New Hampshire Magazine July 2020

N E W H A M P S H I R E M AG A Z I N E JULY 2 02 0

EXPLORING PAWTUCKAWAY A vicarious group session in the great outdoors Page 52

ENVISIONING THE NEW NORMAL Art students illustrate the way things are and will be Page 46

magazine

BEST OF NH 2020 E X P L O R E PA W T U C K A W AY ARTISTS ENVISION THE FUTURE

Live Free.

LOCAL MEAL DELIVERY

July 2020 $5.99

nhmagazine.com

Today’s Dental Implant procedures are more comfortable, faster and more affordable than ever. Schedule a consultation today at one of our four state-of-the-art locations to improve your smile and your dental health.

nashua // 603-595-8889 // nashua@nhoms.com salem // 603-890-1000 // salem@nhoms.com manchester // 603-645-6600 // manchester@nhoms.com concord // 603-224-7831 // concord@nhoms.com exeter // 603-772-3161 // exeter@nhoms.com www.nhoms.com

PLEASE IMBIBE OUR SPIRITS RESPONSIBLY. ©2020 TAMWORTH DISTILLING & MERCANTILE, TAMWORTH, NH

@TAMWORTH_DISTILLING

Dorr Mill Store

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR WOOLENS & FIBER ARTS

Visit our store in the Lake Sunapee region for the largest selection of woolens for fiber arts you will find anywhere.

PLUS we have sportswear for men and women and blankets & gifts.

NHMAGAZINE.COM

Vice President/Publisher Ernesto Burden x5117 eburden@mcleancommunications.com Editor Rick Broussard x5119

editor@nhmagazine.com Art Director Chip Allen x5128 callen@nhmagazine.com

Managing Editor Erica Thoits x5130 ethoits@nhmagazine.com

Assistant Editor Emily Heidt x5115 eheidt@nhmagazine.com

Contributing Editor Barbara Coles barbaracoles@comcast.net

Food Editor Susan Laughlin sllaughlin@gmail.com

Production Manager Jodie Hall x5122 jhall@nhbr.com

Senior Graphic Designer Nancy Tichanuk x5126 ntichanuk@mcleancommunications.com Senior Graphic Production Artist Nicole Huot x5116 nhuot@mcleancommunications.com

Group Sales Director Kimberly Lencki x5154 klencki@mcleancommunications.com

Business Manager Mista McDonnell x5114 mmcdonnell@nhbr.com

Senior Sales Executive G. Constance Audet x5142 caudet@nhmagazine.com

Sales Executives Josh Auger x5144 jauger@nhmagazine.com

Located on Routes 11 & 103 Halfway Between Newport and Sunapee, NH

MON.-SAT. 9-5 • DORRSTORE.COM • 603-863-1197 • 800-846-DORR

Jessica Schooley x5143 jschooley@mcleancommunications.com Events & Marketing Manager Emily Samatis x5125 esamatis@mcleancommunications.com Sales Marketing Coordinator Angela LeBrun x5120 alebrun@mcleancommunications.com Business/Sales Coordinator Heather Rood x5110 hrood@mcleancommunications.com

Digital Media Specialist Morgen Connor x5149 mconnor@mcleancommunications.com VP/Consumer Marketing Brook Holmberg brookh@yankeepub.com

VP/Retail Sales Sherin Pierce sherinp@yankeepub.com

150 Dow Street, Manchester, NH 03101 (603) 624-1442, fax (603) 624-1310 E-mail: editor@nhmagazine.com Advertising: sales@nhmagazine.com Subscription information: Subscribe online at: nhmagazine.com or e-mail NHMagazine@emailcustomerservice.com.

To order by phone call: (877) 494-2036.

© 2020 McLean Communications, Inc. New Hampshire Magazine® is published by McLean Communications, Inc., 150 Dow St., Manchester, NH 03101, (603) 624-1442. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for any mistakes in advertisements or editorial. Statements/opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect or represent those of this publication or its officers. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, McLean Communications, Inc.: New Hampshire Magazine disclaims all responsibility for omissions and errors. New Hampshire Magazine is published monthly.

USPS permit number 022-604. Periodical postage paid at Manchester 03103-9651. Postmaster send address changes to: New Hampshire Magazine, P.O. Box 433273, Palm Coast, FL 32143.

PRINTED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

2

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

Contents

July 2020

BEST OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

from left: illustration by annabelle meszynski; photo by joe klementovich; inset from top left: photos by stilllman rogers; courtesy; far right by erin gardner

46

52

60

2020

First Things

603 Navigator

603 Informer

603 Living

4 Editor’s Note 6 Contributors Page 8 Feedback

10 Two Best Friends LIMMER BOOTS

26 One Frame at a Time

92 Review

Features

by Michael Wejchert

16 Our Town

44 Transcript

Meet Neil Santerre, owner of Santerre’s Stones ’n Stuff in Epping.

by David Mendelsohn

STOP-MOTION ARTIST MEREDITH FOLEY

46 Grave New World?

Art often speaks louder than words.

We asked students at the Institute of Art and Design at New England College to show us their hopes and fears for the post-pandemic world.

by students of the Institute of Art and Design at New England College

by Mike Sullivan

MOULTONBOROUGH

by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers

20 Food & Drink

31 Politics

THE STARK TRUTH

by James Pindell

32 Blips

NH IN THE NEWS

52 Where There’s a Will,

by Casey McDermott

There’s a Pawtuckaway

34 What Do You Know?

The Explorers take you along on a vicarious adventure.

by Jay Atkinson photos by Joe Klementovich

by Rachel Ellner

94 Health

60 Best of New Hampshire

As always, we bring you the results of our annual Readers’ Poll and Editor’s Picks. But this year is different.

We invited a number of respected Granite Staters to share their picks with us — things they love, value and can’t wait to rediscover when life begins to return to normal.

ERIN GARDNER’S “PROCRASTIBAKING”

THE MIND-BODY HEALTH CONNECTION

by Karen A. Jamrog

96 Ayuh LOCAL MEAL DELIVERY

by Emily Heidt

THE BOOM ISLANDS

by Marshall Hudson

ON THE COVER This year’s Best of NH cover was illustrated by Zach Johnsen of Zenvironments.

Learn more about him and his work on page 6.

LOST ON LOST TRAIL

by Sally Breslin

Volume 34, Number 7 ISSN 1560-4949 nhmagazine.com | July 2020

3

EDITOR’S NOTE

I lived in the Deep South in the early 1980s and the stone water fountains in our town park still had “White Only” chiseled into them. No one paid much notice, except to point out how slowly some things change.

A hampton falls, nh www.lisarogersstudio.com

23 MAIN ST MEREDITH MEREDITHOPTICAL.COM 4

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

Americans on our cover recently (we had, last t least, that’s what I thought. I’d take December and January), but it rang a bit holvisitors out to show them those low as I wrote it. (You can read the letter and fountains and the Confederate war monument on the town square — an obelisk my response in Feedback on page 8.)

Had I discovered a blind spot in my field with a hand on top pointing triumphantof vision that had been there so long I’d just ly towards the heavens. I grew up during grown used to it? Glancing through our list desegregation and was acutely aware of the of things chosen as Best of NH in this issue, racist speech and attitudes of some of my the limited cultural diversity of the state is friends, but my parents maintained a realm not exactly highlighted. Is this for lack of of liberality and acceptance. Still, it never trying or is it something larger? occurred to me how the local “non-White” population might feel about these artifacts.

Our sister publication, the NH Business From what we’ve witnessed in recent weeks, Review, was working on a list of Black-owned it’s likely that they were not amused. businesses in the state and had acquired one When I moved my young family to New for New England as a starting point. The New Hampshire in 1993, the sudden lack of Hampshire delegation was pretty slim, I no“diversity” was apparent, but one of the first ticed, but when I checked, I saw that Clyde’s people I befriended as the new editor of this Cupcakes of Exeter was not even on the list. magazine was a Black man named Mel BoldHow could Mel Bolden, a brilliant en. Bolden was a 20th-century illustrator of artist, political organizer, Democratic Party substantial fame for his work on magazine chairman for New Hampshire’s Merrimack and book covers as well as commemorative County (the only Black Democratic county art. He was commissioned to paint a portrait chairman in the country at the time), who of Christa McAuliffe that now hangs at the once designed a Christmas card for President National Air and Space Museum. In his Jimmy Carter, go unmentioned in the biggest heyday, critics compared Bolden’s renderings encyclopedia ever compiled? of life in the 1950s to Norman Rockwell. His How could I, the child of open-minded original paintings are expensive collector’s parents, have been so blind to the offense items. He died just as the century was turnthat might be felt by Black families to the ing, but while looking him up to mention words “White Only” etched in stone? him in this essay, I realized that the great Mel I don’t really have answers for these Bolden does not even have a Wikipedia page. questions, but how often have I stopped to As we were preparing this issue, I received ask them of myself, or others? The worlda letter to the editor asking about the lack of wide response to the killing of George Floyd Black-owned businesses mentioned in our in Minnesota suggests that it’s time to seek pages and challenging us to do better. The some answers. author, Clyde Bullen, owns a cupcake business There’s only so much that one lifestyle in Exeter and, as I wrote my response, I publication in one of the country’s whitest realized I was dismissing what he said. The states can do, but as a keeper and teller of short supply of Black people in New Hampthis state’s stories, I can at least promise to try shire is legendary, what am I supposed to do to do better. Feel free to hold me to it, Clyde. about that? I mentioned the fact that we make efforts to include diversity in our pages (we do) and that we had featured two African

photo by p.t. sullivan

Chiseled in Stone

Contributors This month’s cover artist is Zach Johnsen, a graphic artist from Colebrook, who does work under the name Zenvironments. From his studio in the Great North Woods, you can find him drawing and painting every day, crafting “enlightened environments” and other exaggerated nature spirits. You can view his portfolio at zenvironments.com or find him on Instagram @zenvironments.

for July 2020

Michael Wejchert, who wrote “Navigator,” is a writer and climber based in North Conway.

You can learn more about him at michaelwejchert.com.

The Explorers, writer/photographer team Jay Atkinson and Joe Klementovich, produced the feature “Where There’s a Will, There’s a Pawtuckaway.”

Longtime New Hampshire Magazine contributor, freelance writer and reporter Jack Kenny wrote the feature story “Grave New World?”

Mike Sullivan, who wrote “Informer,” has been a documentary editor and writer for 20 years. His work can be seen in museums across the country.

Cultural affairs reporter and photographer Rachel Ellner produced this month’s “Living.” You can learn more about her at rachelellner.com.

Sally Breslin wrote “Ayuh.”

She’s authored short stories, novels and worked as correspondent and photographer for a number of newspapers.

About | Behind The Scenes at New Hampshire Magazine For the past decade, New Hampshire Magazine has been proud to promote the important and possibly unique work of Building on Hope. This group of concerned citizens had their first meetings in our office, and have joined forces with one worthy nonprofit every other year since to arrange for a complete makeover of its building and facilities. They involve members of the building and design trades along with hundreds of volunteers, who together complete the work in a week or two in the spring. This year, just as Building on Hope was tackling the structure, offices and gym of the Nashua Police Athletic League, the pandemic put a crimp in the process. The makeover continues, but the deadline for completion has been extended to October so that work can be done in socially distanced stages (one trade at a time), but you can get involved right now. The steering committee is seeking volunteers and donations via their website, buildingonhope.org.

Nashua PAL connects police officers and youth in positive activities within greater Nashua. NPAL is celebrating 30 years of providing more than 2,000 youth with engaging programs focused on education, activity and leadership. The special masks pictured at left were made by a volunteer for the project.

Learn more at nashuapal.com.

6

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

courtesy photos

A Breath of Hope

Feedback

nhmagazine.com, facebook.com/NHMagazine & @nhmagazine

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

MAY 2020 1 0 0 T H I N G S YO U S H O U L D D O

Our State Is

BUY A FIRST HOME FOUR SEASONS OF FUN

PLUS 100 Things You Should Do to Know the Real NH Steve Taylor's famous list revised for 2020

CITIES ON THE RISE

nhmagazine.com

$6.99

Brian Mattson Keene

Hit All the Highlights

The team here at the NH Department of Natural and Cultural Resources was really excited when your Best Places New Hampshire edition arrived a few weeks ago, as we are so proud to protect, preserve, promote and manage the state’s natural and cultural resources, supporting our state’s high quality of life. You did not disappoint — we were we blown away by your coverage! The diversity of our state’s parks, the beauty of our forests, our state’s long history of libraries, support of the arts and the historic properties that people come from far and wide to see — you captured it all, page after page, article after article.

The staff at the DNCR, the many volunteers we work with and members of our advisory committees are all proud to be so well represented in your magazine; it is a much appreciated endorsement. Thank you!

Sarah L. Stewart, Commissioner NH Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources

No Ghosts

I was quite surprised to find in your “Best Places” issue that a Woodlawn Cemetery in Keene was listed as one of the “Haunted New Hampshire” places.

First of all, there is no Woodlawn Cemetery with a chapel (drawn on map) in it.

There is a Greenlawn Cemetery, Woodland Cemetery and Woodland Northeast Cemetery which is the one with a chapel.

Secondly, I have been connected with the operation of these cemeteries since 1970 and never experienced any haunting nor did 8

2020) incorrectly notes his rank as Lt. Colonel. The birds on his collar show he is a full Colonel. While this may seem an insignificant mistake, it still matters. Military rank denotes responsibility and accomplishment, not privilege or tenure, especially in the Marine Corps, the smallest of the war-fighting services. Men and women in uniform earn their rank, often through the kind of sacrifice most people never make. I hope you’ll correct the mistake.

David Robinson Bethlehem

Live Free.

B I K E - F R I E N D LY S P O T S

Best Places New Hampshire 2020

any maintenance personnel. I have known personnel involved with the cemeteries since the 1950s, and they never mentioned any member of the public ever telling them of any experience with a spirit in the cemeteries. I retired as superintendent of cemeteries in 2010 after 27 years in that position.

This tale of the spirit of a little girl near the chapel emanated about 15 years ago in a Halloween story in the local college newspaper about haunted places in the area. I believe it is a case of a young journalist practicing the art of “fake news.”

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

Mystery Island

Editor’s Note: The US Marine Band website describes Col. Fettig as a Lieutenant Colonel but he was in fact promoted in 2017. We apologize for the error.

Bubble Living You have acted like your publication is living in a bubble. Minorities contribute more than Mexican food here in this state. I know you don’t like to include us in features as special photography and chefs or writers ... but we live here too. No comments on any of your social media sites. Very sad!

Why? As a longtime subscriber and a 20-plus year resident on Lake Winni, I thought that the May issue [Best Places New Hampshire] was one of the best. Anyone coming here to visit should definitely obtain a copy, and I plan to keep mine for when friends are able to visit again. I average about 1,000 miles a year on the lake fishing for bass and was intrigued by the photo on page 56. I went through my island book but was not able to find it. Would it be possible for you to divulge the location? Thank you.

Eugene Solod Wolfeboro Editor’s Note: We’ve been unable to ascertain precisely where that island is situated. Maybe our readers can help.

Wrong Rank

The caption under the picture of Col. Jason Fettig (“Central Pep and Prep,” Blips, June

Clyde Bullen Owner of Clyde’s Cupcakes Exeter Editor’s Note: We’ve included quite a few people from minority groups in the magazine over the years, and actually make efforts to showcase cultural diversity, so I’m disappointed that you have that impression. Obviously, the ratio of Black, Latino and immigrant families here is low (famously so), but we tend to seek out interesting folks of all colors and persuasions to help tell the story of our state. We had an African American chef on our cover not that long ago, and the cover of our December issue featured Miss USA New Hampshire (a Black woman) as a model for winter fashion (she also appeared numerous times inside). If you know of good subjects for us that involve minority communities or individuals, pass them along.

best places cover photo by joe klementovich

Send letters to Editor Rick Broussard, New Hampshire Magazine, 150 Dow St. Manchester, NH 03101 or email him at editor@nhmagazine.com.

emails, snail mail, facebook, tweets

Spot four newts like the one above (but much smaller) hidden on ads in this issue, tell us where you found them and you might win a great gift from a local artisan or company. To enter our drawing for Spot the Newt, send answers plus your name and mailing address to:

Spot the Newt c/o New Hampshire Magazine 150 Dow St., Manchester, NH 03101 Email them to newt@nhmagazine.com or fax them to (603) 624-1310.

June “Spot the Newt” winner is Jacqueline O. Cottle of Antrim.

June issue newts were on pages 8, 17, 28 and 39.

NEED A GOOD REASON FOR SPOTTING THE NEWT?

One lucky Newt Spotter will win a $50 gift card to the Machina Kitchen & ArtBar in Keene (machinaarts.org). The Machina Kitchen & ArtBar is a community-focused, ethically sourced restaurant, craft cocktail bar, venue, and gallery intended to energize Keene’s creative economy by providing an exciting environment for community connections, local food, creative drinks, art and music. It’s also a proud member of New Hampshire Made, the state’s official promoter of locally made products and services: nhmade.com.

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

9

603 Navigator “Don’t ever let your head down, unless it’s to admire your shoes.” - Unknown

10

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

Photos by Joe Klementovich

Our Town 16 Food & Drink 20

A Hiker’s Two Best Friends

Limmer boots will get you through just about anything nature throws at your feet

BY MICHAEL WEJCHERT

F

A wall full of gently used boots at Limmer Boot Company in Chatham — some are Limmer’s own, some were just repaired and are looking for a new pair of feet.

or devotees, a well-worn pair of Limmer boots conjures nothing short of reverence. The company — and the boots they build in the shadow of Mount Washington — is a little like the mountain itself. It might not be the biggest around, but it’s as rugged as you can get.

“We still do it old school,” says Peter Limmer. “It’s a heavier boot, but it’s long-lasting.” Limmer (no suffix) is the grandson of Peter Limmer Sr., who began making ski boots in the Bavarian town of Peterskirchen in 1921. During Germany’s financial collapse after World War I, Limmer Sr. immigrated to the United States and began manufacturing custom boots in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. In 1939, he obtained the United States’ first-ever patent for ski boots; in 1950, he moved his shop to Intervale, New Hampshire, where it has been ever since.

The current Peter Limmer began working in the shop after high school in 1973. nhmagazine.com | July 2020

11

603 NAVIGATOR

Peter Limmer hammers a layer of rubber to create the custom foot form on which he’ll build the boot.

12

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

FINE CRAFT

603 NAVIGATOR

FINE CRAFT

“We haven’t changed anything since my grandfather came up with the pattern,” he says. “It works.”

The first thing you notice about Limmer is his hands, blackened with grease and weathered from 47 years of making boots.

Walking into Limmer’s workspace, nestled among A-frames and a local brewery, feels like tripping backward in time. Unlike his competitors, who have been bought by major shoe manufacturers or gone out of business, Limmer still makes footwear the old-fashioned way. For his custom boots, he creates a form called a last based on the customer’s foot: a time-consuming process that guarantees a fit impossible to come by anywhere else. Each boot is made with a single piece of leather that is then molded to the last. Everything is assembled in the workshop by hand, exactly as his grandfather and father did. The waitlist for a custom pair of Limmers is two years, and the process isn’t cheap. But users will never need to buy another pair: The hefty price tag gets you quality — and the knowledge that you’ll probably die before your boots do.

When Peter Limmer’s sons migrated to different careers, he fretted over the

The waitlist for a custom pair of Limmers is two years and the process isn’t cheap. But users will never need to buy another pair: The hefty price tag gets you quality — and the knowledge that you’ll probably die before your boots do.

company’s future upon his eventual retirement. In today’s workforce, a traditional apprenticeship is a rare thing, and most of the employees Limmer hired moved on after a few months. But when Limmer recounted his woes to Adam Lane-Olsen, the manager of a local bank in 2016, an unlikely partnership was born.

“I was just not happy — at all,” Lane-Olsen tells me amidst the whir of machinery in the Intervale shop. Indeed, it is hard to picture the trim, ponytailed, bearded man before me pushing pencils in a cubicle. “I’d never heard of Limmer before. To know that somebody was still building a handmade boot in 2015 was mind-blowing.” The thought of apprenticing under Limmer and continuing the tradition began to sink in.

A week later, Lane-Olsen visited Limmer in his workshop, resolved. He asked Limmer if he’d consider taking him on. “I don’t think he recognized me,” he says. “I wasn’t in my suit. I didn’t look like a banker guy.”

Limmer was skeptical at first, Lane-Olsen admits, but he came around. “After a few months of talking back and forth, I walked out of the bank, took my suits to the thrift shop, and haven’t looked back since.”

Boulder opal earrings and necklace in 22k and 18k gold with black opal beads and 18k gold beads.

Designed by Jennifer Kalled

the

Wolfeboro, NH & Santa Fe, NM 603.569.3994 kalledjewelrystudio.com

Kalled Gallery nhmagazine.com | July 2020

13

603 NAVIGATOR

FINE CRAFT

These hiking boots might not come cheap, but they’ll likely be the last pair you ever need to buy.

Peter Limmer grinding down the custom foot form to get it just right

From left: Peter Limmer and Adam Lane-Olsen

14

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

For now, a Limmer is still at the helm. While there’s no saying when that will change, one certainty is the brand’s commitment to making a durable, classic boot the way it used to be done. And even without a Limmer in charge of the namesake company, the dedication to quality isn’t going anywhere. “We’ll get a boot that comes back in after 56 years of use,” says Lane-Olsen. “There’s something really cool about that. To be able to fix something rather than have to chuck it.” NH

w w w.daysjewelers.com

I t a ke yo u , i n d ay s we wo n’t fo r g e t

I t ake you, until forever Forevermark Engagement & Commitment Collection

Our vow to you is that each uniquely inscribed Forevermark diamond is beautiful, rare and responsibly sourced.

