Fun (Nearby!) Activities for Your Family this Summer

Ah, those endless days of summer vacation.  No school, no homework and no schedule.  With all this free time, your family will be able to explore a variety of exciting activities in and around the state. 

Here are some options that your family is sure to love:

Center for Wildlife – This little treasure is right over the border in York, ME.  They’ve just announced their Tuesday Afternoon Summer Tour Series, with weekly tours from 2:00-3:00 pm. Participants will learn about New England wildlife, get an up-close look at animals, observe baby birds being fed, hear about medical techniques used on sick or injured animals, and much more.  Reservations are required, space is limited to 12 people per tour, ages 5+, please.

Fort Foster  – Another nearby gem, this large, scenic area is located in Kittery Point, ME.  Explore the seaside path and breathtaking rocky shore, as well as crumbling WWII cement forts and bunkers.  Fort Foster offers marked walking trails and picnic areas.  Open daily from 10:00 am – 8:00 pm.

Odiorne Point State Park – Enjoy a beautiful, natural setting along Southern NH’s 18-mile coastline. The 135-acre seaside park has plenty of walking trails (some are handicapped accessible), a picnic area, and a modern playground.  The park is beloved for its diverse natural habitats, which can be easily visited and viewed, including the rocky shore, woodlands, uplands, salt marsh, freshwater and salt ponds, and (non-swimming) sandy beach.

Whale Watch – Your whole family will be amazed by the whale sightings right off of the NH Seacoast.  Several companies operate out of Rye, NH, including Atlantic Whale Watch and Granite State Whale Watch.  Both offer clean, safe, large boats with large viewing areas (and snack bars) so you can enjoy multi-hour adventures at sea.

Marginal Way – Your family will get exercise and fresh air on one of New England’s most spectacular nature walks.  Marginal Way in Ogunquit, ME is a paved, public shoreline footpath, spanning about a mile along the gorgeous coast, connecting Perkins Cove to Ogunquit Beach.  The path offers panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean, with an abundance of beautiful flowers, trees and other scenery along the way. 

Monadnock State Park – Take your kids on a family-friendly hike at this Jaffrey, NH-based park. Mount Monadnock offers 40 miles of trails, many of which lead to the rock summit, at 3,165 feet.  At the top, visitors can see gorgeous views of six New England states (which your kids will surely think is cool!).  The area also offers exhibits and lessons on the area’s history, ecology and trails.

Clark’s Trading Post – Kids of all ages will enjoy Clarks’ Trained Bear show!  This “roadside attraction” in Lincoln, NH offers an excursion on The White Mountain Central Railroad through an authentic covered bridge, impressive acrobatics from the Yandong Chinese Acrobatic Troupe (your kids will be AMAZED when the acrobats stuff their bodies into tiny wooden boxes), and the headline act – the trained bears, who perform a fascinating, hugely entertaining show.  There’s also a variety of unique shops, snack shacks and more.

See Science Center – This Manchester, NH-based museum offers fun, science based displays, exhibits and experiences.  Learn about forces, light, electricity, and machinery, view the LEGO® Millyard Project, and participate in science-based workshops, camps and courses.  There’s even a “moonwalk” and options for overnight experiences. 

With so much to do in New Hampshire (and right over the border in Southern Maine), you’ll find plenty of options to keep your kids not only entertained but educated as well this summer!

Celebrate the Weeks Act Centennial Festival on July 29th

The Weeks Act, passed in 1911, is marking its 100th Anniversary. Mountain National Forest, along with several partner organizations, is hosting a family-friendly festival on July 29 at the base of the Mt. Washington Auto Road. This free, public event is part of a coordinated New Hampshire effort celebrating the Weeks Act Centennial.

The Weeks Act made the creation of the National Forests east of the Mississippi River possible. This landmark piece of conservation legislation helped to create 41 National Forests in the Eastern United States, including the White Mountain National Forest. These valuable forests now provide clean water, wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, forest products, and so much more.

To commemorate this important anniversary, the Society for Protection of NH Forests, Appalachian Mountain Club, NH Department of Resources and Economic Development, Plymouth State University, Weeks State Park Association, Arts Alliance of Northern New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association, members of the Weeks family, and the White Mountain National Forest, have come together to celebrate the Weeks Act Centennial throughout the year.

The Main Pavilion of the festival will highlight these partnerships in conservation, recreation, and a White Mountain Marketplace that showcases area services, products, and attractions. The Main Pavilion will also host the stage where entertainment will be ongoing throughout the day.

Currently scheduled to perform: musician, Jeff Warner performing Lumber Camp Songs; amazingly talented fiddler, Patrick Ross; Marek Bennett and his band Big Paws; very popular storyteller and comedian Rebecca Rule; and historical interpreter Dick Fortin.

The Forest and Family Experience Pavilion will have many hands-on, family-friendly activities, including hikeSafe instruction, Junior Ranger activities, a Mt. Washington Weather observatory demonstration, a US Forest Service soil investigation pit, and water, pond and stream discovery.

The NH Division of Forests and Lands will have a wildfire truck display and there will be a wild-land fire obstacle course for children of all ages to enjoy.

There are also several walk thru educational trucks scheduled to be on display including the “Way of the Woods” a mobile forest heritage museum and “Watershed on Wheels” – a hands on interactive display.

You will find forestry demonstrations from past and present, watch craftsmen create their wares from wood, and learn about all that the forests have to offer at the Woodlands Pavilion. Some of the demonstrations scheduled include: Old Tools of the Trade; A Cross Cut Competition with the UNH Woodsmen; Trail Building and Maintenance; What is Intargia?;  Wood and Art, The Art of Basket Making; a Wood Turner and Wood Carver/Doll Maker. You will also be able to learn how to build a bird house from expert woodworkers!

