New Hampshire Official Travelers Handbook 2009-2010 - (Page 17) By Diane Bair and Pamela Wright Walk through time at New Hampshire’s historic sites “A full decade before the American Revolution, colonists in New Hampshire were rebelling, our guide tells us as we walk Portsmouth’s Harbour Trail. ” We are on our favorite sea-to-mountains tour of historic sites across the “Live Free or Die” state. Whether it’s a visit to a Revolutionary War hero’s gravesite or a boat trip down an old logging river – count us in! We begin this tour de heritage in seaside Portsmouth – fittingly, since nearby Odiorne State Park is where colonists first settled New Hampshire in 1623. We’re on our Our first stop is the information kiosk in favorite sea-toMarket Square where we pick up a map of mountains tour the Harbour Trail, which highlights dozens of historic sites. of points of scenic and historic significance. We picnic (on a blanket, there are no picnic tables) on the grounds of Fort Constitution before visiting the WentworthCoolidge Mansion, former Colonial-era home of New Hampshire’s first Royal Governor. Back on the road, we head to the Merrimack Valley and Monadnock regions, stopping first at the Chester Village Cemetery, final resting place of Revolutionary War heroes and home to beautifully sculpted, lichencovered stones. Nearby is the Robert Frost Farm, the poet’s family home from 1900-1911 (we’re just in time for a poetry reading); the Franklin Pierce Homestead and the Daniel Webster Birthplace State Historic Site. In Manchester, we visit the Millyard Museum, where exhibits tell the story of the early settlers of Manchester, including workers at the Amoskeag Millyard, once the largest textile company in the world. THE GRAND DAMES New Hampshire’s opulent, grand hotels were the hub of society life during the Gilded Age. Four – each with its own storied past – still welcome guests today: the MOUNT WASHINGTON HOTEL (www.mountwashingtonresort.com) in Bretton Woods, THE BALSAMS (www.TheBalsams.com) in Dixville Notch, MOUNTAIN VIEW GRAND (www.mountainviewgrand.com) in Whitefield and WENTWORTH BY THE SEA (www.wentworth.com) in New Castle. Golf at the Mount Washington Hotel www.visitnh.gov 17 < http://www.mountwashingtonresort.com http://www.TheBalsams.com http://www.mountainviewgrand.com http://www.wentworth.com http://www.visitnh.gov
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