Forevermark Center of My UniverseÂŽ Floral Halo Engagement Ring in Rose Gold

OUR TOWN

A Mountainous Past History abounds in Moultonborough

BY BARBARA RADCLIFFE ROGERS

M

oultonborough shares three prominent Lakes Region features with its neighbors: Lake Winnipesaukee, Squam Lake and the Ossipee Mountains. While both lakes are major attractions for tourists, the mountains are of prime interest to hikers and those — like me — fascinated by geology.

The triangle-shaped town includes Moultonborough Bay and the long peninsula of Moultonborough Neck separating the bay from the rest of Lake Winnipesaukee. Long Island, appended by a bridge, is included in the town by a wiggly boundary line through the lake. Another sharp corner of the triangle includes a wedge-shaped slice of Squam Lake.

The interlocking puzzle of town boundaries began with land grants from Royal Governor Benning Wentworth to grantees from Hampton and nearby towns. More than a dozen of these were Moultons,

16

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

hence the town’s name. When the town was incorporated in 1777, Jonathan Moulton was elected town clerk.

One of the wealthiest men in the province, he was a controversial figure and subject of several tales of supernatural activity.

He was called the “Yankee Faust” for his rumored deal with the devil, and another ghostly legend became the theme of a poem

by John Greenleaf Whittier.

Moulton sold land at the intersection of the roads to Ossipee and Center Harbor (now Routes 25 and 108), and a general store opened there around 1781. Today The Old Country Store is one of the oldest in the country. Town meetings were held there in the early 1800s, it housed the library, and for at least a century it was the post office.

The current owners’ family bought it in 1972 and retained its antique counters and fixtures, including the pickle barrel, still in use. The store carries aged cheddar,

The Loon Center at Markus Wildlife Sanctuary in Moultonborough

candies, common crackers, cream soda and other staples of New England country stores. Upstairs is a free museum of antique store features, tools and advertising items such as cigar-store figures.

The store was a coaching stop, and outside in a glass-enclosed porch is Concord Coach No. 22, thought to be the oldest remaining in New Hampshire. It is also one of the few private coaches built by the Lewis Downing Company, and is one of the smallest.

A 1784 map shows the store as the only building here, but it wasn’t long before this became the village center. The Town House was built in 1834, and by then there were several houses, a school, tavern, inn and blacksmith shops. The Town House is now the Moultonborough Historical Society Museum, part of a complex that includes a former schoolhouse, the Emerson Barn and the Old Moultonborough Inn. The Town House is on the National Register of Historic Places, and

photo by stillman rogers

603 NAVIGATOR

photo by stillman rogers

OUR TOWN

the buildings house a variety of collections.

The Emerson Barn displays farm tools and transportation, including sleighs, a corn husker, and a horse treadmill that was once used to power a lake boat (an old print shows it in action). Particularly interesting is the collection of dollhouses, fully furnished in minute detail.

Overlooking Winnipesaukee, Castle in the Clouds is a 16-room Craftsman-style mansion built in 1913-14 for millionaire shoe manufacturer Thomas Gustave Plant.

No expense was spared in creating a house filled with fine craftsmanship and the latest innovations such as a central vacuum system. The stained glass is by Tiffany, windows were imported from England, and roof tiles came from Spain.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and usually open to visitors from May through October (though this year’s stayat-home order delayed opening to June), the castle has sweeping lake and mountain views, along with a café, art gallery and carriage house. But there’s more to the story of this idyllic mountaintop. It begins with a favorite local viewpoint called The Crow’s Nest, the high point on a large acreage

The museum at The Old Country Store

owned by B.F. Shaw, who had built a summer home/hotel below. Shaw built a viewing platform with benches at the summit, a road to it, and trails to a series of waterfalls, all of which were open to the public.

When Plant bought the land in 1911, he was not satisfied with the several thousand

603 NAVIGATOR acres Shaw had owned, and he set up a campaign to force the Lee family, who farmed 150 acres of lowland below, to sell at a price significantly lower than they had been offered by a relative. When they refused, he turned surly, built a 20-foot-tall spite fence to block their view, and splashed all the buildings in sight with black paint.

This caused quite a ruckus locally, even catching the attention of The Boston Globe, which sent a reporter to investigate. He further noted that Plant was desecrating the Lee family cemetery, and Plant was ordered by the town to restore the damaged stones and rebuild the wall around it. Tiring of harassment, the Lees finally sold the land their family had farmed since the 1700s, and Plant blasted away The Crow’s Nest to build the estate he called Lucknow.

You can still hike Shaw’s Brook Walk to see the seven waterfalls, the largest of which is 40-foot Falls of Song. Signs include pictures of the falls as early visitors to Ossipee Mountain Park saw them. The trailhead is just east of the Castle in the Clouds entrance road on Route 171. Also a part of the Lakes Region Conservation Trust lands is the moderate Oak Ridge Trail Loop, with

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

17

SOURCED AND SOUND Covering the state, the nation, the world.

The news you trust, the programs you love.

ON-AIR | ONLINE | ON-DEMAND

89.1 Concord/Manchester | nhpr.org

ellence

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Since 2003, NH Business Review has honored the best and brightest leaders in the state’s business community.

Submit your nomination by August 14 at nhbr.com/bea/

H BUSINESS REVIEW

Sponsored by:

spectacular views and signage explaining the area’s ecology, history and geology.

You knew we’d get back to geology. The Ossipee Mountains are the remains of a 125-million-year-old volcanic ring dike, a circle of peaks about 8 ½ miles in diameter. The peaks we see today, created about 90 million years ago, are what’s left of a volcano that may have topped 10,000 feet.

For geology fans like me, the highlight is the columnar basalt (a smaller version of Ireland’s famed Giants’ Causeway) visible beside the Bald Knob Connector Trail off Shannon Brook Carriage Road.

A shorter, flatter walk can be found at the Markus Wildlife Sanctuary, a 200acre area of forests, marshes, ponds and streams protected as habitat for loons. The Loon Nest Trail follows Winnipesaukee’s shoreline through the forest, where it passes several glacial erratics. Other trails explore the property and displays explore the impact of humans on loons. NH

Learn more The Old Country Store and Museum (603) 476-5750

nhcountrystore.com

Moultonborough Historical Society (603) 476-5630 moultonboroughhistory.org

Lakes Region Conservation Trust (603) 253-3301 lrct.org

Markus Wildlife Sanctuary (603) 476-5666 loon.org/markus-wls

18

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

photo by stillman rogers

The candy counter at The Old Country Store

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

19

603 NAVIGATOR

FOOD & DRINK

Hope-Filled Meals Local meal kits and prepared meals deliver comfort with a side of joy

From left: All Real Meal co-owners Sonia Farris and Kasia Lojko

20

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

photo courtesy of all real meal

BY EMILY HEIDT

FOOD & DRINK

photos courtesy of local baskit

I

t’s not news that COVID-19 has affected the way we live, shop and eat. We are stuck at home more, which means we are cooking more. As great as it is to create meals that would get even Gordon Ramsey’s stamp of approval, sometimes we get burned out — enter meal kits and fully prepared meals that deliver dinner to your doorstep while keeping things local.

Local Baskit was born out of a commitment to be “loyal to local.” The company offers cook-at-home meal kits with varied and inspiring recipes, and ingredients sourced from New Hampshire farms and food artisans. Pickup and recycle locations range from their home base in Concord to Warner and towns in the Seacoast, with online shipping available anywhere and anytime.

“We source as much as we can locally, produce everything in Concord per order in a 48-hour period from when meals are selected, and when we can’t source locally, we don’t go lower than northern Massachusetts,” says owner Beth Richards. “We take pride in being local and creating local partnerships and relationships. We are a CSA pickup location. We bring in local farmers to augment and supplement recipe kits, and we have extra items available like craft beer, wine and dessert for you to grab with your meal kit,” adds Richards.

Their flexible weekly meal kit subscription works as easily as national options and features in-season ingredients from partners around the state. The Fresh Baskit has 10 to 12 weekly choices, is suitable for all dietary needs, and includes quick prep and family-friendly options. The Wellness Baskit is focused on vegetarian and pescatarian options, and also includes paleo, vegan and dairy-free options.

At the beginning of the year, Richards saw a need for an option catering to the nutritional needs of their older demographic, which prompted the idea for their third and newest option, the Longevity Baskit.

“We work with NutritionWorks NH to make sure that the salt content for these baskets are low, the proteins are healthy and good, and many options are diabetic-friendly,” says Richards. “Each Baskit also comes with educational information from a registered dietician and one meal is already prepared for you thanks to Revival Kitchen & Bar.” If you aren’t interested in a subscription, Local Baskit offers Cook Tonight Baskits, which contain prepared meals perfect for the curious who want to try the concept, or

Local Baskit of Concord uses locally sourced ingredients in their cook-at-home meal kits and prepared soup kits.

for those who need a quick meal for a busy Friday night. In adapting to the realties of life with COVID-19, Richards partnered with Chef Corey Fletcher of Revival Kitchen & Bar in Concord to offer more services.

With more people staying home and not going grocery shopping, they created an additional prepared meal option. Subscribers can pick from soup and salad or a special item from Revival. “Our subscribers are really loving this option for how easy it is and often use it for the night their Baskit arrives,” says Richards. “It is another great way we are loyal to local because chef Corey also works with many local farms.

We really wanted to find a way to support restaurants during this time.”

These quick-to-reheat meals are a great

603 NAVIGATOR addition to a weekly Local Baskit and can be picked up at any of their locations or the Concord Marketplace. Ordering one for yourself is a great way to support New Hampshire farms and restaurants like Revival.

“What we are doing is a perfect example of what food service and the hospitality industry is all about,” says Fletcher. “We are naturally trained to adapt, become creative and create solutions to a problem. Now, we are fulfilling a need to feed people. I’ve been able to adapt my model of using local foods and putting [them] on plates and serving guests, just with takeout and what I am doing with Beth.”

Fletcher adds that while he’s still staying true to using local ingredients, “it’s just a different way to get food to people who want to support local agriculture,” he says.

“Being embedded in the community like this and rallying around each other is what keeps us going.”

The greater sense of community and connection that Fletcher and Richards are seeing is inspiring, they say, especially as people are coming together to donate prepared meals to those fighting on the front lines.

“It’s been encouraging to see our subscribers donate meals out to directors of nursing homes, the chief of our Concord fire station, and those in need,” says Richards. “Seeing our community step up and support each other has been incredibly encouraging.”

Over the last few months, Local Baskit has seen a 40% increase in new subscribers, and Richards only sees an increase in

Local Baskit’s three offerings are designed to fit the lifestyles and various dietary needs of Granite Staters. nhmagazine.com | July 2020

21

603 NAVIGATOR new options for the future and ways to continue to support local as customers support her. “One of my subscribers asked for milk, so now we offer milk and eggs,” says Richards. “One week we offered pantry basics, and right now we are offering protein packs in addition to our meals. Our delivery routes are full every week and we don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. I think people will see just how good local products are and will want to continue to support companies like ours even after the pandemic ends.”

The concept of joining a meal kit with a restaurant has so far been successful, and their growth and success is rooted in community support. “I am getting handwritten thank you notes and amazing appreciation from our customers,” says Richards. “People are so appreciative and those are the things that I hope don’t go away. I hope that we continue to be healthier for ourselves and create a healthier economy by supporting local institutions and farms.”

When it comes to community and local sourcing, Local Baskit isn’t alone — Rollinsford-based company HomeGrown Eats is a meal delivery service and caterer with a bit of a twist. Based on the CSA (Community

Chef Corey Fletcher of Revival Kitchen & Bar has partnered with Local Baskit to provide additional add-ons.

Supported Agriculture) concept, they’ve created a Community Supported Kitchen, which was formed by the farmers who grow the food and the subscribers who buy it. Most of the vegetables on the menu are grown in HomeGrown Eats’ own permaculture gardens, and the rest of their ingredi-

ents are fresh, clean, organic and picked at their peak. Each Friday morning, they post a menu built on what’s ripening in the gardens and what local farmers have available, and they will deliver to the Seacoast area on Wednesday afternoons at no extra charge.

You can choose from an à la carte menu, weekly shares, or you can upgrade your share with extra portions, spices, various add-ons and even family meals. You can order weekly or become a monthly Community Supported Kitchen member.

Past menus have included meals ranging from fish tacos to carrot top pesto vegetables to Swiss chard galettes, and are created for people who don’t have the space, time or know-how to grow their own food.

The team believes in eating with the seasons. “Fruits and vegetables grown locally are far more nutritious than those that ripen in warehouses or on trucks while traveling across the country. Locally pastured, humanely raised meats are far removed from the horrors of factory farming. Giving consumers tastier proteins and peace of mind. It’s just a healthier way to eat and live,” says their website. They too have been overwhelmed by the amount of support they

GREAT ON THE GRILL

Gloucester, Mass

America’s Favorite Stuffed Clam!

Find us in the frozen seafood department at your local grocer!

Tacos, a burrito bowl and Jarritos sodas, which are imported from Mexico

22

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

www.matlaws.com

photo courtesy of local baskit

FOOD & DRINK

photo courtesy of all real meal

FOOD & DRINK

All Real Meal in Manchester offers Best of NH award-winning, fully prepared farm-to-table meals delivered right to your door. Just reheat and eat all week long.

603 NAVIGATOR have received since the start of COVID-19, a feeling of mutual joy and exhaustion that All Real Meal has experienced as well.

Sonia Farris, co-owner and chef at All Real Meal, has found the same solace in the outpouring of community support.

“Since the very beginning of COVID-19, we’ve had people reaching out asking for help with meals or supplies,” says Farris. “So many of our new orders are people sending food to their neighbors, coworkers and friends.

We have one woman who sends meals to a different coworker almost every week just to connect and encourage them. We see so much evidence every day that we are safe in each other’s arms here in New Hampshire.”

All Real Meal, says Farris, was founded on love, creativity, fun, and giving back to the community that gives so much to them.

They offer fully prepared farm-to-table low-carb, keto, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian breakfasts, lunches and dinners delivered to your door.

“Our idea was to fill your fridge with the kinds of meals that people you love would bring you during monumental times of your life,” says Farris. “For instance, if you just came home from the hospital with a new baby,

Pickity Place ÐÐjć. Ċ@ĕû@ÊĊÿć ÐÅwć@Êjć Ðäć ûw@Ċć . Ċ@ĕû@ÊĊÿć wĊć wĒwûć@Êjć wĒwû

Mason, NH • (603) 878 -1151 • pickityplace.com

You will find our hilltop hideaway at the end of a winding dirt road. Our five-course, creative herbal cuisine draws guests from New England and beyond.

Pickity Place is a sensory treat — well worth the trip.

Enjoy one of our three private seatings: 11:30, 12:45 or 2:00. Reservations by phone.

Have a Pickity Day!

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

23

your mom and close friends would bring over prepared meals for you to reheat that are lovingly crafted with the best stuff inside.”

The company, which Farris founded with co-owner Kasia Lojko, opened in a shared space in Manchester 2013. Their goal, says Farris, is to provide customers a healthy, locally sourced meal on those nights when there isn’t time to prepare one. Today, they deliver all over the Granite State, and customers can select their weekly meals from a menu of more than 40 items, ranging from butternut squash lasagna to peanut butter chocolate steel cut oats.

“Our most popular seller has been our ‘You Are Loved’ cooler bag, which comes with eight meals, two sides and two desserts, and then we deliver it either to the customer or they send it as a gift,” says Farris. “Classic comfort foods are also popular right now, such as the pulled pork shepherd’s pie and roast beef with mashed potatoes. We have also been selling out every week on our LaValley Farms free-range organic eggs and locally baked Abigail’s organic bread. It’s hard for us to keep cloth masks in stock as well.”

Since the start of COVID-19, the team has only seen an increase in need — and

FOOD & DRINK

shortages and just trying to avoid going out.”

At the end of the day, Farris has found that when people are suffering, healing or celebrating, they all want the same thing — good food. “We chose food service, and we continue to choose it because food is love,” says Farris. “It is important and universal.

Everyone needs to eat, and right now everyone needs the comfort and nourishment of a good meal. We bring them Kasia’s European chicken soup and my mom’s Puerto Rican beef stew, and we remember their favorites and check if they need an extra roll of toilet paper with their order. If they feel good, then we feel good too.” NH

All Real Meal uses non-GMO, organic, and locally and naturally grown ingredients.

business. “We have had people reaching out to us to set up meal deliveries for their loved ones from all over the country and even from Canada,” says Farris. “A lot of our regulars who typically order biweekly or monthly started increasing their orders to every week, and sometimes even doubling the size of their orders due to grocery store

Find It

Local Baskit

10 Ferry St., Concord (603) 219-0882; localbaskit.com

HomeGrown Eats

3 Front St., Rollinsford (603) 557-5297; nhhomegrowneats.com

All Real Meal

87 Elm St., Manchester (603) 782-3014; allrealmeal.com

Family-friendly dining with award-winning brews

• 20 handcrafted brews on tap • Farm-fresh ingredients • Locally sourced menu • Growlers & 4-Packs of Cans available to take home!

• Follow us on Social Media

Serving Lunch and Dinner Daily | 40 Andover Road, New London | 603-526-6899 | flyinggoose.com 24

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

photo courtesy of all real meal

603 NAVIGATOR

603 Informer “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” — Albert Einstein

26

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

Courtesy photo

Politics 31 Blips 32 What Do You Know? 34

One Frame at a Time

Old-school animation is making some fresh moves

BY MIKE SULLIVAN

S

Stop-motion animation is animation that is captured one frame at a time, with physical objects that are moved between frames.

top-motion animation. Mention those words and you’ll likely get one of two responses: “What is that?” or “They still do that?”

To the former group — stop-motion animation is a filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in between individually photographed frames, which gives the appearance of movement when played back sequentially. It gave life to “King Kong” in 1933 and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” in 1964; it gave us the AT-AT Walkers in “The Empire Strikes Back” and the fantastic worlds of Jack Skellington and Coraline.

To the latter group — yes. Sometimes they still do that.

There is a large and talented group of artists out there creating incredible stop-motion videos. One such artist is New nhmagazine.com | July 2020

27

INFORMER

Hampshire’s Meredith Foley. She has been producing stop-motion ads for brands such as Nickelodeon, Arm & Hammer, General Mills and Trident Gum from her home studio since 2017.

In 2003, Foley’s family moved from the desert environs of New Mexico to New Hampshire. She was 12 years old. “We really thought we were in the jungle when we moved here,” she says, laughing. “[But now] I think it’s absolutely beautiful. We didn’t really get the dramatic season changes in New Mexico.”

Her interest in photography began in high school, and she pursued a degree in advertising photography at Rochester Institute of Technology. After graduating from RIT in 2013, Meredith studied graphic design at Manchester Community College. In late 2016, Foley discovered the work of Utahbased stop-motion artist Trisha Zemp. Eager to learn more about the craft, Meredith moved to the Beehive State to work as an intern/assistant/apprentice at Zemp’s studio for six months. “The time I spent in Utah with Trisha was invaluable. I learned so much, not only the stop-motion process, but also working with clients.” Foley returned home to New Hampshire at the end of 2017

This 10-second everything bagel video took around 12 hours to create.

and got her first client — Liverpool One, a shopping center in England.

Foley uses social media to catch the eyes of potential clients by creating her own videos and posting them on Instagram with a whole bunch of hashtags. “The hashtags are important. Posting without them is like hanging a painting on your fridge where only your friends and family see it. Hashtags are like hanging it on a bulletin board where lots of people can see it,” she says. Her familiarity with social

Subscribe today! $14.97 for one year (12 issues)

nhmagazine.com/subscribe

Foley loves brainstorming ideas, creating storyboards and building models for her videos.

28

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

courtesy photos

(877) 494-2036 Call or visit us to order.

INFORMER

603 INFORMER

courtesy photo

Foley in action making a stop-motion video

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

29

Proudly Supports Safe

Outdoor Recreation across New Hampshire WEAR IT

Safewaters.com

media platforms helps because her clients want content that they can post on Instagram, Facebook, etc. Meredith calls these types of ads “thumbstoppers” — they stop the endless scroll cycle.

Unlike television commercials, social media ads are only six to 10 seconds long.

That is not a lot of time, but those six to 10 seconds of stop-motion animation can easily take up to two or three weeks to create.

Everything in stop-motion is physically animated by hand. Everything. One frame at a time. Twenty-four frames a second. There is no computer involved in the animation process. Foley lights the set with LED panels (consistent lighting is critical) and frames the subject through the lens of her Canon 5D Mark II camera. Using a remote for the camera, she takes one photo. She moves the subject — or subjects — a tiny bit. Another photo. Repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

Until the planned movement is complete.

The camera shutter is triggered hundreds of times. It’s only when all those individual photos are shot that Foley can finally view the complete animation. If it is too fast, too slow or in another way unacceptable? Got to go back and do it all over again.

“The actual shooting can sometimes be very, very frustrating,” she says. Her favorite parts are the very beginning of the project — brainstorming ideas, creating storyboards, building models — and the very end. “Watching it back is very satisfying. It always looks cool when you’re done.”

What of the future? Foley wants to expand her skills with stop-motion by using rigs and building armature-based models that can jump or fly. She’s going to stay here in New Hampshire. “There is a strong interest here in art and artisans. New Hampshire is well represented in the world of creativity.” NH

You can find Foley online at meredithfoley. com and on Instagram @meredith_ foley.

