Family travel in New Hampshire
Every week or so until we run out of states, I’ll be posting about family-friendly vacation ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook.
Yes, I know how to search for travel ideas on a destination or attraction Web site, but a tweet or a Facebook Wall recommendation is a much more engaging and public way to spread the word.
Please don’t email suggestions to me; that’s nice but it is one-to-one communication. Tweet me and/or Facebook me, so that all of our networks can see what’s cool about your state.
We’re going in alphabetical order but started with the end, so our first state for the series was Wyoming, then we investigated Wisconsin, West Virginia, Washington, Virginia, Vermont, Utah, Texas, Tennessee, South Dakota, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Oklahoma, Ohio, North Dakota, North Carolina, New York, New Mexico, New Jersey and now we’re moving on to….New Hampshire!
This state is rocking the social Web; they reached out to me to offer ideas and also helped by spreading the word on their networks that I was asking for input. Can I get a “Hell Yeah!” for the Live Free or Die folks?
New Hampshire state tourism is on Twitter, with E.J. tweeting at @VisitNH. They are on Facebook (here is the New Hampshire Facebook Fan Page) and there’s a New Hampshire Flickr photo-sharing page, too.
When I asked for NH ideas, here’s what came in….
Twitter Travel Tips for New Hampshire
*** From Ski New Hampshire info via @MoeSnowNH on Twitter – I’m the spokes-snowball for winter in NH! January is Learn a Snow Sport month & there are 39 ski resorts for the whole family!
*** From Kayt Sukel via @TravelSavvyKayt on Twitter – Loved, loved, loved the Children’s Museum in Dover, NH. It was a lot of fun! And exploring Portsmouth is great, too.
*** From Tracy Lee Carroll via @StarrGazr on Twitter: The Amoskeag Fishways in Manchester. Beaver Brook for snowshoeing, hiking, nature study in Hollis. Shaker Village and the NH Children’s museum in Dover. Winter time is great for skiing in New Hampshire! Check out @Crotched_Mtn! Also, check out @NHPT and https://nhphototour.com.
*** From EJ Powers via @ejpowers on Twitter – We love going to Jenness State Beach in Rye NH! One of the many great @nhstateparks – https://www.nhstateparks.com/jenness.html.
*** From Jim Storer via @jimstorer on Twitter – Great rainy day activity in the Lakes Region of NH is The Rock Barn in Plymouth for indoor rock climbing. Another good take in the Lakes Region is a hike up Rattlesnake in Holderness (ok for the little ones and the view is incredible.) And because 3 is the magic number, my third recommendation in Lakes Region is Camp in Meredith for dinner. Nice for adults and kid-friendly.
*** From The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire via @kidmuseumnh on Twitter – The Children’s Museum of NH features unique hands-on exhibits made by local artisans. Waterfront park location is great for ages 1-12. We also have a Family Mardi Gras event on 14 February with live Cajun music, masks, beads, parade, etc.
*** From New Hampshire Tourism via @VisitNH on Twitter – From historical sites to museums & nature centers to train rides, NH has hundreds of family friendly attractions for you to enjoy. Here is the link to our Family Attractions site on visitnh.gov. Each month we offer benefits to our Facebook fans. Families can get ski/stay/spa discounts this month in the Sunapee area. Mt Washington Resort offers family-friend packages and special offers thru the winter incl a zip & ski package with a canopy tour and skiing.
*** From CC Chapman via @cc_chapman on Twitter – Franconia Notch with a stop at The Basin is the top place that comes to mind, also the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl game and parade.
*** From Sarah Vela via @orchid8 on Twitter – Brown’s Seabrook Lobster Pound on Rte 286 in Seabrook. Old favorite of mine. Bonus view of the nuclear power plant! 😉
*** From Michelle Riggen-Ransom via @mriggen on Twitter – re: NH – STORYLAND! Loved this place as a kid, still cool as a mom. Here are my pix from there from last summer [on Flickr.]
