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Concord -

Ensconce yourself in Concord and absorb the history that permeates throughout the New Hampshire state capital. Begin by visiting the handsome state capitol building, distinguished by its shiny gold dome. Dating back to 1819, this is the nation's oldest state house in which the legislature still occupies its original chambers.

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Eagle Hotel -

Across from Concord's state capitol is the Eagle Hotel. In its day, this landmark property numbered US Presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, and Franklin Pierce among its guests. Jefferson Davis, who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865, also stayed here, as did Richard Nixon. The hotel closed in 1961 and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Image: Billy Hathorn

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Mount Washington Cog Railway -

New Hampshire can claim the highest peak in the Northeastern United States—Mount Washington. The easiest way to reach its 1,916-m (6,288-ft) summit is on the Cog, the world's first mountain-climbing cog railway.

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Mount Washington Observatory -

At the top of the mountain sits the Sherman Adams Visitors Center, which houses a small museum and a cafeteria. Sharing the facility is the Mount Washington Observatory. On April 12, 1934, the observatory recorded a windspeed of 372 km/h (231 mph) at the summit, the world record from 1934 until 1996.

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Mount Washington Hotel -

Set in Bretton Woods near the mountain is Mount Washington Hotel. Opened in 1902, this grand and graceful-looking property is noted for its Gold Room where the International Monetary Fund and World Bank were established during the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986, the hotel serves as a perfect family vacation option, or as a romantic couples retreat.

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North Conway Ski Resort -

Mount Washington Valley is hallowed ski country. In and around North Conway and Jackson you can find some of the east coast's finest skiing resorts. Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, dog-sledding, sleigh rides, and ice skating can all be enjoyed.

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Franconia Notch State Park -

Franconia Notch State Park is located in the heart of the White Mountain National Forest, in turn home to Cannon Mountain, where the first aerial tramway in North America—the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway—still operates. The park is named for Franconia Notch, a mountain pass set at an elevation of 590 m (1,950 ft). A number of iconic covered bridges lend historical character to the park, such as this one spanning the Pemigewasset River near Flume Gorge.

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Flume Gorge -

The Flume Gorge is one of New Hampshire's most impressive natural wonders. It's a 240-m-long (800 ft) crack extending horizontally at the base of Mount Liberty. Its sheer granite walls rise to a height of up to 27 m (90 ft) above a tumbling stream that flows through it. A boardwalk running over the water affords an exhilarating walk.

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Echo Lake State Park -

Echo Lake State Park is blessed with Echo Lake, a fabulous body of water partly rimmed with a beautiful sandy beach. This is a great outdoor recreation spot where activities include swimming, hiking, non-motorized boating, picnicking, and fishing.

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Strawbery Banke Museum -

New Hampshire's cultural clout extends to the Strawbery Banke Museum, a fascinating outdoor history museum located in Portsmouth. In fact, Strawbery Banke was the name of the first 1623 settlement at what is now the present-day city of Portsmouth. It is the oldest neighborhood in the state to be settled by Europeans, and contains houses from four centuries. Pictured is Peacock House, built in 1821.

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Furnished historic interiors -

In total, Strawbery Banke features more than 37 restored buildings built between the 17th and 19th centuries and furnished to reflect life in the various eras. Seventeen houses are open to the public.

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Portsmouth -

Portsmouth itself is a delight to discover. This historic seaport and shipbuilding town is named after Portsmouth in Hampshire, England, and its colonial-era veneer is visible in the many 16th- and 17th-century buildings that make up its central core.

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Portsmouth Harbor Trail -

The most rewarding way of exploring the destination is by walking the Portsmouth Harbor Trail, which connects nearly 80 of the city's scenic sites and noted structures.

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Warner House -

One of these is Warner House, built in 1716 and the finest early-Georgian brick house in the New England region. It's decorated throughout with Queen Anne-period furniture and features four Anglo-American wall murals that are the oldest of their kind in the country.

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White Mountain National Forest -

An ideal way of absorbing the scenic White Mountain National Forest is by following the Kancamagus Highway. The winding two-lane blacktop climbs over the spine of the White Mountains and affords outstanding views of the forest, which during fall is a mantle of red, gold, and orange.