30

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

603 INFORMER

illustration by peter noonan

POLITICS

The Stark Truth

Even our state motto is feeling the strain

by James pindell

P

erhaps no other state has a motto that is so often quoted and so woven into the ethos of everyday life as New Hampshire’s “Live Free or Die.” And perhaps at no other time in the state’s history has that motto been challenged more than this year.

Live Free or Die officially became the state’s motto 75 years ago. It shouldn’t be forgotten that motto isn’t actually a statement, but rather it’s a question.

Living free, after all, has defined public life in the state. It’s why the state routinely choses the perceived “living free” path with no seatbelt law, strong gun rights, and in being the only state to have neither an income tax nor sales tax. When think tanks chart different factors to see which state is the most libertarian, New Hampshire is always near the top.

But, in the spring of 2020 at least, more residents appeared to focus on the second part of the question: the “or die” part.

Amid the global coronavirus outbreak, residents not only heeded the call of scientists and medical professionals to stay at home

and stay socially distant, they also overwhelmingly approved of politicians who ordered the actions.

There would be little to no hiking in state parks. There would be no eating at a restaurant. There would be no sales-taxfree spending at malls. There would be no tourism, no schools, no sports, no religious services, no haircuts — at least for a period of two months. (Notably, state liquor stores and gun stores never closed.)

The decision by Republican governor Chris Sununu’s to issue executive orders requesting the closures of everyday life did eventually meet some resistance. In fact, there was even a group of libertarian-minded Republicans who organized protests on the Statehouse lawn calling for the state to reopen. They said they wanted to live free.

But if the polling is correct, the majority of the Granite State didn’t agree with them.

Some 89% of state residents approved of Sununu’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak in April, according to a poll by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.

By contrast, only 7% disapproved. This was a month after the orders began. Simply put, these are the highest poll numbers any veteran of New Hampshire politics can recall.

Getting 9 out of 10 New Hampshire residents to agree on anything is nearly impossible.

But beyond just supporting a politician’s decision, residents of the state quietly made their own decisions to choose not to die, and adhered to government suggestions that curtailed their freedom in order to stay healthy.

The results of the collective action speak for themselves. As of this writing, New Hampshire was among the least-impacted states by COVID-19. This, despite most of the population being within commuting distance of Boston, which was among global hotspots for the outbreak.

As any New Hampshire fourth grader studying state history knows, when Gen. John Stark penned a letter of regret that he couldn’t attend a reunion of Battle of Bennington veterans, he didn’t just end it with the phrase “live free or die.” Right after that he added, “Death is not the greatest of evils.”

In 2020, the enemy is far less visible than the British detachment that Stark so bravely faced, but it sure felt like this was the year when most state residents added yet one last line to that letter. “Unless, of course, we are talking about the coronavirus.” NH nhmagazine.com | July 2020

31

603 INFORMER

IN THE NEWS

Blips

Taking Flight

The New Hampshire Aviation Museum goes virtual

BY CASEY MCDERMOTT The New Hampshire Aviation Museum usually thrives on in-person experiences. Housed in a restored 1937 art deco passenger terminal, it welcomed visitors to explore engines, cockpits and other aviation artifacts. And before COVID-19, the museum regularly took its educational outreach efforts on the road, into classrooms across New Hampshire — bringing in props, dressing up as characters from the state’s aviation history and so on.

Now, that’s all put on hold.

“We didn’t have any plan,” says Jeff Rapsis, the museum’s executive director.

“Of course, who did? We had to come up with something.”

That something? One of the museum’s loyal volunteers, Chuck Gerhan, suggested turning the museum’s professional-grade Elite flight simulator into a vehicle for a virtual trip around the globe. Departing

32

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

from the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport May 1, the “Around the World Flight Adventure” set off toward Newfoundland, before continuing on toward Greenland, Iceland, Scotland and beyond. It turned out to be an ideal educational resource for schools across New Hampshire hungry for remote-learning experiences.

“We could introduce topics like history, geography and culture when we’re hopscotching around the globe,” Rapsis says. “We’re all stuck at home, but why not take the ultimate field trip and go all the way around the world and learn all about it?”

But it didn’t just catch on in New Hampshire. The museum’s virtual flight path was scheduled to sail above Normandy on Memorial Day, which attracted the attention of local and national press alike. It was chosen as one of five

courtesy photo

Monitoring appearances of the 603 on the media radar since 2006

The New Hampshire Aviation Museum is offering educational virtual trips around the globe for its online visitors.

Memorial Day celebrations singled out by Newsweek — along with Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry and a star-studded “Parade of Heroes” hosted by Kathy Lee Gifford. The recognition was welcome, if unexpected.

“We do our own press,” Rapsis says, “Newsweek is not on that list.”

Thanks to the extra publicity, the museum’s Memorial Day flight leg attracted nearly a thousand viewers when it was livestreamed. Commenters from across

The New Hampshire Aviation Museum’s virtual world tour was a big hit.

the globe shared their s own memories in, Clas igh Cron Kale of 200 visiting 7 the spots shown on the flight of screen.

“Good morning, guys! I was in the USAF and stationed in the UK at RAF Fairford from 89-91,” one commenter remarked.

“I was also stationed in Germany at NATO Airbase Geilenkirchen 97-01. I got to see many WWI and II battlefields.”

Another chimed in: “Am in Florida watching the amazing virtual flight from London to Normandy, France. I had the experience of going to Normandy 4 years ago to see the beaches and the museums and the cemetery.”

Those running the aviation museum are usually thrilled to get 100 people to show up to its events — and can’t exceed 127 people in their building, per the fire code.

So, needless to say, the outpouring of interest from far beyond New Hampshire was quite the achievement.

“To get nearly 1,000 people — even if it’s virtually — in one place, that’s a tremendous milestone for us,” Rapsis says. “And it all happened because of the shutdown and the need to be a little creative about the tools you have and the circumstances you face.” NH

In challenging times like these, the NH business community is at its best — persevering and taking care of others. Thank you!

We are here to help you recover and thrive with guidance on: CARES Act • PPP loans • Employee Retention Credit Benefits plans • Business operations planning

courtesy photo

The show will go (virtually) on: The aviation museum isn’t the only local venue getting attention for its creative approaches to programming amid COVID-19.

The Seacoast Rep was profiled in The New York Times for ensuring their shows must go on — if livestreamed. “We are under no illusion that this is going to replace live theater, and we don’t want it to,” Brandon James, the co-artistic director told the Times, “but streaming is certainly better than nothing. It has kept this organization’s nose above water.”

Act of kindness: A Concord-based postal worker caught the attention of CNN for his kind gestures to local graduates who were missing out on their planned commencement celebrations because of the coronavirus. Local mailman Josh Crowell has been handing out $5 Dunkin’ gift cards and handwritten notes of support at homes where he knew a senior was graduating — using money from his own pocket. “I’m not very well-off myself,” Crowell told CNN, “but I look at it as, if I put a smile on somebody’s face, then I will do it.”

ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN SERVICES

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

33

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

BY MARSHALL HUDSON

I

’m on the Pontook flowage up in Dummer headed south following the Androscoggin. The river is flowing freely now, but 100 years ago it would have been jammed with activity as log drivers floated their winter’s work downriver to the mills.

Folklore says that during these spring log drives there were so many logs in the river you couldn’t throw a line in to fish, and you could walk across the river blindfolded on floating logs without getting your feet wet.

Old photos seem to bear out these legends as having a kernel of truth to them.

The spring log drive was the final step in the process of timbering the remote areas of northern New Hampshire. During the winter, logging crews would move into their camps, chopping down trees until spring, and hauling the logs and pulpwood to the riverbank. Sometimes the logs were hauled to temporarily dammed brooks and streams

34

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

that fed into the Androscoggin. When the ice thawed and water levels rose, the logs were rolled into the river and the drive commenced. Log drives typically began at ice-out, and the temporary dams would be breached, sending a massive wall of water and logs gushing into the river. River drivers would ride the logs, guiding them downriver to the mills. It was dangerous work — with water temperatures near freezing, a misstep could mean death.

As I follow the river, I’m noticing small rocky islands poking through the surface of the water. There are almost 100 of these rocky outposts up the center of the river, starting around the Milan-Dummer town line and ending 8 or 9 miles downriver at the dam in Berlin. At first glance, they look like ordinary rocky islands in the wide flat river, but with a closer look they are too perfectly aligned, and the spacing between

coos county historical society

Pieces of NH’s logging past remain

them is too uniform to have occurred naturally. These islands are manmade. But why?

And how?

The story of these little islands begins in the late 1800s. At that time, the banks of the Androscoggin were lined with mills that all required logs. These mills relied on the vast forests above Berlin to supply them with the logs they needed for the manufacturing of their products. Wood that was harvested from these forests and floated downstream during the annual spring drive was destined for one mill or another, and massive amounts of individual logs were driven downriver like herds of cattle.

All these logs, however, had different owners. With five or more companies using the Androscoggin River as a floating highway at the same time, the river became congested and logs intermingled. Keeping track of this wood was a major concern for all involved. Both the big and small companies needed easy access to their floating logs, and all had the legal

&

Glimpse of History

The making of a boom pier

photo courtesy of berlin

603 INFORMER

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

603 INFORMER

photo by marshall hudson

These islands stood like a row of traffic cones spaced a few hundred feet apart.

Built over 125 years ago, the remains of some of the Androscoggin River boom piers can still be seen poking up out of the water.

right to use the river, so they needed to come up with a plan. They decided to construct a series of islands in the river, splitting it in two, and perhaps even thirds, near the mills.

From one island to the next they would string logs chained together and anchor them to the island as a floating boom to further divide the river. These small islands thus took on the name “boom piers.” Once the boom piers were constructed, one of the two bigger mills would send its logs down the left lane and the other down the right.

courtesy photos

The boom piers were a way to organize the massive log drives.

Men rode the logs down the river, which was a dangerous occupation.

Small mills could also use these lanes. It was an attempt to organize the log highway.

Sorting gaps in the boom chain were provided in a few strategic locations.

Timber choppers stamped the ends of the logs before rolling them into the river.

Each timber company had its own end mark stamped onto the log with a stamping hammer. Obliterating or altering a timber mark was a crime not tolerated by the other loggers and mill owners.

With a plan in place, the late 1890s saw the start of construction on these boom islands. They were built during the coldest part of the winter when the river ice was thickest. Square wooden cribs made of rot-resistant hemlock beams were built on the frozen river. Huge rocks were dragged out on sleds by teams of horses and lifted into the crib framework with block and tackle. The loaded cribs were then sunk by cutting away the ice beneath them. More hemlock framing and more large rocks were continuously added until the crib settled on the river bottom, and the newly created island reached its desired height and shape.

This process continued throughout the winter until the river started to thaw and the ice became too thin to support the work.

In 1906, 49 additional piers were added so that two drives could come down the river and through the sorting boom at the same time. Repairs and maintenance to the boom piers was an annual winter chore as ice flows, erosion, deterioration and accidents damaged the rocks and

timbers. It took many winters to complete, but when finished, these islands stood like a row of traffic cones spaced a few hundred feet apart, stretching northward away from the Berlin mills.

The smaller mills went out of business or were absorbed by the larger companies, and in 1917, the Berlin Mills Company became the Brown Company. Only the Brown Company and International Paper Mill were still using the boom islands to separate their wood in 1930 when the IP Mill closed its doors. The Brown Company continued to use these piers to hold and sort their wood from 1930 to 1964, but by the early 1960s, the economics of spring log drives floating wood down the river to mill shifted.

Bigger trucks and better roads made truck transport more economical, safer and less seasonally restricted.

In November of 1964, the last of the logs were brought down the Androscoggin, meaning log drivers and boom islands were no longer needed. The boom islands were left to the elements, and without maintenance many of the hemlock frames rotted away. The rock centers remained sticking up above the water. On some, enough dirt and organic matter has accumulated to allow scrawny trees to grow giving these rocky outposts, giving them the appearance of a natural island — almost.

The days of the log drive down the river are now lost forever and are not likely to be seen again, but these old boom islands serve as a solid reminder of New Hampshire’s logging history and are a historical icon for traveling tourists to go see. The men that built these boom islands over 125 years ago did their work well, as the islands are still standing despite the toll taken by time and nature. Those men must have been tougher than I am. I wouldn’t want to be out on a frozen river in the dead of winter with a team of horses hauling boulders to dump into a hole the ice. Not exactly a work-fromhome occupation. NH nhmagazine.com | July 2020

35

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Ask the

EXPERTS

New Hampshire Magazine’s Guide to Retirement Living and Senior Living

Resident safety is a priority for retirement communities 36

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

As retirement communities work to keep residents safe during the coronavirus pandemic, such efforts are now in the spotlight.

We reached out to several experts to learn more about their safety measures, communication innovations and what people can expect as they research retirement living options.

Our experts: • Brian Newman, Chief Executive Officer

Silverstone Living ­­— silverstoneliving.org • Paul Charlton, Vice President of Marketing

Taylor Community — ­­ taylorcommunity.org • Lynda Brislin, RN, Executive Director

Windham Terrace ­­— windhamterrace.com • Shannon Lynch, Executive

Director, Summit by Morrison — ­­ themorrisoncommunities.org • Maria Byrne, Director of Sales The Baldwin — ­­ thebaldwinnh.org Q. What have been your most successful new safety measures?

Paul Charlton, Taylor Community: “Thanks to extensive emergency preparedness training over the years, we were able to act quickly. While we certainly didn’t envision COVID-19, we prepared for this kind of emergency. We also took the same steps most others have taken, such as stopping group activities, no visitors, meal and grocery delivery and increased standard actions like hand washing, sanitizing, masks and social distancing. Getting an early jump on this was just as important as the steps taken.”

Lynda Brislin, Windham Terrace: “Windham Terrace upholds the recommendations of the CMS and CDC. We screen all staff before they are allowed into the building in an effort to ‘stop it at the door.’ There is a screening tool of questions asked for each employee each time they enter the building.”

Shannon Lynch, Summit by Morrison: “At the Summit, we have been diligent in staying up to date via daily Zoom meetings with state officials. These meetings are essential in determining and implementing the most current guidelines to keep our community of residents and staff as safe as possible during this pandemic. To date, we have been successful in having zero cases of the virus.”

Grow old gracefully?

I’D RATHER AGE WITH ATTITUDE.

Sophia Loren famously observed that the fountain of youth is your mind, your talents and the creativity you bring to life. We enthusiastically agree! And that’s why The Baldwin, an all-new, one-of-a-kind Life Plan Community coming to Londonderry, NH, will be the kind of place where you can learn, grow and express every part of who you are. To learn more, call us at 603.836.0123.

The Baldwin Welcome Center 1E Commons Drive | Londonderry, NH 03053 TheBaldwinNH.org | 603.836.0123

Maria Byrne, The Baldwin: “Since The Baldwin has not yet been built, our safety nhmagazine.com | July 2020

37

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

measures right now are focused on events.

Our Priority Program is underway so instead of in-person events, we have been holding online webinars to help people learn about The Baldwin and everything this unique community will offer. We have also been conducting personal appointments via telephone or video conference.

As things open up, we’ll resume some in-person events with safety measures in place, but we anticipate that we’ll also continue offering online events for people who prefer them.”

Q. How do you attract and keep exceptional staffers, and how have they helped residents and families recently?

Brian Newman, Silverstone Living: “In order to attract and retain the best employees you need to create a culture where they are encouraged to share new ideas, they are listened to and they are able to make a difference. If they feel engaged and that their opinions matter, they will be inspired to do whatever it takes for our residents.”

Paul Charlton, Taylor Community: “Again, this sort of thing has to be solidly in place regardless of extenuating circumstances. We are committed to being the employer of choice

in this area. That means competitive wages and benefits, but just as important is the work environment. Are you given what you need to do your job well? Do you feel like the staffing ratios are such that you can spend plenty of time with residents. Pizza and ice cream also go a long way.”

Shannon Lynch, Summit by Morrison: “Summit by Morrison continues the legacy of The Morrison Skilled Nursing Facility’s 100plus years of compassionate service to seniors and its Five-Star Medicare rating. Staff members recognize our reputation for superior and supportive care and take pride in working to maintain these standards. A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program are especially valuable resources for employees, along with our philosophy of growing our own staff through opportunities for advancement and education.

During the pandemic we have introduced a staff shopper. This staff member places orders for groceries and other items for residents so they do not need to venture out to stores. This helps keep our residents safe and gives both residents and families peace of mind. Our staff has enthusiastically coordinated and provided support for window visits and residents can also enjoy one-on-one visits

and walks with staff (so that social distancing can be maintained).”

Q. What has been your staff’s biggest strength in recent months?

Brian Newman, Silverstone Living: “Their capacity for compassion. Our staff has been tireless in their commitment to the well-being of our residents and to each other. Not a single staff member’s job is the same today as it was at the beginning of 2020. Our employees have not skipped a beat in providing care, entertainment, nutrition, support and friendship to all. No matter what our residents ask, our staff did not hesitate to make it happen. I could not be more proud of this team.”

Paul Charlton, Taylor Community: “A willingness to perform new and different duties when asked. In times like these, we are all essential employees and step up again and again to do what’s right for the residents and for one another.”

Lynda Brislin, Windham Terrace: “Remaining loyal to Windham Terrace in the care they provide to all the residents. Maintaining the strict safety measures put forth the by the CDC in an effort to protect this vulnerable population of elderly residents. Some of the staff have actually lived in the building for

e! er h e er w u yo h is w e… m ti t ea gr Having a Enjoy the White Mountains lifestyle in our spacious cottages and apartments!

CALL TODAY • (603) 837-3500

A retirement community providing a continuum of care.

Whitefield, NH • themorrisoncommunities.org

INDEPENDENT LIVING • ASSISTED LIVING • MEMORY CARE 38

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

Now More Than Ever When selecting senior care, it is important to choose a community with a proven track record. Windham Terrace, an award-winning community, enjoys longstanding loyalty among its staff, who bring years of experience and an abiding respect for seniors.

The transition to assisted living at Windham Terrace is a meaningful experience for seniors and an engaging alternative to living on one’s own.

Residents enjoy private apartments in a beautiful setting with superb services and amenities that include healthy, chefprepared meals; entertainment; gardens; and dedicated caregivers available 24/7.

ted Living Co

m ity

Bes t

sis

un

To learn more, please call Lynda at Windham Terrace (603) 437-4600.

As

m

Now, more than ever, Windham Terrace is the trusted choice for assisted living and memory care.

3 Church Road, Windham, NH 03087 WindhamTerrace.com

TerraceCommunities.com Wheelock terrace equinox terrace 32 Buck Rd. 324 Equinox Terrace Rd. Hanover, NH 03755 Manchester Center, VT 05255 (603) 643-7290 (802) 362-5141

Valley terrace 2820 Christian St. White River Jct., VT 05001 (802) 280-1910

Woodstock terrace 456 Woodstock Rd. Woodstock, VT 05091 (802) 457-2228

scarborough terrace 600 Commerce Dr. Scarborough, ME 04074 (207) 885-5568

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

weeks at a time in an effort to limit entry of the coronavirus. The staff has given lots of love due to the restrictions of family visits during the pandemic.”

Shannon Lynch, Summit by Morrison: “Our staff’s biggest strength is their genuine love and concern for the well-being of our residents. Social distancing has been a challenge for all senior living communities, especially in providing opportunities for socializing and recreation. Our staff members in every department have risen to the challenge, and have gone the extra mile to develop safe but fun opportunities for residents to engage in meaningful ways. The definition of resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. The staff at the Summit has demonstrated not only resilience, but also compassion and dedication.”

Q. How does your community use technology to communicate with families or otherwise enrich the lives of residents?

Paul Charlton, Taylor Community: “They say out of adversity comes opportunity and that’s true regarding technology and communication. I can see how some of the things implemented in response to COVID-19 will continue on in the future. We bought more

part of the

tablets and helped residents connect via Skype, FaceTime, etc. with family and friends.

We film and distribute a video update daily and have two new printed daily newsletters keeping residents informed, connected and involved. While these were intended for Taylor residents, they have become very popular with family members, friends and those planning to move here.”

Lynda Brislin, Windham Terrace: “Windham Terrace uses Facebook, FaceTime, frequent emails and phone calls to families and loved ones to keep everyone up to date and to feel close to one another during these unprecedented times.”

Shannon Lynch, Summit by Morrison: “At the Summit, we have worked with residents to set up Zoom calls and FaceTime to stay connected with family and friends.

As our exercise instructor has been unable to return to work, she has created videos of her classes with personal messages to residents. Photos of residents engaged in activities are regularly sent to family members and posted on Facebook and monthly emails are sent directly to families to update them on their loved ones and the activities taking place at the Summit.”

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

Brian Newman, Silverstone Living: “The most important thing about our community is that we are family. I have felt this way since my first day at Silverstone Living. This experience has shown me that our family is strong, committed to each other, and is capable of accomplishing anything.”

Paul Charlton, Taylor Community: “We never lose sight of the fact that we are here each day to serve and care for the people who live here. They don’t live in our organization. We work in their home. No matter which communities you’re looking at, visit and do what you can to assess the satisfaction of the people who work and live there.

If they are really happy being there, chances are you will be too.”

Lynda Brislin, Windham Terrace: “The most important thing people should know about Windham Terrace is that we are here for your loved ones. We care for each resident as if they were our own family. Our sincere goal is to help each resident be comfortable with their individual decision in choosing a new living option. It’s not just one thing, it’s everything. It all comes full circle to peace of mind.”

family

The Huntington at Nashua Life Plan Community believes wellness is achieved by focusing on mind, body and spirit. With this philosophy, opportunities flourish for physical exercise, lifelong learning, volunteering, fun and friendships.

