Memories of New Hampshire

One great aspect of living in Massachusetts is that it is within an hour’s drive from New Hampshire, one of the most beautiful of states in the US. With its lakes, beaches and mountains, New Hampshire attracts around 4.3 million tourists a year. With its apt motto, “Live Free or Die”, New Hampshire represents all the beauty and freedom that nature offers. Needless to say, like all New English states, New Hamphshire offers some of the best seafood in the US.

The content of this blog entry is a mix of posts on NH when I lived in Massachusetts, my fond memories of the state and some research on the places I visited.

Every Fall, during my almost three decade residency in Massachusetts, I would often drive on weekend to New Hampshire, to catch and savor the fall colors, where the flora would take on thousands of hues from green to a golden rust. It was a magnificent sight to behold!

Photo by Cloris Ying on Unsplash

Duty Free Liquor Store

Almost on the border of Massachusetts and New Hampshire was this liquor store where I would often make visits to make purchases in large quantities, to avoid Massachusetts tax on spirits.

Hampton

Hampton, New Hampshire is a highly populated Beach town, near Portsmouth. It’s beach and boardwalk make it a great place to visit.

My favorite restaurant in Hampton was at the Lamei Inn, a family owned enterprise, built in 1740. On October 11th, 2005 I made this entry in my old blog.

A nice restaurant-cum-Inn with adequate parking.(Then again we were there today, Columbus day. I

ordered the broiled lobster which was great. My family liked their dishes too. The inn has an old New English decor with a nice fireplace. Reasonable prices. Visit this one if you’re in the area.

Here is another brief of my blog entry the same day:

We went there today. The water was cold. It stays cold all year. The warmest it gets is 60 degrees

Here is a picture of birds on Hampton Beach.

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. (2023, July 30). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampton_Beach,_New_Hampshire

Old Man of the Mountain

I was lucky enough to catch a view of the Iconic Old Man of the Mountain rock formation in New Hampshire quite a few times in the mid 90s and early 2000s. Situated in the Cannon mountains and overlooking the Profile Lake, the structure held great significance among the Abenaki and Mohawk people. Residents of New Hampshire felt a great pride to have such a magnificent natural rock formation in their state.

The Old Man has been the subject of several native American legends. It has also been an inspiration for authors like Nathanial Hawthorne.

Old Man of the Mountain. (2023, August 18). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Man_of_the_Mountain

After years of exhibiting vulnerability to the forces of nature, despite the state’s attempts to preserve this icon, the ‘Old Man’ finally collapsed on May 3rd 2003. However, the Old Man is still alive in the hearts of New Hampshire residents and all of us who were lucky enough to visit him.

North Conway

I did an overnight trip to North Conway in the mid 90s. It is a quaint village in Carol County in New Hampshire and offers breathtaking views of the white mountain national forest.

North Conway is also known for its shopping outlets. Unlike Maine, Noth Conway offers tax free shopping.

North Conway, New Hampshire. (2023, July 12). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Conway,_New_Hampshire

North Conway, New Hampshire. (2023, July 12). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Conway,_New_Hampshire

Unfortunately, many of my other photos of the New Hampshire foliage and beaches(like many others) were lost on several photo sharing sites that went bust. I will end by sharing some amazing photos of New Hamphire’s fall foliage and beaches.