I’m not entirely sure how we made it this far in life without spending an evening or two in the beautiful state of New Hampshire. Sure, we’ve passed through on our way to Maine, but we weren’t able to fully appreciate how much NH had to offer until we carved out some time to explore this month in partnership with Visit NH. And explore we did - small towns, covered bridges, antique shops, charming inns, historic homes, and great restaurants and shops. Read on for some of our favorite stops from our trips this winter.
MONADNOCK REGION
STAY
The Hancock Inn: The most charming inn in the sweetest small town (complete with a Market across the street and a pond around the corner!). We adored absolutely everything about The Hancock Inn, but I must say, the fact that an adorable golden retriever (the owners dog, Potter!) greeted us when we arrived was a highlight for sure. The rooms (all unique!) were perfection, breakfast was delicious, and everyone (staff and fellow guests alike) was delightful. We’re already making plans for a summer visit.
EAT + DRINK
Post + Beam Brewing | Peterborough: One of the first things Tom checks for on a road trip - a local brewery! Post and Beam (housed in an old GAR hall) was the perfect spot to grab drinks before dinner in town. Great beer and awesome atmosphere - a must if you’re in town!
Harlow’s Pub | Peterborough: You know you’ve picked the right spot when you snag the only table left in the room! We loved the vibe here - the walls were covered in old signs, posters, and photos (it kind of reminded us of The Ramp in Cape Porpoise, Maine if you’ve ever been!). A great casual spot with comfort food and pub fare - right up our alley!
Hancock Market | Hancock: We grabbed doughnuts and cookies for the road, and once we bit into them on the drive home we nearly turned around to go get more. A true general store, the Market has a little bit of everything - baked goods of course, as well as a deli, grocery items, and newspapers. Can’t wait to get back out there to sample some more!
Harrisville General Store | Harrisville: Not one to pass up a general store, we couldn’t help but swing into Harrisville General on our way home to grab - you guessed it - more cookies. The selection of sandwiches looked delicious too, and they had ample space to enjoy said treats with a view of the town below.
On the list for next time: We heard great things about The Waterhouse Restaurant, and we’d love to check out the Peterborough Diner (in a classic 50’s dining car!).
SEE + DO
Keene Ice Festival: We’ll always brake for an ice festival, and we spotted one straight out of a Hallmark movie in Keene! With ice sculptures being carved in the Town Square and kids sliding down a snowy hill created in the street, it truly was like a scene out of a film. After strolling through town, we ducked into The Stage Restaurant for drinks while we watched the winning sculptures being chosen outside - the perfect way to spend an afternoon.
Antique Shops: One of the first things I check for on a road trip - antique shops! Lucky for me, there were some great ones in this area and we came away with quite a few treasures (at great prices!). A few of our favorites: The Yellow Magnolia in Hancock, and Bowerbird and Friends, Grove and Main, and Twin Elm Farm in Peterborough.
Covered Bridges: If you’re into covered bridges, this is your spot! We cruised around the back roads of Swanzey to check out a slew of covered bridges - some favorites: Coombs Bridge, Ashuelot Covered Bridge, Carlton Covered Bridge, and Sawyer’s Crossing Covered Bridge (just type them into Google Maps).
Chocolate + Martini Tour: When I heard about the self-guided Chocolate and Martini Tour across the state, I immediately bookmarked all of the destinations on our map! It just so happened that two of the locations were in striking distance this trip, and we couldn’t resist popping into The Stage Restaurant in Keene for an amazing martini (try the Big Sexy!), as well as stopping by Vicuna Chocolate in Peterborough (we loved the Maras Salt Bar!). Highly recommend if you’re traveling through!
Stonewall Farm: Our last stop before we headed out of town was Stonewall Farm, and we immediately wished we had more time! We strolled the loop near the barn to say hello to the goats and sheep, but we’re eager to head back to visit the rest of the animal barns, check out the trails, and go for a hay or sleigh ride.
On our list for next trip: We’d love to spend some time exploring the town of Walpole (and of course, check out the Burdick Chocolate Shop and café!
WHITE MOUNTAIN REGION
STAY
Mountain View Grand: As soon as I spotted the charming (and quite fittingly, grand) yellow exterior online, I knew I had found the place. The Mountain View Grand was the perfect home base for our adventures in and around the White Mountains. Beautiful views of the mountains around every turn, a huge list of activities and amenities on site for kids and adults alike (more on those below!), and bonus - within striking distance of charming small towns and all the winter activities you could dream of.