40

Q. What’s the most important thing people should know about your retirement community?

55 Kent Lane Nashua NH 03062 603.821.1200 TheHuntingtonAtNashua.org

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Shannon Lynch, Summit by Morrison: “Summit by Morrison is a resident-centered community providing a variety of options — Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care — for individuals to gracefully age in place while staying positively engaged with family members and friends and enjoying a wide array of services and activities. What makes the Summit stand out is our staff’s compassionate care and attention to the individual needs of each resident, creating a truly home-like and welcoming environment where everyone feels like family.”

Maria Byrne, The Baldwin: “Great question.

We’re currently accepting Priority Program deposits, and The Baldwin has already won multiple awards. In fact, it was described as ‘the most progressive senior-living project we’ve seen’ by judges for Multi-Housing News’ Excellence Awards. And truly, the entire philosophy of The Baldwin is progressive; nothing about our community will be cookie-cutter. We’re incorporating cutting-edge knowledge about senior living and wellness into a one-of-a-kind community where residents will design the kind of lives they want to live. Adding to this will be our location in an up-and-coming live/work/play development, putting opportunities for shopping, dining, entertainment and a multigenerational social scene just outside our door. We’ll also offer a flexible system of health care delivery so that residents will have the ability to remain in their homes through almost any health challenge — whether they need assisted living, memory support or more advanced services. The Baldwin will be a place that celebrates individual freedom as well as the value of community and will also provide the security and peace of mind residents expect from a Life Plan Community.”

Q. What’s different about your community that might surprise readers?

Maria Byrne, The Baldwin: “Today, seniors are living longer, healthier lives and fewer of them ever need the types of services that require long-term care in a stereotypical, clinical nursing home. In fact, we find that many people dread the idea of moving into a nursing home.

Residents at The Baldwin will have access to a continuum of healthcare services on our campus, but they may be surprised to learn that we will not have a traditional nursing home.

Instead, thanks to an expansive license in New Hampshire known as Assisted Living Residences-Supported Residential Health Care (ALRSRHC), we will be staffed and equipped to offer most skilled nursing services on our campus.

This means that, at The Baldwin, most residents will be able to remain in the community and receive the personalized health care they need.

It’s another part of our forward-thinking philosophy designed to empower people to live the way they choose.”

“My Mom said she wanted to live at home forever. Her hospital case manager recommended 360 SHS.”

603-801-1936 www.360-SHS.com

Bedford • Londonderry • Exeter • Concord • Portsmouth

Connecting to what matters That’s the Benchmark Difference.

5 Corporate Drive | 603.471.2555 BedfordFallsAssistedLiving.com Assisted Living • Memory Care nhmagazine.com | July 2020

41

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

360 SHS offers aging at home as an option Judy Loubier, Executive Director, 360 SHS — ­ 360-SHS.com 360 SHS is a complete circle of home care offering everything necessary to remain at home forever: companionship, housekeeping, transportation, meal preparation, personal care, medication administration, insulin care, wound care, stroke care and end-of-life care.

Q. Why choose to age at home?

Loubier: “Ninety-two percent of seniors have expressed a strong desire to stay at home throughout the remainder of their lives. This is the place most familiar, the place where they can maintain their own routine, and as we are finding in today’s world of pandemics, it is also the safest place for the elderly.”

Q. Is it possible to stay at home for the remainder of our lives, and if so, how does 360 SHS make it possible?

Loubier: “Yes. 360 SHS tailors the care depending on the needs during each phase of aging. As we age, we go through times of wellness and times of challenge. Our care plans are flexible through these changes, pre-

Concerts

serving optimal quality of life. We view each person as an individual with unique needs and goals. Furthermore, goals change as we age and we adjust care along with these changes. 360 SHS provides well trained, caring men and women with skills, experience, training, licenses and certifications to ensure success.”

In addition, we are licensed to provide a full range of nursing care, including medication administration, insulin care, wound care, stroke care and end-of-life care. 360 degrees is a complete circle; 360 SHS is a complete circle of care.”

Q. What services does 360 SHS provide?

Loubier: “We believe the connection between two people is where life and health and peace of mind begins. Every senior deserves this connection. We take people with incredible hearts who have a desire to give and match them with seniors who have a desire to remain in the place they call home.

Furthermore, we are returning daughters and sons and spouses to their special loving role in our clients’ lives. Our Executive Director, Judy Loubier, PT, CSA, CDP, provides free lectures throughout the state on dementia care and aging in place. At 360 SHS we treat every client, family and caregiver as part of our family—this is a family based business.”

Loubier: “The range of services of 360 SHS is vast, handling situations that might only include light care, up to patients discharging from the hospital or rehab with complex medical conditions, dementia and hospice care. All our services are performed by our employees, hand-picked by us and fully insured and bonded. 360 SHS provides every service to remain at home forever. We have individualized plans of care based on thorough assessments as care needs change — companionship, housekeeping, transportation, meal preparation and personal care.

•

Lectures

•

Movies

•

Q. What is the mission of 360 SHS?

Streaming Opera

•

Music

Friendly Active Senior Living Experience retirement like never before in a vibrant community in New Hampshire’s beautiful Lakes Region.

Taylor Community Benefits include... Maintenance-free living Spacious apartments & single-story cottages Fitness & aquatic facilities & classes Trips, tours, activities & events Beautifully maintained 104-acre campus

Peace of mind for the future

(603) 366-1400 taylorcommunity.com Laconia ❘ Wolfeboro Taylor Community is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 continuing care retirement community.

Call today for more information, or to tour this beautiful campus!

42

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

un

Nu

rsi ng

da ble

Fee Ref

Community

Mo nth ly

En tra nc e

Fee

Ran ge

Featured Retirement Communities in NH

Op tio ns Un its Ind (# e pe of bed nd en s) tL i Per vin so g U na nit lC s are Mem Un or i t s yC are Ass ist Un ed i t s Res L pit iving eC Or a re ga n Sch ized D ed ay Bea uled Trips T ut y/B rans Lau a p nd rber ortat Ho ry Se Servi ion use rvi ce c On keepi e n -sit e D g Ser On i -sit ning vice Wo e Med Servi ce rsh ic ip Se al Se rvi rvi ce ce

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Amenities

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES

The Baldwin Londonderry, thebaldwinnh.org

Starting at $212,000

Starting at $3,250

Y

0

190

40

TBD

•

• • • • • • •

A walkable location with farm-to-table cuisine, fitness center, indoor pool, spa, lifelong learning, art studio, classrooms, auditorium, plus reserved underground parking, flexible health care delivery and is pet-friendly.

• • • • • • • •

A Life Plan Community with library, fitness center, billiards room, woodworking shop, pool, walking paths, theater, multiuse auditorium, coffee bar and outside rooftop dining.

• • • • • • • •

A Life Plan Community with a Life Care component. Indoor pool, exercise center, library, theater, woodworking shop and multiuse auditorium.

Hunt Community Nashua, huntcommunity.org

Starting at $83,000

Starting at $2,483

The Huntington at Nashua Nashua, thehuntingtonatnashua.org

Starting at $150,000

Starting at $3,110

Y

24

142

24

24

•

Taylor Community Laconia, taylorcommunity.org

Starting at $139,000

Starting at $1,195

Y

40

180

103

10

• • • • • • • • • •

Has activities, special events, concerts, lectures, seminars, pool, gym, movie theater and is maintenance free.

• • • • • • • • • •

Offering restaurant-style dining, theater, library and pub, all in the spirit of elevating human connections.

Y

22

116

24

24

•

RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES Bedford Falls Bedford, bedfordfallsassistedliving.com

$6,000

$6,000 $8,000

Y

0

0

60

24

Summit by Morrison Whitefield, summitbymorrison.org

$3,500

Starting at $2,950

Y

57

47

24

12

• • • • • • • •

Has a wellness center with fitness classes, auditorium, activity room, full-service salon, lounge and library.

Wheelock Terrace Hanover, wheelockterrace.com

$7,000$9,500

Y

0

Y

Y

21

• • • • • • • • • •

Gracious setting with spacious sitting areas, chef prepared meals and compassionate caring staff.

Windham Terrace Windham, windhamterrace.com

$7,000$10,700

• • • • • • • • • •

Has enriching social, cultural and educational activities, comfortable restaurant-style dining, serene library and holistic wellness/integrated therapy room. We have happy hour!

Y

0

Y

Y

18

AT HOME CARE OPTIONS 360 SHS 360-SHS.com

360 SHS is a complete circle of home care with everything necessary to remain at home forever — dementia care, companionship, housekeeping, transportation, meal preparation, personal care, medication administration, insulin care, wound care, stroke care and end-of-life care.

At Home By Hunt athomebyhunt.org

AT HOME BY HUNT is a Continuing Care program for individuals who want to remain in control of their future longterm care needs while aging in place at home. Entrance fee starting at $33,900. Monthly fee range is varied. There are refundable options. At Home by Hunt offers independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, personal care, organized day trips and scheduled transportation.

Want to see your community listed here in our January issue? Contact us today to reserve your spot — (603) 624-1442. nhmagazine.com | July 2020

43

603 INFORMER

TRANSCRIPT

Earthling Photos and interview by David Mendelsohn You may not have “diamonds on the soles of your shoes” as Paul Simon sang, but there are treasures under your feet. Our planet has been busy cranking out bling for billions of years, then playfully concealing her work. Neil Santerre knows this well. He digs, collects, cuts and trades in this hidden bounty. Beautiful, shimmering minerals and crystals. Dazzling gems. Riches, all there for the taking and free if you don’t count the work. So grab your pickax and safety glasses.

Go prospecting. Stake your claim in the state’s back forty. Pick a specimen from your neighbor’s stone wall and crack it open. Just do it at night — and please don’t mention my name.

My interest in minerals goes way back. It all started with a trip to Ruggles Mine. After that visit, it was all downhill from there and, actually, more often uphill.

Why a rock and mineral store? The simplest answer is “why not?” With a name like Santerre (which means “without earth”), I thought it had a good ring to it: “Santerre’s Stones ’n Stuff.”

The artistry and beauty of a natural crystal is tough to describe. I like to call them Mother Nature’s art.

Some rockhounds look for crystals, some look for material to cut for jewelry, and some just [want] to get out and enjoy the outdoors. I fit all three.

If I have a good day, some of the material will go for sale in the store. Most times though, they go right into the personal collection.

You don’t have to have a degree in geology to discover pretty rocks. Having some understanding of geology does help if you go prospecting in new locations, but it is not required. You just need to go out and enjoy.

There are many opportunities for rockhounding here. If you are a novice, you may want to join a mineral and gem club.

Some mines are closed, but if you are a member of a club, they have special field trips to various open ones.

Gems and crystals have certain spiritual powers. People will come into the store asking us what stone will help with something specific. That is a tough question because it’s not the same for all individuals.

I tell people that all minerals contain energy. However, everyone’s energy is unique, so how an individual relates to the stone is a personal experience.

Metals cause the colors in gems and minerals. For example, in emeralds it’s chromium — that produces the green. In aquamarines it is iron for that blue.

The only real way to judge whether a particular rock, when broken open, will contain anything of value is through experience.

When it comes to selling the specimens and jewelry that we make, I do not get attached. However, when it comes to selling the stones I have found, it is a little tougher.

RUGGLES MINE IN GRAFTON has been closed for so long it became a setting for a weird art installation/happening a few years ago, but new owners promise that the mine will reopen soon, and will begin to lure a new generation of geologists and rockhounds to discover the mysteries cooked up in the guts of the Earth. That’s where Neil Santerre found his passion that led to a life of collecting mineral specimens and to the opening of his shop, Santerre’s Stones ‘n Stuff, in Epping. (santerresstones.com). A web search for gem and mineral clubs will produce a number of active societies for those wanting to get their hands dirty while hunting for nature’s buried treasures. nhmagazine.com | July 2020

45

Grave New World?

Art often speaks more clearly than words when expressing the hopes and fears of a new generation. We asked the illustration students at the Institute of Art and Design at New England College to tell us what they think of the world, post-pandemic, by showing us. We’re happy to note their creations reveal as much hope as fear.

By JACK KENNY Illustration by ANNABELLE MESZYNSKI

46

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

47

Manchester residents with a fine eye for detail may have noticed that the decades-old New Hampshire Institute of Art has become the Institute of Art and Design at New England College, joined to the New England College of Liberal Arts in Henniker. The Manchester campus is still there, but the students are not. Like students elsewhere, from kindergarten to grad school, they have been engaged in remote learning and activities due to the shutdown ordered in response to the coronavirus.

One of those activities has had art students drawing and fashioning illustrations to show what the post-pandemic “new normal” might look like. Ryan O’Rourke, an associate professor at the school and a professional commercial illustrator, acknowledges that the remote learning and distance requirements have dampened the enthusiasm of many students who missed the personal, faceto-face interaction with the faculty and the camaraderie with their fellow students.

“Once we proposed this assignment, the level of enthusiasm surged,” O’Rourke says. “It was the idea that you could put your own spin on what might be coming, based on where we are right now. I don’t think anyone really knows. Some have treated it in a humorous manner, some in a serious way. Some are hopeful. All the illustrations express one kind of an idea or another, either subtle or drastic.”

ANNABELLE MESZYNSKI

“I decided to focus on the fear of other people,” says senior Annabelle Meszynski, who works as a prime shopper for a wholesale food company.

The requirement to keep apart from other people, “as though they were dangerous,” 48

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

has left the art student longing for a return to more normal human contact.

So her illustration shows a crowd of people of diverse races and ethnic backgrounds gathered together with no sign of fear, while a woman in the center of the scene is standing aloof, still wearing gloves and surgical mask, reflecting continued caution and fear of the coronavirus. The crowd is illustrated in black and white, while the woman is shown in color, to make her the focal point.

“She is in her world, and everyone else is in theirs,” Meszynski says. Obviously, it will take some of us more time than others to get

over our COVID-19 angst. So is hers an optimistic or less hopeful vision of the future?

“I would say it’s 50-50,” says Meszynski.

“The world is a scary place to go out into, but there are people living normal lives and not worrying about this anymore.”

Meszynski, who will graduate next year, is also feeling apprehensive about the changes brought to the school by its status as a part of New England College.

“It has really weighed on me for a long time,” she says. “I know some of my peers feel the same way. We applied to an art school that was thriving and have seen the school turning into a place where we feel as if we were a secondary thought. I’ve seen a decrease in funding for us to go on annual field trips. We’ve had to shorten our studio classes and had our credits changed so we have to take more humanity classes than art-related classes.”

JON D’ORTANA (RIGHT)

Manchester resident Jon D’Ortana regards himself as an optimist and so he did an illustration of small groups of people touching, even hugging each other, as the social-distancing requirements have not gone the way of the eight-track stereo cartridge or the color-coded alerts from the Department of Homeland Security.

“We did have an opportunity about a month ago to look at everybody’s work and a lot chose a darker, more somber view,” D’Ortana says. “Being sort of an optimistic person, I tried to illustrate something that had a brighter view embedded in it.“ Each student worked “completely independently” the senior art student said. Compared with the disruption caused by the coronavirus, the merging of the Institute with New England College has been a minor concern for D’Ortana.

“It’s certainly been interesting,” he says.

“It’s become a little more restrictive. They’re a lot more strict about attendance. NHIA had emphasis on mental health, giving us the space we needed to get into the creative process. It doesn’t have the exact same motivation to give kids the freedom we used to have. Other than that it’s little things here and there, like the whole rebranding process. It seemed like they were tagging school displays with their tag on everything we have.” That became an issue for students “who love NHIA so much.” He also sees the college as now “interested in more game design and film design.”

by JON D’ORTANA

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

49

SYLVIA HOLLERAN (RIGHT)

Sylvia Holleran of Manchester, now a graduate, did a watercolor showing children on a diving board over a swimming pool. Considering pools and most other recreational facilities have been shutdown during the pandemic, that might be a hopeful sign — except the children are wearing hazmat suits.

“Even after the hazard of the virus, we’re going to be facing the same old problems of life,” Holleran says. She regards her painting as “a little bit hopeful in the resilience of humanity, but a little bit sad to see another problem piled on.” And if you have a hard time imagining people swimming in hazmat suits, “you might think of them as flotation devices,” Holleran suggests. She also sees hope for the future of the school under the new administration.

“It was unfortunate that, through the whole process, we heard about it more from the media instead of the school. But now we’ve actually learned that the president and other officials have been more transparent and communicative.”

Though she is officially a graduate, Holleran and her fellow grads did not have the traditional commencement ceremony this spring because of the pandemic shutdowns. Commencement for the Class of 2020 has been rescheduled for the fall.

“But at least we’ll be there in October,” says Holleran.

50

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

by EMILY SOUSA

INDIRA BUKVA (LEFT)

“Mine was colorful piece, interior vs. exterior,” says Indira Bukva, a senior from Lake Placid, New York. A woman alone in a modern apartment building looks out on a world where everything is in bloom.

“I wanted the piece to show a new world,” says Bukva, who strove to show “a wave of hope. Things are growing, things are blooming. It’s a healthier, brighter future.”

Her vision of the future of the former New Hampshire Institute of Art, now affiliated with New England College, is bright.

“It’s going to bring a lot of new opportunities. They’re going to be able to expand the school,” Bukva says. “NEC is a much larger school and there’s a great opportunity to meet students of other cultures. It’s all about student inclusion. They’re very ‘there’ for the students.”

by TYLER SOUCY

See more work on this same topic from the students of Institute of Art and Design at New England College by visiting this story online at nhmagazine.com. nhmagazine.com | July 2020

51

Where There’s

a Will, There’s

Pawtuckaway A vicarious adventure with friends harking back to those carefree days before the pandemic, courtesy of The Explorers

By Jay Atkinson Photos by Joe Klementovich

Bridget Freudenberger prepares for a steep downhill section of single track just before getting to the rock climbing.

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

53

riving by the main entrance to Pawtuckaway State Park, I felt like one of the Neolithic agrarians who built Stonehenge, revisiting the site many years later.

On an unseasonably cold, gray morning, I was heading to meet my rugby pals at the Fundy boat ramp a couple miles away. Our plan was to mountain bike approximately four miles over rough ground to the boulder field, where we’d do some rock climbing and scrambling. In addition to these new adventures, my trip to Pawtuckaway was a nostalgic journey into the past.

Every summer when I was a kid, my parents reserved a campsite on Pawtuckaway’s Horse Island, where my four siblings and I spent our time biking, swimming, fishing, and doing a whole lot of nothing. Those are some of my happiest memories, of long summer days, throwing a baseball around and grilling hamburgers. So driving toward the rendezvous point, I felt a pang of sorts — like those nomadic hunter-gatherers that looked upon their earlier haunts with reverence, and a palpable sense of mystery.

The name Pawtuckaway is derived from the Abenaki, and is variously translated as “place of the big buck,” “fall in the river” and “clear shallow river.” Located in Rockingham County, the 5,500-acre park includes 192 campsites along the shore of 800-acre Pawtuckaway Lake. Apart from the campground, the distinguishing feature of the landscape is an abundance of whaleback hills, or drumlins, left behind by retreating glaciers. The main camping season extends from Memorial Day to Columbus Day, although the park is typically open year-round for responsible hiking, biking, fishing, cross-country skiing and other sporting ventures.

The weather that morning resembled that of England’s Salisbury Plain — gray, damp, and in the low 40s. At the end of a long dirt road, I found photographer Joe Klementovich and Bridget Freudenberger waiting in the boat ramp parking lot.

“You’re three minutes late,” said Joe, grinning at me.

Soon after, Randy Reis and Jason Massa arrived, as well as my regular “swim buddy,” Tammi Wilson of Pelham. (Chris Pierce and his children Will and Kaya were meeting us at noon, after Piercey’s soccer game.) In the parking lot, we changed into cycling togs,

hoisted our bikes onto the gravel, and filled the pockets of our hydration packs with energy bars, mini first aid kits, etc.

Jason produced a trail map and ran his finger along the dotted line of the Fundy trail, skirting the cove of the same name. The Fundy trail intersects with the Shaw trail, which meanders northwest through some wetlands, and, by the look of the topography, over a variety of rugged terrain.

A veteran endurance athlete and mountain bike racer, Jason folded up the map, replacing it in his pack with a look of satisfaction, like Gen. George S. Patton embarking upon the Sicily campaign. Jason nearly yawned as he mounted his bike while I stifled a laugh, following my old buddy and his dog, the quiet and steady Dozer, over a wooden bridge onto the Fundy trail.

There’s a funny scene in Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 WWII black comedy, “Inglourious Basterds,” where American commandos led

by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt’s character), hatch a desperate plan to kill members of the Nazi high command. Raine decides that he and two other soldiers will pose as Italian filmmakers, on hand for the premiere of Joseph Goebbels’ propaganda film, “Nation’s Pride.”

Jason Mass is all smiles when he’s going fast on his mountain bike, pushing the group to get there faster.

54

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

But the GIs are at a disadvantage since Raine, who has the best grasp of Italian, speaks very little of it. His two comrades know even less. Over their objections, Raine points to one of his men, saying, “Second best,” and the other, “Third best.”

Dumbfounded, the soldier protests that he doesn’t speak Italian at all. “Like I said, third best,” Raine says.

As soon as we flowed onto the Shaw trail, it grew hilly, rocky, muddy and narrow. Although there were six of us, in the lingua franca of mountain biking I was “third best,” figuratively speaking. Rolling along beneath the canopy of trees, Jason shot ahead, mountain goat-style, clearing fallen trees and tricky-trotting through muddy bogs on the ragged patio of stones.

