s been around the world as a journalist, and her work with the Travel Channel has transformed her face and warm, sunny personality into the ideal travel companion for millions, but when picking places for the third season of her show, Samantha Brown’s “Places to Love,” she decided it was time to bring it all home.

Old home, that is, since she currently dwells in New York, but she grew up and her parents still reside on the New Hampshire seacoast. In the New Hampshire episode of the 13-part series, she took advantage of the opportunity to finally have a look around her home state to find a few of those special places that you just want to tell the world about.

It was an eye-opener for her. “My family and I stuck mainly to the coast of New Hampshire and never went to the mountains, so it was a real pleasure to be a curious traveler in my own state,” says Brown.

As the episode unreels, Brown arrives

on Lake Winnipesaukee aboard the M/S Mount Washington and goes straight to Funspot, the world’s largest arcade. From there, she continues her tour of the Lakes Region by taking a loon-spotting cruise on Squam Lake, and she concludes her trip on a Cog Railway ride to the summit of Mount Washington.

While in Laconia (featured in our “Cities on the Rise” story in the issue on page 69), she had lunch at a popular, local farm-totable restaurant, aptly named Local Eatery, that partners with nearby farms for their menu. Then, on her cruise of the North Country, Brown and her entourage spent some time in Littleton (another of our “Cities on the Rise,” page 64) and explored its Main Street USA downtown lined with unique, locally run shops and eateries, hitting all the high points along the way, notably the Littleton Diner, “which is the breakfast spot for many presidents,” she notes. She also dropped by Chutters, nhmagazine.com |

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Peak selfie: Samantha Brown is on top of the world after her scenic ride to the peak of Mt. Washington on the Cog Railway.

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athletic teams competing mostly at the DI level

home of the longest candy counter in the world, according to the “Guinness Book of World Records.” Her verdict? “It’s the perfect day-trip destination!”

While her parents may not have shown her the sights of their home state when she was young, she recalls one very New Hampshire story from her youth: “When I was a little girl, my mom would tell me the story of how I was a bear cub she found in the woods.” Being an impressionable child, she recalls, “I would sometimes search our backyard in looking for my bear mom and dad, worried that they were missing me.

If I wasn’t getting along with my sisters or parents, I was certain it was because I was a bear and they were not.”

Coming home is always a time of memories. While filming at the Omni Mount Washington Resort, she went out for a walk and spotted five lady slipper orchids. “It made me tear up,” says Brown. “When I was around 10, I would go on long walks in the woods (how amazing I grew up in a time that was still OK) and I would find lady slippers. Because of my mom’s love of all plants I knew never to pick them.” But

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Brown shops for candy at Chutters in Littleton, a town she calls “the perfect day-trip destination.”

one memory tends to lead to another, and thinking of her mom stirred up her mom’s tall bear tale, with a different spin. “About an hour into my walk, I started to get scared that I was in the woods alone and that there could be bears,” she says, “So I guess I’m a full-on Brooklynite now.”

After having been to such far-flung and romantic spots as Budapest, the British Virgin Islands and about 250 cities in 74 countries, what’s the charm she finds

in rustic, mostly rural New Hampshire?

“The people are a huge part of what makes a place great,” says Brown. “We’ve done destinations that people don’t really think about when it comes to travel, and they’ve been fan favorites since they were so unexpected.”

Asked if she could pick one more spot in New Hampshire to show to her viewers, she had no trouble coming up with an answer. “I would love for them to see the seacoast. I would imagine not many Americans know that New Hampshire has one!” And she gave this shout-out for the “capital” of our seacoast: Portsmouth. “It still feels like this little gem that not many people know about.”

Brown wasn’t completely hibernating here during her youth. “When I was on ski club trips in high school, I remember looking up and anticipating seeing the Old Man of the Mountain.” When she and her crew were shooting here last year, it was the first time she had actually driven past the familiar viewing area for Cannon Mountain and looked up to see that he was gone.

“Still sad,” says Brown. NH

Bag it like Brown

Samantha Brown offers three items she considers essential to carry on her jaunts: “I always bring a book of poetry with me — usually Robert Frost or Mary Oliver.”

