There’s a lot to see in do in the Granite State, but some activities really stand the test of time. Read our picks for the best classic attractions in New Hampshire for 2015.
HISTORIC HIGHLIGHT – Best Classic Amusement Park
Canobie Lake Park, Salem (1902)
From its early days as a “pleasure resort” in 1902, with canoeing and a botanical garden, Canobie Lake has evolved into a classic amusement park with 85 rides, games and attractions, and actual fear-factor ratings. Thrill rides, such as the Corkscrew Coaster and the Starblaster (shuttle lift-off meets bungee jumping) demand intrepid commitment; family rides like Crazy Cups and Dodgem bumper cars let your pulse rate recover.
85 North Policy St. 603-893-3506;
canobie.com
HISTORIC HIGHLIGHT – Best Easy Scenic Walk
The Flume, Lincoln (1808)
The setting is certainly dramatic: 90-foot cliffs, cascading falls, and the cool dampness of a primordial forest. But there’s also something appealingly Swiss Family Robinson– like about the network of cliff-hugging boardwalks clinging to the walls of this deep granite beauty at the base of Mount Liberty.
852 Daniel Webster Highway. 603-823-8800;
cannonmt.com/flumegorge.html
HISTORIC HIGHLIGHT – White-Knuckle Vista
Mount Washington Auto Road, Gorham (1861)
New England’s highest peak—6,288 feet — Mount Washington claims some of the world’s worst weather and the second-highest wind speed ever recorded. The eight-mile drive to the top is a hair-raiser; drop-away vistas on fair-weather days are stupendous, with visibility up to 130 miles and views of New York and the Atlantic. Bonus: The summit’s Extreme Mount Washington museum at the Mount Washington Observatory explores the nitty-gritty of the mountain’s subzero, hurricane-force drama. Road open May to October, depending on weather.
603-466-3988;
mountwashingtonautoroad.com;
mountwashington.org/education/extreme
HISTORIC HIGHLIGHT – Old-Time Summer Stock
The Barnstormers Theatre, Tamworth (1931)
The Barnstormers is one of the oldest professional summer theatres in the country, operating since 1931, and it’s the only one that goes for a breakneck eight plays in eight weeks. Classics (The Glass Menagerie), kids’ fare (Toad of Toad Hall), and comedy (Ken Ludwig’s Be My Baby) are this company’s “stock” in trade, and the old converted Main Street storefront rings with laughter and applause during the July/August marathon.
104 Main St. 603-323-8500;
barnstormerstheatre.org
HISTORIC HIGHLIGHT – Best Pancake & Maple Experience
Polly’s Pancake Parlour, Sugar Hill (1938)
Pancakes, views, and most especially views of pancakes: You’ll be in blueberry buckwheat heaven at this family-owned institution, which has been flipping delectable discs for 75 years. Polly’s has come a long way from its humble beginnings in a woodshed, and inaugurates a new building in 2015 to accommodate the 58,000 pilgrims who make the trek to tiny, aptly named Sugar Hill each year. Six 3-inch pancakes: $7.99.
672 Sugar Hill Road (Route 117). 603-823-8849;
pollyspancakeparlor.com
