Short Trip from NH for the day...and a great time! (Manchester: condos, house)

[BF66389]

Since it was a nice day we went on a trip today. The goal was somewhere less than an hour from Nashua, plenty of time spent outdoors, nothing to intense, and with somewhere decent to have lunch...oh- and somewhere we haven't been before (the part that made it hard). So where did we go? Well we actually left our state- but since its so close by I figured I should post it here:

Lowell National Historic Park and it was fantastic! The little visitors center was nice, the walking trails along the canals were great with a lot of great views and history, and the Boott Cotton Mill Museum (sp?) was amazing (seeing those big mill machines running like they did in the early 1900s was really an experience and a half). The park service and the city has done an excellent job with the place and I urge anyone nearby to check it out.

We also took advantage of the towns large Cambodian population...and tried a Cambodian restaurant called Red Rose (it's off Middlesex Road not far from the historic park...you need to drive- but its not far). It was fantastic with a diverse menu where even the less adventurous can find something good. The spicy food was spicy, the sweet food was sweet and overall it was great. Definitely on our top 10 list of restaurants now!

In short I know Lowell gets a bad rep to some degree; but it also has a rich American history that is very enjoyable to learn about (at the museums) and its Cambodian immigrants are very helpful in introducing others to their culture as well. A very worthwhile trip.

Next time we're going to checkout the American Textile Museum, Whistler House Museum of Art, and the Mill Girls & Immigrants museum. The city also seems to have a lot of festivals throughout the year and many art-events such as open studio times on some weekends (some of the old mills are now art studios). Good times, great weekend!

PS: For those unfamiliar with Cambodian food: It seems to have some Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian influences (well, not so much influences as some common ingredients like coconut milk, tamarind, etc); but it really had a lot of unique flavors and some vegetables I've never seen before. The place we went was very authentic but very large/clean/pleasant on the inside as well (you wouldn't know from the storefront). It wasn't "heavy" like Chinese were you feel bad after...but are hungry in 30 minutes- it was good spicy home-cooked food, low on grease and big on flavor.

[GregW]

A long time ago I helped install a small (500 Kwe) AC generator in the basement of the Atlantic Mill. It was on the National Park tour for a while but I do not think it is currently operating because they stopped maintaining it. Fascinating technology.

[BF66389]

I saw a good bit of demolition going on in the historic park (not where you visit, but in their boundaries). It appears they are clearing out what is too "gone" to be usable or too costly to repair. We noticed a good bit of the old mills are now very cool offices or condos. When I say "cool" I mean fantastic huge ceilings, massive windows, and neat style.

I believe the same transformation is ongoing in Nashua and Manchester.

My guess is as "inner city" offices become to costly...it (hopefully) will be a boon for these former mill-cities that have actually maintained their mill buildings. Or that's my hope at least, I will say that Lowell is noticeably nicer than when we first visited in 2006...