Things to Do in New Hampshire This Summer

I'm a New Hampshire native, born and raised.  I love this state and all the great things it has to offer.  I thought I'd share some of our favorites - from the city, mountains, ocean, and countryside, New Hampshire has it all!  

Things to Do in New Hampshire This Summer

- This list will be continually added to, so be sure to check back often for more ideas -

The Flume  

Located in the White Mountains, The Flume is a fairly short loop trail that brings you right through a narrow gorge with a rushing river and several waterfalls.  There is a covered bridge, stairs, and deck walkways to help you through the tricky parts with ease.  

Castle in the Clouds

I confess I'm biased to this place - afterall it's where my husband popped the question and where we got married :)  But Castle in the Clouds does offer some of the most breathtaking views of the Lakes Region from the lawn of the Lucknow Estate (aka "The Castle"), where you can also explore the rooms of the mansion during your-self guided tour.  There are also miles of hiking trails, horseback riding, and a restaurant on site.  

Polly's Pancake Parlor + Lupine Festival

Pancakes - do we really have to say more..?  But seriously folks, Polly's has amazing pancakes, delicious hearty breakfasts, and great views of the mountains.  We recommend making the trip up there in June for the Lupine Festival and checking out the gorgeous fields of lupines in bloom after your hearty breakfast.  

Strawberry Banke

Strawberry Banke, a 10-acre historic collection of buildings along the seaside in Portsmouth is rich in history and historic architecture.  The buildings on the property span 300 years and costumed guides and artisans fill you in on interesting stories and facts from an era gone by.  I especially love seeing all the quirky features of the buildings there.  

4th of July Parade in Wolfeboro

As "The Oldest Summer Resort in America," Wolfeboro does the Fourth like no one else with the largest parade in the state complete with their traditional Precision Lawn Chair Drill Team, Antique Tractor Brigade, and Presidential hopefuls.  Jimmy Fallon and Mitt Romney are frequent attendees of the parade.  

Isles of Shoals

The Isles of Shoals is a group of islands off the coast of NH is known for it's rugged coastal beauty and it's historical significance.  Guided tours are available through the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company.  (Taking a tour of the islands is something we haven't done ourselves yet but have been meaning to for years - this year we plan to change that though and finally go!)  

Paddleboard Yoga

There are various places around NH that offer this new trend, one being Full Moon Paddleboard in Wolfeboro.  It's a lot of fun and adds a whole other level to your yoga practice.  Whether you're a yogi master or just a beginner, you'll have a fun (yet challenging) time.  

Zip-Lining

There are many places throughout the state that offer zip line tours and obstacle courses.  We've gone with Alpine Adventures in Lincoln before and highly recommend them - great staff, great views, and a lot of fun.  

Go Hiking

There are countless mountains and great hiking trails in New Hampshire (this website is a great resource for trail info), but Mount Monadnock is definitely the most popular.  After all it's one of the most-hiked mountains in the world, and with good reason - a moderately difficult hike rewards you with great 360-degree views atop it's rocky peak.  If you hike Mt. Monadnock we recommend getting there early to beat the crowds, then getting lunch and ice cream at Kimball's in Jaffrey after.  

Cog Railway

A must-do, the Cog Railway brings you up Mount Washington (the tallest mountain in the Northeast) on the first mountain-climbing train in the world!  Make sure to bring extra clothes for the summit since Mt. Washington is also home to some of the world's worst weather.  

Go Camping

There are countless campgrounds across the state, with varying degrees of amenities.  Two of our personal favorite campgrounds are Fransted Campground in Franconia and Crawford Notch Campground in Hart's Location - both are family friendly, well-kept, and convenient to hiking trails.  

Canoe Trip

There are also many canoe tour companies throughout the state, but we really love Contoocook River Canoe Company in Concord, NH.  They offer many choices for rentals, shuttles, and tours of surrounding rivers and lakes.  I've done the 9-mile Contoocook River Tour a few times and can't say enough great things about it.  

Clark's Trading Post

A true NH novelty, Clark's Trading Post is a little theme park tucked away in the White Mountains.  It's best known for it's trained black bear act and "The Wolfman," an ornery prospector who chases the train ride to keep visitors away from his mine.  

A day in Portsmouth

Portsmouth is a gem of a city tucked away along the seacoast - there are countless amazing restaurants to eat at, unique shops to explore, and historic buildings to see.  Get into downtown before 11AM to best ensure finding a parking spot in the downtown parking garage, then spend the rest of the day eating and shopping your way through town.  

Fisher Cats Game

The Fisher Cats is NH's own Minor League baseball team - their beautiful new ballpark is located conveniently in Manchester where affordable tickets ensure everyone can enjoy America's favorite pastime.  

Storyland

Storyland is a wonderful theme park where kids of all ages will find rides and attractions to enjoy.  I have so many great memories of going to Storyland with my parents and exploring the different themed areas.  Our young daughter really loves Storyland as well and I'm so excited to share the experience with her too.    

A Day Out with Thomas

If you have a Thomas fan in your family, going to A Day Out with Thomas in North Conway is a must.  You'll not only be able to meet Thomas, Percy, and Sir Topham Hatt but you'll also be able to go for a ride on the famous trains!  

A little sneak peek

This time of the afternoon all directions point to coffee (duh), but I thought I'd share a sneak peek of a new ornament design for 2016 - the Hand-Etched Birch Compass! 

New England-inspired painted signs will be coming to Birch Landing Home soon too ;)  Stay tuned!