Hopping rocks to cross a swollen brook, I found myself hiking the bike uphill. At the top of a rocky drumlin, I climbed into the saddle and went swooping down a trail webbed with roots and boulders. At the conclusion of the hill, the trail turned black with mud, angling sharply westward, through a grove of 6-foot white pines with rubbery trunks.

Zipping along at breakneck speed, I felt my front tire wedge itself between two football-sized rocks. The abruptness of the stop flung me off my bike, and I went hurtling to the left with little expectation of a positive outcome.

My left shoulder crashed against one of the young pine trees, my left hip against a neighboring tree. The trunks were skinny and flexible, and in a marvelous bit of physics, the trees sprang back and I landed on my feet — the Fosbury Flop of Pawtuckaway — letting out a whoop that would have frightened the Druids and Celts of yesteryear.

For another long stretch, the trail and a meandering stream were practically indistinguishable, and I was forced to shoulder my bike over downed trees and piles of brush. The dipping, rising, twisting track had strung out the group, but I knew Tammi was behind me, struggling with her hybrid bike, which wasn’t suited for all these obstacles.

But I also knew she wouldn’t give up, so here and there I stopped in a leafy glade or atop a rocky promontory. If she didn’t appear for a length of time, I cupped my hands and sang out, and she hollered back.

Finally, after two hours of grinding along, Tammi caught up and we reached Round Pond. The trail hugged the bank, providing us with amazing views of the huge boulders sticking up from the pond and huddled alongshore. Known as “glacial erratics,”

The name Pawtuckaway is derived from the Abenaki, and is variously translated as “place of the big buck,” “fall in the river” and “clear shallow river.”

From mountain biker to hiker, Bridget takes a look at the groups next challenge — rock climbing.

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

55

Above: A friendly reminder as you approach the park from one of the remote entrances Below: Willem Pierce taking a swing after giving a solid go on a steep hand crack

some of the boulders resembled loaves cut in half, and others were rounded and smooth, shaped by winds and receding ice.

Near the intersection of Round Pond Road and the Boulder trail, Tammi and I reconvened with the others. A rock climber with 30 years of experience, Joe had brought along ropes and other gear. But Randy, Jason and I needed a change of clothes and something to eat, so we rode back to the boat ramp

56

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

via Deerfield Road. Jason was pedaling slowly to shield Dozer from passing cars, so Randy and I went ahead.

Randy “Slippery” Reis, the old Fordham tailback and my longtime rugby teammate, is a wry-tempered fellow with a sneaky wit. He’s married to his law partner, Kimberly, and has two grown daughters. While we cruised along Fundy Road toward the parking lot, we made way for an SUV coming toward us.

Then we realized it was Piercey and the kids.

Piercey rolled down his window. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Just riding around aimlessly,” I said.

Randy and I leaned over to fist bump 10-year-old Will and 14-year-old Kaya through the window. Following a hasty lunch, we returned to Round Pond Road and hiked in a couple miles to meet the others on the Boulder trail. After carrying in the ropes and hardware, Joe was preparing to climb a long, gray shelf of rock called Lower Slab.

It rose 40 or fifty 50 in the midst of a stately hemlock forest — the middle section tapering to stacks of boulders on either end.

A hundred feet downslope from Lower Slab, there was a little pond that contained an impressive beaver dam and lodge jutting up from the water. The North American beaver, or Castor canadensis, is both a rodent and a “gnawer,” related to squirrels, porcupines and rats. Better educated than their unruly cousins, beavers are well-trained engineers, and several half-chewed trees were evidence of their technical skill.

Our party was at the bottom of the slab for 5 or 10 minutes, talking, hydrating, and helping with the gear, when Joe started up, free climbing until he could put in the hardware. Previously out of sight atop the cliff, another climber suddenly loomed over us, holding a rope.

WIllem checking to make sure his dad, Chris Pierce, is paying attention at the belay, and he was.

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

57

We arrived on top of the cliff just as Piercey finished a difficult ascent via the rope. “All right, brother!” I yelled, as Randy and I patted our left hand with the right in what’s commonly known as a “golf clap.”

Randy Reis making his first attempt at rock climbing wearing an old pair of running shoes

In a sarcastic tone of voice, the climber accused Joe of breaking etiquette by taking over a section of Lower Slab already in use.

More than a little surprised, Joe explained that we’d been there for some time, and no other climber had appeared or spoken up.

Nor had other climbers left any gear, or a member of their party, at the base of the rock to make their claim visible.

Joe also noted that he was partway up the route when the other climber objected. Beyond that, anyone climbing up from the ground had priority over someone who wanted to toss down a rope, he said.

The other climber returned to the foot of the slab by a path that circled around behind, while Joe finished clambering to the top. Their positions now reversed, the other climber continued the harangue.

“Look — I’m sorry,” Joe said, in a patient tone.

“It doesn’t sound like you’re sorry,” said the irate climber. “You know you’re wrong, but you won’t admit it.”

Joe shrugged, and the other climber stalked off through the trees. My friends and I gave each other the eyeball, and looking at Randy, I said, “Jean-Paul Sartre was right — hell is other people.”

My right ankle is as unstable as the San An58

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

dreas Fault, and the bottom of the slab was vertical and smooth, meaning I’d be straining my Achilles tendon from the get-go. So I begged off climbing with a rope, and explored the eastern side of Lower Slab, finding an irregular stack of boulders perfect for scrambling. By the time I reached the apex and walked back around, Randy was there, and led the way to a more vertical section.

I watched Randy’s progress, and when he reached the top, I started up the same route.

Putting my back against a hemlock growing close to the slab, I spacewalked up the steep flat part of the rock. Then I shifted my weight as Randy had done, springing across to catch hold of a thin stone shelf. Wriggling up a narrow fissure in the rock, I got to the open end of the little chimney and had a rough time shifting out of there back onto the slab.

For half a minute, I was stuck, my chest heaving. It was a tactical problem, and I had to invent a creative solution.

Randy said, “You can go back down, and come up another way.”

Suddenly, I turned myself around in the chimney, pushing my hands downward on little protuberances in the rock and using my triceps to raise my seat onto the next boulder.

“Very innovative, Chet,” said Randy, using his nickname for me.

Nearly eight hours after entering the park, Joe, Randy, Bridget, Piercey, Will, Kaya and I congregated in the muddy lot where we’d left our vehicles. The sky was iron gray, and a watery chill pooled around our ankles.

Piercey and the others cracked open beers while the kids tossed a Frisbee around, and Bridget and I chatted about open water swimming. A tall, good-natured banker from Colebrook, Bridget competes in endurance races and triathlons, but doesn’t like to swim in the ocean “because of the jellyfish.”

Waving my hand, I declared that the waters off Portsmouth and Rye were “too cold for jellyfish.”

Piercey rolled his eyes. “Jay, the jellyfish expert,” he said.

Pretending to be me, Randy said, “Hey, I’m a marine biologist.”

I was the only adult not drinking beer, although I took a slug from Randy’s Great North IPA, which is brewed in Manchester. ”That’s pretty good,” I said.

“Wanna beer?” Piercey asked.

“No thanks,” I said.

“Why not? Is it a vegan thing?”

“No, I’m good.”

Piercey studied me with his philosophical gaze. Earlier he’d insisted that I try climbing with a rope, and I had said no.

“You don’t give in to peer pressure very easily,” said Piercey, lifting his chin in my direction.

“Thank you,” I said, raising my eyebrows at Randy.

Piercey shook his head. “You just tense up and get angry, like this.” He stretched his arms downward, flexing the muscles in his upper body. “’No, I’m not doing that’,” he growled.

There was a gale of laughter. “Why don’t you want a beer?” asked Piercey, more seriously this time.

I moved my shoulders a little. “There’s something else I wanna do.”

In the diminishing light, we embraced one another, said our goodbyes, and climbed into the vehicles. But I wasn’t ready to go home yet, although I was tired and hungry and rain seemed imminent. Instead of turning left out of the parking lot, I went the other way, driving toward the park’s main entrance.

Dusk was filtering down like a fine gray

powder when I left my SUV in the empty lot near the main office. I stripped off my merino jersey, put on the last dry layer in my bag, and pulled my bike out of the vehicle.

Shivering in the wind, I snapped on my helmet and rode around the closed iron gate. Trees hemmed in the weathered asphalt on both sides, as I headed down the road toward the public beach and campground. It was only about a mile and a half but seemed longer, the road winding past Neals Cove, the black wall of trees allowing glimpses of the lake. I’d left my rain shell and phone in the car, and was pedaling as though the devil was chasing me.

Going up and down a trio of hills, I reached the campground, with the deserted beach and parking lot off to my right. The lake was turning silver in the twilight, flat and smooth like mercury, with the smell of woodsmoke drifting over from Horse Island. My breath coming in gasps, I slowed down, rubbernecking at the outbuildings and empty campsites.

Breaking from the tree line, I rode over the causeway separating Horse Island from the mainland. Soon I was rolling onto the bristling hump of land that includes Pawtuckaway’s most coveted sites. In the chill, the silence, and the encroaching darkness, I felt a keen sense of familiarity, even a homecoming of sorts.

When we were growing up, we spent my Dad’s vacation camping in the White Mountains, or at Hermit Island in Maine.

Then we drove home to Methuen, and my parents, Jim and Lois, booked another two weeks at Pawtuckaway. It didn’t occur to me at the time, but their desire to have us spend a month outdoors came with a few sacrifices. (For instance, my mother loved my Dad

Got a mission for The Explorers?

Adventures for 2020 are already in planning and underway. Send suggestions suitable for our hyperliterate outsiders and we’ll pass them along.

more than she did camping.)

Camping at Pawtuckaway allowed my Dad to commute to his modest insurance office in the town square, returning to the campground each evening. My father was a big man, just under six feet and, back then, 240 pounds or so.

He loved hiking and fishing and huge bonfires.

To save time on weekday mornings, he began cultivating the silver-trimmed beard that

The “gang” is all regrouped back at the parking lot, recounting their highlights of their day.

would become his trademark.

Now, turning onto the island, I braked in front of site No. 3. A few early season campers were spread along the road, but No. 3 was vacant. It’s a picturesque little spot — my Dad’s favorite, as I recalled.

A gravel driveway ran slightly downhill to a giant, flat-sided boulder that would reflect the heat from our campfires. On either side of the rock, the water’s edge was 20 feet away, where my Dad would cast a line after supper, forgetting about the premiums and deductibles that occupied his day.

Quickly descending the ladder of years, I was transported back to playing catch with my cousin Dave Crane, fishing along the shoreline, and, in my teens, going for long runs through the campground, training for hockey and soccer and rugby.

But gazing at site No. 3, one particular evening came back to me. I was 12 or 13, my mother and younger siblings Jodie, Jill, Jamie and Patrick were busy with dinner, and my Dad had just arrived from the office.

He changed into jeans and a sweatshirt and brought out his transistor radio, which had a long antenna and a black leatherette case.

Retrieving a beer from the cooler, my Dad, known as “the Big Guy” to my hockey teammates, unfolded a lawn chair and tuned into the Red Sox game.

Jim Kaat, a cagey lefthander, was on the mound for the Twins, and Luis Tiant, known as “El Tiante” and one of my Dad’s favorite players, was pitching for the Sox. In the quiet of the evening, between the announcer’s call you could hear “Get your ice cream!” and “Hot dogs here!” from the vendors working the crowd at Fenway Park, the sound of the broadcast floating over the lake.

It’s funny the things you remember, with so many other days and nights lost forever. But as I came into the campsite with my ball and glove, my father smiled at me, raising his beer.

Those were some of our best times together, and I never guessed they would end so soon.

The word “nostalgia” comes from Greek, derived from “nostos,” which translates to “a return” and “algios,” meaning “pain.” Gazing into site No. 3, I recalled that bittersweet moment, so sharp and clear, although my Dad’s been gone more than 30 years. While the sun dropped behind the hills, I considered my father’s love for the outdoors, and what it means to my life now. A chill ran up my bare legs, and I shook my head in wonder, mounted the saddle, and rode off in the gloom. NH nhmagazine.com | July 2020

59

BEST OF NEW HAMPSH 2020

HIRE

This year everything is a bit different. Have you noticed? In keeping with the topsy-turvy spirit of the times, we’ve delegated the selection of our Best of NH “editor picks” to our readers, contributors and a number of well-known and respected Granite Staters. The results are still final, just more fun.

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

61

FOOD and DRINK

62

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

by Jenn Bakos Exeter’s Laney & Lu provides the surrounding community with fresh, healthy and wholesome food that is also very tasty. In my opinion, they have the best smoothies in the area, incredible and colorful bowls (my favorite is the Thai peanut noodle bowl), and some of the best customer service you’ll find. The biggest takeaway isn’t just the food though — it’s the strong community they cultivate. This is exemplified by the way they pivoted during the shutdown and era of social distancing, creating a program where customers could donate smoothies and bowls to nurses and doctors at Exeter Hospital and local firefighters. As of early May, they had provided over 1,500 meals. Not only was this a way to help keep their doors open, it provided joy and nourishing food to those who are working hard to keep the community safe. I also have to mention Laney & Lu sister company Palett, which offers boxes of fresh edibles you can send to friends (or order for yourself, of course). laneyandlu.com, palettegrazeboards.com

courtesy photo

Feeding Bodies and Souls

courtesy photo

by Karen A. Jamrog Looking for fresh seafood to cook at home? No need to dust off your tackle box. Just head to Fresh Fish Daley in Exeter, where you won’t get sleek presentation or mood music, but you will find first-rate fish along with a hearty hello from owner Fred Daley, who uses a hockey stick to snag lobsters from their tank, and gladly shares cooking tips. After you’ve visited the shop a few times, Fred will greet you by name, making you feel like a bona fide member of the ’hood as well as a smarty pants who knows how to get the catch of the day without having to impale any worms.

(They don’t call it brain food for nothing.)

Facebook

Hash Heaven

by Bill Burke

I diner. It’s what I do. So wandering into Benson’s Café, a tiny eatery alongside Route 107 in Fremont, felt like coming home. It’s owned and run by a chef who has worked in top New Hampshire restaurants — something that becomes apparent very quickly. The cinnamon buns, English muffins and bread are homemade, and the

A Bakery for All Needs

Comfort Cake

by Susanna Hargreaves There is a saying that we must have courage, faith or chocolate fudge cake. The best place to buy any type of cake is at the Dutch Epicure Bakery in Amherst. And cake isn’t their only specialty. They offer several types of beautiful breads, cookies, scones, pastries and croissants that are made with so much care you can taste the love. Each treat will go perfectly with their freshly made coffee or hot chocolate. In good times and bad times, this bakery is the place to go. dutchepicurebakery.com

by Joe Klementovich Crumb Bar — is it a coffee shop, bakery or a bar? I guess it depends on the time of day and what mood you’re in. Some coffee shops have baked goods, but these guys are baking right there behind the counter, so you know it’s fresh. Right on Main Street in Littleton, Crumb Bar is a perfect spot for a meeting for work or with friends, or just some time alone with your favorite beverage. crumbbumbakery.com

California-Approved Tacos

by Michael Hauptly-Pierce As a 20-plus-year resident of California, which was before I was a 20-plus-resident of New Hampshire, I take my tacos pretty seriously. As Dr. Leary will tell you, with tacos, set and setting are everything.

Ultimate Cup of Coffee

photo by joe klementovich

by Joe Klementovich Frontside Coffee Roasters makes, by far, the best cup of coffee around. Austin Orth selects the beans and roasts them just up the street, a process he truly enjoys. The staff is top-shelf, and if you linger long enough, you can enjoy a beer on the outside patio. If coffee and beer aren’t your game, the smoothies, tea and freshly made sandwiches should be sampled for sure. frontsidecoffee.com

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

63

FOOD & drink

Benedicts are unbeatable. The litmus test for any respectable diner is its hash, which can range from canned meat to handmade and heavenly. Benson’s has earned a spot on the awesome hash Mount Rushmore. Intimate, informal and welcoming, expect a table side visit from the chef who takes personal pride in what’s going on in his dining room. bensonscafenh.com

No Frills Fish

FOOD & drink

Great tacos are key, but give me The Experience. Joel and company at Dos Amigos Burritos in Concord deliver experience.

In distant, sepia-toned memories, live music was playing during a tap takeover and crowds rejoiced, as we shall surely see again. When the refried beans hit the fan, Dos was one of the first in Concord to offer takeout, and they kept Concord fed for weeks. Super-fresh fish tacos on housemade blue corn tortillas are my go-to, with spicy mayo and extra chips, because their chips are awesome all by themselves. dosamigosburritos.com

Pie Dreams

by Evelyn Cormier I think it’s safe to say that you have not fully lived until you’ve tasted the strawberry rhubarb pie at Lou’s Restaurant & Bakery in Hanover. It is, hands down, the best pie in the state. Currently, I live in Los Angeles, California, but whenever I come home to New Hampshire, I always look forward to enjoying a slice of that pie, and a steaming cup of coffee to go along with it. lousrestaurant.com

Culture and Coffee

by Juston McKinney Crackskull’s Coffee and Books is celebrating its 20th year.

Known as Newmarket’s “Living Room,” it’s the go-to place for great coffee and espresso drinks. They also have many food items, ranging from bagels to pastries, which you can enjoy while browsing a wide selection of used books and vinyl records. They now offer online ordering for quick pickup, which they plan to continue when pandemic restrictions are lifted. Crackskull’s also has a gallery wall that features a different local artists each month, which gives the place a unique and charming feel. crackskulls.com

For those who wish to escape to a magical place reminiscent of a happy childhood bedtime story, there is Pickity Place in Mason. In the comfort of an old 1786 country cottage, guests are surrounded by a lovely garden filled with lavender, herbs, butterflies, flowers and fairies. No matter what time of year, this is the special place to bring your loved ones to celebrate. Every month, the chef crafts a new themed menu with such a lovely presentation that you will understand what it is like to live in a fairy tale. Dining at the Pickity Place is sure to become a treasured memory and tradition. Call or email for orders and future dining options, or to buy plants for your garden. pickityplace.com 64

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

photo by jen bakos

Fairy Tale Dining by Susanna Hargreaves

Ode to Diners

Beer and Burritos

by Joe Klementovich Hands down, Rek’•lis Brewing Company in Bethlehem is the best spot north of my house to get a beer. The beer list changes so fast you’ll barely have time to finish one before another takes its place. Ian Dowling and Marlaina Renton have done a great job focusing on beer, but they haven’t skimped on creating great menu items either.

A beer and burrito — what’s not to like? Go for the beer and hang out for the live music or the outside seating. reklisbrewing.com

Overall Restaurant/ Bar Experience

by Peter Jude Ricciardi When you stop into the Railpenny Tavern in Epping, you’ll discover what makes this spot so unique. It’s the perfect combination of fun, high-quality food, craft beer, innovative cocktails and friendly people — as in, people who are genuinely happy to see you. Whether it’s your first visit or your 71st, the staff and customers make everyone welcomed and valued. Seriously, there is nothing on the menu that isn’t carefully made, but this is where the locals and people who are simply passing through on their way to someplace else go. A stop here always feels like home, and that is what makes it a Best of New Hampshire spot. railpennytavern.com

Pizza Disguised as a Salad

by Darren Garnick The “Tree Hugger” pizza at the 1750 Taphouse restaurant in Bedford is a virtual farmers market: carmelized onions, bell peppers, mixed mushrooms, spinach, black olives, tomatoes and artichoke hearts. I like

By Fred Marple If you are from some foreign country — like New Jersey — you may not understand why we Granite Staters love our diners, where we go for fried eggs, fried burgers, French fries, and several items involving hash. This is comfort food: carbohydrate-enhanced, calorie-laden and shot through with enough sodium to preserve your average Reuben for the next 100 years — basically, all the things that make food taste good. You won’t find a “reduction” of anything here, and nothing that has to be garnished, puréed or macerated before you can eat it. So, where’s the best diner in New Hampshire? I’m partial to the Peterborough Diner, which is in my backyard and is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. But according to my highly scientific survey — in which I asked friends what they thought — the Miss Wakefield Diner on Route 16 takes first place. Honorary mentions to the Tilt’n Diner and Lindy’s in Keene, both of which have ardent fans from whom I may have to hide for awhile. peterboroughdiner.com

Cocktail Dreaming

by Erica Thoits During the stay-at-home order, I’ve been trying to recreate some of my favorite cocktails.

Results are mixed (sorry not sorry for the pun). There’s just no replacing the kinds of inventive drinks the talented crew at 815 Cocktails & Provisions in Manchester dream up. Not to mention that my kitchen island is a poor substitute for the long bar, and my couch, which is mostly claimed by the cat, is just not the same as this speakeasy-style spot’s cozy nooks. I’ll keep trying, but I look forward to the day when someone else can take over the shaker.

