Looking for a stopover in NE in Summer
 

We visit NE a fair amount, but are having a hard time figuring out where to stay for 2 days when driving from Georgetown, Maine to Saxton's River, VT. This will be an escape from the East Coast heat during August. We could easily do the drive in one day, but thought we'd meander and stopover somewhere between the 2. We like small B&B's in villages where we can wonder the streets or even do some hiking in the surrounding area. Any suggestions? Thanks!

It takes an hour longer to get from Portland to Concord using routes 4 & 9 but Ossipee, NH looks interesting.
When I first looked at this topic I wondered who wanted a place to stay in Nebraska (NE).

Thanks...u can tell I'm an East Coaster...Nebraska never entered my mind for NE!

Google maps takes you through Portsmouth NH, Manchester NH and Concord NH and then over to Keene. If your travel dates are flexible, I would recommend choosing a stopover based on an event. In August, for example, Old Farming Days is a special event at Musterfield Farm in N Sutton NH (near New London, maybe 40 minutes from Concord). New London is a small college town. I think New London is also one of the towns that has a free sunday afternoon/evening concert where people sit with picnic suppers. South of Sutton is Warner which is a lovely little town with hiking up Mt Kearsarge, Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum, some interesting shops (but short on restaurants).

Although Concord is a small city, it has a nice downtown area with some interesting shops, lots of hiking trails, even kayaking opportunities on the Merrimack River. Red River theater on S Main Street offers independent films as well as the usual.

Another option:

Using Google Maps, instead of Manchester, NH up to Concord, NH and across, take Route 101 from Manchester through the Monadnock region (the undiscovered corner of NH), across to Keene, and then up Rt 12 to Bellows Falls and Saxton River.

Just off Route 101 in the Monadnock region is Peterborough (this is about an hour from Manchester). It is a classic NE town with a great pedestrian friendly downtown shopping district and maybe a half dozen nice dining options to choose from. This might be exactly what you are want for a two night stay.

The town was the inspiration for Thornton Wilder's classic play "Our Town" as he spent many summers there at the MacDowell Colony, the oldest artist colony in the country. It was named one of the Top Ten Coolest Small Towns in the U.S. by Budget Travel Magazine in 2007 and is close to tons of great hiking and kayaking including Mt Monadnock, the most popular hiking mountain in the Western Hemisphere, Miller State Park, the oldest park in NH, and a bevy of other trails to choose from. There is even one trail you can access from downtown that takes you through a few local streets to a marsh area, along a river, and to the top of Pack Monadnock (full day of hiking). EMS is headquartered here as well.

You don't mention your specific August dates but there is usually something going on around town including the award winning equity summer theater Peterborough Players that perform in an intimate and renovated 1700's barn. There is also the Monadnock Music Festival with its classical concerts, Shakespeare in the Park performed by a local group in Depot Park where the two rivers in town meet, and so much more!

Looking for a place to stay? Check out www.nhlodging.org which is the region's B&B Association website.

dfrostnh & RLFox184, thanks for your ideas. I will check them out.

Keep those suggestions coming!

Turns out we've spent time in the New London area and it was very nice, but htought we'd try some place new. So we're thinking of staying in the Monadnock area. Would it make a big difference which town we stay in? Looking at a reasonably priced B&B in Fitzwilliam -- how would that be? thanks!

yestravel,

It really depends on what you are looking for. Fitzwilliam is a nice quiet historic town known for its antiquing opportunities. Of course you would have access to much of the same hiking or other excellent hikes including Rhododendron State Park, Cathedral in the Pines, and the Jaffrey-Rindge Rail Trail among others.

However, your dining options would be more limited than if you were in Keene or Peterborough without driving twenty or twenty five minutes. Fitzwilliam does have an inn that serves dinner Wed-Sat and has musical entertainment on weekends.

You also mentioned wanting a town where you can wander around. Fitzwilliam has a nice square where the town hall and library are located (not sure if there are sidewalks...there must be)...but there is not a downtown shopping district to speak of without going to Jaffrey, Peterborough, or Keene.

RLFox184, thanks so much. that is exactly the type of information that I find helpful.

The Monadnock Region is really beautiful. There are some locally owned restaurants in Peterborough. We usually go to Aqua Bistro - popular with locals and out of towners who know the area. In the same plaza are art galleries and finer gifts that are made by local artisans.

Here is the website for Monadnock Living Magazine. It should be helpful. This area has a large and active arts community too.

http://www.monadnockliving.net/

Jaya, sad to say Acqua is currently closed. I believe they are looking for a buyer. That said, between Pearl, Harlow's, Old Theater, Lee & Mt Fuji, and Cantine there is no shortage of dining options in town and Del Rossi's which we really like for Italian is very close by in Dublin.

Wow. I didn't know Acqua Bistro closed. That was a popular dinner stop before heading over to the Peterborough Players!

They only closed two weeks ago and there was no advanced notice to the public...one day they were open and the next they were having a farewell party for employees and the doors were locked.

Their location on the river is fabulous...someone will claim that spot (perhaps waiting for late Spring when business picks up to re-open).

As much as I love the Monadnock Region, stopping there doesn't really feel like "breaking up" the drive to me because it's so close to Saxtons River already.

Why not Wolfeboro, NH on Lake Winnipesaukee? Nice town with a quaint center on the lake and a decent number of attractions nearby, like the Castle in the Clouds. Get off the highway near Biddeford ME and follow routes 111 and 109.

Another option is Meredith (follow Route 25 west from the Portland area), also on Lake Winnipesaukee. Very nice little town with good restaurants and so on. A good easy hiking option is Rattlesnake Mtn. near Squam Lake in Holderness.

If Wolfeboro and Meredith are a little too big/busy/touristy for your tastes, a better alternative would be Sandwich. The village center is one of the most beautiful in the state, and you've still got the lakes and hiking options nearby.

Going through the Lakes Region will add a little more driving time in total, but it gives you a different kind of scenery than your other two destinations.

Thanks..wil add your suggestions to my list to look into.