GREAT STATE: NEW HAMPSHIRE
Essentially America magazine Summer 2007
By Paul Wade

As Robert Frost, America’s favourite poet, wrote a century ago: “There is a pang there that makes poetry”. He was referring to New Hampshire and I got my first pang standing on top of the 3,165-ft tall Mount Monadnock on a warm autumn afternoon. I can still think of no better place to appreciate the fiery magnificence of New England’s famous fall foliage. The sky was blue and clear, and the park ranger reckoned that we could see for 100 miles.

Over the years, I have done the geographic highs and lows of this mountainous state: from the beaches along the 18 miles of coast to the top of Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast. I have bought freshly-picked apples from roadside stands and one-of-a-kind gifts from outstanding crafts shops, hiked up to towering waterfalls, photographed some of the 50 covered bridges and lazed over breakfast in historic B&Bs.

Like a rough-hewn isosceles triangle, New Hampshire measures some 200 miles from top to bottom. Widest along its southern border and narrowest where it touches Canada, the countryside in between is glorious, swathed with forests, glistening with lakes and dotted with red barn farms. But the Granite State boasts one magnet that always draws first-time holidaymakers: the White Mountains. With 48 so-called ‘4ks’, peaks that tower above 4,000 feet, the ‘Whites’ are part of the Appalachian chain. Bald on top, bearded with trees and criss-crossed by well-marked trails, most are protected in state parks and National Forest. The most memorable mountains are in the Presidential Range that marches from northeast to southwest. Most are named for US Presidents, such as Madison and Jefferson, but Jackson, a geologist, and Webster, a fiery, 19th-century New Hampshire politician, are also included.

And thanks to spectacular scenic roads, the White Mountains are easily accessed, both by car and on foot. What is called a ‘pass’ or ‘gap’ elsewhere in the States is known here as a ‘notch’. With three natural wonders, the most popular is Franconia Notch, slicing between the looming walls of Cannon and Lafayette mountains. Driving north on I-93, the first attraction is the Flume, an 800-ft long gorge with a stream bouncing down it from Mount Liberty. The second was the Old Man of the Mountain. Sadly, this chunk of rock, looking like a man’s profile, fell off the mountainside back in May 2003. Some 1,200 feet above the highway, this icon was deftly described by Daniel Webster: Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades; shoemakers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch …but in the mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there He makes men. No wonder tourists still look up from the pull-offs to point out where ‘Great Stone Face’ used to be. They know what it looks like; the Old Man is on 25-cent coins issued in 2000.

The third stop is Echo Lake, where photographers gather on still days to capture the reflections. Nearby, you can take the New Hampshire version of a park and ride – upwards. Cannon Mountain’s 80-passenger aerial tramway takes 8 minutes to reach the 4,180-ft summit. On the way, the conductor talks about the views and answers questions. At the top, you can hike the trails, with views as far as Canada and New York state.

In Franconia, just north of the Notch, is the Robert Frost Place, once home to the poet and now a small literary shrine. Nearby is one of New Hampshire’s grand resorts, the 105-year-old Mount Washington, where brass plaques on bedroom doors record rich and famous guests, from Churchill and Princess Margaret to John D Rockefeller and Joan Crawford. And, on the east side, Mount Washington itself looms up, framed by every window and veranda.

Darby Field clambered to summit of this 6,288-ft peak in 1642. Although enthusiasts still hike up, thousands reach the top every month by road and rail. Built on the eastern face in 1861, the eight-mile long Carriage Road was the USA’s first man-made attraction. Unless you crave the bumper sticker boasting that ‘This car climbed Mt Washington’ (and some 40,000 drivers do drive up every year), I suggest taking the stage (shuttle bus) up what is now the Auto Road. That way you can enjoy the views and not worry about your engine or brakes – the grade averages 12%, but is 22% for the last 50 yards! Alternatively, you can chug and puff up the western slope aboard the 1869 Cog Railway, the first of its kind in the world. Either way, the views stretch for 130 miles on clear days. But, do take an extra layer of warm clothing; the weather is changeable and even in summer, winds can be chill. Thankfully, the small museum and cafeteria provide shelter.

A century ago, the White Mountains were one of the holiday destinations, with posh resort hotels where city folk escaped the heat of summer. They also cruised Lake Winnipesaukee aboard the SS Mount Washington; her namesake continues the tradition, sailing the 72 square miles of one of the largest lakes in the USA. But, nowadays, visitors also come to New Hampshire for the charming and conservation-conscious villages, such as Jackson. Millions also go shopping and – since the state has no sales tax – purchases at outlet stores such as those in North Conway are even better bargains.

But the Granite State has much more than mountains and lakes. As one of the original thirteen Colonies, history is everywhere. Take Portsmouth, an hour north of Boston, where Europeans settled at the mouth of the Piscataqua River. After feasting on the abundance of wild berries that grew there, they dubbed it Strawbery Banke. Although the community changed the name to Portsmouth in 1630, the poetic original survives at one of America’s best living museums. Today’s Strawbery Banke is a walk-through of 400 years of social history, featuring some 40 preserved homes and houses, many on their original foundations.

Elsewhere in Portsmouth, Colonial New England is alive and kicking. Dating back to 1664, the red and grey clapboard Richard Jackson House is the oldest in New Hampshire. The handsome 1758 home of John Paul Jones is dedicated to the Scottish-born American revolutionary hero. A few miles inland, elegant Exeter was the first state capital and the birthplace of the Republican Party in 1853. But its famous past has been eclipsed by a current celebrity, local boy made good, Dan Brown, the author of the Da Vinci Code.

Southern New Hampshire is dotted with one pretty village after another. By contrast, dense wilderness covers the north of the state. The Great North Woods are home to moose, silent lakes, chattering trout steams and tiny, well-scattered communities. No wonder the Balsams comes as such a surprise. At the foot of Dixville Notch, this grand, 140-year-old resort is known for its golf, its tradition and its restaurant.

What’s best about New Hampshire? That has to be the people. Known for their straight-from-the-shoulder opinions, they still believe in grass roots politics. Residents of the 234 incorporated cities and towns vote on everything from buying a new hose for a fire engine to a resolution demanding that the federal government address climate change. And these rugged individuals are very proud of their car licence plates that trumpet the state motto: Live Free or Die.