For Lisamlas

Hello Lisamlas,

I saw your post on another topic and thought I%26#39;d try to make a few suggestions. I see that you want to see the NH and Maine coast and see historic sights a long the way as well. I%26#39;m wondering if you got to Manchester Airport or Logan whatever your flight plan is and if you rented a car and headed up along Rte 95 to New Hampshire%26#39;s coast first! It%26#39;s only a 17 mile coastline and I think you%26#39;d really enjoy it. You could drive in to Hampton from the Hampton Tolls on Rte 95, and you%26#39;d go in to the North Beach area along the coast and head north alll the way up. This way you%26#39;re not on the highway and you%26#39;re having a really pretty scenic drive. You could keep continuing up the coast along Rye and Rye Beach and all along here are the pretty estates and homes; they%26#39;re really stunning! You%26#39;d stay all a long on this road all the way, this is Rte 1-B.

Here you%26#39;ll pass all kinds of summer little restaurants that probably won%26#39;t be open off season, but just continue past them and you%26#39;ll see Jetty Beach, Rye State Harbor and all the different spots where you could take pictures along the coast IF it%26#39;s a sunny day (hopefully!). Stay on this road until you see and pass the Odiorne State Park as well as the wetlands and marsh on the left, you%26#39;ll see them, you can%26#39;t miss them. Continue all the way and you%26#39;ll even see and be on a wooden bridge; go across it and stay straight all along here until you get to a fork in the road. It%26#39;s got about 5 roads here and all the people in the cars will be wondering where to go and who%26#39;s going next! Trust me, you can%26#39;t miss it. There really should be a light here but NO not in this State!

Here you%26#39;re going to stop then take a right, not too far up on the right you%26#39;ll see a gas station and a sign for the ';Wentworth By The Sea'; Resort owned by the Marriott Hotel Chain.

This is where you could stay for a few days? You and your daughter would absolutely love it here. Go to this site. www.wentworth.com and check it out....

It%26#39;s located at 588 Wentworth Rd., New Castle, NH the # is 603 422-7322.

If you stayed here you would be able to enjoy the Resort and also see Portsmouth which your daughter will really like with all the shops, restaurants and bistros here. They have all kinds of beautiful old New Englander homes all along here as well as in through New Castle beyond the Resort! It%26#39;s really a beautiful drive along here even as you continue past the Resort! Wait until you see it!

From Portsmouth, NH, www.portsmouthnh.com or even www.nhliving.com if you wanted to you could also visit Kittery, ME., where all the outlets are. They%26#39;re extraordinary! You could get to the Kittery Outlets by the bridge you%26#39;ll see right in Portsmouth near Strawbery Banke and Prescott Park, if you don%26#39;t see either place? Just ask any one where they are and they%26#39;ll tell you, the bridge in to Kittery is right there, you%26#39;ll hopefully be near it. www.kitteryoutlets.com

IN any case, you could do something like this with your daughter and then if you wanted to really explore Maine you could leave the Resort and head north along the coast and if you continue all along where the Kittery Outlet stores are? This is Rte 1 in Maine and you can continue even further along here thru all the coastal towns of York, where you want to see the Nubble Light House and York Village! Old Orchard, Kennebunkport and Wells (The Maine Diner is my favorite along Rte 1 in Wells!) There%26#39;s many many suggestions and ideas if you go in to the Maine Forum for the State of Maine here!

Another idea is to then head out to the Maine Turnpike and continue north to Freeport! You and her could check out LL Bean. If you go in to this site you%26#39;ll really like this Inn, hopefully you can get reservations here....www.harraseeketinn.com

It%26#39;s one of our favorite Inns. Check that out or call 1 800 342-6423 or 207 865-9377 and see about reservations here.

This is what I%26#39;d do if I were visiting NH and ME%26#39;s coast LISAMLAS. Hope you enjoy your time along the coast! You%26#39;ll get different other ideas when people online see it that really love the coast as well! In fact the time that you%26#39;re going to be here? It%26#39;s the best time to be here without all the summer crowds; it%26#39;s perfect weather wise too, I doubt if you%26#39;ll have a blizzard or snowstorm or anything like that, it%26#39;s kind of a little early if it%26#39;s in November, just keep your fingers crossed for sunny skies!

