Introduction to Exeter
from Frommer's
The inland town of Exeter is classic, small-town New England. It has a small bandstand around which the local traffic circles, varied commercial architecture in its compact but vibrant downtown, and wonderful residential architecture on shady side streets. Bisected by the historic Squamscott River, which once provided power to flanking mills, Exeter now boasts a fine, browsable selection of boutiques and shops, as well as one of the nation's most prestigious prep schools, which is architecturally, if not culturally, integrated into the town. In short, Exeter is a good stop for a quick taste of old New England.


Eye on Exeter Suggests Things to Do in Exeter
Exeter Public Library

Walk the Academy Woods

Visit an Exeter Museum or Historic House

Bike, Ski or Walk Exeter's Park

Exeter Recreation Department

Lamont Gallery

Art Courses
http://www.salmonhouse.net/

Go Bowling

Visit an Historic Cemetary

Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Arboretum Drive
Pease Tradeport
Portsmouth
431-7511
A pristine forested area on Great Bay managed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. This natural area offers short hiking trails, wildlife watching and a viewing platform at the bay. Year-round, daylight hours. No bicycles. Access and parking at the end of Arboretum Drive.
Great Bay National Wildlife Reserve Web site

Strawbery Banke Museum
PO Box 300
Marcy Street and Hancock Street
Portsmouth
433-1100
strawberybanke.org
A smaller, New England version of colonial Williamsburg, this living outdoor museum illustrates the lives of historic New Englanders through restored buildings. Spanning some four centuries of local history, Strawbery Banke allows you to experience life in Portsmouth from its pre-Revolution beginnings through the 1950s. Some 50 buildings and interpretive exhibits are complemented by working artisans who give informative demonstrations.
Strwbery Banke Web site

The Portsmouth Athenæum
6-8 and 9 Market Square
Portsmouth
431-2538
Research Library hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 1 to 4; Saturday, 10 to 4 and by arrangement.
Exhibition gallery hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 1 to 4.
Reading Room, street level, open for tours on Thursdays from 1 to 4.
An historic private library incorporated in 1817 in the center of Portsmouth, representiative of the membership libraries that flourished nationally before the public library movement. The Athenæum is now one of fewer than 20 remaining membership libraries, continuing service to its proprietor readers, researchers and the public. Some 40,000 volumes and many invaluable manuscripts, photographs and other historical materials comprise its collections. The Athenæum's architecture itself is worth a trip. Excellent exhibitions with local historical themes are icing on the cake.
http://www.portsmouthathenaeum.org/

Fuller Gardens
10 Willow Avenue
North Hampton
964-5414
Not a muesum per se, but still a local favorite with an historical slant. At the site of the former seaside home of the late Governor Alvan Fuller, this is one of the last working formal estate gardens from the early 20th century. Designed in a Colonial Revival style by Boston's famed Olmstead brothers' firm, the colorful two-and-one-half acre plot attracts more than 10,000 visitors yearly. Open daily, mid-May to  mid-October, 10 to 6. A series of horticultural and educational events also happens throughout the season.
Fuller Gardens Web site

Beaches. New Hampshire's ocean beaches are worth the trip. The best-known Hampton Beach is a summer classic, a boardwalk-and-arcades type hub of activity while Jenness Beach and Wallis Sands State Beach in Rye, North Hampton State Beach, and Sandy Beach in New Castle are family-friendly sandy spots. On the lakes, the beaches at Ellacoya, Silver Lake, Kingston, Sunapee and Wadleigh State Parks also offer services such as canoe and kayak rentals.

Odiorne Point State Park, with its ocean views of Whaleback Light and Wentworth By the Sea, is a nature preserve that is a favorite for birdwatchers, kayakers and families, thanks to well-maintained facilities. The Seacoast Science Center offers hands-on sea-life and guided tours of the local tidal pools. 603-436-8043.

History and living museums.. History buffs will enjoy a visit to the American Independence Museum in Exeter, especially during the Revolutionary War Festival encampment re-enactment in July. Or try Shaker Village, a 400-acre living museum in Canterbury, showcasing Shaker life.

