Hello,

My husband and I are flying into Manchester with our 9 mo old son and driving to Portsmouth for a night. It was suggested to drive north to Concord and take route 4 for a more interesting ride. Are there certain towns along the way where we should stop? Was told there are antique shops along the way? Are they just up and down the road? Obviously, this is our first trip to the area.

Thanks!

Here's a website with some info on Route 4

http://www.nhantiquealley.com/

Mapquest will tell you Rt 101 is fastest/bestest way to go but I think Rt 101 is a very boring limited access highway. Northwood should give you plenty of antique shops. If you like handcrafted work there's a craft cooperative just off Rt 4 in Epsom called Valley Artisans. The towns you will pass thru are small although in the past few years some large gas stations and supermarkets have been built. Johnson's Dairy Bar is one of the few restaurants along this road. Good food, huge ice cream cones. It went thru a slump after the original owners sold it but it's back to being popular. It's been there forever. Also in the Northwood area is Piece Time Puzzles if you're a jigsaw fanatic. Rt 4 will bypass Durham which is a beautiful college town, home to the University of NH. It's up to you whether you want to drive thru town.
When you leave MHT to head north it may be a little confusing. MHT is off Rt 101 which connects Rt 293 (the original) and Rt 93. It doesn't matter which you take because they merge north of Manchester before the Hooksett toll booth. If you take Rt 293 it goes along the Merrimack River and you'll see the refabbed mill buildings across the river. I think this route is more interesting.
You have the option of getting off in downtown Concord if you need anything. If you get off at exit 14 and turn right it will go thru the congested commercial district with all the fast food chains, etc. but if you're in the mood for ice cream (and it hasn't closed for the season), Arnie's on the right makes their own ice cream.
If you want to bypass the traffic, continue on Rt 93 and take exit 15/Rt 393 to connect with Rt 4.
Once you are past Durham you are nearing Great Bay. The homes and farms are lovely. I think at some point you change to Rt 16 to Portsmouth. You'll be going over the bridges over Great Bay and I think this is the most scenic approach to Portsmouth and why I much prefer it to Rt 101. If you want to stretch your legs before reaching your hotel, there's a waterfront park. Mostly grass, small play area, place to unload boats. We frequently stop there on our way back from Maine for a picnic lunch.
Hope you have a great trip.

If you are at MHT, going north to Concord and the east on rte 4 to Portsmouth is a considerably longer drive, probably by 45-60 minutes. If you are into antiques, rte 4 is lined with small antique and second hand shops. There are much more scenic drives in New Hampshire, but rte 4 is pleasant enough.

Here's another vote for Rte. 4 over 101 (boring boring boring). We live north and west of Concord, recently went to Portsmouth for the weekend, driving out Rte. 4 to get there. Some of the antique shops have closed due to the economy/lousy business but there are still plenty of them along both sides of the road. However, other than the Dairy Bar mentioned above, there are hardly any places to eat (one health food type place with somewhat restricted hours/choices is my recollection) so if you're hungry, either go into Concord or stop at the Dairy Bar. (Lots of choices in Concord and a great Main St. to walk with cafes, bagel place/sandwich shop, etc.) From downtown Concord, it's easy to just follow Rte 4 east to Ptsmth.
The leaves are changing and are already pretty up here (about 45 miles northwest of Concord).

gailw, out of curiousity based on where you live, are you familiar with Winslow State Park in Wilmot that's on the side of Mt Kearsarge? And Musterfield Farm in N Sutton?

Yes, I used to live a couple of miles from Winslow State Park and went to Musterfield Farm just once to walk around but haven't been to any of the events held there. The view from Winslow is beautiful but the State started charging admission (?$5) just to enter the parking area at the top of the road when we wanted to just watch the sunset so I haven't been back since. (Sorry for the delay in replying -- I don't look at Fodor's every day).
gail

Hi Everyone,
Thanks so much for all your help! Zootsi, you mention there are much more scenic routes in NH, could you recommend your favorite drives? We'll be in the North Woodstock/Lincoln area and then traveling down to Meredith. Would appreciate your feedback!
Thanks!

