The English established a fishing colony in the New Hampshire area in 1623 and founded Portsmouth in 1630. In 1679 they separated from Massachusetts and became a separate royal colony. Because they were leaders in the revolutionary cause, the New Hampshire delegates received the honor of being the first to vote for the Declaration of Independence.
New Hampshire had abundant water power and it became a strong industrial state early in its history. Tourism now brings in over $3.5 billion into the state annually, with the areas fantastic scenic and recreational resources.
New Hampshire only has about 25 miles of coast line (on the Atlantic Ocean) but it is very beautiful (see photos below). As we passed through this area, we spent the night in a little town called Seabrook, which is just near Hampton but closer to the coast. The scenic road is really the only way to go when traveling around this area of the country. Either the coast line is beautiful or the mountains are postcard pictures everywhere you look.
In Portsmouth we stopped by a tourist attraction called Strawbery Banke, which is a collection of restored buildings of the original settlement at Portsmouth. It is very similar to Colonial Williamsburg, as people conduct business as they would have in the 1700 and 1800's but it's not as extensive as Colonial Williamsburg. That said well worth the time to stop by and have a look.
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Carol's dream garden |
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Of course with the dream garden, you also need a beautiful house to go along with it. This house belonged to the Governor of the day. |
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Each house tells a different story of the experiences of various people and families. |
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When the area was first settled where Carol is standing was part of the river. The locals filled in the area for farming and later a market place |
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The local cooper (barrel maker) at work. Very interesting to watch him at work. |
As you're driving around the US, it's amazing what you find in some strange places. This submarine was commissioned back in 1953 and served with the US Navy until 1972 and then in 1984 it was moved to Portsmouth and gifted to the city.
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After visiting Maine, we had to drive back through New Hampshire to get to Vermont. Instead of driving back to the coast and up the interstate, we took the scenic way. The hotel opened in 1902 in grand manner to attract the fashionable and rich. Throughout it's history it has hosted presidents, royalty, scores of celebrities and everyone in between. Apparently in it's hey-day as many as 57 trains brought car loads of people to the hotel and area to relax and be seen.
In 1944, the Mount Washington Hotel was the venue for the Bretton Woods Monetary Conference. Here representatives from 44 countries established the World Bank, set the gold standard at $35 per ounce and made the US Dollar the backbone of the international exchange.
It's easy to see why hundreds of people a day traveled there to holiday because it is simply magnificent. In the fall period (when were there) the vast assortment of colors make it breathtaking everywhere you look. The pictures just can't do it justice.
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