It is the unique goal of travel adventurers to visit all fifty states in America. To boost this objective, each week we shall explore one state. Alphabetically, the 29th to visit is none other than New Hampshire, abbreviated NH. Regardless of the order in which you explore them, NH, the Granite State is simply stunning!
Visit state # 29 – NH
State Rock
Granite
New Hampshire is a great place to live and visit. The state showcases an abundance of features, including the White Mountains, Lakes Region, and ocean beaches. The state is bordered by the Quebec province of Canada to the north and northwest, and by the U.S. states of Maine to the east and Massachusetts to the south. To the west, the Connecticut River forms the border with Vermont. New Hampshire features a short coastline at the Gulf of Maine, a gulf of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Granite state was settled by the English, though Native American Indians migrated seasonally to hunt, gather, and grow crops long before their arrival. New Hampshire’s first permanent European settlement began in 1623, and English fishermen and traders began to prosper. By the first quarter of the 1700s, Portsmouth became a thriving commercial port. However, unrest between the settlers and Native American Indian tribes and the American Revolution would have great impact on the state’s history. By June of 1788, New Hampshire, one of the 13 colonies that rebelled against British rule, was granted statehood as the 9th state.
New Hampshire was named by Captain John Mason after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is a destination known for outdoor activities and vacation hotspots that attract generations of visitors. Among the top destinations is the Mount Washington Cog Railway, fit to transport passengers of all ages to the summit of majestic Mt. Washington. Enjoy a slow ride aboard a colorful locomotive that sweeps riders past forests, ravines, and wildlife. Explore various climate zones along the way to the summit and see sweeping views from atop the Northeast’s tallest peak. Or ride up Mt. Washington Auto Road, where on a clear day, views can be seen as far as Canada and the Atlantic.
Another exciting option is to hike. Outdoor adventurers will also enjoy biking and white-water kayaking in the region.
If rocks and history are your thing, a visit to America’s Stonehenge in Salem, New Hampshire is bound to be of interest. There, the pine woods contain stone megaliths like those built in Great Britain by Druid priests. Come explore the maze of man-made chambers, walls, and ceremonial meeting places that may be over 4,000 years old. This likely makes them the oldest man-made construction in the United States. The site is said to be an astronomical calendar that can determine solar and lunar events. However, whoever built it remains a mystery. Was it created by a Native American Culture or migrant European population? No one knows, but perhaps you can help uncover the truth. The privately owned tourist attraction is open to the public for a fee and includes snowshoe trails and an alpaca farm. Should you visit, go on a nice day when you can enjoy the outdoors. And, if you don’t want to pay an admission fee, there are plenty of places to enjoy outdoors for free.
New Hampshire is packed with great recreational trails for those who enjoy nature, such as the scenic Zealand Falls Trail, Mountain Flume & Mount Liberty Loop, Rocky Gorge, Lincoln Woods, and Locke’s Hill Trails… just to name a few. White Mountain National Forest is a top-rated attraction featuring forests, nature, and wildlife areas. The White Mountain area is noted for its rugged and scenic Appalachian range. Another enjoyable destination is Lake Winnipesaukee, a large glacial lake with 258 islands. A visit to New Hampshire’s waterfront along the Atlantic Ocean offers family beach vacations. Popular cities to visit include Hampton Beach, featuring beach boardwalks & Casino and Ballroom shows; historic Portsmouth, a seaport town and home of the Strawberry Banke Museum; Manchester, home of the Currier Museum of Art and the Millyard Museum; Concord, where the State House and Capitol Center for the Arts are located; Conway, home of Echo Lake State Park and Conway Railroad; and more. It’s impossible to squeeze all the fun things to do into a quick overview, but undoubtedly, visitors will find a plethora of excitement in the Granite State.
Up next: New Jersey
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