New England Help
 

My wife and I are going to Quebec City. We are from Seattle, and are currently in Chatham, MA, having spent a day in Newport, RI and two days on the Cape. We are going to Portsmouth from here, but have two or three days to fill after that before going to Canada. Any suggestions on a route north form Portsmouth and places to stay? We like lakes and smaller quiet places and we are both in our late 50s and have passed the roughing-it stage. It would be nice to spend a couple of days in one place, rather than change hotels every night. Thanks for any help.

If you got real lucky there might be a vacancy somewhere on Squam Lake. It's near Lake Winnipesaukee much much quieter. Just about nothing commercial on the lake, many cottages owned for generations.
From Portsmouth to Quebec however, you might want to head west to Concord NH and then up Rt 89. Canterbury Shaker Village is just north of Concord via Rt 93 - a very beautiful, serence place with interesting tour. Lake Sunapee isn't too far from Rt 89. Not sure if they are running dinner cruises yet/this year. You could make Concord your base since there are things to see and do in the area in addition to Canterbury Shaker Village. NH History Museum is right on Main Street. Downtown is pleasant although most stores close by 5:30. Nice architecture. A gallery or two. Occasionally things going on a night. Really lousy weather today. I haven't been to new movie theater yet in downtown Concord - Red River Theater, but have heard many good things and it runs interesting movies. See if you can get a free copy of Hippo for things to see and do in the Concord/Manchester/Nashua area.
Very pleasant drive from Concord go west on Pleasant St past hospital on Rt 103 thru Hopkinton, Contoocook, Warner. Indian Museum in Warner. A couple of shops, very small but pretty downtown. You can get on Rt 89 from there are continue to New London, college town. Not sure if summer theater has started (New London Playhouse). Concord to Burlington VT is about 3 hours.
Burlington VT is right on Lake Champlain. Some people spend more than a day at Shelburne Museum to the south. Very lovely drive thru the Champlain islands takes about 1/2 day. Also take ferry across lake to visit Ausable Chasm in NY. Burlington has a nice pedestrian shopping area, sometimes entertainment going on there.
Your best route from Portsmouth to Quebec City will be thru NH and/or VT. If you go up thru the middle of Maine it's a very long ride thru big pine country.

DFNH: Thanks so much for the information. Any suggestions on places to stay - something nice and not too big. We are staying at the the Chatham Bars Inn, which is nice (a lot of kids), but something comparable would be great.

In Concord, I've heard good things about the Centennial Inn. Upscale type of placeon heavily traveled street but in nice part of town (near hospital). Other places in Concord would be run-of-the-mill hotels. The Holiday Inn has been around many years but location on corner of Main and Bridge St is within walking distance of downtown, actually it's at the end of the downtown area and near state house. They recently changed their restaurant to Nonni's Itallian which is locally ownded. Great pizza and sangria. Italian dishes looked like mostly red sauce types.
Squam Lake are - any place with a vacancy!
Maybe someone else has some suggestions. I'm local so don't have hotel experiences.

Two suggestions - Basin Harbor Club on Lake Champlain in VT or the Balsams in Dixville Notch NH. Both are great!