Seacoast of NH
Levi's 24th birthday called for an adventure, and since he's been patrolling the Seacoast region, I wanted to see where he's been working for the past month. In this blog post, I'd like to highlight a few places we visited and highly recommend.
The first we recommend is Odiorne State Park. This state park is seated right on the coastline with several tide pools, rocky beaches, and Frost Point, which is shown below.
This is a pretty marvelous place. The views of the ocean and of the Isle of Shoals are incredible. And the beach is covered in perfectly rounded rocks and shells. Not so many tourists and definitely away from the hustle and bustle.
I do have to describe the sound the rocks made as they washed up the shore. If you've ever been to a gift shop that has a large basin of polished stones, and you stick your hands in and move them around, this is the most similar sound I can think of. With every wave that crashed, the rocks would tumble back down, becoming more and more polished. I could have stayed in that spot all day.
We loved the tide pools, and exploring all of the wildlife that called this home. There are crab, mussels, fish, and tons of snails living among the pools.
We collected seaglass and an abundance of the smooth, round rocks. I am notorious for filling my pockets with treasures; just ask my Mom and my childhood washing machine!
We stayed just on the coast of Odiorne for no less than 3 hours, and I know we could have stayed longer. But we wanted to explore more of Rye, and so we did. One last photo of one of the buildings in the state park for good measure.
Our next stop on the must-see list is Great Island Common in New Castle, NH. It's about a 15 minute drive along the coast, and along the way, Wentworth by the Sea is a majestic sight. Great Island is a nice place for families to meet up and hang out by the water, but my objective was to get a photo of us with this!
Great Island Common was busier than Odiorne, but if you're traveling with littles, or a great big reunion of family (we were invited to one while we were there) then this may be the place for you.
Our next recommendation is downtown Portsmouth, particularly a few amazing places. To start, The Goat.
The Goat has locations in both Portsmouth and Hampton, and the burgers and cocktails are well-worth the visit. The branding you see on the top of the bun here is actually a goat!
Next stop was Kilwins Chocolates! Not only do they have handmade treats like chocolates, candy apples, and fudge, but ice cream as well. Did I mention homemade waffle cones made with waffle irons before your eyes?
And if you've ever seen the streets of downtown, you'll understand why I took a ton of photos of just about everything.
Finally, we stopped for a visit at the most whimsical store this side of Hogsmeade, Pickwick's Mercantile .This store you've gotta see to believe. From candles to fragrances, to European soaps and stationery supplies, there are so many magical gifts in this emporium of wonders. We will be sure to return the next time we're in the area.
With just 24 hours in the seacoast, we really did find some extraordinary places. Got a favorite spot in the Seacoast or anywhere else in NH? Let us know in the comments!
Until then, mischief managed.
Much love,
Shannon