Going to New Hampshire This Weekend

This weekend wife and I are flying from Chicago to Manchester, NH and renting a car and will drive on to Portsmouth. On Saturday the sub that our son serves on is being commissioned and we will get to see it. We are arriving in Manchester about noon Friday, and leaving Sunday am. We would like to see a little of New Hampshire on Friday afternoon before meeting son and his wife. Want to drive along the ocean some, anything else that is a must see when in the area? Best reasonably priced place for seafood? Never been out east before, just wondering what to see in the short time we will be there. Beans are done, rye planted and corn is still wet, so we will see some country and try to start combining when we get home. Chris

Chris,
Haven't been up there in awhile.Hampton Beach is pretty nice as is southern Maine ( more coastline) which isn't far away.I am out of touch with the dining scene.Unfortunately most of the foliage is done.Enjoy your trip to New England.
Vito

You missed foliage by a couple weeks.

If you want to get up to the White Mountains, you could head up to Lincoln on I93, go across the southern mts on Kancamangus Highway (Rt 112)to Conway NH, then Rt 302 down to Portland Me, then down the cost to Portsmouth. That is kind of a long drive 5+ hrs on the road.

You could head up I93 again to Meredith, then across the top of Lake Winnipesaukee, Moultonborough, Wolfeboro, pick up Rt 16 down to Portsmouth. 3+ hrs on the road.

You might be able to catch the last of the foliage down in Massachusetts. Head west to Peterborough NH, then down 202 to Winchendon Ma, on down to Rt 2, take Rt 2 east through Fitchburg/Leominster to I95/128, take 128 up to Gloucester Ma, then on up the coast to Portsmouth. ~4.5+ hrs on the road.

Have fun, it is a beautiful area, but not the best time of year.



RND

Must recommend Newicks in Portsmouth for a great seafood dinner. It is well known so just ask for directions. I hope you have a great stay

I would recommend Saunders at Rye Harbor, which is just south of Ports. on Rt. 1A. You could also take in part of a tractor pull Saturday in Epsom which is about 35 miles west of Ports.

Hello Super 99, What's the difference in the cost of the tickets flying into Logan Airport? Boston is an hours drive from Portsmouth, and there is some nice scenery in between. I was stationed there (Pease AFB) from Feb 86 thru May 88. Very interesting area and a lot of history, the countryside this time of year is nice, be sure to take your camera.

Good Luck to your son. I'm one of those people that couldn't handle being on a sub. You can see the Portsmouth Sub Base there in Kittery from accross the river.

Jim

Not to offend Manchester but try to find a place on the coast to stay.

Sounds like you've got your tickets so it's too late to say that the drive Manchester to Poertsmouth is about the same time as from BOston. But the drive across will take you thorugh Exeter, which is a nice little town, tres New Englandish.

The NH coast is only about 18 miles long, so you could drive from Hampton up to Portsmouth for a little. Maine has more coastline obviously, but the road doesn't run right along it -- lots of peninsulas and the like, so if you don't mind a little adventure, you can venture off Rte 1 down into some of the village where you'll find some picturesque harbors with some views.

Just for kicks in Portsmouth, they have an old decommissioned sub, the Albacore, up on blocks in a little park. It might be fun to just pop in there for a comparison of the scale with the boat your son's going to sail in. The only entrance I know to the park (I'm sure there must be another one, I just don't know how to tell you to get there) is off the US Rte 1 bypass. You have to be coming down from Maine (over the drawbride on the bypass) and it's just on the right after you come off the bridge. Portsmouth NSY is actually in Maine so you could tag that as a short stop onto the post-commissioning trip if it's of interest.

For seafood, Newicks is good, and up in Kittery (about two miles into Maine) is a Weathervane, a family-owned small chain that has about anything you could want, steamed, boiled, broiled or fried, all at a reasonable cost.

Super,
I agree with Scotty, the Weathervane resturants are very good...great lobster dinners for good price. I just went thru Vermont, NH and Maine.
If you are from the midwest or farther west, be prepared for heavy traffic. Everybody and his brother seem to be on the roads and close behind you! I bought one of those GPS thingies and that was a big help in travel and finding resturants...once in a while it would take us a strange way but that"s another story. Also be prepared for some rough hwys...seemed like 1/2 the miles were under construction and the other 1/2 needed that. Those little towns in NH were fun to stop in and take time for a nice snack of local foods. Nice, friendly people, too.
LA in WI

Tickets are already bought. Daughter lives in Auroura, Ill. and we can stay overnight with her and leave Chi-town early Friday. Don't like big cities, no desire to go to Beantown. Rather see some countryside. Thanks for the suggestions, will let you know how the trip went when we get back. Chris Southwest Air, round trip for 2 $598

One of the few things I miss from New England is the abundance of quality resturaunts, you shouldn"t have any trouble finding somewhere good to eat. Now the abundance of people and traffic, well thats another story.The scenery and history is nice, something taken for granted when you live there....Jim

My daughter flies into Manchester when on vacation
and gets a rental car and then drives up to Maine.
She's always talking about how big those lobsters are.

Ther's a man in NH that post's on the Farmall forum about his Cub problems. He's a Korean War vet that served in the Navy and took his boot training at Bainbridge Naval Base that's just across the river from me. The base closed in 70's. You could send him an email to see what places he would recommend. Hal

[email protected]

Well Chris.

Giving it some more thought, if you are interested in Colonial history, Portsmouth has "Strawberry banke" restored houses etc. A nice walking tour. Portsmouth also has a nice micro-brewery and a stroll downtown in the shops might on a warm fall day be just ticket.

Oedine Point just down on Rt 1 is a good state park for checking out the ocean and a stroll on the rocks.

Or just take a drive on Rt 1 south of Portsmouth for some great ocean views.

I am sorry you missed peak foliage colors and it will be getting dark by 6:00 so a mountain tour may not work.

Bruce