Spent the afternoon in downtown Concord. What a cute area to visit. Late in August and the town was…read morenot very crowded plenty of pay to park spots on the road. Or first stop was the Capital Building. We had a wonderful tour. Had lunch at Twelve 31 for sandwiches which were delicious. Finally walked up and down the main road to check out the stores.

If you're a fan of history, then historic Downton Concord is worth the visit. There were plenty of…read moreparking on street; it was free the day we went. The whole area is 25 acres and for the most part, kept the way it was back in the day. The architecture and old buildings were fun to look at; some even had old engraved signs stating what it was, for example a bank and hotel. There's a self guided walking tour, I saw signs throughout the main road. It's about two miles and takes an hour and a half. There were restaurants and shops throughout. A few of my favorite buildings were, the NH State House, Clock Tower, and NH State Library. Franklin Pierce, the 14th president of the US had a home there. The oldest house that is still standing was built in 1735, it belonged to Reverend Timothy Walker. My family and I enjoyed walking around, exploring, shopping, and eating there.

This is a nice vintage performing arts center in downtown Concord, NH. Tonight's performance is a…read moreversion of The Christmas Carol. Santa is here in the lobby and there is a group singing Christmas carols. Although this hall is not as richly decorated as others I have seen, it is still a great place to watch a performance.

I'd never been to this theater until last Tuesday when I saw Jesse Cook. Other than the seats being…read morea bit snug for a person my size, it's a pretty nice venue. The ushers were very helpful & friendly.

I enjoyed the Hancock Shaker Village more, but this one was not bad at all, especially when the…read moretrees display their magnificent colors. The idyllic hills and surrounding trees make this a lovely walk. The tour guide was informative and fairly friendly. The staff kinda led us a little stray from the tour when we arrived, but they figured things out. The museum itself seems a lot more low-key than Hancock Shaker, the latter being a more vast museum and includes more exhibits and things to see, such as farm animals. With this museum, you'll get a good sense of Shaker living and see some of their aspects of their lives. However, the tour guide will give you a richer sense of what they did and why. The Shakers are an intriguing and interesting people and definitely worth a look. The gift shop offers various Shaker crafts and books. Plus there's a video in the back on the village that you can watch for free. You can go into some of the individual buildings, but many of them were closed, which was a little discouraging and felt limiting. So while I do think this was a good visit and still worth it, Hancock Shaker is a better place to go to learn about the people. (I haven't been to Sabbathday Shaker in Maine yet)

This was one of our best stops in New Hampshire. The Canterbury Shaker village is the only Shaker…read moreCommunity that became a museum while residents stilled lived there. The Shakers were not like the Amish in that they embraced technology and were one of the first villages in New Hampshire to use electricity. (The Shakers and the Quakers were also totally different groups.) The buildings are original, as is most of the furnishings. I HIGHLY recommend you take advantage of the free guide, who will take you into many of the buildings and explain how and why the Shakers were so successful. As you may know, the Shakers were celibate and it seems inevitable that they would die out. However, many people joined the group because of their views about peace and harmony. Also, they willingly adopted orphaned children. These children grew up in the village and frequently stayed, so that the number of people actually increased for over 200 years. This village is well worth the stop and I very much highly recommend this excellent experience.

A fascinating collection of old cars and equipment. Worth a visit. Pay what you willread more

Amazing place for kids and adults alike. Kids can play with this from past generations while older…read morefolks can see stuff from their childhood and before. We appreciate everything the Ice House Museum does for the community.

This remarkable bridge was a surprise to find on a side road in the lakes region of New Hampshire,…read morenot too far from Keene. We stopped just to shift stuff in the car around, then saw the bridge. The bridge was hand built with carefully selected rocks forming sturdy arches. The exact age of the bridge is unknown, but estimated near 200 years old. In the beauty of the fall foliage, the historical bridge takes on a spectacular peaceful image above the small creek. A nearby plaque tells the history of the bridge. There is parking and a pull-off near the bridge, but no other amenities. Worth seeing if you are in the area and like bridges.

This idyllic bridge was built in the mid 1800s and has miraculously survived without any mortar or…read morereconstruction - the shaping and placement of the arch stones are the only thing holding it up and doing it quite well!! It's an impressive bit of historic architecture. The bridge has a double arch and several pathways - you can walk across it and also walk down by the river to see it from different angles. It's positively lovely in the fall - a gorgeous area full of beautiful autumn colors and a rushing river. There's a small historical sign in the small gravel parking lot. You'll find the parking lot and bridge just off highway 9 and google maps will take you right to it - near the little town of Stoddard. (No bathrooms on site) - Free to enter and very well worth a visit!