815nh.com

Oldie but a Goodie

by Joe Klementovich The gang at Tuckerman Brewing Company in Conway have really stepped up their game with the addition of outdoor music, and even a Lumberjack Festival held on the front lawn. On weekends and some weeknights, you’ll find local food trucks, so the bites are always varied and tasty. If you’d rather sit by the bar, you can look through the glass wall and watch water turn into beer. Either way, it’s a great spot to enjoy a cold and classic New Hampshire beer. tuckermanbrewing.com

Pizza and a View

by Victoria Arlen I was born and raised in New Hampshire, and even though I live in LA, I will always call New Hampshire home. Lake Winnipesaukee is my all-time favorite spot to be — my family has a home there and it has been my happy place for as long as I can remember. The beautiful thing about Lake Winni (aside from the insanely amazing views) is that you can explore for hours. Over the years, my family and I have created quite a few family traditions, one of which is getting pizza by boat at Nolan’s Brick Oven Bistro in Wolfeboro. The pizza is delicious and out of this world. Whether we are dining in or taking pizza to go while watching the sunset by boat, the experience never disappoints. It is pretty much a staple stop whenever we have company in town visiting. nolansbistro.com

Next-Level Tent Dining

by Erica Thoits Starting in late May, restaurants around the state needed to get creative. With inside dining still prohibited, the only option was to expand outside. For some, this meant tents in parking lots. Going several steps beyond folding metal chairs is the Salem location of the Tuscan Kitchen, which managed to recreate a real restaurant atmosphere with twinkle lights, greenery, quality furniture and a large bar. tuscanbrands.com nhmagazine.com | July 2020

65

FOOD & drink

to order it with extra tomato sauce, forcing the pizza to become a sixth-grade engineering project to see if the crust will collapse under duress. The 1750 Taphouse is overly generous with their toppings, making this a definite knife-and-fork pizza. If that’s not enough veggies for you, try a side order of grilled shishito peppers prepared Russian roulette-style. One out of every 20 peppers is “dangerously hot.” 1750taphouse.com

66

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

photo by kendal bush

shops and services

courtesy photo

by Lynne Snierson The name says it all. Treat yourself to beauty, relaxation and the “good life” at Bonne Vie Salon & Spa in Derry, where the talented team of stylists, estheticians and nail technicians provide professional pampering with that ever-important personalized touch. Owner/principal designer Jacqueline Dulgarian, who is a Cézanne with color and cut, has been in the hair and beauty industry for 40 years yet she and the staff are up on the latest trends and newest top quality products for women and men. bonneviesalon.net

Season for Change

by Evelyn Cormier Some of my favorite places to shop are at thrift stores. People ask me all the time where I get my clothes, and usually they’re thrift-store finds. I’ve shopped at Changes Thrift Store in Claremont since childhood, and it’s worked its way into my heart. During this quarantine time, I know that everyone is going through their closets (including me), and I’m looking forward to browsing Changes to see what vintage golden nuggets you’ve discarded for me to discover. You might just see that old sundress you wore once in 1978 living its best life on my social media. turningpointsnetwork.org/change

Repair Men

by Jay Atkinson In my long and checkered athletic career, I’ve suffered numerous injuries and have worked with legions of orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists. The best experience I’ve ever had, by far, is the treatment I received from Balance Rehabilitation and Health Science, located in Windham and Goffstown. After extensive surgery to reassemble my left ankle, I turned to Chris Pierce at Balance. Chris and Pete Olson founded the business in 2006, and are known for thoroughness, innovation and a passion for their work. The surgeon said I’d probably never play contact sports again.

One year after my first appointment at Bal-

Antiques and Art By Rick Broussard Prospect Hill Home in Sunapee Harbor is a store that’s hard to pin down. It’s an outgrowth of the beloved Prospect Hill Antiques in the nearby countryside. When that 40-something-year-old store wanted to diversify, they decided to find a more central spot. They still offer plenty of antiques and curiosities, all selected as useful or delightful home design items or accessories, but in the sprawling 7,000-square-foot space you’ll also find one-of-a-kind furnishings, fantastic art and even a vintage Harley. The Sunapee location is home to many well-heeled residents and to a number of in-demand artists who enjoy this serene location to create works that sell in major galleries. Prospect Hill Home has begun connecting residents with popular artists like Peter Fiori, David Zerba and Lisa Jelleme to brighten their dwellings, and they can provide them with custom furniture by some of the country’s finest craftsmen. And after you shop, you can still get an ice cream cone or some fries and watch the boats come and go on the lake. They are still open seven days a week or by appointment. prospecthillantiques.com nhmagazine.com | July 2020

67

shops & services

Say Adieu to Your Quarantine Hair

shops & services

ance, I played rugby in a tournament, and we won our division. balance-rehab.com

Hot Rod Shop by Jimmy Dunn I’m a car guy. I was 15 when I bought my first one, a 1969 Camaro, that was paid for with money I made scrubbing dishes at the Sea Ketch. I hated that job — seagulls would follow me on my bike ride home. But I loved that car.

Car guys find each other, and I found Eli English and his cars on Instagram.

His feed is car guy porn. Traditional Speed and Custom is located in a traditional New England barn in South Pittsfield, and it’s where Eli and his family build, repair and restore some of the coolest cars in the world. And it truly is a family business. During the recent lockdown, his children’s homeschool project was building a 1928 Ford Model A Frankenstein Hot Rod from scrap parts. The kids are 13 and 16. traditionalspeedandcustom.com

68

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

by J.W. Ocker In North Conway there is a store that the more unenlightened among us might call gimmicky: a year-round Christmas shop called The Christmas Loft. The Christmas Loft is an honest-to-Santa-Claus year-round store dedicated to the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. I’m normally of the opinion that anything Christmasy outside of November and December is blasphemy, but The Christmas Loft alters time. Grows Grinch hearts. Shines Rudolph noses. You walk into the Christmas Loft regardless of the month and are immersed in a classic New England Christmas. It puts the soul back in soulless Christmas shopping, and we should be proud that New Hampshire has one of the best Christmas shops on the planet. Take that, North Pole. christmasloft.com

courtesy photo

’Tis (Always) the Season

courtesy photo

by P.J. O’Rourke Calling the Toadstool Bookshop “best in New Hampshire” is too close to faint praise, like “Nebraska’s best lobster roll.” It may be the top bookstore in America. (Or the top three — with locations in Peterborough, Keene and Nashua.) More than 50,000 new and used titles, congenial cafés, surprising CD and vinyl selections, and speedy online book orders make Toadstool good. Making it wonderful is Willard Williams, who founded Toadstool in 1972 at age 19, from sheer love of books. He and his staff read. So does their clientele. Asking for assistance is more literary salon than customer inquiry. Pages, not smartphones, are thumbed through in the aisles. Checkout is an impromptu book club. toadbooks.com

Color Connoisseurs

by Rick Broussard Company C is quick to point out the “C” in their name stands for color. Founded in a New Hampshire family’s garage, Company C’s bold use of color, pattern, texture and contrast has become a trademark, and their retail outlet in Concord’s industrial district was a magnet for homeowners and designers from near and far. Their recent relocation to a convenient spot on downtown Concord’s Storrs Street has been a huge gift to both Company C fans and to the Capital City, hoping to lure just this kind of anchor retail to their walkable shopping district. Rugs, furniture, fabrics and gifts from Company C all are designed to make a big impression and it’s almost impossible for a homeowner to walk out of their store empty-handed. companyc.com

Puzzle Providers by Rebecca Rule Puzzlers know Piece Time Puzzles in Northwood has everything they need. The barn on Route 4 houses thousands of jigsaws, including a kids’ section, used puzzles in a tent outside, and handcut puzzles made from customers’ photographs. The barn is an art gallery of colorful puzzle boxes, stacked floor to ceiling, for your browsing delight, including Ravensburger, Cobble Hill and White Mountain brands. Enthusiasts always have a puzzle going. When one is finished, the next must be started immediately. Heaven forbid I should find my puzzle cupboard empty. Owners Rose and Mark Stevens understand the emergency puzzle run. I like a 1,000-piecer. The 500s go too quick and the 1500s don’t fit on my table. My current Sunsout of a cat among quilts will keep me occupied for at least a month. piecetimepuzzles.com

Not Everyone’s a Critic by Bill Burke Step inside Manchester Music Mill on Elm Street, walk up the stairs and absorb the groove that radiates off the endless rows of new and used gear packed into this musical sanctuary. Walk past the floor-to-ceiling Fenders and Gibsons, take a right at the bass wall and find yourself ensnared by the siren song of the climate-controlled acoustic room dead ahead. Even better, this independent shop is staffed by people who don’t shame me for playing “Norwegian Wood” wrong during one of the many impromptu, only-in-my-head gigs they didn’t know they hosted. manchestermusicmill.com nhmagazine.com | July 2020

69

shops & services

The Bookstore

arts and culture

courtesy photos

Betsy and Scott Heron make up the local duo Green Heron.

by Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki Blasty Bough Brewing Company in Epsom is far more than just a nanobrewery. Yes, you can enjoy craft beer in the cozy and beautiful pub. Yes, you can order delicious homemade food and chat with locals and the friendly staff at this family-run business.

Yes, it happens to be located in a historic farmhouse atop a hill with gorgeous views.

But perhaps the greatest treasure of Blasty Bough lies upstairs above the pub, where they host their BlastyTrad Concert Series. In this small, acoustically excellent room, carefully chosen folk acts — from local favorites to international tours — perform unplugged shows for intimate audiences. For performers and listeners alike, it is the ideal environment for a fulfilling and memorable concert experience. blastybough.com

Drive-In Music

by Erica Thoits Many experiences we took for granted — dining out, rites of passage like graduation, birthday parties, casually browsing in a store — are difficult to impossible to recreate in the time of the coronavirus. Still, people got creative, holding celebratory parades in cars or seemingly overnight creating bustling to-go business. And there’s

Finding Joy

by Jeff Weber If there was ever a recipe for treating the “pandemic blues,” it’s listening to the music of Green Heron. Multi-instrumentalists Betsy and Scott Heron of Kingston offer a comforting musical stew, featuring ingredients ranging from bluegrass to folk to vintage country. Their pairing of string instruments with beautiful vocal harmonies is uplifting and joyful. With a pair of CDs and a growing following throughout New England, Green Heron is live-streaming their way into homes across New Hampshire until they are able to once again perform to enthusiastic crowds in person. greenheronmusic.com

the longtime Best of NH-winning Tupelo Music Hall in Derry, which took the creativity up a notch or two with drive-in concerts.

Is it the exact same experience? No. But if you’re craving the sense of community and camaraderie that comes from sharing the love of music, you should give it a try. Just like a drive-in movie, you park your car facing, in this instance, the stage instead of screen. Space is allotted for sitting outside in a lawn chair on the driver’s side, and the shows are one 75-90-minute set. The concerts are also livestreamed for those at home, and all are encouraged to drop a few bucks in the virtual “tip jar.” You can find the schedule and more information about how the process works on their website. tupelomusichall.com

Achieve Your Own Victory

by Emily Heidt “Face it. Embrace it. Defy it.

Conquer it.” Victoria’s Victory Foundation was founded by Victoria Arlen as a way to gather together a community of caregivers, physical therapists and mobility assistance programs that make it possible for others to live in hope of healing and recovery. Through the Victory Scholarship Program, they are able to offer assistance in the form of scholarships to provide for wheelchairs, mobility equipment, home and vehicle adaptions,

courtesy photos

Punching Up

by Lynne Snierson Calvin Kattar is a real knockout. Not only is he competing at the top level in the pro sport of mixed martial arts, he’s the fastest rising star in the UFC’s talent-rich featherweight division. His second-round KO of Jeremy Stephens in May in front of an international audience on ESPN vaulted him to the No. 7 ranking in the world. Now Kattar (21-4) is on track for a title shot. “I feel like I’m just scratching the surface and that list to the top is getting shorter,” he says. Kattar, 32, is all business outside the cage too. He’s the CEO and president of Combat Zone MMA, which is headquartered in Salem and promotes events in Downtown Manchester. czmma.com

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

71

arts & culture

Small Listening Room

arts & culture Monster My House by Erica Thoits As far as I’m concerned, the year 2020 has killed the “hold my beer” meme. We kept saying things couldn’t get worse, and yet, somehow they did. And it’s only July. While it’s all too easy to slide into a dark mood, there are, somehow, still people out there doing their best to make a difference — even if that’s just returning a little bit of whimsy and joy to a world that sorely needs both. James Mojonnier of Greenland is one of those people. In exchange for a donation to a food bank of your choice, Mojonnier will send monsters to destroy your house. At least, a fictional version of it. His imaginative visions of domestic destruction range from zombies to floating eyeballs, with the latter let loose on our colleague Jenna Pelech’s house (pictured). On Instagram, tag a photo of your house with @InkInTheMargins, include #monstermyhouse, and let him know where you’re sending your donation. He’ll then give your home the monsterization treatment and send you the signed artwork. Why, exactly, this is so appealing seems related to our love of disaster movies. There’s a thrill — and even a contradictory sense of comfort — in watching aliens blow up landmarks. Perhaps now that we’re stuck in our homes, working, teaching and washing endless dishes, seeing our abodes torn apart by fire-breathing creatures is therapeutic. instagram.com/inkinthemargins

Soundtrack for Sunday

by Rick Broussard Radio station The River, based in Bedford, is broadcast across New

72

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

Hampshire on 92.5, 102.3 and 105.7, and is known for its authentic approach to engaging music lovers of any age with thoughtful programming of classics and new voices. The best place to sample what they’ve got cooking is “Brunch by the River,” airing Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon. Dana Marshall curates a weekly show that mixes jazz, blues, world music, soul and more. From BB King, Ben E. King and Elle King to Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin, it’s the perfect soundtrack to Sunday morning for thousands enjoying their cups of coffee — or mimosas and bloody Marys. theriverboston.com

Missing the Music

by Ernest Thompson If BC means Before Covid and AD After the Danger that remains real and present, what I look forward to most is what I’ve always loved about New Hampshire — its amazing melding of nature at its purest and most accessible and the boundless opportunities to experience my fellow Granite Staters’ extraordinary talent, being free to enjoy — and produce — beautiful music at the coolest venue I know, The Farmstand in Tamworth, to get my film “Parallel America”

illustration by james mojonnier

personal nursing care hours, medical supplies and training and recovery sessions, and since its inception, it has distributed more than $260,000 to those in need of mobility assistance. Whether it’s injury or diagnosis, the team at VVF is there to help improve the lives of others and give them the opportunity to experience the miracle of movement and the healing power of hope. victoriasvictory.org

Lovely Library

by Dan Szczesny The Little Free Library fad — those adorable tiny boxes in front of homes chock-full of books to take — is taking off in New Hampshire, with hundreds of boxes, big and small, in every corner. But there’s only one place that I know of where you can enjoy some used book pickings while you mingle with the chickens — Forgotten Farm in Hooksett. Besides the 40 chickens, Matt and Kate Griffin’s farm offers the passersby goats, vegetables, a green house and fruit trees. But this Little Library is a doozy, red and white, shaped and painted like a barn. The little ones will need to use the stool provided onsite to get the kids’ books.

And if you take one, don’t forget to leave a couple books as well. littlefreelibrary.org

Ultimate Music Education

by Rick Broussard Sully Erna’s group, Godsmack, is usually labeled a Boston hard rock band, but Erna lives in

southern New Hampshire. As if to firm up his local bona fides, in February Erna staged the filming of a music video for his song “Unforgettable” that enlisted hundreds of area middle school music students to bring drums, instruments and their vocal cords to the SNHU Arena in Manchester. Once the kids set up, filling practically the entire floor of the arena, they joined the band to virtually blow the roof off the place. “Unforgettable” is a single from Godsmack’s new album “When Legends Rise,” and if you have any doubts that the next generation of Granite Staters will know how to rock ‘n’ roll, just take a look at this majestic testimony to the power of music. Check out “Mix - Godsmack Unforgettable 2020” on YouTube to witness the event and hear from some of the students involved.

A Little Bit of Chaos and Kindness

by Emily Heidt If you want to get cultured, head to Chaos & Kindness in Laconia.

Established in 2016 by the founder of rock band Recycled Percussion, Justin Spencer created this brand, TV show, podcast and movement to inspire people to be kind and to live life to its fullest

Cultural Crossover by Peter Noonan

photo by peter noonan

in this often chaotic world. In 2019, the first Chaos & Kindness store and experience was opened. Half of the store is dedicated to “kindness,” where there are ways for people to help uplift others, like bringing food pantry donations, and the other half is dedicated to “chaos,” where you can participate in activities like painting a message on a pane of glass, then smashing it with a bat while being recorded in high-definition video. While there is also a variety of merchandise available for sale, the store gives you the opportunity to experience the fun and creativity that happens when a little bit of kindness and a little bit of chaos come together. chaosandkindness.com

New Hampshire has long enjoyed a surfeit of history, geography and beauty, and its coastline is no exception. The Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion, the historic Governors Mansion gracing the Piscataquog River and Little Harbor shoreline intersection of Portsmouth, New Castle and Rye, is one of the prime jewels of New Hampshire horticultural, architectural and political history. Glowing in the coastal sun, this mustard-yellow-painted architectural pastiche from 1750 is recognized as the last surviving home of a royal governor in America (New Hampshire Colonial governor Benning Wentworth), and the reputed site of the oldest living English-born lilacs in North America. Serving as a wedding venue, inspiration for artists or relaxing picnic lawn and foreshore to view the kayakers glide by on the river, the mansion is a landmark gem for all Granite Staters. wentworthcoolidge.org

Mill Musings

by Evelyn Cormier Whenever I’m home in New Hampshire, I love to walk along the Sugar River via the walking bridge in my hometown of Claremont. I’ll look at the remainder of the Monadnock Mills and take it all in. There is something about early American history that really sparks the creativity inside me when it comes to songwriting. And, luckily for me, New Hampshire is very rich with history. Not only is my home state an inspiration for my songwriting, but about two years ago, that very walk by the river inspired me to write my first novel, which will be a historical fiction loosely based on New Hampshire mill-town life in the 1800s. Keep an eye out for it early next year. Another Claremont place that I love to go and can’t wait to see reopen is REMIX Coffee Bar. When I’m around, you can find me there on any given Friday night ordering my usual chai latte with whipped cream. REMIX really adds something special to downtown Claremont — not only do they provide a great atmosphere, they care about the community. livethatremixedlife.org nhmagazine.com | July 2020

73

arts & culture

back in production, but never to forget the peace and solidarity we’ve known in lockdown and the inspiring courage and care of our frontline heroes. thefarmstand.net

fun and adventure

by Ruth Doan MacDougall One of the vast views in Crawford Notch can be reached in 15 minutes from Route 302 at the Webster-Jackson Trail trailhead beneath the cliff that creates a gigantic elephant profile. Start hiking, turn right onto the Elephant Head Spur, and soon you’re atop the head. The view curves from south to north, including Mounts Webster, Willard, Willey, Bemis, Nancy, and the Mount Washington Hotel and Cherry Mountain. Be careful, don’t let the view distract you from your footing. For more information, see the “AMC White Mountain Guide.”

74

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

photo by robert kozlow

Best Little Hike With a Great Big View

by Darren Garnick Ask movie buffs a film shot in the Granite State and they’ll likely reflexively name “On Golden Pond,” the 1981 Oscar-winning film starring Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn. Tourists do flock to Squam Lake, but how many want to recreate the angst of aging? This is not the case with the 2007 documentary “The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters,” in which video game rivals Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell compete to be the best Donkey Kong player in the world at Laconia’s Funspot arcade. You can pump tokens into the Donkey Kong cabinet on the same hallowed ground or choose to play one of the 250 other 1980s classic arcade games that make up Funspot’s “living museum.”

If you can’t make it to Laconia right away, watching the movie trailer alone will make you pine for a pilgrimage. Making the Donkey Kong drama even more intriguing were revelations in 2018 that Billy Mitchell’s high scores were achieved using emulation software that helped him cheat. All of Mitchell’s video game records have since been invalidated. Might film crews eventually return to Laconia for a sequel? funspotnh.com

courtesy photo

Ideal Country Inn

by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers Adair Country Inn and Restaurant in Bethlehem is a country inn with a difference. Not quaint nor set in a venerable Colonial home, it is a sparkling example of a gracious country home where well-to-do city people escaped the summer heat in the early 1900s. The decorative refinements of the era combine with an air of luxe leisure; guests visibly relax as they step inside. Or as they stroll through gardens designed by the most illustrious family of American landscape architects, who were frequent guests at the neighboring Rocks Estate.

Modern amenities blend seamlessly with antique furnishings, and the décor includes a couple of collections of the original owners, notably the artfully displayed vintage hats in the upstairs hallway. Conversion to an inn has been gentle, with the large, airy parlor intact (afternoon tea is served there), a paneled library now an intimate bar, and the family dining room a fine-dining restaurant.

The recent arrival of Steve Learned (well remembered from The Balsams) as chef is the frosting on an already-elegant cake. adairinn.com

Family Campground

by Ernesto Burden Lafayette Place Campground in Franconia Notch State Park is without a doubt my favorite place in the state to pitch a tent with the family. There’s something about being tucked into the shadows of the stark, beautiful mountains of the Notch that has always made me feel like I’ve traveled to a fantasy world. Especially early in the morning when the mist hangs on the peaks and dew bejewels tiny spiderwebs in the fecund green along a winding forest trail. There is an abundance of natural beauty in the Notch, and striking out from Lafayette provides access to that splendor in a variety of family-friendly ways, from paved bike paths to aerial trams to steep, technical hiking trails. The experience of the place grows with you as your family grows up. It’s a place that’s lived in my heart since I was a kid, and I felt blessed to share it with my own kids. One thing to note if you go: There’s plenty of wildlife, so make sure you practice good campsite hygiene and keep your food locked up in your vehicle at night. Oh, and remind me to tell you my Lafayette bear story someday. nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/ franconia-notch-state-park

fun & adventure

Most Underrated NH Movie Location

Fire Tower Hunt

by Dan Szczesny Of the state’s 16 fire lookout towers, Pack Monadnock, Kearsarge and Cardigan get all the love from hikers and tourists, owing to their easy access and great views.

