A brief history of New Hampshire

New Hampshire lies in the northeastern United States. The first Indians came to New Hampshire more than 10.000 years ago. Very little is known about them except that hunted bears and deer with stone-lipped spears. It is estimated that some 5,000 Native American lived in New Hampshire when the first Europeans arrived. Most were called Abenaki coming from the region that today is known as Canada. The region was first explored by Martin Pring (1603) and Samuel de Champlain (1605). In 1614 the Englishman John Smith arrived in New Hampshire and established the first English colony at Jamestown, Virginia. The primary attraction was fishing, but timber and fur soon became important segments of the economy.

Today New Hampshire is one of the six states that make the region called New England. New England is a beautiful and historic section of eastern United States well known for its old churches, cover bridges and astounding natural colors. New Hampshire is a place of amazing natural beauty and this is one of the reasons why the state is growing so fast in population.

New Hampshire Climate

New Hampshire has short, cool summers and long, snowy winters. The average temperature in January is 19°F (-7°C). And the average temperature in July is 68°F (20°C). The highest wind speed was recorded in Mount Washington in 1934 when wind speeds reached 231 miles per hour. Most New Hampshire residents are used to long cold winters.

New Hampshire Facts

• New Hampshire is located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States; border by Canada (North), Massachusetts (South), Vermont (West), Maine and the Atlantic Ocean (East Side)
• New Hampshire is called the granite state because granite forms most of New Hampshire’s hills and mountains.
• The highest point in New Hampshire is Mount Washington. The peak reaches 6,288 feet (1,917 meters) above sea level.
• New Hampshire was one of the first 13 Colonies to declare its independence from Great Britain in 1776.
• Most of the New Hampshire precipitation (rain) comes in form of snow. More than 100 inches of snows falls in the mountains each year.
• The White Mountains National Forest is the largest expanse of public land in New England.
• About 85% of New Hampshire is forest land.
• New Hampshire oldest town (Dover) is situated near the seacoast.

New Hampshire Major Cities

• Concord (Capital)
• Manchester
• Portsmouth
• Nashua
• Dover
• Keene
• Derry
• Rochester
• Salem

New Hampshire Natural Areas and Historic Sites

• National Scenic Trail: also called Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
• National Historic Sites
• National Forest (White Mountain National Forest)
• The Lakes Region (with over 200 lakes surrounded by scenic mountains)
• The New Hampshire Seacoast (Each town along the coast has something different to offer).
• State Park
• Performing Arts
• Libraries
• Museums
• Universities and Colleges

Things to do in New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a vacation destination of outdoor attractions, parks, mountains, and gorgeous towns. Most of these attractions are located in the Seacoast, Lakes Region and White Mountains region. The more familiar place in New Hampshire is White Mountain that covers about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. There is a great variety of activities that you could do like swimming, rafting, tubing, canoeing, hiking, Horseback Riding, snowmobiling and skiing. Some attractions are only open during spring and summer while others are open during winter. Listed below are some of the main places to visit.

• Whale's Tale Water Park
• Mt Washington
• Wildcat Mountain
• Old Man of the Mountain (located in Cannon Mountain)
• The Christa McAuliffe Planetarium
• Canobie Lake Park
• Story Land
• Six Gun City & Fort Splash
• Santa's Village
• Polar Caves Park
• Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad
• Lost River Gorge & Boulder Caves
• Hobo Railroad
• Attitash
• Cannon Aerial Tramway
• Flume Gorge
• Conway Scenic Railroad
• Crawford Notch State Park

Getting around New Hampshire

Travel by car is the best and often the only way of getting around the state. New Hampshire major airports offer a variety of national car-rental chains. The traffic is generally light compared with other urban and suburban areas along the East Coast. Having a car at your disposal may be crucial, not only for transportation to your vacation destination but for access to the spectacular scenes and exhilarating roadway. Winter driving can be strenuous. Is important to follow the signs, proceed slowly, and stick to main highways whenever possible following a major snowfall. Pay especial attention during “mud season” in the spring, to avoid unpaved roads and remain alert to the Moose crossing sign especially during night time.

If you are traveling by bus the Express bus service into the region is quite good, but you need to carefully check the schedules to avoid long waiting hours. Concord Coach Lines is the primary bus transportation company in the state. Greyhound and Vermont Transit Lines also offers service to a number of New Hampshire bus stations.

Getting to northern New England by plane is a lot easier than it used to be. But again, you will need to carefully check the schedules to avoid long waiting hours.

If you are planning to get around by train “Amtrak” provides only a limited rail travel options within the region, confined to a few stops in Vermont, New Hampshire, and southern Maine.

New Hampshire Restaurants

There is a wide variety of places to eat. Depending on your preference and budget, you could enjoy a great meal starting from local family dining to the finest restaurants in the state.

New Hampshire Shopping

New Hampshire is the only state of the union with no personal income tax and no state sales tax making very attractive to go shopping while vacationing.