Favorite Day Trips in NH (Salem, Dover: houses, shop, train)

[newhampshiregirl]

Since we're not going on any big vacations this summer, we've been thinking of what to do that's within an easy 1-1.5 hour drive from our house in Thornton.

My son mentioned wanting to go up Mt. Washington (haven't done that in 40 years!), taking the tram at Cannon Mt., and riding up the chairlift in Waterville Valley.

Any suggestions?

[lisa g]

ok, sorry to vampire off of your thread, nhgirl, but i'm also looking for day trips from my house in Hollis. i hate being on the road but have friends visiting shortly who will want to see NH from top to bottom, or within my limitations at least....

[DareToDream]

There's always Chutters here in Littleton....and of course the WalMart that all our visitors want to go to

[WannaComeHome]

when I've 'tour-guided' for friends, I like to take them up to the Notch. We'd stop at the Basin (great place actually for a picnic lunch), there's also the Flume but it has a fee, I've taken some to Lost River in Woodstock? Lincoln?. And out to Salem for Mystery Hill - uh... America's Stonehenge (like the old name better ).

Yup, there's the tram on Cannon Mt - such a shame about the Old Man, that was always at least a brief stop. Oh, and there's the Polar Caves - my parents took DH there once, but I've never been.

And didn't someone just post about a farm with 'fainting' goats? And there's the possibility of taking them to a pick-your-own field for whatever is in season.... (ooo, free labor! )

If you want to go out to Portsmouth, there's Strawberry Banke, some historic houses (Nathan Hale?? Patrick Henry?? someone right close to SB), and whale watching or the boat out to the Isles of Shoals.

[jthibodeau]

My wife and her visiting best friend just headed out to "Antique Alley" (AKA/Northwood, NH.) If your into that type of browsing/shopping, it certainly is the place to go for one of your day tripping entertainments.

[NH2NCMom]

There's also Alton, and Lake Winnepausaukee (or however it's spelled) - the boat takes a spectacular cruise around the Lake.

I second the trip to Portsmouth and Dover - do the whole trip up and down the Seacoast - take Rte 1

[Verseau]

A favorite little outing of mine is to go over to Holderness and hike Rattlesnake Mtn. (it's a relatively short and easy hike, good for kids too, but gives a great view of Squam Lake) and then over to Sandwich for lunch or just to walk around.

[BobStein]

Mount Monadnock in southwestern NH, is a long climb (2 hours up, 2 hours back) but the views on a clear day are incredible.

[fishnfool]

I second Monadnock.....it's actually a pretty easy climb compared to the hikes in Whites. Views are amazing, on a clear day you can see all 6 new England states and actually see the skyline of Boston. I was working in Peterborough this week and the foliage is awesome. Great place to spend a day but get over there soon.

One quick note, Mt. Washington auto road is closed down in October so unless the train is running or you want to hike it you won't be able to make it up there.

There are sooooo many awesome day trips here, so many smaller mountains to hike up (thinking Mt. Major) that afford awesome views for not much work. The coast is great, the tourists are gone, and the leaves are starting to peak soon.

Check out the Silver Cascade in Crawford Notch, drive to Pinkham notch (if you walk 1/4 mile up the Tuckerman Ravine trail there is an awesome waterfall), check out Franconia Notch (cannon mt, flume, etc.), drive the Kancamangus.



Here's a pic of my wife on Monadnock last fall......

[NH2008]

The Flume and the Robert Frost Homestead:

The Frost Place

w/lunch at the Mt Washington

Mount Washington Resort - Bretton Woods, NH - New England's Four-Season Resort.

OR

a drive up the coast from Rye through New Castle with lunch in Portsmouth and perhaps a boat trip to the Isle of Shoals or a walk through Strawberry Banke

strawbery banke

OR

a hike and a few hours browsing the outlets in North Conway

OR

lunch in Holderness and a walk through the Squam Lake Science Center (bonus points for tourists because this was the setting for the movie ON GOLDEN POND)

http://www.nhnature.org/

OR

lunch in Meredith, an hour at Fun Spot (is it open year 'round?) and browsing at the antique mall