You'll be right near the Kancamagus (rte 112), which as you probably know is extremely scenic. The small cutoff road that goes to Bartlett is also very scenic. Realize the Kanc is a wilderness area with no gas stations - you may well see some moose though.
If you feel like doing a longer drive, here's a very scenic, untouristed one: follow rte 118 southwest from Woodstock to Warren. In Warren take rte 25 south to Wentworth. From here, take 25A to Orford. You are now in the Upper Valley, which is NH's farm country. Follow rte 10 south to Lyme. In Lyme village, make the right turn that leads to Thetford Vermont. This is a very scenic road. Just before crossing the bridge to Vermont, hang a left onto the River road that follows the Connecticut river. Some very nice farms and homes along this stretch. Eventally, you will come back out on rte 10 - follow into Hanover, which is a great college town to stop for a bite to eat. From Hanover, pick up rte 120 south to Lebanon, where you pick up rte 4 east. In Canaan, pick up rte 118 to rte 25 where you can head over to Merideth or back up to Woodstock . This is a day long relaxing and scenic drive.

When do you arrive in NH? Depending on when you're here, the fall colors could vary dramatically from region to region.

From your base in Lincoln / North Woodstock, the great scenic loop through the White Mountains is as follows: take I-93 North into Franconia Notch State park (stop to see the Flume Gorge), continue on Route 3 North to Route 302 East, past the Mt. Washington Hotel and into Crawford Notch State Park. Take a moment to enjoy the beauty of the Silver Cascades and Wiley Pond. As you approach Glen, take West Side Rd. into North Conway and stop at Echo Lake and Cathedral Ledge. Continue on towards Conway and follow the signs for Route 112 West (the Kancamagus Highway), which will lead you back to Lincoln.

For a shorter trip, turn south on Bear Notch Rd. in Bartlett (past Crawford Notch) and follow it down to the Kancamagus. If the weather is clear, consider continuing on Route 302 through Bartlett and then taking Route 16 North up to the Mt. Washington Auto Road. In clear weather, the views from the top of the mountain are absolutely incredible. Retrace your steps down Route 16 and continue on to North Conway.

As for the Meredith / Lakes Region area, there are a number of great drives as well. One possible loop, starting in Meredith, is to follow Route 3 North / 25 West to Holderness. In Holderness, take Route 113 East along the edge of Squam Lake (from "On Golden Pond"). After 5 miles or so, consider stopping at the Mt. Rattlesnake trailhead for a short, easy, and very rewarding hike. The view of Squam Lake from the top of Mt. Rattlesnake is just amazing. Continue on 113 East to the very quaint village of Center Sandwich, which is worth the time to stroll around.

From Sandwich, follow Route 109 South through Moultonborough. Continue on Route 171 for a short while until you reach the entrance to the Castle in the Clouds. This is a great place to visit with a tremendous view of the Lakes Region. When finished, retrace your steps back to where 109 and 171 split, and turn left onto Route 109 South. Continue on 109 or 109A to the picturesque resort town of Wolfeboro.

From Wolfeboro, take Route 28 South to 28A into Alton Bay. Then follow Route 11 North to 11B. In Weirs Beach you'll pick up Route 3 North, which will take you back to Meredith. Of course you can break this trip up into a couple days if you prefer, but it provides a great overall experience of the Lakes Region.

Wow! Thanks again. We did cover most of the Lincoln/Woodstock area today. Drove Route 3 to 302 and across 112....very beautiful. Squeezed in a couple of hikes along the way. Our next stop is Meredith so we'll try the other drives suggested.

Do NOT miss Center Sandwich, it's small but lovely. If you like ice cream, try to find the Sandwich Creamery. From their website:
“If you find the Sandwich Creamery, it’s because you’re looking for it. Off a minor state road, off a gravel road, onto a smaller gravel road, past a windmill and down over a hill to a flat spot in the shadow of Whiteface Mountain.” -Farming, June 2002