But if you want a little adventure, not to mention scant crowds to go along with your views, no fire tower packs as satisfying a punch as the one located farthest north — Mount Megalloway. Finding it is most of the fun, given that to access the 3,383foot mountain you must drive well north of Pittsburg’s town center, find the proper gravel road, and then drive another eight miles on logging roads to get to the parking area for the one-mile trail that leads to the top. But once there, on a clear day, views of three states and Canada can be yours. Plus, why not rent the ranger cabin up top for an overnight stay? After all, you came this far.

Most Anticipated Return

by Erica Thoits One of our favorite annual events — The New Hampshire Highland Games and Festival — was canceled for 2020. Held at Loon Mountain in Lincoln, this massive festival, competition and celebration of

Soaring Good Fun by Marty Basch Think of it as a high-flying bubble with a commanding view of the iconic grand Omni Mount Washington Hotel and the northern Presidential Range, including Mount Washington, which are often capped with frosty crowns. The eight-person, year-round Bretton Woods Skyway gondola took its maiden voyage last year, and now it flies skiers, riders and scenic view seekers in under five minutes to a spot just below the Mount Rosebrook summit destined to hold a 16,000-square-foot dining, wedding and event venue. It’s been well worth the wait. brettonwoods.com nhmagazine.com | July 2020

75

Fly Fishing Spot

by Ernesto Burden There are many amazing places to cast a fly in New Hampshire, but here in the southern part of the state, I love heading due west out of Manchester for the bucolic 30-minute drive to New Boston. Route 13 runs along the south branch of the Piscataquog River, and there winds itself so iconically prettily through the trees that you could pick a spot

Don’t (or Do?) Look Down

by Marshall Hudson For the daredevil in all of us, the Bretton Woods Canopy Tour is an exciting adventure that should be on your bucket list. This thrilling zip line canopy tour consists of a network of platforms high up in the trees connected to nine cable zip line relays, three rappels and two sky bridges suspended above the forest floor. Each zip line varies in length and height, with a maximum span of 830 feet and 165 feet above the ground. The Canopy Tour takes about three hours and is the ideal adventure for thrill-seekers. It also offers some terrific mountain scenery for those who can keep their eyes open. brettonwoods.com and stand in it all day without seeing a fish and still feel your soul had been fed. Oh, who am I kidding. You still want to land a fish. Luckily, this stretch of water provides, from the stony riffles beneath the forested stretches before and after you get to New Boston, to the beau-

tiful little pools under the bridges right in town. Note that there are stretches that have catch-and-release, single, barbless hook, artificial lure/fly restrictions from October 16 to June 15. Check the NH Fish and Game website for details. wildlife.state.nh.us

Two-Wheeled Adventure by Marty Basch The 83-mile long Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail allows pack-toting bicycle travelers to explore wild northern New Hampshire at their own speed while keeping them close to essentials like satisfying food and all sorts of lodging. From shore to shore — the Connecticut River in Woodsville to the Androscoggin River in Bethel, Maine — bikepackers use a series of multiuse unpaved rails trails and back roads to get a new perspective on stretches of the White Mountains they’ve only driven.

Download everything you need from xnhat.org or send away for a cool map and other swag. The route’s good for all levels of cyclists carrying patience. Read my enticing feature story about it in the upcoming August issue.

76

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

courtesy photo

fun & adventure

Scottish heritage only seems to get bigger every year, which quite possibly means that its triumphant return in 2021 will be the best yet. For those who don’t keep up with the sports of caber toss or hammer throw, the New Hampshire Highland Games are part of an international series of Scottish heavy athletics, and our local event draws the best of the best from around the world.

It is, much like the athletes themselves, a big (emphasis on big) deal. Among the world record holders who attend is Hafthor Bjornsson, who you might know better as the aptly named “Mountain” from “Game of Thrones.” As of this issue’s publication, there were some 470 days left until the games return on September 17-19, 2021. Here’s hoping they fly by. nhscot.org

Best of New Hampshire 2020

12,898

Readers made the tough calls. Here are their picks.

(Be sure to call before driving anywhere until the world returns to normal.)

FOOD DRINK

and

Breakfast Place Great North Woods Region Polish Princess Bakery Lancaster

polishprincessbakery.com

Breakfast Place Lakes Region The Farmers’ Kitchen Farmington

farmerskitchen-nh.com

Breakfast Place Manchester Area Multilocation Local

Mason

parkersmaplebarn.com

Breakfast Place Monadnock Region

courtesy photo

Multilocation Local

The Red Arrow 24 Hr Diner Multiple Locations

Dover

harveysbakery.com

Bakery Overall Multilocation Local

Frederick’s Pastries Multiple Locations

pastry.net

Bakery Concord Area Bread & Chocolate Concord

Facebook

Bakery Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region Red Wagon Bakery & Café Canaan

Facebook

Bakery Great North Woods Region Polish Princess Bakery Lancaster

Bakery Nashua Area Buckley’s Bakery Café Merrimack and Hollis

buckleysbakerycafe.com

Bakery Salem Area Klemm’s Bakery Windham

klemmsbakery.com

Bakery Seacoast Region Sweet Dreams Bakery Stratham

sweetdreamsbakery.biz

Bakery White Mountains Region Crumb Bar Littleton

crumbbumbakery.com

Bartender Becca Paine, Machina Arts: Kitchen & ArtBar Keene

machinaarts.org

redarrowdiner.com

Breakfast Place Nashua Area The City Room Café Nashua

Concord

Facebook

Breakfast Place Concord Area

Breakfast Place Salem Area Janie’s Uncommon Café

postrestaurantnh.com

Multilocation Local

Tucker’s

Multiple Locations

tuckersnh.com

Breakfast Place Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region The Foothills of Warner Warner

Facebook

Breakfast Place Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region

Londonderry

janiescafe.com

Breakfast Place Salem Area Multilocation Local

MaryAnn’s Diner

Derry, Salem and Windham

maryannsdiner.com

Breakfast Place Seacoast Region Big Bean Café

Durham and Newmarket

thebigbeancafe.com

Multilocation Local

Breakfast Place Seacoast Region

Multiple Locations

The Friendly Toast

Tucker’s

tuckersnh.com

bentonssugarshack.com

Brewery Overall 603 Brewery Londonderry

Concord

Breakfast Place Monadnock Region Parker’s Maple Barn

Breakfast Place Concord Area The Newell Post

Thornton

purplefinchcafe.com

Bedford

tuckersnh.com

polishprincessbakery.com

Breakfast Place White Mountains Region Benton’s Sugar Shack

603brewery.com

Multiple Locations

Bakery Overall Harvey’s Bakery and Coffee Shop

thefriendlytoast.com

Breakfast Place Manchester Area Purple Finch Café

Tucker’s

Bakery Monadnock Region, Fire Dog Breads, Keene, firedogbreads.com

Multiple Locations

Multilocation Local

Brewery Concord Area Lithermans Limited Brewery lithermans.beer

Brewery Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region Flying Goose Brewpub & Grille New London

flyinggoose.com

Brewery Great North Woods Region Copper Pig Lancaster

copperpigbrewery.com

Brewery Lakes Region Kettlehead Brewing Company Tilton

kettleheadbrewing.com

Brewery Manchester Area Backyard Brewery & Kitchen Manchester

backyardbrewerynh.com

Brewery Monadnock Region Branch and Blade Brewing Company Keene

babbrewing.com

Brewery Nashua Area Spyglass Brewing Company Nashua

spyglassbrewing.com

Brewery Seacoast Region Stoneface Brewing Co. Newington

spyglassbrewing.com

Brewery White Mountains Region Woodstock Inn Brewery North Woodstock

woodstockinnbrewery.com nhmagazine.com | July 2020

79

Manchester

backyardbrewerynh.com

Brunch The Old Salt Restaurant & Lamie’s Inn Hampton

oldsaltnh.com

Now more than ever, we must support community.

Sam Adams got its start 35+ years ago with help from bars and restaurants, and we know this community needs our attention now. We have kickstarted The Restaurant Strong Fund with $2 million dollars of initial contributions in several states across the country to support as many restaurant workers as possible with $1,000 grants.

To join us in donating or to apply for a grant, please visit restaurantstrong.org. pl

Burger Nashua Area Buckley’s Great Steaks Merrimack

buckleysgreatsteaks.com

Burger Salem Area The Copper Door Bedford and Salem

copperdoor.com

Burger Salem Area

thetuckaway.com

Multiple Locations

Raymond

Burger Concord Area The Barley House Concord and North Hampton

thebarleyhouse.com

Burger Dartmouth/ Lake Sunapee Region Flying Goose Brewpub & Grille New London

flyinggoose.com

Burger Dartmouth/ Lake Sunapee Region The Salt Hill Pub Multiple Locations

salthillpub.com

Burger Great North Woods The Burg Pittsburg

Facebook

Burger Lakes Region Patrick’s Pub Gilford

patrickspub.com

Burger Lakes Region Multilocation Local

T-BONES Great American Eatery Multiple Locations

t-bones.com

Burger Manchester Area New England’s Tap House Grille Hooksett

taphousenh.com

Burger Monadnock Region Papa Joe’s Humble Kitchen nhmagazine.com | July 2020

papajoeshumblekitchen.com

Burger Overall Tuckaway Tavern and Butchery

Multilocation Local

80

Milford

Multilocation Local

T-BONES Great American Eatery t-bones.com

Burger Seacoast Region Hop + Grind Durham

hopandgrind.com

Burger Seacoast Region Multilocation Local

Lexie’s Restaurants Multiple Locations

peaceloveburgers.com

Burger White Mountains Region Black Mountain Burger Co. Lincoln

blackmtnburger.com

Burritos Burrito Me

Laconia and Plymouth

burritome.com

Burritos Multilocation Local

Dos Amigos Burritos

Portsmouth, Dover and Concord

dosamigosburritos.com

Cakes Jaques Fine European Pastries Suncook

jacquespastries.com

Cakes Multilocation Regional

Frederick’s Pastries

Bedford, Amherst and North Andover, Mass.

pastry.net

courtesy photo

Brewpub Backyard Brewery & Kitchen

Chocolatier Van Otis Chocolates

Coffee Shop Overall

Coffee Shop Lakes Region Wayfarer Coffee Roasters

Multilocation Local

Laconia

(603) 527-8313

vanotis.com

Amherst, Goffstown and Manchester

Coffee Shop Lakes Region

Nashua

lilacblossomrestaurant.com

Manchester

Clam Chowder Newick’s Lobster House Dover and Concord

Family-Friendly Dining Puritan Backroom Manchester photo by kendall j. bush

puritanbackroom.com

Chili Soul Kitchen at The Red Wagon Bakery

Multilocation Regional

Weathervane Seafood Restaurants Multiple Locations

weathervaneseafoods.com

Chili

machinaarts.org

Keene

The Red Arrow 24 Hr Diner Multiple Locations

redarrowdiner.com

Chinese Restaurant Lilac Blossom

A&E Coffee & Tea aeroastery.com

Coffee Shop Concord Area True Brew Barista truebrewbarista.com

Clam Chowder

Facebook

Canaan

unioncoffee.co

Concord

Cocktails Machina Arts: Kitchen & ArtBar

Multilocation Regional

courtesy photo

newicks.com

Milford

Coffee Shop Concord Area

Keene

primeroastcoffee.com

Coffee Shop Overall Union Coffee Co.

Aroma Joe’s

Multiple Locations

aromajoes.com

Coffee Shop Manchester Area Café la Reine

Multilocation Regional

Manchester

Multiple Locations

Coffee Shop Manchester Area

Aroma Joe’s aromajoes.com

Coffee Shop Dartmouth/ Lake Sunapee Region Red Wagon Bakery & Café Canaan

Coffee Roaster Prime Roast Coffee Co.

Multilocation Regional

Facebook

Coffee Shop Great North Woods Region Polish Princess Bakery Lancaster

polishprincessbakery.com

cafelareine.com

Multilocation Regional

& Music Bar Nashua

riverwalknashua.com

Coffee Shop Seacoast Region Flight Coffee Co. Dover and Bedford

flightcoffeeco.com

Coffee Shop White Mountains Region Mad River Coffee Roasters Campton

madrivercoffeeroasters.com

Crab Cakes Surf Seafood

Nashua and Portsmouth

surfseafood.com

Aroma Joe’s

Crab Cakes

aromajoes.com

The Common Man

Multiple Locations

Coffee Shop Monadnock Region Prime Roast Coffee Co. Keene

primeroastcoffee.com

Coffee Shop Nashua Area Riverwalk Café

Multilocation Local Multiple Locations

thecman.com

Cupcakes Queen City Cupcakes Manchester

qccupcakes.com

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 | July 2020

81

Diner Nashua Area Joey’s Diner

Favorite Restaurant Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region Red Wagon Bakery & Café

Favorite Restaurant White Mountains Region Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery

Ice Cream Shop Concord Area Arnie’s Place

North Woodstock

arniesplace.com

woodstockinnbrewery.com

Favorite Restaurant White Mountains Region

Ice Cream Shop Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region

lindysdiner.com

Bakery Lakes Region Cup & Crumb Moultonborough

cupandcrumb.com

Amherst

Canaan

joeysdiner.com

Facebook

Diner Salem Area Poor Boy’s Diner

Favorite Restaurant Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region

poorboysdiner.com

Multilocation Local

Londonderry

Diner Salem Area

Deli Biederman’s Deli and Pub

Multilocation Local

Plymouth

maryannsdiner.com

biedermansdeli.com

Diner Overall Tilt’n Diner

Diner Seacoast Region Roundabout Diner & Lounge

MaryAnn’s Diner

Derry, Salem and Windham

Tilton

Portsmouth

thecman.com

roundaboutdiner.com

Diner Overall

Diner White Mountains Region Littleton Diner

Multilocation Local

The Red Arrow 24 Hr Diner Multiple Locations

redarrowdiner.com

Diner Concord Area Northwood Diner

Littleton

littletondiner.com

Distillery Tamworth Distilling Tamworth

Northwood

tamworthdistilling.com

Diner Concord Area

Doughnuts Klemm’s Bakery

(603) 942-5018

Multilocation Local

The Red Arrow 24 Hr Diner Multiple Locations

redarrowdiner.com

Diner Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region 4 Aces Diner West Lebanon

4acesdiner.com

Diner Lakes Region 104 Diner New Hampton

thecman.com

Diner Manchester Area The Airport Diner Manchester

thecman.com

Diner Manchester Area Multilocation Local

The Red Arrow 24 Hr Diner Multiple Locations

redarrowdiner.com

Diner Monadnock Region 82

The Common Man Multiple Locations

thecman.com

Favorite Restaurant Great North Woods Region The Burg Pittsburg

Facebook

Favorite Restaurant Lakes Region Patrick’s Pub

t-bones.com

Favorite Restaurant Overall Tuckaway Tavern and Butchery Raymond

thetuckaway.com

Favorite Restaurant Concord Area O Steaks & Seafood Concord and Laconia

magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com/ osteaks

Favorite Restaurant Concord Area Multilocation Local

The Common Man Multiple Locations

thecman.com

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

Fine Dining Restaurant The Hanover Street Chophouse Manchester

hanoverstreetchophouse.com

Food Truck Street & Savory Keene

streetsavory.com

Sunapee

icecreamkidbeck.com

Ice Cream Shop Great North Woods Region Moose Alley Cones Pittsburg

partridgecabins.com/about-us/moosealley-cones

Ice Cream Shop Lakes Region Jordan’s Ice Creamery Facebook

Favorite Restaurant Lakes Region

Ice Cream Shop Manchester Area Puritan Backroom

Multilocation Local

Manchester

T-BONES Great American Eatery Multiple Locations

t-bones.com

copperdoor.com

Multiple Locations

thecman.com

Sanctuary Dairy Farm Ice Cream

Belmont

Family-Friendly Dining T-BONES Great American Eatery

Multiple Locations

patrickspub.com

klemmsbakery.com

Multilocation Local

The Common Man

Multilocation Local

Gilford

Favorite Restaurant Manchester Area The Copper Door

Windham

Multilocation Local

Concord

Bedford and Salem

puritanbackroom.com

Breakfast Place Overall Polly’s Pancake Parlor Sugar Hill

pollyspancakeparlor.com

Favorite Restaurant Monadnock Region Machina Arts: Kitchen & ArtBar

Gluten-Free Options All Real Meal

machinaarts.org

Gluten-Free Options

Keene

Favorite Restaurant Nashua Area Surf

Nashua and Portsmouth

surfseafood.com

Favorite Restaurant Salem Area The Copper Door Bedford and Salem

copperdoor.com

Manchester

allrealmeal.com

Ice Cream Shop Monadnock Area Walpole Creamery Walpole and Keene

walpolecreamery.com

Ice Cream Shop Monadnock Area Multilocation Local

Kimball Farm

Jaffrey and Mass. Locations

kimballfarm.com

110 Grill

Ice Cream Shop Nashua Area The Big 1 Ice Cream Stand

110grill.com

thebig1icecream.com

Gourmet To-Go All Real Meal

Ice Cream Shop Salem Area Moo’s Place Homemade Ice Cream

Multilocation Regional Multiple Locations

Manchester

allrealmeal.com

Greek Restaurant Amphora

Favorite Restaurant Seacoast Region Surf

Derry

surfseafood.com

Nashua

Nashua and Portsmouth

courtesy photo

Keene

amphoranh.com

Ice Cream Shop Overall Hayward’s Ice Cream haywardsicecream.com

Nashua

Derry and Salem

moosplace.com

Ice Cream Shop Seacoast Region Lago’s Ice Cream Rye

lagosicecream.com

courtesy photo

Lindy’s Diner

Mac and Cheese Tuckaway Tavern and Butchery Raymond

thetuckaway.com

Mac and Cheese Multilocation Regional

courtesy photo

Mr. Mac’s New Restaurant, Greenleaf, Milford greenleafmilford.com

Ice Cream Shop White Mountains Region Bishop’s Homemade Ice Cream Littleton

Facebook

Indian Restaurant Taj India/New Taj India Manchester and Nashua

tajindia.co, newtajindia.com

Irish Pub Patrick’s Pub Gilford

patrickspub.com

Italian Restaurant Patty B’s Ristorante Italiano

mr-macs.com

Martinis The Copper Door Bedford and Salem

copperdoor.com

Mediterranean Restaurant Matbah Mediterranean Cuisine Manchester

matbahcuisine.com

Mexican Restaurant Hermanos Cocina Mexicana Concord

hermanosmexican.com

Mexican Restaurant Multilocation Local

La Carreta Mexican Restaurant Multiple Locations

Dover

lacarretamex.com

Italian Restaurant

Outdoor Dining The Crown Tavern

pattybs.com

Multilocation Local

Fratello’s Italian Grille Manchester, Laconia and Nashua

fratellos.com

Japanese Restaurant Moritomo Concord

moritomonh.com

Manchester

Multilocation Regional

Pizzeria White Mountains Region Boston Brothers Pizza

Soup — Tie Collins Brothers Chowder

Multiple Locations

bostonbrotherspizzeria.com

collinsbrotherschowder.com

Pizzeria White Mountains Region

Soup — Tie Seacoast Soups

Pizza Chef pizzachef.com

Pizzeria Great North Woods The Burg

flatbreadcompany.com

Pizzeria Lakes Region Tilton House of Pizza

Pizzeria Gourmet 900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria

Tilton

tiltonhouseofpizza.com

Pizzeria Manchester Area Alley Cat Pizza Manchester

alleycatpizzerianh.com

Pizzeria Manchester Area Multilocation Regional

Sal’s Pizza

Multiple Locations

sals-pizza.com

Pizzeria Monadnock Region Athens Pizza House and Restaurant Keene

(603) 352-5370

Pie Live Free or Pie Stand

Multilocation Regional

Sal’s Pizza

Multiple Locations

sals-pizza.com

Pizzeria Overall La Festa Brick & Brew Pizza

Pizzeria Salem Area Granfanallys Pizza Pub Salem

Multilocation Regional

thetuckaway.com

Pizzeria Concord Area Constantly Pizza

Lobster Roll Epping, North Hampton and Portsmouth

thebeachplum.net

Locally Sourced Menu Republic Café Manchester

republiccafe.com

Restaurant With Best Beer List New England’s Tap House Grille Hooksett

Sal’s Pizza

Multilocation Local

The Thirsty Moose Taphouse Multiple Locations

thirstymoosetaphouse.com

Coffee Roaster Multilocation Local

A&E Coffee & Tea Amherst, Goffstown and Manchester

aeroastery.com

Tacos Multilocation Local

Exeter, Hampton and Wells, Maine

Thai Restaurant Thai Smile/Thai Smile 2 Plymouth, Durham

thaismilenh.com, thaismile2nh.com

labellewinerynh.com

Wings The Burg Pittsburg

Facebook

Wings Multilocation Local

Restaurant With Best Wine List Bedford Village Inn

Nashua

West Lebanon and Sunapee

tacobeyondo.com

Amherst and Portsmouth

thecommunityoven.com

Multilocation Regional

Hillsborough

Winery/Vineyard LaBelle Winery

bedfordvillageinn.com

Pizzeria Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region Ziggy’s Pizza