“I always travel with a jar of peanut butter.”

“I brown bag it even when I’m flying first-class. It’s my last chance to eat something homemade.”

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Decide for yourself: What’s the best foliage ride in the whole state? Bet the Kancamagus Highway will top a lot of lists.

Break the midwinter doldrums with a visit to the New Hampshire Farm and Forest Exposition in Manchester.

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Lots of fine small-batch ice cream being made in New Hampshire these days, but Sanctuary Farm in Sunapee actually uses cream from their own cows to churn an incredible array of great flavors.

And, yes, you need to be 21 for their rum-raisin concoction.

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Time was when thousands of Model A Ford roadsters, sedans and pickups swarmed New Hampshire roads. Go see some beautifully restored specimens at the July show on the sprawling lawn along Main Street in Orford, or the October extravaganza of vintage A wheels, and about every other make imaginable at the Canterbury Shaker Museum in October.

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Do you enjoy motorized mayhem and destruction? Take in the Demolition Derby at Hopkinton Fair.

Put on warm duds and slip into a bob house for some ice fishing.

Have a soda from Newfields’ Squamscot Beverages, the state’s last indigenous soft drink bottler.

scale holdings of two or three woolies.

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Take a census of wild turkeys in your neighborhood and send in the numbers to New Hampshire Fish and Game headquarters.

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Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish offers a fascinating blend of art, music and history in a range of warm-weather activities. Viewing the cast of the sculptor’s standing Abraham Lincoln is worth the trip.

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Bring your kayak and a sandwich and quietly paddle Grafton Pond at dusk as the loons make their mournful calls.

For an architectural expression of the separation of church and state, visit Middleton to see a building that hosts town meeting on one floor and worship services in a sanctuary on a level higher.

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Track down and watch Gwen Hinman, the itinerant Acworth sheep shearer. She’s competed in championships Down Under, and clips flocks numbering in the hundreds all the way down to Bo Peep-

Try your hand raking wild blueberries in one of the barrens around Alton and Brookfield. That fruit is unsurpassed for muffins and pies.

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Buy some milk packaged in a returnable glass bottle from one of the New Hampshire dairy farms that have successfully resurrected the local processing and distribution model of a century ago.

And their chocolate milk is to die for.

Jump on a sled and join a poker run sponsored by a local snowmobile club.

Feast on raccoon, bear and moose at a wild game dinner.

Hold on tight when all those “Frost Heaves” signs appear on the roadsides along about February 1. And pity that bigshot journalist up from Washington to cover the presidential primary who wondered why Candidate Heaves hadn’t been getting any coverage.

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Listen to the distinctive rural accents and figures of speech around you as you watch horse-pulling at Lancaster Fair.

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Ride the boat out to the Isles of Shoals from Portsmouth Harbor on a sunny afternoon.

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New Hampshire’s last hand-crank telephone exchange expired in 1973, but the Telephone Museum in Warner shows how folks communicated in the days long before dial and digital.

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Watch the hand-mowing competition at North Haverhill Fair and see Don Elder, one of the masters, wield scythe and snath in a perfect rhythm.

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Plan to spend a day seeing all the artistic and creative talent on display at the League of Craftsmen Fair at Mount Sunapee in early August. nhmagazine.com |

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Mosey around the New Hampshire Statehouse. The place is steeped in history, and peek into Representatives Hall, home to the third-largest legislative body in the English-speaking world.

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Find Muriel’s Donut Shop in Lebanon, and have a real French-Canadian style treat straight from the kettle. Muriel Maville does it all by hand, the old way.

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Celebrate when you hear the first peepers singing from the wetlands — that marks the real end of winter.

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Find someone who knows the words and music of “Old New Hampshire,” the official state song that, sadly, few people even know about.

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You don’t need to be religious to enjoy the Christmas light display at LaSalette Shrine in Enfield.

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Go hear Ben Kilham when he gives one of his talks on bears.

Having studied the critters for a lifetime and rehabilitated hundreds, he knows the state’s most interesting wildlife species top to bottom.

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Canoe the Connecticut, Merrimack, Saco or Androscoggin — white water, slack water, gentle current — there’s great variety, scenery, wildlife and history too.