Have fun!

For Lisamlas

Hi again Lisamlas,

I just thought of something else; if you don%26#39;t or can%26#39;t get reservations at the Wentworth? Try the Sheraton Harborside Hotel right in historic Portsmouth. Call 603 431-2300. It%26#39;s located at 250 Market St. where all the many many interesting shops start, you and your daughter will really love this whole area, trust me! It%26#39;s very seaporty and a lot of really neat shops to explore and there%26#39;s strawbery banke to check out. www.strawberybanke.org

If you go in to this site too you can check out different places in Portsmouth and Freeport, ME.

www.exploreNE.com

www.freeportusa.com which will show you all the many many upscale outlets besides L.L. Bean that are here....

For Lisamlas

Hello again, I thought I better post there here too where you%26#39;re new to this site! Check this out as well it%26#39;s incredible to see, you and your daughter would really like it....

There%26#39;s ONE important important wonderful idea that I completely forgot about. Every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we drive up to the ';Holiday Lighting of Nubble Light'; It%26#39;s always the Saturday after Thanksgiving every year! It%26#39;s at 5PM but get there early to get a good spot! Parking is free at Short Sands Beach. They have shuttle buses that take you right up to Nubble Light area. They have Holiday Music by local bands and Choral groups; then Santa comes roaring up to Nubble in a shiny red truck with bells ringing away at 6PM sharp with every one in creation singing songs and then Santa throws the switch lighting up the historic Nubble Light House, it%26#39;s a Holiday Tradition By the Sea! It%26#39;s GREAT! You and your daughter HAVE to see it, it%26#39;s wonderful!

It%26#39;s really funny but if you miss this in November? They repeat it in July and every one in creation goes up there to see it again at there July event, it%26#39;s priceless! The only thing missing is the snow and cold!

So if you get the chance, try to get over to Nubble Light House, as you%26#39;re exploring from the Wentworth Resort you could drive up there very easily, it%26#39;s not far at all, in fact you wouldn%26#39;t believe how close it is. From the Portsmouth historic area that I mentioned in my other post? All you do is get to Kittery, ME from the bridge near the Portsmouth%26#39;s Strawbery Banke and Prescott Park. From the Kittery Outlet shops continue up to York and just beyond York Village out on the coast is Nubble Light, in fact it%26#39;s another one that%26#39;s really easy to get to, just ask any one where it is when you%26#39;re up in York!

Have fun and enjoy the time with your daughter, they grow up so fast!!!!

Thank you so much for the long, thoughtful replies.

After I wrote the first inquiry and before I read your responses, I arranged for my daughter and I to spend Thanksgiving Day in Plymouth (as per one of your posts written elsewhere on this forum).

After a day and 1/2 in Plymouth, I%26#39;m not sure where we%26#39;ll go after...I%26#39;m thinking we%26#39;ll wander up the Maine coast. I like the idea of going to the Xmas lighting, and the shopping at Freeport -- we will absolutely add those to the agenda. So, what route/stops/points of interest do you recommend between Plymouth and Freeport?

You are truly a resource here for those of us who have no familiarity with the east coast, and I truly appreciate you taking the time to respond. Thank you!

Hi Lisamlas,

Thanks for your kind words! Oh that%26#39;ll be cool too going to Plymouth! One of my friends lives in Plymouth and one time she brought us to the ';Jenny Grist Mill'; you can go online to see about it. It%26#39;s www.jennygristmill.com it%26#39;s a quick and inexpensive tour that is something you have to see, the people that work there are so knowledgable, it%26#39;s pretty interesting when you see it!