Tacos Taco Beyondo

greenelephantnh.com

Pizzeria Seacoast Region The Community Oven Pizzeria Seacoast Region

Facebook

Portsmouth

Pizzeria Concord Area

sals-pizza.com

Manchester

Vegetarian Green Elephant

sals-pizza.com

Multiple Locations

Sports Bar Billy’s Sports Bar & Grill

lasolastaqueria.com

Multiple Locations

Sal’s Pizza

seacoastsoups.com

Restaurant With Best Beer List

constantlypizza.net

Epping and Hampton

North Hampton

Las Olas Taqueria

Concord, Penacook

Multilocation Regional

Nashua

taphousenh.com

nashuahouseofpizza.com

Pizzeria Salem Area

Beach Plum

900degrees.com

Nashua

lafestabrickandbrew.com

Multilocation Local

Manchester

Pizzeria Nashua Area Nashua House of Pizza

granfanallys.com

Raymond

Flatbread Company

North Conway and Hampton

Pizzeria Nashua Area

livefreeorpiestand.com

Multilocation Regional

Facebook

thecrownonhanover.com

Hampstead

North Conway

Pittsburg

Dover

Lobster Roll Tuckaway Tavern and Butchery

courtesy photo

Manchester, Portsmout and Mass. Locations

Pizzeria Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region

Bedford

Sandwich Nashua Garden

Wing-Itz

Portsmouth, Dover and Newmarket

wing-itz.com

Bakery Manchester Area Triolo’s Bakery Bedford

triolosbakery.com

Facebook

Breakfast Place Overall Multilocation Local

Sal’s Pizza

Seafood Restaurant Surf Seafood

Tucker’s

sals-pizza.com

surfseafood.com

tuckersnh.com

Multiple Locations

Nashua and Portsmouth

Multiple Locations

ziggys.pizza

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

83

Bow

grappone.com

Barber Shop Lucky’s

Concord and Portsmouth

luckysbarbershop.biz

Beer Store Bert’s Better Beers Manchester

bertsbetterbeers.com

Bicycle Shop Tri-City Bicycles Rochester

tricitybicycles.com

Bicycle Shop Multilocation Local

Indoor Cycling FortCycle

Manchester, fortcycle.com

Home Décor Shop REVIVED Furniture and Home Décor Derry

Goodale’s Bike Shop

revived-furniture-and-home-decor. myshopify.com

goodalesbikeshop.com

Independent Bookstore Gibson’s Bookstore

Hooksett, Nashua and Concord

Butcher Shop Tuckaway Tavern and Butchery Raymond

thetuckaway.com

Caterer Celebrations Catering Manchester

celebrationsmenu.com

Fitness Instructor Cally Wickson at C_Wickson Studios Windham

cwicksonstudios.com

photo by jared charney

SHOPS and SERVICES

Automotive Group Grappone Automotive Group

Concord

gibsonsbookstore.com

Independently Owned Fitness Center C_Wickson Studios Windham

cwicksonstudios.com

Kids’ Clothing Shop Puddlejumpers Children’s Shop Exeter

puddlejumpersnh.com

Local Jeweler With Store Jonathan’s Jewelers Bedford

jonathansjewelers.com

Men’s Clothing Shop George’s Apparel Manchester

georgesapparel.com

Pet Boarding Take Five Dogcare takefivedogcare.com

Hair Salon Wingate Salon & Spa, Stratham wingatespa.com

Pet Boarding Multilocation Local

The Barking Dog

Derry, Exeter and Hooksett

thebarkingdog.com

Garden Center Wentworth Greenhouses & Garden Center Florist, Apotheca Flowers, Goffstown, apothecaflowershoppe.com 84

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

Rollinsford

wentworthgreenhouses.com

Pet Groomer Mac and Copper’s Pet Supply Outlet Portsmouth

macandcoppers.com

apotheca photo by jenn bakos, wingate courtesy photo

Lee

angelaspastaandcheese.com

Toy Store The Noggin Factory Dover

nogginfactorytoys.com

Wine Shop WineNot Boutique Nashua

courtesy photos

winenotboutique.com

Women’s Clothing Shop Gondwana & Divine Clothing Co. Concord

gondwanaclothing.com

Yoga Studio Sol Power Yoga Bedford

solpoweryoga.com

Farmstand, LaValley Farms, Hooksett and Manchester, lavalleyfarms.com Jeweler Bellman’s

Pet Training No Monkey Business Dog Training

Ski Shop Piche’s Ski & Sport Shop

Pet Supplies Store Woofmeow Family Pet Center

nomonkeybusinessdogtraining.com

piches.com

woofmeownh.com

m-c-clothing-and-goods.myshopify.com

Manchester

bellmans.com

Derry and Dover

Concord

Secondhand Clothing Shop M&C Clothing and Gifts Amherst

Gilford and Belmont

Specialty Food Store Angela’s Pasta & Cheese Shop Manchester

Antique or Vintage Shop, REVIVED Furniture and Home Décor, Derry revived-furniture-and-home-decor.myshopify.com

Comic Book Store, Jetpack Comics & Games, Rochester, jetpackcomics.com nhmagazine.com | July 2020

85

ARTS and CULTURE AM Radio Station WGIR 610

NH Radio Morning Show Greg and the Morning Buzz, WHEB

Manchester

wgiram.iheart.com

Manchester

Art Gallery ArtHub

wheb.iheart.com

Nashua

nashuaarts.org

Independent Movie Theater Red River Theatres Concord

redrivertheatres.org

Large Music Venue Bank of NH Pavilion Gilford

NH Radio Talk Show “The Exchange With Laura Knoy,” NHPR Concord

nhpr.org

Small Music Venue Tupelo Music Hall Derry

tupelomusichall.com

TV News Anchor Erin Fehlau, WMUR Manchester

wmur.com

TV News Reporter Ray Brewer, WMUR Manchester

wmur.com

TV Sports Anchor Jamie Staton, WMUR wmur.com

Weatherperson Hayley LaPoint, WMUR Manchester

banknhpavilion.com

Museum, Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, currier.org

Manchester

FM Radio Station WZID 95.7 Manchester

wzid.com

wmur.com

Theater/Performing Arts Venue The Palace Theatre Manchester

palacetheatre.org

Drive • Tour • Explore

MOUNT WASHINGTON Just 25 minutes north of North Conway

NEW ENGLAND’S PREMIER TITLE COMPANY IS CELEBRATING 15 YEARS LOCATIONS:

DRIVE YOURSELF

Enjoy fresh air and spectacular views as you drive to the summit of the highest peak in the Northeast!

ENJOY SHORT HIKES

86

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

Mt-Washington.com

Can’t come to us?

We’ll come to you in our Mobile Closing Command Center!

For a Title Insurance Quote, please visit: https://www.absolutetitle.com/ratecalculator.asp Need to bring funds to closing?

AbsolutePay it!

Go to www.absolutetitle.com

Voted Best Title Company 2020!

2020

courtesy photos

Winter Tours on

8 Chestnut Drive Bedford, NH 603.637.1313 6 Loudon Road, Suite 306 Concord, NH 603.227.1177 170 Commerce Way, Suite 102A Portsmouth, NH 603.570.9434

FUN and ADVENTURE Campground Wakeda Campground Hampton Falls

omnihotels.com/brettonwoods

Day Spa Wingate Salon & Spa

Summer Outdoor Attraction Dartmouth/Lake Sunapee Region Mount Sunapee

wakedacampground.com

Stratham

wingatespa.com

Family-Friendly Resort The Inn at East Hill Farm Troy

east-hill-farm.com

Summer Outdoor Attraction Overall Story Land Glen

photo by kendall bush

storylandnh.com

Washington Resort

Bretton Woods

NH Sports Team New Hampshire Fisher Cats Manchester

milb.com/new-hampshire

Resort/Hotel Spa Omni Mount

Newbury

mountsunapee.com

Summer Outdoor Attraction Lakes Region Gunstock Mountain Resort Gilford

gunstock.com

Summer Outdoor Attraction Merrimack Valley Canobie Lake Park Salem

canobie.com

Ski Resort, Gunstock Mountain Resort Gilford, gunstock.com

Summer Outdoor Attraction Monadnock Region The Inn at East Hill Farm

Summer Outdoor Attraction White Mountains Region Santa’s Village

east-hill-farm.com

Bed and Breakfast The Christmas Farm Inn & Spa

Troy

Summer Outdoor Attraction Seacoast Region Hampton Beach Hampton

Jefferson

santasvillage.com

Jackson

christmasfarminn.com

hamptonbeach.org

Summer Outdoor Attraction Great North Woods Region, Bear Rock Adventures, Pittsburg, bearrockadventures.com nhmagazine.com | July 2020

87

SPECIAL ADVERTISING

Best of NH Hall of Fame

The Best of NH Hall of Fame

Know that you can dine, shop and explore with confidence — all of these advertisers are current and past Best of NH winners.

Feel the heat

Outdoor Dining, Take Out & Delivery 900degrees.com • (603) 641-0900 • Manchester Menu, ordering and directions online. Catering available.

VOTED BEST OF NH 13 TIMES!

COME TO PLAY, PLAN TO STAY

EAT, DRINK +HAVE FUN

40 Unique Rooms and Suites Daily Brewery Tours Central Location Outdoor Patio Live Entertainment

CELEBRATE SUMMER!

woodstockinnnh.com | 35 Main St, North Woodstock, NH 03262 | (603) 745-3951 88

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

SPECIAL ADVERTISING

Best of NH Hall of Fame

To learn more about how we are here to help, visit grappone.com/together

THANK YOU for the

These are difficult times and we just want to say THANKS for your Support and for voting us BEST of NH... Again!

Manchester, NH | Portsmouth, NH | Tyngsboro, MA | Westford, MA

LOVE!

We’ve always kept our business simple: 1. Make great Mac & Cheese 2. Use the best ingredients 3. Make our customers happy 4. Repeat!

mr-macs.com nhmagazine.com | July 2020

89

SPECIAL ADVERTISING

Best of NH Hall of Fame

Ask about our Early and Late-Season Discounts!

Unplug on your vacation ...

and Reconnect with your Family!

L

ocated on beautiful Squam Lake in Holderness, New Hampshire, you won’t find a more pristine, yet invigorating place to reconnect on your family vacation! Rockywold Deephaven Camps offer cozy, all-inclusive; cottages and lodge rooms with rustic and vintage charm.

RDCsquam.com

90

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

•

603-968-3313

•

Squam Lake

Summer Happiness...

STAY SAFE WASH HANDS WEAR A MASK

HAMPTON BEACHHNH Super Star Rated U.S.A. Beach Please visit www.hamptonbeach.org for 2020 calendar updates

6

• Due to the COVID-19 virus, many events have been either cancelled or rescheduled.

• There will be less parking spaces and changed traffic patterns.

• Look for our new parking app and our updated 2020 Schedule of Free Events at www.hamptonbeach.org • If you cannot visit us in 2020, book for 2021 for a great Hampton Beach vacation!

SUPER STAR BEACH earns top honors for clean water

5 STAR RATING: Rated in the top 5 beaches in US and in the top 10 values for resorts in America for water quality and safety by the National Resources Defense Council.

Hampton Beach is rated 1 of 4 beaches in water cleanliness of all beaches in U.S.A.! as awarded by The Surfrider Foundation & Sierra Club’s “The Cleanest Beach Award”.

For a FREE Hampton Beach Vacation Guide and to View our Beach Cam, Visit www.hamptonbeach.org or call 1-800-GET-A-TAN.

Bienvenue Hampton

603 Living “No yoga exercise, no meditation in a chapel filled with music will rid you of your blues better than the humble task of making your own bread.” — M.F.K. Fisher, “The Art of Eating”

You can find the recipe for this cashew blackberry sheet cake in Erin Gardner’s “Procrastibaking.”

92

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

Photo by Stacey Cramp

Health 94 Ayuh 96

Edible Procrastination Erin Gardner’s delicious distractions

BY RACHEL ELLNER

O

ne might not associate a celebrated pastry chef, known for her multilayered, gorgeously decorated confections, with procrastination of any kind. But Chef Erin Gardner of Barrington is, come to find out, a “procrastibaker.” The term, new to the baking lexicon, refers to a type of culinary escapism. For Gardner, it means baking something fun and experimental while avoiding more elaborate baking projects she needs to complete.

Gardner’s side gig has became so ingrained that she has written a cookbook on the theme: “Procrastibaking: 100 Recipes for Getting Nothing Done in the Most Delicious Way Possible.”

Gardner justifies taking leave of her duties to make an orange marmalade loaf, pineapple-lime thumbprints, hummingbird bites, gummy buddies or chocolate-caramel marshmallow pops as a virtuous pursuit. She playfully compares such industrious diversions to Leonardo da Vinci’s doodling, one of Mozart’s impromptu masterpieces, and Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Just imagine: “Fourscore and seven years ago ... whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and cloves ... oh, wait — wrong envelope.”

The recipes in “Procrastibaking” may be presented as big on frivolity but there’s no lapse on technique — there is a ton of know-how at work. Gardner’s experience is evident in the recipe directions and cooking tips. For instance, substituting gluten-free flour for regular flour is straightforward, but gluten-free cake flour requires an additional step, the addition of corn starch. She suggests adding small ingredients to the butter in recipes involving creaming. And don’t forget to scrape the sides of the bowl after mixing. Many baking mishaps start during the mixing process because, she says, “valuable little bits of leavener, flavor and fat gets stuck to the sides of the bowl.”

Gardner worked as pastry chef at Boston’s legendary Locke Ober prior to running her own baking company, Wild Orchid, in Dover. She contributes to The Cake Blog, American Cake Decorating magazine and other toptier publications. She has been a Food Network “Sweet Genius” and was named one of the top pastry pros in the country by Martha Stewart Weddings and by Brides magazines.

What Gardner reveals is just how expressive baking can be. But there’s more industry at work than the term “procrastibaking” suggests. Once the bourbon pecan tart is in the oven, says Gardner, “your house will smell like heaven,” inspiring you to “move quickly through whatever it is you’ve dreaded getting done.” It’s a delicious win-win.

Learn more at erinbakes.com. NH nhmagazine.com | July 2020

93

603 LIVING

HEALTH

Emotional Fitness Strategies for staying healthy

BY KAREN A. JAMROG

Y

ou might figure you’ve got your physical health pretty well covered with regular exercise, healthful eating, and plenty of shut-eye. But don’t overlook your emotional fitness, which has far-reaching implications and, given the times we live in, might need a little more TLC than usual.

Our mental outlook and emotions can affect more than our tendency to be grumpy or good-humored. Optimism, for example, has been linked with longer life and a significantly reduced risk of dying from several major causes of death, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease and infection.

94

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

“There is a connection between what we think, what we’re feeling, what our behaviors are, and even how our body behaves physically in terms of illness and recovery,” says Ann-Marie Bishop, MSW, LICSW, an outpatient behavioral health clinician at Catholic Medical Center. “Our body tries to synchronize things so that they all work together, so if someone has a belief that ‘I’m going to be OK’ ... it leads to feeling better and it will kind of lean the body toward doing the things that it needs to do healthwise” to help achieve that outcome.

Thoughts and feelings affect physical health indirectly by influencing behavior.

People who are depressed, for example, might attempt to cope through substance abuse or misuse. They might sleep too much, eat poorly or withdraw from others, says Justin Looser, LICSW, ACHE, the New Hampshire market director for Behavioral Health at Frisbee Hospital, Parkland Hospital and Portsmouth Hospital.

But thoughts and emotions alone can also directly affect our physical well-being. Stress, for example, prompts the body to release cortisol, a hormone that hampers the immune system, leaving us more susceptible to disease. Chronic stress raises the risk of many health problems, including heart disease, digestive trouble, headaches and weight gain.

The correlation between what’s in our head and what happens in the rest of our body has gained increasing attention among healthcare professionals, Looser says, with the recognition that whether a doctor is treating high blood pressure or some other ailment, “if your patient is going back to a house that’s fraught with financial stress, marital problems, family problems — whatever it may be — you’re never going to get to the root of someone’s overall health unless you address all of their socioeconomic and psychosocial stressors.” Many primary care offices, Looser says, now employ therapists to supplement and dovetail with physical care.

In addition, individuals can help themselves through a variety of techniques. The first step is to pay attention to what you’re thinking, Bishop says. Rather than going through your days on autopilot as so many of us do, try to recognize your habitual thought patterns and change the thoughts that you associate with situations that make

illustration by gloria diianni

Thoughts and feelings affect physical health indirectly by influencing behavior.

HEALTH

you anxious, stressed, angry or feeling some other negative emotion. Deep breathing, mentally “stepping away” from the problem, positive thinking, and believing in your ability to handle the situation will help defuse rising emotions so that the fight-or-flight instincts can “simmer down,” Bishop says, and enable the part of the brain related to reasoning and decision-making to think more clearly.

These steps, along with seeking outside help when you need it, will not only improve your odds of achieving goals or making positive changes in your life, they will help you feel better and protect your physical health. “If you feel like you’re going to fail, then it’s more likely that you will,” Bishop says. “And if you feel like there might be a positive outcome and you feel that you can find a creative way to overcome things, then your brain and your body are going to follow suit. ... Calm thinking leads to calm chemicals [being released in the body],” which allows your body to relax and avoid the physical harm that can result from having a negative outlook or emotions.

Emotional and mental health are not to be trifled with. “It’s an important subject,” Looser says, “and I think the largest thing we can do around mental health and physical health is to decrease the stigma around mental health and what that means. It’s a real thing [that] can be treated and cured” when problems arise. NH

603 LIVING

For better health, express yourself If you struggle emotionally, don’t ignore it or keep it to yourself. To help safeguard physical as well as mental health, share your concerns or feelings with someone, whether it’s a family member, friend, healthcare provider or hotline worker, so that harmful emotions and thoughts do not escalate, says Justin Looser, LICSW, ACHE, the New Hampshire market director for Behavioral Health at Frisbee Hospital, Parkland Hospital and Portsmouth Hospital.

Left to our own inner negative thinking, our thoughts tend to snowball.

Work-related stress, for example, might initially manifest itself in sleepless nights, then progress to worries of job loss, and escalate into fears of losing home and family, “when the actual reality is unlikely to be that you’ll be homeless,” Looser says. Keeping worrisome thoughts to yourself enables them to intensify and to worsen stress and anxiety.

To break the cycle, “let people know how you feel,” Looser says. “Letting that stress out of you and putting it out in the world ... makes it an actual thing that can lead to a plan to improve it. By keeping it in, those emotions will only continue to compound themselves” and potentially put physical health at risk.

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

95

603 LIVING

Freddy Krueger Trail

Lost on Lost Trail

Hopefully not all trails are so aptly named

I

was reading the trail reviews for Bear Brook State Park (which is only a stone’s throw from my house) the other day, and I noticed one of the main complaints from many of the hikers and mountain bikers was that the trails should be more clearly marked.

I can personally vouch for that. Not long ago on a hot summer day, I went for what was supposed to be a short walk. I parked just off Podunk Road, which runs through a section of the 10,000-plus acre park, then walked up the trail to Hayes Marsh.

One of my friends previously had recommended a “scenic little trail” to the right of the marsh. “It loops right back to Podunk Road,” she said. “Just be sure to take a left every time you come to one and you’ll be fine.”

So I hit that trail. Some of the lefts I came to, however, were iffy. I mean, a few looked so overgrown I couldn’t tell if they actually were part of the trail or not. So I skipped them. I soon learned I probably shouldn’t have. I also learned I probably shouldn’t have left my phone in the car.

96

nhmagazine.com | July 2020

As the woods got deeper and darker, every horror movie I’d ever seen suddenly sprang to mind: Freddy Krueger with daggers on his fingers, Jason Voorhees with his hockey mask and machete, and the Big Bad Wolf with Grandma in his stomach. I picked up a rock for protection, despite the fact that with my aim, if anything smaller than a Tyrannosaurus Rex came charging out of the bushes, I knew I wouldn’t be able to hit it anyway.

At the top of one of the many killer hills I had to climb, I finally spotted a trail sign.

Ironically, it said I was on Lost Trail.

“How appropriate,” I muttered, taking little comfort in the thought that the guy who’d named it must have had a good reason for it. I half expected to find him up ahead somewhere, living in a cave and being raised by wolves.

I later came to a trail intersection with more signs. The choices were Ledge Trail and Ferret Trail. Well, I didn’t like the sound of the word “ledge,” as it immediately conjured up images of my fingertips desperately cling-

ing to a cliff as I dangled over the edge. And “ferret” sounded like a narrow, weasel-made trail. So, fool that I was, I stuck with Lost Trail ... and proceeded to get even more lost.

When I finally saw a marker pointing to Podunk Road, I nearly did a victory dance (I say “nearly” because I was too exhausted by then to lift my feet). That was until I noticed, in small print, “1.9 miles.” I would have cried, but at that point, all of the fluids in my body had dried up from dehydration.

A few weeks later, I was talking to one of the park’s employees and mentioned my little adventure to him.

First, he scolded me for having ventured out hiking so unprepared for emergencies.

Then he chuckled and said, “Now you know why it’s called Lost Trail! Believe me, it’s appropriately named.”

Well, if all of the other trails in the park are also appropriately named, I think, just to be on the safe side, I’ll steer clear of Bobcat Trail and Bear Hill Trail.

Just sayin’ ... NH

illustration by brad fitzpatrick

BY SALLY BRESLIN

WINNER

WINNER

WINNER

WINNER

WINNER

WINNER

WINNER

Readers’ Choice Readers’ Choice Readers’ Choice Readers’ Choice Readers’ Choice Readers’ Choice Readers’ Choice

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

CARING FOR YOU. SAFELY. We’re all living in unexpected times. Rest assured, all of us at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health are committed and ready to safely care for the people of Northern New England – at all our locations. Understandably, you may be worried about seeking care at this time; however, it’s so important to your overall health that you keep your scheduled appointments, not postpone care and not ignore symptoms needing medical attention.

At Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health, your health and safety remain our number one priority.

And that is something that will never change. Learn how we are going above and beyond to ensure every visit is safe for you, and our employees. Visit: go.d-h.org/open

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)