Great visit to NH (Manchester, Nashua: apartment, houses, buyers)

[eswrede]

I posted a couple of months ago asking about southern NH. Well, we finally got to take a trip up north to visit. We really like the Londonderry/Windham area. What a fantastic place! Thank you everyone who shared info. Our challenges now are to see when we will be able to move (we have 2 houses to sell in TX before we can head north) and to find a place that has an in-law apartment.

Thanks again!
Libby

[WannaComeHome]

glad you liked it. So what were you able to see?

wow, selling 2 houses is quite a challenge! best of luck with that.

[eswrede]

Okay - so what we saw might sound a bit mundane to most. It was mostly everyday stuff. The grocery stores, the pharmacy, a couple of restaurants, the local parks. We drove around A LOT. We did stop by Mack's Apples, which both my husband and son thought were the coolest. We found out that Stoneyfield Yogurt is in Londonderry as well as 5 orchards. We LOVED the snow. I know most of ya'll up there are over it and wishing for spring. We are hoping to take another trip up there soon to check out a school for my son for the fall.

What impacted us the most was how friendly people are, especially compared to Boston where we have friends. We grew up outside Philly and were a bit nervous about heading back east but southern NH didn't feel like what we remembered at all. We still really love TX but I think we've found another place we could call home.

[Valerie C]

Hi Libby
Glad to hear that you liked the Londonderry/Windham area. I agree with Wanna--selling 2 houses is quite a challenge, but hopefully you'll be able to do it Did you take the tour through Stoneyfield? The prices on their yogurt and ice cream are better than in the stores, and the free samples after the tours are sometimes items that are unavailable for purchase in this area.

I live and work in Londonderry, so am very familiar with the schools, restaurants, etc. and I'm sure I've posted pictures of various things (parades, festivals, etc., but here are a few more

This is the sign in front of the High School, taken when our Lancer Band traveled to China in June, 2008 (Go Lancers!)






This is Mack's Apples during Apple and Pumpkin season:




Another shot of Mack's:




This is the "duck pond" (near the bridge at the intersection of South Road/Kendall Pond Road, close to South School)




And this one is actually in Windham, about 50 feet from the Londonderry/Windham border:


And yeah, we're about over the whole "I love snow" thing at this time... It's been snowing since the wee hours and hasn't stopped all day. That 3" that we were promised has turned into at least 6 or 7" of heavy white mud. I swear, this is the LAST time I'm going to be making Maple Snow Candy this winter!!!!!

[eswrede]

Thanks for the photos! I haven't seen color on trees like that in years - how beautiful.

We didn't stop to take the tour although my husband really wanted to. We spent so much time driving. I think I can now get myself from Windham to Nashua around Nashua back out to Londonderry and around Derry and Salem.

Have you heard anything about Derry Montessori? My son is in a Montessori program here and we wanted to try to continue it until he is old enough for public school. There are a couple closer to Manchester but I really wanted to find something closer to Windham/Londonderry.

Hopefully selling 2 houses won't be too much of a challenge. Our house is on almost 6 acres and is out a bit. My MIL's house is in the burbs and pretty new. We are looking at two totally different types of buyers. The market here hasn't had as many troubles as those elsewhere - although I don't want to jinx myself.

[NH2008]

Val - any chance you'd be willing to share your recipe for maple snow candy? We read the Little House books and my kids would love it!

[Valerie C]

NH2008, it's really easy and depends on what sort of "candy" you want. In Canada, where I first learned about snow candy, they use pure syrup at my DH's uncle's sugar shack. However, we've started using another recipe that uses a bit of butter also, that I found on the internet. Here it is:

Snow Candy Recipe
1 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup salted butter
Fresh snow, vanilla ice cream, or shaved ice
Optional: Dill pickles and saltines

1. Heat the syrup and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to avoid a boilover. (Heating syrup is strictly a parent's job.)

2. The mixture is ready 6 to 7 minutes after it boils (220 to 234 degrees on a candy thermometer). It should stiffen when dripped onto a plate.

3. Remove from heat and cool for 2 minutes before pouring over the snow, ice cream, or ice. It cools so quickly that kids can taste it right away.

4. Finish by nibbling some pickles or saltines — a sugarhouse tradition "for getting taste buds back to normal," because sugar on snow is so sweet, says Martha Boisvert of the North Hadley Sugar Shack in Massachusetts.

[WannaComeHome]

very cool pics, Val! I'd rep you, but I"m in jail.

never tried the maple snow candy, sounds intriguing (and fattening!)