An Influencer's Guide
To things every Granite Stater should experience
My name is Julie, the voice behind @WhatsNewinNH. My Instagram page is your local guide to all the best food, shopping, and things to do in the area. I also post weekly about the best upcoming weekend events! I started my page out of a love of visiting local businesses, which I think are sorely under-recognized!
◦ Ride the Cog Railway to the summit of Mt Washington. Climbing the highest peak in the Northeast, the Cog was the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway!
◦ Marvel NH’s mountains with a quick hike up the Artist’s Bluff Trail in Franconia Notch, then ride the aerial tramway at Cannon Mountain.
◦ Drive the Kancamagus Highway for some of the best leaf peeping and fall foliage in the country
◦ Chase some waterfalls: Arethusa Falls is the tallest waterfall in the state; other impressive sights include The Flume Gorge and Rocky Gorge & Lower Falls (there’s a swimming hole here!). For a short walk, visit Diana’s Baths & Sabbaday Falls
◦ Shop and stroll downtown in North Conway and visit Zeb’s General Store. Experience an old-fashioned train ride on the Conway Scenic Railroad departing from the 1874 station in town! Continue your day with breathtaking views at Cathedral Ledge and Echo Lake.
◦ Catch Lupine Season in Sugar Hill- Start with breakfast at Polly’s Pancake Parlor, head down Sunset Hill Rd for mountain views & Rt 117 to St. Michaels Chapel for sunset pictures
◦ Visit NH’s Speakeasies- 815 (Manchester), Codex (Nashua), Soles (Keene), Lost Luggage at Flight Center (Manchester), Chucks BARbershop (Concord), Crowbar (Claremont)
◦ Taste the best chocolates of your life at Dancing Lion in downtown Manchester. Owner Richard Tango-Lowy is a Master Chocolatier, and at this spot, chocolate is art! My favorite drink to order is the Mayan heat (spicy) hot chocolate with espresso! Pro tip: pre-order their magical croissants- made only one Saturday per month.
◦ Visit Jenness State Beach in Rye, then take a walk down the Hampton Beach Boardwalk for Blink’s Fry Doe
◦ Covered Bridges- NH is filled with picturesque covered bridges! Some of my favorites include Happy Corner Bridge in Pittsburg, named for a local resident who sang & danced while playing his victrola, and Honeymoon Bridge in Jackson, which has a long-standing tradition of newly married couples visiting for a picture.
◦ Lake Winnipesauke-shop at Mills Falls in Meredith, then feel like a kid again with endless arcade games at Funspot. My must-hit food spots include Lakeside Deli, Harts Turkey Farm, and Kellerhaus, to end the day with ice cream. Check out Weirs Beach for the quintessential boardwalk experience. For some physical activity, hike Castle in the Clouds.
◦ For a genuinely idyllic afternoon experience, try Afternoon High Tea at Etagere in Amherst or try lunch at Pickity Place in Mason, which served as the model for the illustrations of Little Red Riding Hood!
◦ There are awesome festivals & fairs in your new home state! In the fall, my favorites include the Deerfield and Hopkinton Fairs and the Milford Pumpkin Festival. During the Nashua Holiday Stroll, Main St is shut down for all to enjoy local food trucks & restaurants while shopping locally. In the spring, Downtown Manchester is home to the world’s largest Taco Tour every May! During this fun food festival, Elm St becomes pedestrian-only as hungry patrons can taste tacos from 90+ vendors and vote for the best!
◦ Need to entertain the kids? Head to The Nest Cafe in Londonderry, or head to Canobie Lake Park in Salem for summer fun. Young explorers will enjoy nature’s playground at the Polar Caves in Rumney or the Boulder Caves & Lost River Gorge in North Woodstock.
◦ Hike Mt Monadnock, the most hiked mountain in NH, then explore picturesque downtown Keene.
◦ Ride the Cog Railway to the summit of Mt Washington. Climbing the highest peak in the Northeast, the Cog was the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway!
◦ Marvel NH’s mountains with a quick hike up the Artist’s Bluff Trail in Franconia Notch, then ride the aerial tramway at Cannon Mountain.
◦ Drive the Kancamagus Highway for some of the best leaf peeping and fall foliage in the country
◦ Chase some waterfalls: Arethusa Falls is the tallest waterfall in the state; other impressive sights include The Flume Gorge and Rocky Gorge & Lower Falls (there’s a swimming hole here!). For a short walk, visit Diana’s Baths & Sabbaday Falls
◦ Shop and stroll downtown in North Conway and visit Zeb’s General Store. Experience an old-fashioned train ride on the Conway Scenic Railroad departing from the 1874 station in town! Continue your day with breathtaking views at Cathedral Ledge and Echo Lake.
◦ Catch Lupine Season in Sugar Hill- Start with breakfast at Polly’s Pancake Parlor, head down Sunset Hill Rd for mountain views & Rt 117 to St. Michaels Chapel for sunset pictures
◦ Visit NH’s Speakeasies- 815 (Manchester), Codex (Nashua), Soles (Keene), Lost Luggage at Flight Center (Manchester), Chucks BARbershop (Concord), Crowbar (Claremont)
◦ Taste the best chocolates of your life at Dancing Lion in downtown Manchester. Owner Richard Tango-Lowy is a Master Chocolatier, and at this spot, chocolate is art! My favorite drink to order is the Mayan heat (spicy) hot chocolate with espresso! Pro tip: pre-order their magical croissants- made only one Saturday per month.
◦ Visit Jenness State Beach in Rye, then take a walk down the Hampton Beach Boardwalk for Blink’s Fry Doe
◦ Covered Bridges- NH is filled with picturesque covered bridges! Some of my favorites include Happy Corner Bridge in Pittsburg, named for a local resident who sang & danced while playing his victrola, and Honeymoon Bridge in Jackson, which has a long-standing tradition of newly married couples visiting for a picture.
◦ Lake Winnipesauke-shop at Mills Falls in Meredith, then feel like a kid again with endless arcade games at Funspot. My must-hit food spots include Lakeside Deli, Harts Turkey Farm, and Kellerhaus, to end the day with ice cream. Check out Weirs Beach for the quintessential boardwalk experience. For some physical activity, hike Castle in the Clouds.
◦ For a genuinely idyllic afternoon experience, try Afternoon High Tea at Etagere in Amherst or try lunch at Pickity Place in Mason, which served as the model for the illustrations of Little Red Riding Hood!
◦ There are awesome festivals & fairs in your new home state! In the fall, my favorites include the Deerfield and Hopkinton Fairs and the Milford Pumpkin Festival. During the Nashua Holiday Stroll, Main St is shut down for all to enjoy local food trucks & restaurants while shopping locally. In the spring, Downtown Manchester is home to the world’s largest Taco Tour every May! During this fun food festival, Elm St becomes pedestrian-only as hungry patrons can taste tacos from 90+ vendors and vote for the best!
◦ Need to entertain the kids? Head to The Nest Cafe in Londonderry, or head to Canobie Lake Park in Salem for summer fun. Young explorers will enjoy nature’s playground at the Polar Caves in Rumney or the Boulder Caves & Lost River Gorge in North Woodstock.
◦ Hike Mt Monadnock, the most hiked mountain in NH, then explore picturesque downtown Keene.
Follow Julie on Instagram at @WhatsNewinNH