Food and refreshments will be available all day long under the Festival Food Pavilion.

Additional information about the Weeks Act Centennial Festival and a list of other events are available at www.weekslegacy.org and www.fs.fed.us/r9/white

Piper Mountain Trail – Belknap, NH

Sometimes the trail less followed, even by mistake, can be a pleasant surprise. Our plan was to hike up Belknap Mountain’s Red Trail to a fire tower.  This was supposed to be a family hike with about a 700 foot elevation gain (from the parking lot). This peak is about 600 feet higher than Mount Major and is supposed to have much nicer views.

We drove up the Belknap Mountain Road and turned onto Carriage Road (see below for directions). We then reached a parking area near a gate. Unfortunately the gate was closed due to a tree down on a utility line.  Forgetting that the trail began 1 mile past the gate, we started our hike. Shortly, we crossed a bridge and saw a red blazed trail on the right.  We turned onto the trail and started our ascent.

The trail had a gentle and continuous slope, but watch your step because there are plenty of roots and rocks to step over. Once you approach the summit there are lots of wild blueberries to pick, which is a good incentive for the children.

Continuing to the summit, we came to a large exposed ledge area.  I noticed some people relaxing and I asked one of them where the fire tower was (since I did not see it). The man politely responded “The fire tower? That is over there,” as he pointed to the next mountain peak.

That is when I found out that we were on Piper Mountain. The Piper Mountain trail rises about 1,000 feet and is about 1 mile from the parking area. The peak elevation is approximately 2,000 feet above sea level. Piper Mountain is also part of the Belknap Range Trail, which runs from Mt. Rowe to Mt. Major. Be sure to check out the stone bench and chair on the summit. Unfortunately, the only view is northeasterly towards Lake Winnipesaukee.

On our descent, we chose to take the blue/white blazed trail towards Belknap Mountain.  We then  joined the Belknap Mountain trail, and descended towards the Carriage Road. We came out on the road just below the parking lot that we originally planned on parking in.  Now we had to walk about 1 mile down the road to our vehicle by the gate.

Overall the hike was good and it turned out better that we took the wrong red trail. We still want to hike Belknap Mountain to the fire tower and since we are hiking with kids (5 & 10 years old), we are hoping that the road will be open.

Finding the trail can be difficult, especially if you use a GPS. Our GPS sent us to the wrong side of the mountain where the Belknap Mountain Road is no longer passable. 

From Laconia, take Route 3 to Route 11A. Follow 11A towards Gilford Village, then take a right onto Belknap Mountain Road. If driving from the Alton area, follow Route 11 to Route 11A. Follow 11A towards Gilford Village and turn left onto Belknap Mountain Road. Follow Belknap Mountain Road for 2.4 miles, then turn left onto Carriage Road. Once on Carriage Road the gate will be in about .5 mile.

Winter family fun in New Hampshire

Now that the weather has gotten colder, our thoughts are turning to sledding, ice skating and other fun winter activities. New Hampshire has plenty of free (or inexpensive) places to sled and skate with your kids this winter.  Bundle up the kiddos – here are some “cool” activities to try this year:

Wagon Hill Farm – Durham – Their huge hill makes it one of the best places to sled (for free) on the Seacoast.   As an added bonus, there are also beautiful paths that are perfect for snowshoeing and cross country skiing.

The Rinks in Exeter – If the weather outside is too frightful, try the indoor ice arena in Exeter, which features public skating, lessons, camps and clinics, figure skating and birthday parties. 

Dover Arena – This indoor rink offers public skating, figure skating, skating lessons, youth and adult hockey programs; pick up hockey games and special events.

Alexander Carr Park – Derry – Have a blast sledding in the park, and then visit the on-site lodge to warm up with some hot cocoa and board games.

Derryfield Park – Manchester – A popular place for (free) sledding, right in the middle of town.  The great hills make it a go-to spot for many families, so it does tend to get crowded.

McIntyre Ski Area – Manchester – Features great tubing at (relatively) low prices.  Please note that children must be at least five years old and at least 44” tall to go tubing here.  Also has skiing and snowboarding lessons for all ages.

White Park – Concord – This gem of a park has a lovely pond for ice skating and great hills for sledding – both at no charge.

James Campion Rink – Hanover – This indoor rink features public skating at reasonable daily rates (season passes are also available), skating lessons and hockey.  They also have a store that sells skating supplies.

Cathedral Ledge – North Conway, NH

Cathedral Ledge

I recently attended a quarterly meeting for the New Hampshire Land Surveyors Association, which was held at the Attitash Grand Summit Hotel.

I was not looking forward to the long ride from the Seacoast to Attitash along Route 16.  Luckily the meeting was short and I was able to start the drive home before it got dark. 

It was a gorgeous “fall” day and I was by-passing downtown North Conway and Conway by taking the scenic West Side Road. When I saw the sign for Cathedral Ledge I decided to take a detour and drive to the top. 

Cathedral Ledge is a very short distance, less than 2 miles, from Route 16 in North Conway, and has a summit road that meanders up to the top.  As you start your drive, you may be lucky to see rock climbers gathering their gear. This is a very popular cliff to climb, but no thanks…I will drive around.

Once at the top there is a short (5 minutes at most) hike to the cliff. There is a chain link fence that keeps people and kids from getting too close, but you can still get a good view at the steep cliff.

I remember every visit that I have taken to the top – from when I was a child on a family trip, to weekend getaways with my wife (then fiancée), to taking our oldest son on his first visit. Every time it is absolutely beautiful, and this time was no exception. I just wished my family was with me. 

This is a great side trip and does not take a lot of time. Once you come down from the ledge, drive into North Conway Village and get an ice cream or coffee and stroll through the town.