I was thinking of where I%26#39;d go if I was leaving the Plymouth area, if you go to the Marina Bay in No. Quincy, it%26#39;s a fun take? You%26#39;d drive up from Plymouth on 3N toward Boston and get off at the Granite Ave., Exit 11 exit. You%26#39;d turn right on to Hilltop St., this then becomes Hallet St., then turn right onto Gallivan Blvd. then it becomes Neponset Ave and you%26#39;ll be near a set of lights stay over on the left and go over the bridge you see, it%26#39;s a little confusing right around here if you%26#39;re new to the area? Just look for a bridge, this is the Neponset Bridge continue on this bridge onto Quincy Shore Drive you%26#39;ll see the sign and ramp toward Marina Bay, follow it in you%26#39;ll be on Commander Shea Blvd., then Seaport Dr., you enter the next roundabout and follow it all the way in to the end, you%26#39;ll see all the parking area for the cars and you just walk all along the boardwalk when you get there IF it%26#39;s a good sunny day for you though! That%26#39;s the key!

They have great spots for lunch and you can take pictures here, it%26#39;s got a birds eye view of Boston Harbor and the skyline! I think you%26#39;d really like it when you see it! One of my relatives lives here, it%26#39;s really pretty! www.flagshipmarinas.com

In downtown Boston you could always go to Copley Place and the Pru shops then walk all along Newbury St and Boylston St if it%26#39;s a nice day? It%26#39;s always fun to do that and over in Cambridge I%26#39;m sure your daughters been to The CamridgeSide Galleria, it%26#39;s got a Cheesecake Factory that we always have to hit!

Another good take is the JFK Library at Columbia Point. From driving in to the UMASS and Library area you look over and you%26#39;ll see the Marina Bay area I talked about here above. Just go to www.jfklibrary.org you might want to check that out, it%26#39;s pretty amazing to see when you get out there! You%26#39;ll see the exit when you%26#39;re driving up from Plymouth!

Have a great time, you%26#39;re going to busy you know, you have a lot to see and do!

Here%26#39;s what they have at Marina Bay below. This is where Tom Brady used to live but he moved in the last year, when you see it you%26#39;ll see why, some one famous like that wouldn%26#39;t really have the privacy they need living here! You know what I mean?

';Eat, drink, dance, and shop-till-you-drop along our Nantucket-style boardwalk hosting a wide variety of restaurants, lounges and clubs. Anywhere from casual seafood, salads and wraps to upscale Italian.

Dockside dinning is available at all establishments.

Waterworks, the only outdoor nightclub in New England, with live music,

volleyball, billiards, dancing, food and specialty bars.

The Water Club, dockside dining and nightlife.

Siro%26#39;s, American and Italian fare.

The Seaside Market, for takeout and convenience items.

Skyline casual dinning inside, outside and functions.

Captain Fishbones restaurant and lounge.

The Chantey, purveyor of fish and chips.

Cream %26amp; Sugar, ice cream and coffee shop.

I%26#39;ve been to The Skyline and Siro%26#39;s; both really good....

THANK YOU for your detailed response, NoMo01. I just today have found the time to really map out the trip and here%26#39;s what I%26#39;ve got planned using your notes. Anything you can add (places to see, better driving directions, etc.) is much appreciated!

WEDNESDAY: Drive from Harvard/Cambridge, MA to John Carver Inn - Plymouth, MA

THURSDAY: Plimoth Plantation; Pilgrim Village; Mayflower II; Thanksgiving Dinner at John Carver Inn

FRIDAY: Travel up along Rte 95 to New Hampshire%26#39;s 17 mile coastline. Drive in to Hampton from the Hampton Tolls on Rte 95, and go in to the North Beach area along the coast and head north all the way up, off the highway on a really pretty scenic drive.

Continue up the coast along Rye and Rye Beach and view the stunning estates and homes; stay all along on this road all the way, this is Rte 1-B. Pass all kinds of summer little restaurants that probably won%26#39;t be open off season, but just continue past them and see Jetty Beach, Rye State Harbor along the coast. Stay on this road until you see and pass the Odiorne State Park as well as the wetlands and marsh on the left. Continue all the way and cross a wooden bridge; stay straight all along here until you get to a fork in the road. It%26#39;s got about 5 roads here and all the people in the cars will be wondering where to go and who%26#39;s going next. (There really should be a light here but NO not in this state!) Then take a right, not too far up on the right you%26#39;ll see a gas station and a sign for the ';Wentworth By The Sea'; Resort owned by the Marriott.

