So after leaving Salem and eventually getting off all the white body paint from the Halloween Ball it was time to start our exploration of New England. If it's all new to you, here's a quick run down. New England consists of six states on the East Coast branching out into the Atlantic Ocean and skirting the borders of Canada. It's one of the most spectacular places in the world to take in the colours of Autumn and as well as a rugged coast line, several national parks and mountain ranges it is also home to some of the most sort after colleges: Yale, Harvard, MIT; Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and a collective Sports Team: The New England Patriots. You can also find the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Dr Seuss National Memorial Garden and plenty of lighthouses. It has a little bit of everything, not forgetting incredible food, hundreds of locally brewed beers and that lovable East Coast humour.
So without further ado........
We left Salem MA with a storm chasing us (Hurricane Sandy 2012). Boston Logan airport was shut and everyone was preparing for the worst. We were hoping to outrun the storm by heading North.
On the road
Admiring the colours
Within around thirty minutes on the I-95 we were already entering New Hampshire. (Again for those state hopping geeks such as myself, this was our fifth state of the holiday. Racking them up.)
Failed attempt to capture the sign.
Our first stop was the charming town of Portsmouth NH right on the Piscataqua River. Well worth a visit if you're in the area or like us, heading up to Maine and wanting to see as much as we can along the way.
There is plenty of parking in town, some on-street parking and separate car parks. You will need change for the machines so bear that in mind. Quarters at the ready.
It's a small walkable town centre and if you don't already have a map then head on to the Discover Portsmouth Centre on Middle Street (will be signposted) where you can pick up a map and learn about Portsmouth's History. More information before you travel can be found at:
There is also a recent article from the New York Times: 36 Hours in Portsmouth, which should give you some super up to date info and more in depth as we were only there around 3 hours. (That's speed tourism for you.)
We decided to head straight down to the waterfront as we'd seen some interesting bridges and islands on the way in and we stumbled upon Prescott Park and The Strawberry Bank Museum. Both excellent finds.
The immaculate Prescott Park
Approaching Strawberry Banke
Opening times May-October
Strawberry Banke is an open air museum of 37 colonial buildings and houses that have been carefully restored and maintained to show a piece of life from Portsmouth's history. Most of the buildings were constructed between 1600 and 1800 with the major restorations taking place in the 1950's when the site was saved. You can enter some of the houses and there are helpful and informative staff on hand to fill you in on who lived where and what happened in the properties. Some of them doubled up as businesses where others were simply residential .
The houses you can enter are donned with an American flag and dressed up to reflect different time frames right up until the 1950's. There are not only clothes from the time periods but furniture and decor too to highlight the changing times. Wheelwright House is opened up for cooking. Furnished in the time and style it was built 1780, various recipes from the 18th Century are tried out showing guests how the food was cooked over the fire and what ingredients were used.
Goodwin Mansion and Gardens
Chase House
Marden-Abbott House and Store
Wheelwright House
Cooking up a treat!
You can just see the dark wooden frame of the Sherborne House, the oldest building on the site dating back to 1695 and the Shapley Drisco House which was built in 1795 and has half the house dressed in the 1790's, half the house dressed in the 1950's, showing a huge contrast in style.
If you are not implementing speed tourism then aim to spend as long there as you can, possibly all day as there are exhibitions and garden tours and usually traditional crafts and demonstrations such as weaving, coopering and pottery. Your ticket is actually valid for two consecutive days so if you have a weekend there, you can take it at your leisure. As it was approaching lunch it was time for us to wander back into town to find somewhere to eat. We headed for Market Square, the heart of Portsmouth with it's tall pointy-spired church and a bustle of cafes, shops, restaurants and boutiques, many of which used to be breweries.
North Church
Market Square
We settled on Portsmouth Gaslight Bar and Grill for a nice lunch.
Fusing old and new, creating a warm and cosy yet modern dining experience. Highly recommended. 
My delicious haddock sandwich. Yum!
For more info on the Gaslight, check out the website: http://www.portsmouthgaslight.com/
There are of course plenty of other places to eat and shop. Check out the two Portsmouth websites I linked earlier and go on their dining or shopping pages for more information and choice.
Speed Tourism Top Picks for Portsmouth NH:
- Strawberry Banke Museum www.strawberrybanke.org
- Market Square
- North Church
- Market Street Shops
- Gaslight Bar and Grill
Next on the agenda. Cross into Maine and find some lighthouses.
As you leave Portsmouth and carry on up the coast you are soon in Maine (6th state of the holiday!), the largest of New England's states. With a coast line stretching up to Canada, Maine is renowned for its light houses, often violent seas and tremendous storms, but also its tremendous beauty. Only a few miles into Maine you can take the turning at York and follow the scenic roads through to the Cape Neddick Light House.
Just outside of York, Maine
Cape Niddick Light
Cape Niddick Light
Nifty way of getting across
Check out the website for more infomation on tours. http://www.lighthouse.cc/capeneddick/
Moving on from York we followed the coast North to find Cape Elizabeth Light. Now we somehow missed it but stumbled across the beautiful Portland Head Light within Fort Williams Park a few miles South of Portland. And what a beauty it is.