*** From Granite State Ambassador Judi Window via @judiwindow on Twitter – I am a 50 State-er. In #NH we have a “Twisitor Center” – @askNH – to help guests find what they need when visiting.
*** From Katie York via @ShoGrrl2 on Twitter – My favorite family-friendly activity in NH is hitting up @CanobieLakePark (in the warmer months)! 😀
*** From Jacqueline Tourville via @jtourville on Twitter – I write a local family travel column for Parenting #NH magazine (print & online.) We spotlight a NH town each month (here’s Bretton Woods.)
*** From the Rumbletree Marketing folks via @Rumbletree on Twitter – The @AtkinsonResort in Atkinson, NH has a delicious Sunday brunch for the whole family.
*** From the Currier Museum via @CurrierMuseum on Twitter – the Currier Museum in Manchester NH offers many family friendly programs. See more at: https://www.currier.org/familyprograms.aspx
*** From Jeremy Milani via @jmilani on Twitter – Not so much a tip as a local resource, but have you seen Southern New Hampshire Parents online?
*** From Montagne Communications via @MontagneCom on Twitter – Getting to NH is super-convenient and hassle-free thanks to the Manchester Airport at @flymanchester!
*** From Laura Hurley via @lkhboston on Twitter – NH’s great outdoors, 8 kid-friendly fall hike picks in the White Mountains, from Appalachian Mountain Club.
Facebook Travel Tips for New Hampshire
*** From Kara Skruck Williams on Facebook — Oh, where to begin with my childhood state….
1. Lost River Gorge & Boulder Caves in the White Mountains, where you can try to squeeze through the “Lemon Squeezer” cave (not for the claustrophobic – though little kids have no problem!)
2. Weirs Beach in Lakes Region for a honky-tonk (so my mother calls it) boardwalk scene w/ arcades and bumper cars.
3. StoryLand in Glen, for amusement-park rides that keep kids about ages eight and under happy (one section of park w/ nursery rhyme attractions dates back 50 years.)
4. Canobie Lake Park in Windham (another theme park) reaches older kids w/ more thrill rides….
A ride on the M/S Mt. Washington on Lake Winnipesaukee and/or Scenic Winnipesaukee Railroad ride is good for kids, too!
*** From Wendy Wagner on Facebook — The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord is small, especially compared to the Smithsonian Air/Space Museum, but we found it to be delightful! We loved the Polar Caves (very similar to Boulder Caves?) We went to Polly’s Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill before we went to the Polar Caves. The hike to the Zealand Falls Hut is about 3 miles in the summer, and it’s do-able for kids, though our 5 year flagged a little at the end. The great part is the falls, which have a flat rocky area that the kids can play in; perfect for the midpoint of a summer hike!
We stayed at the Profile Deluxe in Twin Mountain, and I can’t say enough about the proprietors. Nice people. The motel is basic and comfortable, and it has a great pool. My kids always ask to go back!
Storyland was a big hit, but Kara covered it already. 🙂
*** From Andrea Schulle on Facebook — Has anybody mentioned the Mt. Washington hotel and the cogway there?
*** From Peter Davison on Facebook – Hey Sheila, Alrighty, looking a bit more north of Concord ..not any particular event but you have to include Wolfboro, NH and surrounding area re: Lake Winnipesaukee. Lots of good stuff!!
*** From Gary Arndt on Facebook – The home, studio and gardens of sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens at https://www.nps.gov/saga/index.htm.
Thanks so much for the contributions, everyone!
The BootsnAll Travel Network has a New Hampshire Travel Guide as well.
The next state in the series is Nevada.
Send your Nevada highlights to @SheilaS on Twitter or write them on my Facebook Wall (please tell me you’re a 50 state-er if you want to friend me.)
My purpose for this series is not only to highlight worthy kid-friendly vacation destinations in all 50 states, but by using Twitter and Facebook I want to also encourage tourism organizations to learn more about connecting with their visitors using social media and online networks.
Please add your own New Hampshire suggestions in the comments below, if we’ve missed anything. Thanks!