Outside The Hub: Boston → New Hampshire

The “Live Free or Die” state is less than 50 miles from downtown Boston, but it's a world away from the big city. Granite mountain peaks, deep blue lakes, and rolling green hillsides make this a great escape for a weekend, or even a quick day trip. Already thinking about hitting the road?

Here are a few locations in the Granite State worth visiting:

Portsmouth, NH:

The prettiest little seaside village you ever did see! New Hampshire only has 18 miles of coastline, but they make the most of it. Pop into Portsmouth for an afternoon of wandering through its narrow streets and smell the salty ocean air. This small city has a ton of local breweries; check out the Portsmouth Brewery and Earth Eagle Brewings for some tasty local beers. Make sure you stop by Old Ferry Landing Restaurant (open seasonally) for excellent seafood and beautiful ocean views. Market Street offers some great shopping, and Portsmouth Book and Bar is a nice spot to cozy up with a book and a coffee (or a local draft beer, if that's more your thing!)

Kancamangus Highway:

Drive north on Route 93 and get onto Route 112, also known as the Kancamangus Highway. This scenic national byway winds through rural New Hampshire and is one of the most heavily traveled routes during the fall. Already planning for 2021 leaf peeping season? This route offers some of the most excellent fall foliage and wildlife spotting opportunities. 

The highway is only 50 miles long, but offers numerous hiking trails, scenic overlooks, and beautiful vista points along the way. If you do go in the fall, be prepared for traffic—this place gets really busy on the weekends! 

New Hampshire has an incredible history of Native American tribes that inhabited and still live in the region today. This highway gets its name from a Native American tribal leader, Kancamagus (meaning, “Fearless One”).While you’re traveling the “Kanc” highway, use this app called Native Lands to find out which native lands you are on, and what tribes traditionally inhabited these areas.

Mt. Washington

At 6,288 feet, this is the highest peak in New England, and one of the most popular visitor destinations in the state. This peak is set amid the White Mountain National Forest, and the Mt. Washington State Park takes up nearly 60 acres of this pristine wilderness. Thousands of hikers, backpackers, and tourists ascend on this peak annually, as it is part of the Appalachian Trail, and offers incredible views of the New Hampshire wilderness. 

If you’re a hiker, choose from one of the plentiful trails in the region. If you prefer to take in your views via car, you can drive the Mt Washington Auto Road, open only in the summer. 

For the train enthusiasts, check out the Mt Washington Cog Railway, which opened in 1868 for tourists to climb the steep slopes of Mt Washington. This is the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway in the world, and the only operating cog railway in North America! This train takes on some steep climbs, with grades ranging from 25-38% as you ascend the mountain; it's the second steepest cog railway in the world! Any way that you choose to visit Mt Washington, be prepared for any type of weather, even in the summer. This mountain is notorious for its fickle weather- in April 1934, the Mt Washington Observatory recorded wind speeds of 231 mph! 

Littleton, NH: 

This funky little town along the border of VT and NH is a great place to stop and explore for an afternoon. The former mill buildings on the riverside have now been converted into breweries, restaurants, and a few other small businesses. Make sure to check out Schilling Beer Co for beer, and The Inkwell Coffee Shop while you’re in town!

Just outside of town lies America’s oldest ski shop, Lahout’s Ski Shop. This 4th-generation family run business offers outdoor gear and clothing that will suit all your New England adventures. This legendary business was recently featured in the film North Country, a beautiful tribute to this history of the business and Joe Lahout, patriarch of the family. 

Lake Winnipesaukee: 

This storied lake has provided New Englanders with summer vacation memories for generations. This is probably the most famous lake in New England (I mean, outside of Walden Pond, of course) and it is a perennial summer holiday retreat for many Bostonians, and local New Hampshire families too.
Travel north on 93 from Boston, and take the exit for Route 3/Tilton. Travel north on Route 3 until you reach Weirs Beach, a lovely piece of Americana nestled on the west side of Lake Winnipesaukee. Weirs Beach offers a small beach area, the Winnipesaukee Pier and the Weirs Drive-in movie theater. Five miles north in Meredith, New Hampshire, you’ll find a bustling village filled with shops and local businesses catering to visitors and locals alike. Here you’ll also find the Winnipesaukee Scenic Train ride, another scenic train journey for those looking to explore a bit. There’s so much to do in this region, but In my opinion, the best way to enjoy Winnepesaukee is to rent a cabin or house on the lake during the summertime and go kayaking, swimming and boating until the sun goes down. Enjoy the views of the rolling green mountains, deep blue of the lake, and the bright stars in the sky. Live free or die