Things to do, Places to see? (Laconia, Lebanon: horse, architecture, area)

[jakiedoodle]

Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown/Deerfield is a great place to spend a day or to camp for a weekend! We love it there.
We camp there all the time in the summer....GREAT bass fishing on Beaver Pond.

There are tons of trails for biking, walking, hiking, etc. and tons of wildlife. They have "day" areas where you can spend the day and they do have washrooms, etc. There are also a few historic buildings in the State Park too.


I also really enjoy the Moultonborough/Meredith areas. We love to go to the Olde Country Store in Moultonborough, where you can find old penny candy, great gifts, antiques on display, moccasins, old-fashioned pickle barrels with big dill pickles (yummy). They use really really old cash registers to ring in your sale. It's a neat place for kids to see too. That whole area is beautiful to just walk around on the shores of Lake Winni. There's always so much to do.

[fishnfool]

Straight up the best hike you can do in NH is Bondcliff. If you do a search I posted some pics from my hike last summer. It's long, and usually done as an overnight trip....but that makes it worth it and even more fun. Views forever, awesome cliff.

The other good hike is pretty obvious.....Mt. Washington. A good day trip would be to hike to the base of Tuckermans Ravine sometime in April/May and watch the party/skiers.

Both hikes are on the more difficult side for people who don't hike. If you're in decent shape though they aren't a problem

Oh, the other great one is the Franconia Ridge via Falling Waters trail. You'll go over Haystack, Lincoln, and Lafayette with great views of the presidentials.

[SFT]

Thank you fishnfool. That Bondcliff trail/view looks amazing I will definitely have to try that out. I'm in pretty good shape so I don't think it would be much of an issue.

If that trail is done as an overnight, are there specific cleared areas for pitching tents or is it just wherever you can find space?

[nhtourguidedotcom]

The Flume in Franconia Notch is also a great place to visit. It's a small hike, maybe 3 or 4 miles around the loop but well worth checking out in spring, best in the Fall in my opinion!

[Yankeehombre]

Pawtuckaway State Park offers spectacular views clean swimming, good fishing, and new cabins for rent starting this year. A trail map is available on the website[link to all state parks];
The New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation


The Isle of Shoals. I recommend the Isle of Shoals Steamship Company for the best historical narration of ortsmouth Harbor. (boat is diesel, not steam.
{ this site is good for'Everything seacoast'}The Isles of Shoals - -SeacoastNH.com

Newburyport is a nice day trip,nearby plus Plum Island resevation. Since we have to put up with Mass, right over the border, might as well check out what they have to offer;
Sandy Point State Reservation

The Stark Old Time Fiddlers Contest is a great place to let out the inner Hillbilly in you, In the words of a crusty old Kentuckian at Waffle house in Lexington KY"If you ain't a hillbilly what are you?" Rosin up your bow! This years date is June 28th 2009 Theres lots to see + do in he north country

Fiddler's Contest - Home

Calefs store, just off 125in Barrington is great for hard to find true old time, N.H.gifts for your visiting relatives, N.H. products, peny candy, maple syrup candy etc. http://www.insiderpages.com/b/15239734746
Robies Contry store in Hooksett is easy to get to and preserved old time country store, now being operated as a store + a museum. Its just parallel to the I93 toll booth, accessible from the Hooksett + Concord exits off 93, (in fact rt.3 is great to skip aroud the tolls, and a beauriful ride along the merrimack river);
http://www.robies.org/

[bignhfamily]

Climb up Kearsarge Mountain and while you are at the summit climb up the fire tower for an amazing view. Before you leave ask the Ranger for the pamphlet about the fire tower hikes in NH. It has a list of all the accessible fire towers that you can hike out to and usually it's pretty easy hiking. Once you visit all the towers on the list you send an included form into the state and they send you a free patch to sew on you hiking jacket or backpack. Great for families with smaller kids or those looking for not so aggressive hikes.

[WannaComeHome]

well, they aren't necessarily big things, but there are a number of places around Franconia Notch that are quite lovely if you want to make a day/weekend of the area.

