Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am thinking about visiting NH this summer. I have never been in NH, but for about three years have been dreaming about moving up there. I've also been hanging out at this forum and know just how helpful you people are.
Anyway, I would like to have a week long vacation, fly to Manchester and explore the area to see if it is going to be a good fit for our family.
I have two boys, almost 6 & 4, so the trip must be fun for them. We probably will go to the coast one day, and may check out Keene, but my focus is Manchester-Londonderry-Merrimack.
What would you recommend to see? Are there any fun activities for kids? Chuck-E-Cheese-like pizza places? They will be bored just to drive around.
There is a Chuck-e-cheese off South Willow Street in Manchester just North of the 293 expressway. If you want to take a trip to the White Mountains there is Story land and a couple other kid type amusement places. Lots of interesting things around the Laconia and lakes region.
I suggest checking out the New Hampshire State tourism website and buying a DeLorme Road Atlas.
You must, must, must go to Canobie Lake Park. It's an easy drive, just off Exit 2 on Rte 93. Your little guys are the perfect age for Canobie. Older teens, 20somethings have abandoned Canobie and chose to drive an hour+ to get to 6 Flags and the intense coasters there, but I love Canobie Lake
It's got a great mix of rides, including a good-size kiddie park, some water rides to help cool you off on a hot day. Not sure how adventurous your boys are, but you can easily spend a full day in the water park area, then spend late afternoon/evening going on rides. I've been going there since I was your boy's age(s) and now more than ever, I appreciate how clean the park is kept, the flowers that are planted around each and every ride. If you get tired of walking, you can jump on the train that runs from open to close, or visit the stage area where shows run every couple of hours (everything from cartoon characters, magicians, dance performances, etc). For my family, no trip to Canobie is complete without a ride on the merry-go-round, always the very last ride of the day... ALWAYS! (a tradition that goes back many decades when we went to the park with my mom and Grammie) Hand carved horses, reindeer, zebra, etc and the old-fashioned calliope music... Your family will LOVE IT!!!
Last edited by Valerie C; 05-20-2010 at 12:52 PM..
I don't live in NH but my daughter does, in Dover. I am partial to Rye Beach in NH. Your kids are probably a bit young yet for "Strawberry Bank" in Portsmouth but you'd have plenty of time for that if you move to NH.
Oh don't even think to come here to just vist the southern parts and leave. You simply must go see the mountians at least for 1 day Rt 16, Rt 2, Rt 302, Rt 112, Rt 116, Rt 3, all above the 1/2 way North /South mid way mark apx Concord.
I have no idea what Chucky Cheese is, but the kids will love Clark's Trained Bears, and real old fashion tourist trap. They have trained bears for real, they have a steam engine train to ride and it gets held up sometimes by the 'Wolfman' whio drives a old Model T truck and shoots a musket (safely) and will scare the pants off yer kids, which kids love.
They won't go home tawkin about no silly chucky cheese after that! Just up Rt 3 from there is Indian Head with a tower the kids can climb (safely), just past that is the Flume (fee), just past that is the Basin (free and cool in the woods) Past that still on just Rt 3 is the new musem for Old Man of the Mountains. The old man went away, but the new musem is great. from there you can take the New gondla at Cannon Mt..
There is swimming holes in chrsytal clear water everywhere, all ya gotta do is stop the car.
On Rt's 302, Rt112 often times at early evening you can see a MOOSE! What were you sayin about Chucky Cheese?
more: The Mt Washington cruise ship takes tours rides around lake Winnie, for a fee, and you can buy meals on it most times. At Weirs Bch there is an Arcade, swiiming in the lake, and usually every Wednesday evening fire works.
Just the other side of the lake is Castle in the Clouds a older museum, but with other events as new. Each even is different from the next so you need to check their calendar.
In Glen there is Story Land, in Jefferson there is Santa's Village, there are other places like these around too.
also, if you're heading to Portsmouth, you might think about tkaing a whale watching cruise. The kids might like seeing the whales, and often dolphins.
Thank you! Thank you! Oh, boy... how can I pack it in a week? I want to see so much, and towns too.
I don't think lake area is too long of a drive if we stay in Manchester, is it? Everything seems to be close in NH.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mac_Muz
What were you sayin about Chucky Cheese?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
