July Family Vacation in Keene (Salem, Portsmouth: amusement park, high school, college)

[Dubbl B]

Coming to Keene July 2008 with the better half and a car full of active
high school girls (ages 14/15/16). Any suggestions for things to do or
places to go on day trips? Will be in town with our own car at the end
of the month of July for about a week.

[~Boo~]

I would like to someday visit Keene too. I have a list of things I would like to see there, but I don't think teenage girls would be interested, LOL. But I have heard of fun outdoor activities in the Monadnock park, which isn't too far. I think they also have Summer concerts in Keene too.

Hopefully someone that's been there will have more suggestions.

Enjoy your summer vacation!

[Tarastomsgirl]

If you are looking for scenery go to Surry Dam right up the road from Keene

- We do have summer concerts not only in Central Square but in front of the Recreation center on Washington St. As for directions lol at the Chamber of commerce in Central Square.

- Walk up and down main street, you will see a sign that says PARRISH Shoe's on a wall in Central Square. you can point out to them that its from the Movie Jumanji (Robin Williams characters father supposedly owned the fake shoe mill) but they left the sign on the wall..

Robin Hood park is a nice place for pictures.

Lol I'm graspin straws at the moment only cause July was such a busy month for me as I was still unpacking and stressed about learning the area so I can't remember what I did!! UMMM UMM...

Here try the Keene Chamber of Commerce website..

There are a ton of things I'm honestly having some kind of brain dysfunction melt down right now, but I'll come back when everything is in order for me..

Also you can jump right over to Vermont, its a straight shot and about 15 mins away is Brattleboro a city to enjoy some shopping and see some big mountains.

Kyaking/canoe on the Ashuelot River, swimming at Otter Brook Beach ( chamber of commerce can give you directions to all these places).. We have some muesums, and trolley tours to tell you all about the town..

We have Green Lawn Cemetary and Prison Street Cemetary which seems morbid but they can see people buried there from the Civil war, as well as the French and Indian war and its said to be haunted so you know how kids are it might be a bit adventurous and educational at the same time.. The Green Lawn Cemetary is HUGE I mean you have to drive through it and creepy, I went walking through their one time off in a far corner where some of the graves were from the 1700's and I swore I heard footsteps behind me one step off from what I was stepping.. I hightailed it outta there and I haven't been back since.. There is also another "tale" that if you curse in front of the Knights Mosuleum I think it is you'll get the taste of soap in your mouth, its been reported by several people evidently. Keene state college is also rumored to be haunted.

Anywho check out the Events Calendar as the time gets closer and see if there are some concerts or festivals on the days you'll be here, and if I hear anything I'll be sure to give ya a shout.

[WannaComeHome]

Oh there's lots of places to go for day trips!

Mt Monadnock isn't far away in Jaffrey <http://www.mountainsummits.com/mountains/newhampshire/monadnock.htm> and it's apparently the second most frequently climbed mountain in the world (the first being Mt Fuji).

If you go up to the White Mts, you can hike around The Basin, or the Flume, or go over to Lost River and crawl around the glacier tumbled rocks, or go to the Polar Caves.

If you want an amusement park, I think Canobie Lake Park is still operating over in Salem, and nearby there is an interesting (if you like archeology) woodland walk around Mystery Hill (current name is unfortunately America's Stonehenge).

Portsmouth might be a little too far to take them, but if you can start really early in the morning (or overnight somewhere), there is Strawberry Banke which is a bunch of renovated buildings relocated into a protected village, and there's whale watching trips, and an early morning trip out to the Isle of Shoals where you can bring a picnic lunch, run around on the rocks (trying to avoid the seagulls that nest there) and then head back on the next ferry.

Any of those ideas help??

[Dubbl B]

thank you very much - very helpful responses
any other ideas are welcome!