More information on the lighthouse and the surrounding park are available here: http://www.portlandheadlight.com/
We thought we might be able to fit in one more light house in the centre of Portland but the the sat nav sent us to the port and said, 'Take the Ferry.' Erm. No thanks. So instead we parked up and went to explore Maine's largest city, Portland.
I highly advise stopping in at a local shop/cafe before trying to find your way around as we somehow got totally lost when we came out of the parking. Luckily the wonderful ladies in the Coffee by Design Coffee House were kind enough to give us a map, directions and a delicious raspberry brownie. (Which we paid for.) www.coffeebydesign.com
Once properly orientated and in touch with the map we hop footed it to The Old Port Area to explore their funky shops, cafes and the Gourmet Popcorn Shop.
Fore Street
Exchange Street
Exchange Street
Yes you heard it right, Gourmet Popcorn and lots of it. The white chocolate and cranberry was particularly good.They have 2 Maine locations and over 30 flavours. Check them out at www.coastalmainepopcorn.com
Head on all the way up Exchange Street until it meets Congress and you'll not only pass more exciting and quirky shops, cafes and bars but you'll also find Portland's rather impressive City Hall. Learn more about Downtown Portland at http://www.portlandmaine.com/ and more about City Hall at http://www.portlandmaine.gov/
Approaching City Hall from Exchange Street
City Hall
If you like pretty weather vanes, it has one.
From City Hall take a left and head towards Monument Square and the Art District. You'll pass the Chamber of Commerce, Public Library, book shops, markets, galleries; The Maine College of Art and much much more.
Monument Square
Halloween + Storm = Frankenstorm Cheese
The Soldier's and Sailor's Monument
Dedicated to Portland's soldiers & sailors who served in the Civil War.
Continuing our swift and speedy walking tour of Downtown Portland we swung round onto Free Street and found the Portland Museum of Art; The Children's Museum and Theatre and The Civic Centre, home of the Portland Pirates Ice Hockey Team.
Mix of architecture on Congress
Junction of Congress and Free Street
Pirates and Ice Hockey. Winner.
Sadly our time in Portland was almost over but walking back to the car we stumbled upon this beautiful wall art. Well worth a photograph. (Pretty sure we were on Free street when we found this)
When utilising speed tourism in Portland a walking tour is probably your best bet. There is plenty to look at and explore. Must sees are:
- The Old Port District, especially Fore street and Exchange Street.
- The Gourmet Popcorn Shop because, why not?
- A Short walking tour of Exchange, Congress and Free Streets taking in Monument Square, City Hall, Public Library, Museums and wall art.
In the final leg of the day we wound our way over to Camden ME (Only around 80 miles from Portland) and our lodgings for the night: The Hartstone Inn.
Our room
Bathroom
The internet desk
From the outside
Downstairs sitting room
Window seats
The Heartstone Inn for me was the epitome of a New England B&B. Not only was it beautiful, impeccable and made you feel special, but they had literally thought of everything. It was probably the most pricey place we stayed at the whole holiday but my word, it was worth it! The restaurant is actually renowned it the local area and needs booking in advance. They have an early bird meal which is more reasonably priced and then a full dinner menu which is later and more expensive. We had arrived fairly late so missed them both and decided to take the very short walk (no more than 5 minutes, even if you're slow) into Camden centre.
Check out the Hartstone Inn here: http://www.hartstoneinn.com/
Down to the harbour
We found a wonderful little place for dinner named Fresh. Just tucked down the side of Bayview Landing, Fresh uses locally sourced produce to create simple dishes with a big taste. Staples such as chicken pot pie and Lobster chowder are available and they have a decent cocktail and wine list. Prices are reasonable and lunch prices even more affordable but if you do have chance to come on a chilly October night when a storm is threatening to hit and it's pitch dark and you just want some nice food, nice atmosphere and even some light entertainment, then this is the place for you! Oh and the desserts were to die for. http://www.freshcamden.com/
So cute.
Live music
Apple crisp with cinnamon ice cream. Hell yeah!
And that is day one of the New England road trip complete, covering 3 States (MA, NH, ME), 2 Lighthouses, 2 Cities, 2 Towns, great food and drink, lovely people and an incredibly beautiful B&B.
What more could you want?
Next time we will be continuing our exploration of Maine, New England's biggest state. We'll be buying local products, taking a hike, enjoying a national park or two and eating way more than we should do.
I have provided links for some of the amazing places we have visited. I hope this is helpful as I often found when researching New England that finding out about some of the lesser known places, especially the smaller towns and villages was difficult in a general guide to New England. And it was difficult - in the UK anyway - to get hold of individual guides for the states within New England as they tend to come as a package deal. But they are pretty savvy with the Internet even in smaller towns so you can always check out sites for more information and plan before you go.
Keep travelling and if you're planning a trip to New England in the Fall, keep reading as we managed to fit a lot into a short time and had an incredible experience.
The Sarky Traveller