Walk the streets around the vast Amoskeag mills in Manchester, and try to imagine when it was the world’s greatest textile enterprise. While you’re at it, stop in at the Manchester Historic Association museum right there, it has lots to tell about the mill era.

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The working waterfront at Portsmouth is small, but that’s fine.

Check it out when they off-load the day’s catch at Sanders Lobster Co.

Head to Kezar Lake in Sutton in January when they do the annual ice harvest. They’ll pack cakes in sawdust at the ice house at Musterfield Farm for use in making ice cream come summer.

And there are apt to be some Model T Fords adapted as snowmobiles putting around the lake surface.

New Hampshire has many great swimming holes, often secluded and hard to find, but worth the hunt. A fine example: True’s Ledges in West Lebanon.

Vermont tries to claim Robert Frost as one of its own, but the famed poet spent a lot of time in Derry and Franconia. Study up on his New Hampshire sojourns and visit his old stomping grounds.

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Pick a warm, clear day and trek to the Omni Mount Washington Hotel, the biggest and grandest survivor of the

grand hotel era. Look around and if you’ve got time, have lunch on the veranda, and gaze at Mount Washington rising to the east.

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Harvest some fiddleheads and fry them in butter for a nice springtime treat.

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Listen to the tales being told when hunters are weighing in the deer or turkeys they’ve harvested.

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Used to be most every town had a baseball team playing weekend afternoons. Nothing much like that today, but there is still some good baseball to be seen.

The Winnipesaukee Muskrats and Keene Swampbats compete in the New England Collegiate Baseball League and play in a fun old-timey fan environment.

Gov. Frank Rollins thought summertime festivals could lure people to repopulate hollowed-out rural communities — it didn’t work — but his 1890s idea for Old Home Days caught on and endures today in many towns. Take one in.

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Pay a visit to the Temple-Wilton Community Farm, believed to be the oldest CSA in America.

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Hike, bike, snowmobile — the network of rail trails has become one of the state’s best recreation resources, all in just a few decades.

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See 600-horsepower harvesting machines make short work of fields of silage corn in September. Look around Merrimack County or the Connecticut Valley dairy farm country for this technology in action.

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Call yourself lucky if you live in a town that still has real town meeting — the kind where issues are debated and decisions are made right there and then.

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Watch the water-powered, upand-down sawmill at work at its Derry location. It functions on summer weekends and represents 18th-century technology at its best.

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Watch the grand champion cow pick the best-in-show entry in the hay competition at the Cornish Fair. No human judge can match her knowledge of what has the best flavor and palatability.

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See a Concord Coach — no, not the bus that runs to Boston — that was made by the thousands by the Abbot, Downing Co. in Concord in the 1800s, and was pulled by hitches for four, six or more horses affording high-end transportation for travelers. A few restored specimens are on display around the state.

people who know how to make their own and make it right. Find one and learn how.

area, she’s guaranteed to make you smile.

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Want real dancing? Rockingham Ballroom in Newmarket still features the foxtrot, waltz and the steps of the Greatest Generation.

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Nowadays you can buy commercially made hard cider in a bottle or can down at the store, but there are still some

Have some sugar-on-snow. It’s really congealed syrup, but so what?

And pickles should be offered on the side.

Rebecca Rule ought to be designated New Hampshire’s humorist laureate. Go hear her whenever she’s in your

Visit the Shaker villages of Enfield and Canterbury and learn about the amazing accomplishments of that now-extinct religious sect.

Study the New Hampshire-focused, outdoor photography of Peter Randall.

It’s in various books and occasionally in galleries.

courtesy photo

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For another trip back to olden times, head for Sanborn Mills Farm in Loudon.

See a water-powered circular sawmill and grist mill, draft horses and oxen, and lots more fascinating historical activities. nhmagazine.com |

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Catch the spirit of some of the state’s very small rural high schools as they battle it out on the fields and in the gyms. Recognize some of those teams travel 100 miles or more to find opponents their size.

Ski Museum tells of the 1930s coming of the ski trains and the legendary Hannes Schneider, whose teachings revolutionized American downhill skiing.