Feeling a Little Behind Lately..

To do? All the things! 

Feeling really behind lately, I have a million little (good) projects going on and haven't been able to check any off the to-do list in a while.  Between training for a half marathon, working on Etsy/wholesale ornament orders (I get them year-round, wahoo), and trying to work on some projects around the house I've fallen a bit behind on the blog and getting new Etsy stock out there and I apologize.  

Just wanted to let you know that things will be picking up again soon with new Etsy items as well as some great collabs/giveaways with companies like Nuby and We Are Knitters.

If you haven't turned on Post Notifications on Instagram for Birch Landing Home yet, now is the time because you won't want to miss out! 

New Etsy Listing: "Martha" Snowflake Ornament in Birch

Just added to my Etsy Shop, our famous "Martha" Hand-Etched Snowflake Ornament, now available in Birch!  Even though it's not Christmas season, anytime is a good time to get ahead on holiday shopping.  

And don't forget, I'm still planning on expanding my Etsy shop to include painted signs and more decor items - keep an eye out for those soon!  

Restock at The Straw Cellar

I've just dropped off another order of our handmade ornaments to The Straw Cellar in Wolfeboro, NH!  Even though it's not Christmas-season, it's always a great time to get ahead on gifts and our ornaments are now again in-stock there.  

While you're at The Straw Cellar, don't forget to check out all the other wonderful New England-made goods they carry!  

Chicken-Themed Toddler Easter Basket

Last year we started keeping backyard chickens and they've become a really fun and important addition to our family.  We love the fresh eggs we get everyday and our toddler thinks the chickens are super fun.  Since she's become so fond of our six Rhode Island Red hens, I thought we'd make her Easter basket chicken-themed this year!  Now to just wait until Easter..  | This post contains affiliate links |

Two of "the girls." 

We have six Rhode Island Red hens (two of them pictured here), so I tried to find chicken-related items that looked like our girls.  Most of the items I found can be purchased through Amazon, but you may also have luck finding similar things at your local store.  (Amazon also had other chicken breeds too in case you were looking to find something that looked more like ones you have at home.)  

I think creating an animal-themed Easter basket can be a really fun and engaging idea, and could easily be done to reflect whatever animal(s) you might have at home - dogs, cats, horses, fish, etc.  

Here are the items I chose for our Chicken-Themed Easter Basket:  

• "Five Little Chicks" by Nancy Tafuri - A sweet book about five little hungry chicks looking for snacks before bedtime.  
• Chicken Stuffed Animal - Our little one is going to LOVE this stuffed chicken!  It's about the same size and color as our Rhode Island Red hens.  Amazon also has stuffed animals of several other breeds of chickens as well.  
• Easter Eggs filled with mini M&Ms - Plastic Easter eggs is a given, just simply fill with your little one's favorite candy.  
• Marshmallow Peeps - Baby chicks for the mama hen!  (I included these Marshmallow Peeps in this post as an example, but I actually won't be giving them to our daughter - I don't feel as though she's old enough to eat them just yet.)  
• The Little Red Hen - A classic folktale!  

Looking for more Easter ideas?  Check out our previous Easter posts:  

• DIY Button Easter Basket
• Young Toddler Easter Basket Ideas

Happy Easter!  

Always use your best judgement to decide what kinds of toys, food, and candy are appropriate for your child.  

Bangers + Mash for St. Patrick's Day

St. Patricks's Day is coming up and you need a to have a good Irish meal to celebrate - everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's Day afterall!  "Bangers and Mash" (sausage and mashed potatoes) is one of my favorite Irish-inspired meals to make because it's easy and quicker than making corned beef and cabbage.  And really - you just can't go wrong with sausage and potatoes!  

Bangers + Mash

Total time 50 mins  |  Serves the whole clan!  

Ingredients

• sausages, at least 2 per person  (I believe it's traditionally supposed to be a sage-y sausage, but our local grocery store doesn't carry those - so I went with Sweet Italian)
• potatoes for mashing, my rule of thumb is at least 1.5 potatoes per person when figuring out how many to buy 
• sweet onion
• butter
• milk
• head of cabbage
• sage
• salt + pepper to taste

Directions

1. Wash, peel, and chop potatoes.  Set them aside in a pot of salted water to boil.  
2. Pan fry sausages and onion until cooked through.  Season with salt, pepper, and sage to taste towards the end of it's cooking.  
3. Chop some fresh cabbage and gently boil until wilted (just a few minutes).  
4. Once the potatoes are soft, drain them and mash with butter and milk until it's to your liking (feel free to also season with salt and pepper to taste).  
5. Serve!  We like the sausages and onions on top of our mashed potatoes and the cabbage on the side.  

Happy St. Patrick's Day - Sláinte!

I Just Love Doing Custom Orders!

Every so often someone will contact me and ask if they can order a completely custom ornament.  I'm always game to give it a try and see if I can use my wood burner to translate what they want onto a little wooden disc.  

Custom Methodist Cross ornament in the making.

Recently a very nice lady contacted me on Etsy to see about ordering a set of Methodist Cross ornaments for her Church.  I loved the idea of having my ornaments hanging in a Church and I was excited to give it a try.  I'm really happy with how they came out and I especially love the texture of the flame on them.  

Even though it's not Christmas-time, if you have an idea for a completely custom ornament please don't hesitate to send me an e-mail or a custom order request on Etsy.  I'm always happy to see what I can do for you.