* ';Wentworth By The Sea'; Resort

(NH seacoast) 588 Wentworth Rd., New Castle, NH (603) 422-7322

Enjoy the Resort; see Portsmouth shops, restaurants and bistros here. They have all kinds of beautiful old New Englander homes all along here as well as in through New Castle beyond the Resort! It%26#39;s really a beautiful drive along here even as you continue past the Resort!

Take the bridge into Kittery, ME., where all the outlets are. (Bridge is in Portsmouth near Strawbery Banke and Prescott Park)

Kittery Outlets

* Lighting of the Nubble - Cape Neddick Lighthouse,York Beach (southern Maine coast)

Cookies, hot chocolate, holiday music by local bands and choral groups; then Santa comes roaring up to Nubble in a shiny red truck with bells ringing away at 6 PM sharp with every one singing songs and then Santa throws the switch lighting up the historic Nubble Light House, it%26#39;s a Holiday Tradition By the Sea! . Shuttle service from Ellis Park at Short Sands Beach. (207) 363-1040

SATURDAY - Freeport, Maine

* Harraseeket Inn, Freeport, Maine

SUNDAY - Back to Boston/Logan

Hi Lisamlas,

I just read your message just this minute. You%26#39;re going to have the best time! What a nice weekend you%26#39;ll have with your daughter!

We just heard the weather forecast on the news and they%26#39;re saying on Thanksgiving Day it%26#39;s going to be rain mixed in with some snow so be prepared. We don%26#39;t know how much yet, go online and check www.weatherchannel.com before you leave for Plymouth.

Where it%26#39;s the first snow of the season? It just could be a dusting this time around, if it%26#39;s mixed in with rain that%26#39;s all, so keep your fingers crossed! It%26#39;s still lovely in New England, but you see what we have to deal with around here!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME!!

Lisamlas,

When you get in to Kittery. Look for the Kittery Trading Post on the left just as you%26#39;re driving along where all the Outlets are. Right beside it is Bob%26#39;s Clam Hut. It%26#39;s a good place for clams and anything else you might want for lunch. We go there all the time, it%26#39;s open year round. In fact the owner is opening up a new restaurant across the way just beyond this spot. We can%26#39;t wait till it opens, you%26#39;ll see it being built just past the marsh on the right across the way from Bob%26#39;s. Bob%26#39;s Clam Hut is a little place with all tables set up inside, it%26#39;s a really cute relaxing type place. We know Lillian! She works at the register! She%26#39;s been there since the 80%26#39;s and is a sweety. The owner is Michael Landgarten from Worcester, he%26#39;s the nicest guy! While you%26#39;re in there ask anyone where the York Hospital is, because from Rte 1 just past the Outlets if you keep driving up from there, you%26#39;ll see the sign for the York Hospital just up on the right! This is the cut off where you want to go for the Nubble Lighting instead of going back out on 95. It%26#39;s so much easier going this way, it%26#39;s not even 8 miles up from the Kittery Outlets, you%26#39;ll go through York Village and bear RIGHT in the Village for the scenic Ocean drive where you need to be!

Just ask any one at Bob%26#39;s while you%26#39;re there how to get there. It%26#39;s much better than trying to get there from the highway because I think it%26#39;s going to be crowded. Try to get there as early as you can. We%26#39;re going up ourselves! We have to time it right now too because of all the people that go to it now!

That%26#39;s about the only thing I think you have to try to do. The lighting starts promptly at 5, then get up there to view it around 4, I%26#39;m not kidding you either. People will even wait in there cars for it to begin! Take your camera, it%26#39;s so pretty seeing the lighthouse before it gets dark! Wait until you see it get all lit up....it%26#39;s great!

If I can think of anything else, I%26#39;ll send it off to you and if you have any other questions, don%26#39;t hesitate to ask...

NOMO01

The Nubble Light Festival is the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Here%26#39;s a really good site with directions and description about it as well as a neat picture showing it...

www.GOSEACOAST.com

Click on BIG EVENTS

then FESTIVALS

then FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

YORK, ME.

blue hair