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Tour a small farm freeze-framed in the late 19th century. It’s the Poore Farm museum in Stewartstown.

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Watch a fully mechanized logging operation. Mighty machines shear off the trees, lop the limbs and cut logs to length, and then another machine trundles the logs to the roadside. Not a chainsaw to be seen or heard.

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Enjoy tourtière at Christmas. The basic French-Canadian pork pie is now tweaked into many variations, but it’s still a classic holiday dish.

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Find an oldtimer who once soared off the Nansen ski jump in Berlin.

And give a cheer for efforts to restore the site.

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Inhale the charismatic fragrance of New Hampshire’s state flower, the purple lilac. And take in the springtime lilac festivals in Lisbon and Portsmouth or visit Rochester, which proclaims itself the “Lilac City.”

The views from the summits of the Presidentials are wonderful, but some of the downstate peaks offer plenty — think of Monadnock, Kearsarge and Cardigan for starters.

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See cows being milked by robots at Tullando Farm in Orford.

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Drive US Route 3 in Pittsburg and look for moose in what has been dubbed “Moose Alley.” Admire the Connecticut Lakes as you go along.

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Attend the August steam and gas engine show in Dublin — lots of ancient iron huffing, puffing and chugging away.

Learn about North Conway’s rise as a skiing mecca. The New England

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Arsonists destroyed the historic Corbin covered bridge in North Newport in 1993 and it looked like it would be replaced with a generic concrete span.

No way, said Newporters, and they set about to raise the money to build an exact replica, and today it’s one of the state’s sturdiest and most picturesque covered bridges. Go drive through it and get out and take a closer look.

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Go tour some of the many historic houses in Portsmouth and Exeter, plus Strawbery Banke in the Port City, a wonderful assemblage of buildings

courtesy photos

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photo by matthew mead

View the antique desk of Stephen Fowler, the visionary Cheshire County legislator who had the inspiration for a Presidential Primary back in 1916. It sits in the front office of the Secretary of State’s Office in Concord.

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tracing way back to the state’s earliest settlement.

Head to northern Coös County in late October when the Christmas tree harvest gets underway. Stop at the Weir, Beloin or Sibgo plantations and watch the thousands of trees being bundled and carefully stacked on semitrailers destined for urban markets far to the south.

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Get a DeLorme’s atlas and see if you can find Chickville, Tinkerville or Bowkerville or maybe Fish Market.

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Pick some plump strawberries and have a nice shortcake for supper. Be sure you have real whipped cream to go with it.

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Take in the spring open house at Townline Equipment in Plainfield or Bascom Maple Farms in Acworth. They want to show you the latest equipment but the events are great social occasions too.

If you’re in shape for it, climb all of the state’s 4,000-foot mountains and claim membership in the Four Thousand Footer Club.

Community general stores have been struggling for years, but South Acworth and Canterbury folks pulled together to keep their stores running via the cooperative route. Visit one of these and learn how it has worked out.

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Attend a lecture by John Porter on the architecture and preservation of New Hampshire barns. He has written fascinating books on the subject too.

Help your neighbor cut, split and stack wood. It’s great exercise.

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If it’s on the menu, ask for an order of poutine. You may be surprised by the different ways this dish is prepared — fries with beef gravy? Melted cheese? Wait and see.

Study your annual town report. It’s packed with useful and interesting information, and it’s worth filing away year after year. It’s a sad day when they’re spotted in a recycling bin.

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Grafton County has the only functioning county dairy farm in the United States, according to the National Association of Counties. There’s a prize herd of

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Head for the Legislative Office Building in Concord any day hearings on bills are going on. Sit in on most any committee session and you’ll be amazed at what the lawmakers have to wrestle with — often it’s issues you never knew existed.

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Lancaster was the capital of snowmobile racing 50 years ago.

Relive the glory days of noise, smoke and daredevil riding at the town’s vintage snowmobile racing fest.

Hunt around for the best sweet corn. Grow your own, or get it at your local farmstand. Make sure you consume it within hours of harvest if you want the tenderest, sweetest ears.

Watch a crew of timber framers shape pine and hemlock beams into rugged residences, barns and sheds that will endure for many generations.