EAT + DRINK
Littleton Freehouse | Littleton: Our first stop when we rolled into town, we loved the rustic industrial vibe here as much as we loved the awesome selection of local brews (and the fried cheese curds!). Lots of great pub fare and bonus - a view of the river below. We took a stroll down to the water and covered bridge after lunch, and the view of the town across the way just couldn’t be beat.
Schilling Beer Co | Littleton: Perched above the river in an 18th century mill, dinner here was a highlight. We devoured our wood fired pizza (and promptly debated ordering another one, but decided on a cookie pie instead - the perfect choice). Two thumbs up on the Combover IPA from Tom, and we grabbed a 4 pack to bring home with us - his favorite souvenir ;)
Littleton Diner | Littleton: Is there anything better than a classic diner breakfast? Opened in 1930, we always love breakfast with a little side of history. And if you need more convincing, they were named a top spot by Yankee Magazine and Food Network Magazine, too!
Art in the Age Cafe | Tamworth: Straight out of a magazine, we adored this sweet cafe in the small town of Tamworth. Cozy and welcoming, this is the type of place where you pop in for a quick coffee, but you can’t help but stay a while. If we were local, this would be our daily spot, for sure.
On our list for next trip: The Beal House, Rek-Lis Brewing, The Other Store + Coffee Shop
SEE + DO
Mountain View Farm | Mountain View Grand: One step better than having a dog greet you at an Inn - having a farm full of animals to greet you! Mountain View Farm is a working fiber farm, with the most adorable sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas, and angora rabbits that you ever did see. If you go, definitely check out the Meet the Farmer tour (daily at 8:30am!).
Tubing | Mountain View Grand: Also on site at the Mountain View Grand - an amazing tubing hill! I haven’t gone tubing since I was a kid, and I had forgotten how much fun it is! We laughed the entire way down every time, and Tom basically had to tear me away from the hill. Pretty sure I had more energy to climb back up the hills when I was a kid, though :)
Snowshoeing | Mountain View Grand: While there are plenty of great trails to snowshoe in the White Mountain region, the Mountain View Grand had great trails right on site, and nothing is better than strapping on the snowshoes right after sunrise and taking a quick hike before breakfast. If snowshoeing isn’t your thing, they also had ice skating, cross country skiing, dog sledding and lots more (check out their list of activities here).
Antique Shops | Littleton + Bethlehem: We stumbled across another great group of antique shops this trip! We loved Lonesome Woods in Bethlehem - perfectly curated (truly - fit for Country Living Magazine!). Tom couldn’t resist grabbing a vintage Eveready flashlight for his burgeoning collection (he started with a few of my grandfather’s old flashlights). Other favorites in Littleton: Saranac Street Antiques (two floors and so many treasures!), and Cash Only Vintage (an awesome selection of vintage clothing!).
Ice Castles | North Woodstock: I’ve had the Ice Castles on my winter wish list for years, and we were so excited to finally make it happen this trip! The Castle truly is a work of art and we lucked out with a perfect blue sky which emphasized the pretty blue hues from the ice even more. We loved exploring all of the nooks and crannies of the Castle and definitely recommend visiting - particularly if you have kiddos. It does get crowded, so we’d recommend grabbing the earliest ticket of the day and getting there early!
Tamworth Ice Harvest Festival | Tamworth: What is it about these sweet Winter Festivals that feel straight out of a movie? The Ice Harvest Festival in Tamworth was no exception, and we were so happy that we made the trip. Ice harvesting demonstrations from the pond, horse-drawn wagon rides, s’mores over an open fire, and of course, meet and greets with the farm animals. So much fun for families and big kids (like ourselves) alike.
Tamworth Distilling | Tamworth: The perfect end to the day in Tamworth - a Distillery Tour and a tasting flight! The space is gorgeous, the spirits are amazing, and the branding is beautiful - the kind of bottles I’d love to always have on hand to elevate our bar cart. A must if you’re in town!
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Until next time, New Hampshire! Now that we’ve gotten a taste, we can’t wait to head back to experience all that NH has to offer in the warmer months, too. Hope you’ve been inspired to take a trip of your own (and would love your suggestions for our next trip, if you’ve been!).
*This post is in partnership with our friends at Visit NH. We were so thrilled for the opportunity to share a bit of this beautiful state with you!