Looks like a good itinerary to me!
My thoughts:
- Not that it's a huge difference, but Portsmouth can take about an hour to get to from Manchester depending on the time of day, etc.
- I don't know if you've Googled the Friendly Toast, but I'd suggest doing so; read customer reviews and any news articles that come up on the first couple of pages. I'm not going to say much more about that; you can decide for yourself once you read up on it a little. My husband and I always loved going to the Toast...the decor/ambiance is fun...the service is meh, but in our experience the food has been great. But it's been a couple of years since we've gone there due to the issues they were having. There are lots of other good restaurants in Portsmouth too!
- There's a state park called Odiorne Point in Rye (near Portsmouth) that can be fun for kids. It's like a big park right on the water, and kids often like to walk through the rocks on the water to look for sea life. There are walking/biking trails, and the Seacoast Science Center is also there. May or may not be something you'd be interested in.
- I suggest planning to spend more time in Portsmouth than Dover. Portsmouth's downtown is much bigger than Dover's, and has Prescott Park, which is fun for kids and really anyone (it's right on the water, so you can watch boats go by, etc.). Dover's downtown is cute, but it really just consists of one street and there isn't nearly as much to do there, aside from the Children's Museum, eating at a restaurant, and maybe checking out a shop or two. Portsmouth just has a lot more shops and walking area; it has a couple of toy shops too.
In fact, you could even allot a whole day to Portsmouth, and reduce a day in North Conway...in my opinion. I guess it depends how much time you'd prefer to spend in a walking-friendly port city vs. a mountain-view town where you mostly drive between places.
- While you're in Lincoln/Franconia Notch: Both 93 and the Kancamagus are very scenic. You will likely be taking portions of both from Sugar Hill to Lincoln anyway. But if you're interested in taking in the scenery, give yourself a little extra time - especially on the Kanc - because there are some stops along the way that you can make at designated scenic outlooks and trails with little waterfalls.
- There's an aerial tram at Cannon Mountain that takes you up to the summit, where you can walk around, check out the views, take photos, etc., then go back down on the tram.
- StoryLand is often a full-day event, depending on the age of the child. Even the smaller kids (i.e. ages 2-3) usually do at least a half day there. Maybe do StoryLand on Day 5, and leave the rest of Day 4 just for shopping around North Conway, etc. StoryLand is great...definitely a must-visit place for families with kids.
- If you like ice cream and are looking for a place to stop on the drive between Portsmouth and North Conway, about 25 minutes north of Portsmouth, you could stop at Lone Oak in Rochester. Best ice cream I've ever had in my life.
- You might want to visit Littleton if you're interested in that town. It's not too far from Lincoln. It has a small, cute downtown area that includes Chutters, a candy store with "the world's longest candy counter."
That's all I can think of for now! Hope it's somewhat helpful.
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Not that it's a deal breaker as it's something I would be willing to give up to move.