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Buy a “Moose Plate” for your car and know the extra money you’ve paid for it goes to all manner of worthwhile conservation and preservation projects.

Tour the antique village at Deerfield Fair — one-room school, artifacts of long-ago rural life, costumed cooks toiling over a wood-fired range, fiddle music, on and on.

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It’s called the most youth-friendly beach in New England, and if you visit Hampton Beach on a hot July weekend you’ll see why.

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Pay heed to those ubiquitous “Brake for Moose” bumper stickers.

Hit one and you’ll pay dearly — if you survive the crash.

See a master of an almost-extinct trade, Dunbarton’s Bob Boynton, as he fashions an ox yoke.

They’ve been holding a contra dance every Monday evening at the Nelson town hall since almost the dawn of history. You’ll be lucky if Gordon Peery is playing the jigs and reels at the piano keyboard when you go.

Local history is a strong New Hampshire suit. Read, or re-read, your town’s history book, and browse old maps, documents, letters and ephemera at the historical society.

Stand by as a little 9-year-old 4-H girl preps her heifer calf for the fair show ring, and then see how she makes out in the judging.

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Sidle up to a bucket hanging on a tree during maple season and listen for the gentle drip-drip-drip of the sap flowing from the spout. Now that’s real country music.

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Go find New Hampshire’s last one-room schools. They’re in New Hampton, Landaff and Croydon, where the 1794 “Red School” (it’s of brick) purports to be the oldest continuously functioning oneroom school in the nation.

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New Hampshire still has thousands of miles of stonewalls dividing pastures and coursing through the forests. Hear the state’s foremost authority on stonewalls,

photo by pt sullivan

milkers plus a piggery and produce gardens, and it’s worth a visit to the North Haverhill spread when they have an open house.

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animal nutrition and lots more spill forth in Durham all the time.

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Relax with a work of fiction set in New Hampshire. From LeGrand Cannon and Grace Metalious to Thomas Williams and Ernest Hebert, there’s something for every taste.

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photo by melissa boulanger

See the Border Collies from Wellscroft Farm in Chesham when their master, Dave Kennard, conducts a demonstration. Those dogs have boundless energy and smarts.

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99 Patronize one of the surviving classic “rail car” diners, especially ones that offer pie baked onsite for dessert. And it’s OK to have some pie for breakfast.

Kevin Gardner, lecture on the subject. He builds a model stonewall from pebbles without missing a beat as he speaks.

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It’s been getting bigger every year, and Berlin’s midsummer Jericho ATV Festival has something for

every fan of motorized recreation.

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Catch up on some of the interesting stuff they do at the University of New Hampshire’s research farms. New plant varieties, better ways to grow fruits and vegetables, cutting-edge

Rate the best pastoral landscapes in the state. Start at the bluff overlooking the great meadow adjacent to the Connecticut River at Hatchland Farm in North Haverhill.

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Go to Northwood the last Saturday in July and feast on “Bean Hole Beans.” They bury pots of pea and kidney beans with molasses and salt pork in a pit filled with glowing charcoal and let ‘em bake for 18 hours. Have a full plated dinner or get some to go. NH

TOGETHER WE Explore The perfect trail, a mighty challenge and a good story.

New Hampshire PBS has something just waiting for you to discover.

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS

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The Worst Places Live free and wait in line

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love New Hampshire. Mostly.

I can’t think of a better place to live than New Hampshire. Everything about it is great, except for the things that aren’t.

I prefer to live as an optimist, however, and to that end I’d be hard-pressed to come up with anything more perfect than taking the top down and going for a drive to Brown’s Lobster Pound on a warm Friday night this time of year. I know the Hampton tolls will likely slow me down for 20 or 700 minutes, but once I get through them, Route 286 will whisk me straight to my favorite fried clams.

Wait, I’m being told “whisk” means something completely different than I thought it did.