Wow - what a crazy story! This is a monument honoring Hannah Duston and her escape from the Abenaki…read moretribe holding her hostage all the way back in 1697! She killed and scalped 10 people geez! It's believed that this is what started the "scalping" trend way back AND that she's the first American woman to be honored with a statue (according to wiki)! Kinda cool! There isn't much to this memorial and it's kinda hard to find...but I'm glad I came - was a fun little adventure! And a very interesting bit of history to learn about. I still can't get over that there are stories this old right here in America! If you're using the Apple Maps app, be aware it doesn't get you here - it takes you to some random field out in the middle of nowhere lol! But google maps got me here (and it used the address 60 Commercial St, Boscawen NH but apple didn't!!) - so be aware! It's right off a main road with plenty of paved parking. The entrance to the trail is well marked, but once you get down a little hill closer to the railroad tracks, it gets confusing. There's a dirt hiking path off to the left (DON'T take this one - it goes nowhere and is super sketchy!) and a paved one off to the right that looks like it dead ends into the railroad tracks - but that is actually the correct trail! And if you look off into the distance you'll actually see the tall statue so you'll know you're going the right way. You'll cross a bridge on a walking path next to the railroad tracks to get to the memorial statue overlooking the river. The area seemed a tad sketchy to me...I would've been a little scared except that there were lots of cyclists around and other hikers, as well as a tour group taking one of those pedaling tours on the railroad tracks (looked really fun)! There isn't much to it - just a statue with some cool info on it - unfortunately it was vandalized by some red paint but it kinda added to the aesthetic, given the nature of the story lol. A fun little side trip if you have time - I felt compelled to see it bc of how old the story is and the crazy nature of the story AND I just so happen to share her name lol!

This is a very controversial memorial for reasons…read more In 1697, Hannah Duston was a puritan woman who was abducted by Abenaki during King Williams war. The abductors first killed many settlers, including children, as they raided Haverhill, MA. They burned down Hannah's home after taking her, her infant and the infants nurse captive. In the retelling of her tale, it is recorded that the Abenaki murdered her days old infant, in front of Hannah, during their two week march toward Canada. Brutal. She and the nurse were left with another native American family miles from their home, where this memorial stands. This family had adopted a 14 year old English boy who had their trust. With his help, Hannah was able to kill her captors, including six children and make her way down the Merrimack river along with the two other captives. They reached Boston where she presented the MA general assembly with ten scalps she had taken from those she killed and shared her story. Without a doubt, life in 1690's America (when this event happened) was very much a life of struggle. Disputes between English settlers, French Canadians and Native Indians resulted in years of war in this region. The previous King Philips war, which ended in 1657, decimated between 60 and 80 percent of the local, indigenous people. Some of the survivors were sold into slavery. Those who remained banded together with the Abenaki. In the late 1680's the Abenaki joined with the French Canadians during King Williams War to fight the continued expansion of English settlers. As part of raids conducted, they kidnapped English settlers who were then either sold back to their families, or adopted by the tribe to replace members who had been lost to the conflicts. Unfortunately for history, Hannah never wrote about her experience. Her story was retold three times between 1697 and 1702 by Cotton Mathers who believed all Natives were 'instruments of the devil' and savages. You may remember Cotton Mathers as the minister who persecuted residents of Salem, MA resulting in many of them being hanged for witchcraft. So yeah. History only has his version of her story. One hundred years after these events the U.S. is expanding westward and her story is published again as an example of how savage all native people were. The story was used to justify the acts being taken to remove indigenous people from lands settlers wanted. It was at this time that three monuments to Hannah Duston were created, two of which stand to this day. I have many thoughts about these memorials, the life Hannah lived and this experience she survived. I also have many thoughts about the way indigenous people assisted the English when they first arrived, teaching them how to survive. The indigenous peoples were trying to maintain their life and lands. The settlers were seeking a new life. A struggle between those who have what others want. A too common historical story. The hero's depend on which side you are on. We parked in the Boscawen Park 'n ride. The trail head is at one end of the lot and a roadside marker at the other end. Parking is also available at The Northern Rail Trailhead on Commercial Street. Both are about the same distance from the memorial.

It was beginning to get dark, I'd gone all day without cell service or wi-fi and I still didn't…read morehave a place to sleep. I was getting concerned. The only thing I could think of was a fast food restaurant or a maybe a library. I check the GPS and lo and behold the Newbury Public Library is just up the road. I expected they'd be closed and I wasn't entirely sure that the wifi would work if the place was shut down but I discovered that the password was part of the name and a minute later I've logged on and booked a room on AirBnB. So to the staff and administration of the Newbury Public Library, thank you! Your library was a beacon of sophistication and connection on a cold, dark night where communication was otherwise, surprisingly difficult.

The general atmosphere is welcoming. The staff are always helpful and go one step further to help.read more

I occasionally come to this library to study or complete some daily homework and I find it to be a…read morepleasurable experience! I love how spacious this library is and it has such a wide collection. They do offer computers but you must have a library card to use them. The library never seems crowded and theres always enough material for you to read! Overall, I enjoy coming to this library from time to time and just relax.