We (myself, husband, 7 yr. old child) are thinking of driving to Hampton Beach area of NH around 4th of July week. We're looking to just walk the beach and have a little family fun for a few days. We'd like to find a clean, inexpensive cottage or efficiency. We would appreciate some suggestions from anyone who's visited there, or perhaps a local. Thank you!

Cheryl, what you are looking for will not be cheap. If you do drive to the upper New England coast(NH,MAINE) on a summer weekend, I hope you make reservations well in advance. This would be even more important on the July 4th.

You may want to call the Chamber of Commerce and ask what's available at this late date. Most of the cottages are rented by the same folks year after year, especially in July and August.

The above posters are absolutely correct about the need for reservations, but I think you should consider other areas; I'm a resident of NH, and Hampton Beach is not the nicest area, in my opinion. Unless I've missed something all these years, I would head to York, Ogunquit, Wells, Kennebunk or anywhere up along the Maine coast, or the North Shore (Cape Ann) of Massachusetts, or even Cape Cod. The only lovely part of NH's very small coastline is mostly expensive and residential.

I would agree with Peggy. Hampton Beach is not very high on my list of places to visit.Ogunquit is one of the best for walking, but your not going to find anything that I would call inexpense. How much would you want to spend? That may help people steer you in the right direction.