At least I can log on to my hometown’s Facebook page to see if there’s a quicker route. I’ll just stand stock-still near the front living room window of my house and lean to the left so I can get some of that delicious cell phone reception. If I can get online, I’m sure I’ll find help, because those New Hampshire community pages are welcoming places populated by a tolerant, friendly folk

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who love to rationally talk about topics as varied as property tax, sales tax, state tax and federal tax. You can ask questions such as “How are the roads?” and “Did anyone else hear those gunshots?” They’ll set me straight. Or tell me to wake up and go back to Taxachussetts, sheeple.

Once I’ve arrived at Brown’s though, I’ll share my excitement with the entire population of Seabrook in front of me in line. They like clams too. Every single one of them.

Maybe I’ll head to the White Mountains instead, where everyone expects me to hike.

It’s there that I retreat to find solace among all the New York people and ticks. On the third date with my now-wife, we climbed Cannon Mountain. It was beautiful, but some advice to others whose exercise regimen consists of not really exercising: It will absolutely kick you right in the Effingham. That day I swore I would never do that again, and after 28 years, I’ve patronized Cannon’s fine tram several times with a lot less wheezing and complaining — which is not what I’m here to do.

There is a lot to love about New Hampshire, as any number of its notable residents will tell you. New Hampshire has a number of celebrities who have called the Granite State home. We claim Ronnie James Dio, who was born in Portsmouth but moved away as an infant, and Mandy Moore, who was born in Nashua but moved away as an infant. Of course, there is Adam Sandler, who everyone loves and says is a great guy, but I wouldn’t know because I’m usually about a day behind him at the Red Arrow.

If it sounds like I’ve got a lot to complain about, I don’t. I travel a lot, I’ve been all over the country and there really is no place I’d rather work, live, sit in beach traffic, wheeze or not get good cell phone service. It’s absolutely worth it. NH Note: The writer filed this before COVID-19 changed everything and he had no idea that he would soon be missing exactly those same lines and traffic jams. But the irony is not lost on him, and he looks forward to seeing every person in the state in line at Brown’s later this summer.

illustration by brad fitzpatrick

BY BILL BURKE

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ONE SYSTEM. ONE COMMITMENT. KEEPING YOU HEALTHY AND SAFE. To our neighbors and friends around the region: We are living in an unprecedented time. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every single aspect of our daily lives, from how we move about our communities, to how we do our jobs, and into our personal lives and how we interact with each other.

One thing has not changed, though: the commitment of our regional healthcare providers and first responders to provide you with the highest-quality health care, whenever you need it. All of us at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health are proud to share that commitment.

For many years, all of our organizations actively prepared for what is now a growing pandemic. With COVID-19 cases on the rise, we have widened efforts across our system to manage and care for the numbers of you who may seek, and need, our help.

We will continue to adjust how we care for you as we move forward together.

While this is a challenge unlike any we’ve ever faced, we want to assure you that we are facing the challenge head-on. As the only academic health care system in New Hampshire, we had the ability to quickly stand up drive-through testing and, in March, we were one of only 20 U.S. sites to begin clinical trials for patients. We are constantly assessing our hospital capacities, our stores of supplies and equipment, and our procedures for safely and effectively caring for our patients with and without COVID-19.

We encourage all of you to continue to follow these health protections: • Wash your hands • Practice social distancing • Stay home if you’re sick For the most accurate information about COVID-19, please seek direct sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), or the New Hampshire and Vermont departments of health. You can also refer to us online or on Facebook at:

www.D-H.org www.facebook.com/DartmouthHitchcock We deeply appreciate the trust you place in us to care for you or your loved ones. We take that trust very seriously, and we pledge that we will remain here for you. It is our honor and privilege to be your neighbor, your friends and your health care system.

We’re in this together, and we’re in this for the long haul.

Joanne A. Conroy, MD

President and CEO, Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health

Don Caruso, MD, MPH President and CEO, Chief Medical Officer, Cheshire Medical Center

Tom Manion, MPA, FACHE

Susan Mooney, MD, MS, FACOG

Joseph Perras, MD

President and CEO, Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire

President and CEO, Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital

CEO and Chief Medical Officer, Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center

President and CEO, New London Hospital

Johanna L. Beliveau, BSN, MBA, RN

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital • Cheshire Medical Center • Dartmouth-Hitchcock Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center • New London Hospital Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire (VNH)