New Hampshire Best Attractions 2011

BEST HANDS-ON HISTORICAL ATTRACTION
Uss Albacore, Portsmouth
You can periscope up and down all you want at this museum, where the main attraction is a sub designed and built at the nearby Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The tour includes recorded voices of the crew members describing what you’re looking at. 600 Market St. 603-436-3680; ussalbacore.org

BEST UNEXPECTED CITY VIEW
Fire Tower Exhibit,New Hampshire Historical Society Museum, Concord
High atop the fieldstone museum, accessible only by a fragile-looking aluminum ladder, is a mockup of a fire tower, offering a magnificent rooftop view of the capital city and the Merrimack River as it wends its way northward. 6 Eagle Square. 603-228-6688; nhhistory.org/thrumanyeyes.html

BEST VINTAGE RIDES
Canobie Lake Park, Salem
Take a spin back in time on Canobie’s 100-year-old carousel, its nearly 80-year-old “Yankee Cannonball” roller coaster, and its delightful 1950s-era teacups. 85 North Policy St. 603-893-3506; canobie.com

BEST MAPLE MORNING
Corn Crib Gift Shop, Parker’s Maple Barn, Mason
First, fill your belly; then fill your shopping bag with other maple-infused treats, such as coffee and candles. There’s a great selection of wool blankets, ponchos, and silver and turquoise jewelry, too. 1316 Brookline Road. 800-832-2308, 603-878-2308; parkersmaplebarn.com

BEST SUMMER THEATER
Winnipesaukee Playhouse,East Laconia
If you like your theater up close and personal, this 84-seat venue stages professional plays in the summer and high-quality community theater in off months. You can’t beat the price: $22 (less for Community Theater offerings). Alpenrose Plaza, Weirs Beach. 603-366-7377; winniplayhouse.com

BEST LOCAL SHOPPING
Hannah Grimes Marketplace, Keene
You can buy well and do good at the same time here. The shop features traditional and nontraditional New Hampshire-made products, from the tasty (homemade pies) to the necessary (felted handbags). 42 Main St. 603-352-6862; hannahgrimes.com

BEST PROSPECTING
Gold Panning, Wild Ammonoosuc River,Bath
All you need is a tin pan or a Frisbee to rummage through the gravel in search of glitter on the shallow river bottom. Prospectors, some with intricate motorized sluices, have been searching for the shiny stuff since gold was first discovered here in nearby Lyman in 1864. Route 112