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Rocky Gorge -

The highway passes numerous natural and man-made attractions, all worthy of further exploration. Rocky Gorge on the Swift River is particularly alluring.

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Albany covered bridge -

The route takes you near the Albany covered bridge, some of the timbers of which date back to 1858. The bridge is actually located on the Passaconaway-Dugway Road just a short distance from the Kancamagus Highway. It's closed during the winter months, but foot traffic is welcome.

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Mount Monadnock -

Mount Monadnock is the most prominent mountain peak in southern New Hampshire and is often cited as one of the most frequently climbed mountains in the world, probably because you can summit the peak in a day and its trails offer options for different abilities.

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Hampton Beach -

New Hampshire is not just about mountains and forests. Though its seacoast is the shortest found in any state (just 28 kilometers, or 18 miles, long), beachgoers can seek solace at Hampton Beach, a band of sand located 24 km (15 mi) south of Portsmouth. A popular tourist draw, Hampton offers up a boardwalk along which stand shops, boutiques, and several seasonal hotels. The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, opened in 1899, remains a first-class live music venue and has hosted many famous acts, including Bing Crosby, Duke Ellington, Janis Joplin, The Beach Boys, and U2.

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Currier Museum of Art -

Manchester, New Hampshire's most populous city, is where you'll find the excellent Currier Museum of Art, founded in 1929. Currier's collections are significant in their rarity and diversity. The more than 15,000 works feature paintings, sculpture, antique furnishings, and decorative art.

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Currier collections -

Works by New England artists such as John Singleton Copley hang alongside masterpieces created by the likes of Constable, Monet, Matisse, and Picasso.

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Zimmerman House -

The museum provides access to the Zimmerman House, built in 1951 at 223 Heather Street by influential American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Created in his own unique Usonian style, this is the only Wright-designed building in New England open to the public.

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Lake Winnipesaukee -

The shining star in New Hampshire's Lakes Region, Lake Winnipesaukee is dotted with no less than 264 islands. Numerous bays and harbors are set along its rim, with the west side of the lake the most developed. Pictured is the view from Mount Major overlooking Winnipesaukee with the Belknap Mountains in the background.

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The Loon Center and Markus Wildlife Sanctuary -

Set on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee is the Loon Center and Markus Wildlife Sanctuary in Moultonborough. The sanctuary preserves the welfare of the loon, an aquatic bird represented in North America by five different species, including the red-throated loon (pictured). The bird is known as a diver in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in northern Eurasia.

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Mount Chocorua -

Located in the White Mountains is Mount Chocorua, the summit of which is a picturesque cone and the focus of numerous photographs. If you're lucky, the aurora borealis, or northern lights, will enhance your pictures during winter visits with a spectacular illuminated sky dance.

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Woodman Institute -

Always worth exploring is the Woodman Institute, located at Dover. A museum dedicated to history, science, and the arts, the facility is centered on Woodman House. It's crammed with interesting curios and artifacts, historical items that include the saddle in which President Abraham Lincoln rode to review troops shortly before his assassination.

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Appalachian Trail -

The legendary Appalachian Trail passes through 14 states, including New Hampshire, which is great news for visiting hikers who want to cross off this famous scenic footway from their must-walk list. Pictured is a hiker looking back at New Hampshire just before she crosses into Maine, the last state on the trail heading North.

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Robert Frost Farm -

Though born in San Francisco, Robert Frost (1874–1963), one of America's most esteemed poets, spent much of his life in the New England, drawing on rural life in the region for inspiration. The Robert Frost Farm Historic Site in Derry was home to Robert Frost and his family from 1900–1911. Tours, displays, a nature/poetry trail, programs, and poetry readings are all available at the park.

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Connecticut River Valley -

New Hampshire is renowned the world over for its amazing fall foliage that transforms the landscape during September and early October. Some of the best leaf-peeping opportunities can be had by driving along the Connecticut River up the west side of the state.

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Story Land -

If you're in Glen and traveling with youngsters, give them a treat by stopping off at Story Land, a wonderful theme park crammed full of imaginative rides, attractions, and play areas that will appeal to toddlers and teens. The Living Shores Aquarium is a recent addition to the activities program.

Sources: (Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce) (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) (Mount Washington Observatory) (Britannica)

See also: Celebs catching thrills at theme parks

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