Lakes. In the Lakes Region, options range from New Hampshire’s largest, Lake Winnipesaukee (72 square miles) to 1299 other smaller lakes and ponds. “On Golden Pond” was filmed here on Squam Lake 25 years ago and still offers quiet coves and the call of wild loons. Weirs Beach on Lake Winnipesaukee offers miniature golf, ice cream stands and arcades. Active adventurers will discover over 40 streams and rivers to swim, paddle or fish. There are dozens of classic summer camps throughout the Lakes Region.

 Visit the Lake Winnipesaukee Museum to see how boys' and girls' summer camps operated in the 1930's and to plan your trip to communities all around the lake. The Museum explores the history and heritage of the Lake in a setting preserved from the second cabin colony built in Laconia. Admission is free. Contact: lakewinnipesaukeemuseum.org or 603-366-5950.

Hiking and camping in the White Mountains.  For real outdoor adventure fun for the whole family, the 800,000 acres of the White Mountain National Forest and the scores of New Hampshire State Parks are waiting. Trails range from nearly-flat, handicapped-accessible paths suitable for all ages, to 48 peaks over 4,000 ft for the intrepid hiker. Or ride the Cog Railway up the 6,288 feet of Mount Washington (New England's tallest peak) for an incomparable view of the Presidential Range.

Wildlife. For wildlife watchers, there are 300 species of wild birds in New Hampshire's fields, forests and marshes. Silk Farm Audubon Center in Concord has live animals, programs and events, as well as walking trails. Or look for moose, bear and deer in the Great North Woods. The 3-acre waterfront site of Berlin’s Northern Forest Heritage Park is a playground that also lets visitors spot moose as they feed on white birch and striped maple trees. While mostly active at dusk and dawn, moose sightings can occur throughout the day. For information on park times visit www.northernforestheritage.org

The Amoskeag Fishways Learning and Visitors Center is an environmental education center in Manchester on the banks of the Merrimack River. Open year round, Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm. Windows in the Center offer an underwater view of the 54-step fish ladder that allows migrating shad, herring and sea lamprey to swim around the Amoskeag Dam. The Center also houses an interactive exhibit hall that lets visitors explore the Merrimack River, the history of the Amoskeag area and river wildlife. Visit amoskeagfishways.com

Scenic auto tours and great hotels. New Hampshire gives visitors a choice of over a dozen official Scenic Byways. From the famous Kancamagus Highway (through the Mount Washington Valley) to the Connecticut River Byway that starts in the Great North Woods and travels south along 274 miles dotted with original covered bridges there is scenery galore. “Moose Alley” follows Route 3 to the Canadian Border. Route 1B hugs the rocky Atlantic coast, passing fishing villages, grand seaside hotels and classic New England towns before reaching vibrant Portsmouth. All along the way there are historic inns, grand hotels, family-owned B&B's and a variety of dining options, from family style restaurants to gourmet inn chefs.

Farmstands and farm markets. Whether it's a box of freshly-picked berries, a basket of sweet corn and a corn maze to explore, or a pat on the nose of a dairy cow, there's nothing that says “summer” quite like a visit to a working New Hampshire farm or roadside farmstand. Pick-your-own strawberry patches open in June, then blueberries and raspberries in mid-summer and apples starting in early September. Visit agriculture.nh.gov for both the ”NH Farm Stand” and “NH Farmers Markets” directories of places open all over the state, all summer. Monadnock Berries in the shadow of Mount Monadnock is one. Open for picking everyday, 8am- 7pm, once the season starts, the farm has festivals and lunchtime barbecues and even has a special picking patch accessible to disabled pickers. Contact: monadnockberries.com or 603-242-6417

Shopping. Seems like most visitors like to shop New Hampshire, due in part to the absence of a sales tax. Choose from original crafts in museum stores, outlet shopping, country stores in Barrington, North Conway and Meredith; ”Antiques Alley” along Route 4 in Northwood; and distinctive boutiques in Portsmouth, Concord, and the many Main Street communities that have welcomed back local merchants. The longest candy counter in the world is Chutters in Littleton. World famous chocolates come from L.A. Burdick in Walpole. “Made in New Hampshire” products are featured in every State Park. The League of New Hampshire Craftsmen has shops in 7 locations as well as the oldest craft fair in America.

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