Clarks Trading Post- I understand there's a train ride for the kids - we never rode it, but we would often drive slowly past just to see the bears on top of their poles. If you have kids it might be a fun thing.

The Basin- lovely spot for a picnic, and a short hike up the trail to the Cascades. The Basin itself is a 40' standing pothole carved out by the Pemigewasset just coming down the mountain (closest to the source you're likely to ever get, probably up at the top of the Cascades). Just beautiful there.

The Flume is a nice hike, but it's much more commercial with the wooden walkways and steps, and the bus to take you up to the starting place (and the fee to hike it)

Cannon Mt also has a tramway you can ride up to the top. Great views.

Of course, there's always Mt Washington (bring a heavy winter coat - even in the summer. It's COLD up there), you can hike it if you're hardy, or drive it if you've the nerve. And I believe there's the cog railway as well.

Over in Salem, NH is 'America's Stonehenge' which really is a fascinating puzzle. How often do you find a neolithic site in this country? Especially one where they have absolutely no idea who lived there!

And of course, if you just want to be able to say you've done it.. there's Mt Monadnock. Apparently the second most hiked mountain in the world. No, it's not the great hikes that Fishnfool and others have mentioned, and yes there's lots of people, but.. it's an experience most natives have done (heck, I even did it!)

So there's a few more things to do for you.

[fishnfool]

The bondcliff hike is mostly located in the Pemigewassett wilderness so you can camp anywhere you want as long as you're 200' from the trail or streams. There are multiple routes that you can do this hike so where you stay the night depends on what trail you take.

When I did it we pitched our tents in the backcountry in a clearing...no actual campsite. Be aware of bears though and store food appropriately. There are a lot of obvious places where people have camped. There is also Giuot (sp?) hut which is a good designated campsite and I think Zealand hut is also along a potential route. The huts have a small fee (~$5) and can get crowded on weekends.

If you're serious about it I can bust out my map and give you specific route and place we camped. Someone else recommended that area and I found it easily. The Bonds aren't necessarily a hard hike, they are just very long. The elevation gain is roughly 2000 feet but it's not very steep (again, depending on your route). I think we covered 18 miles in one day. Well worth it though.

The best thing you can buy is the AMC White Mountain Guide. It will list every trail in the Whites with very specific descriptions, distances, water sources, and great maps. It's not necessarily good for hike suggestions though.

And of course, if you just want to be able to say you've done it.. there's Mt Monadnock.

Done that one as well....definitely worth a trip. It's a great hike with awesome views as it's isolated from other mountains. On a clear day you can see Boston and Mt. Washington. It gets very crowded though but it's definitely a "must do" for NH hikes.

[GregW]

Be sure to check out the Nature Center on Squam Lake. Take the Mt Washington Cog Railway. Try and find a clear day and you can see most of the state. Bring a windbreaker and a sweater because it is never warm and the wind never stops.

Check out Hanover for the ultimate preppy college location and atunningly pretty town common. Drive north and stop at the Brick Store in Bath. continue to littleton and stop at Lahutes for good deals on outdoor equipment and clothing. The Littleton Diner or the Mill Resturant next to the river. Then try driving all the way to Black Lake off Rt 3 north, yeah north, of Pittsburg.

I ought to write a tour guide for NH as we have seen most of the really hidden places. BTW - Take pictures of the green Historical signs along the road. In many places it is too dangerous to pull over and stop.

[Tin Knocker]

If you havent explored Coos county you should. The white mountain area & the lakes region is beautifull but theres too many people for my tastes & its too touristy.

Its hard for me to pin down nice spots for hiking or sight seeing. Some of my favorite areas are the CT lakes & the upper river. We often spend a day canoeing from North Stratford to the Maidstone bridge. Theres plenty of hiking trails available & not much traffic at all. In the Nash Stream forest theres a trail to the top of Percy peaks as well as many miles & miles of trails on which you wont likely see anybody.