EXETER & STRATHAM, NH
NEW HAMPSHIRE SEACOAST REGION FALL TRAVEL GUIDE | The autumn leaves are beginning to shape up in New Hampshire, and I have been hither and yon all over the state on day trips, trying to capture it all. The seacoast region of New Hampshire is absolutely stunning this time of year, and I took a few days to visit the towns of Exeter, Stratham, and there-about, doing all the good leaf-peeper things.
DAY ONE of the trip started with a little adventure at Stratham Hill Park, to climb the fire tower at the top of the hill. It was a 77 stair climb to the top, and the views were spectacular, from the fall color to the south-east to the Great Bay to the north. Afterward we crossed over to Great Bay to stroll the boardwalks along the water at the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and Discovery Center. We were the only ones on the boardwalk, making it even more peaceful, and the perfect spot for bird and animal watchers to come to…
Exeter, NH is a beautiful old town, and used to be the New Hampshire colonial capitol. It is the home of Phillips Exeter Academy, and has a bustling downtown chalked full of boutiques, chocolate shops, bookstores, and ice cream joints…what more can you ask for in a small town? Their farmer’s market was happening on our first day, so we strolled along the river, smelling the apple cider in the air, drooling over baked goods, and wanting to buy every pumpkin in sight. We made out with a chocolate toffee cookie and a french toast croissant.
We stayed our first night in the town of Durham, at the Three Chimney’s Inn. I LOVED the inn. It was built in 1649, and is one of the oldest building in New Hampshire! Our room was in the barn portion, and I felt like I was in a 1930s lake house/tree house. It was as cozy as you could get, and the perfect blend of rustic and elegant. We had a delicious burger dinner in the town center of Durham, at Hop + Grind. I had the breakfast burger, which included a runny yolk egg and truffled maple syrup…need I go on?
DAY TWO began with a delicious breakfast at the Three Chimney’s Inn, and promptly moved on to second breakfast at the Angry Donut in Stratham. All the donuts are made with brioche dough, and their flavor combinations were amazing, and perfectly seasonal, including a fair themed donut that was topped with caramel corn, as well as a pumpkin spice donut that was naturally so popular, they were already sold out by the time we arrived. Our order was a toasted coconut, chocolate sea salt, and chocolate glazed.
Also in Stratham is Scamman Farm, where you can find the most amazing corn maze ever! It consists of 7-8 acres of corn, and 2.5 miles of maze trail! Just when you are about to complete it, there is a sign pointing you to the “Hard Maze”…naturally we did it all, and we were in the cornfield for over an hour trying to find our way through!
We ate dinner at Joinery in Newmarket, which is inside a beautiful, old stone mill building on the water. I had the fried chicken with cornbread and sweet potatoes, and a side of the best french fries ever.
That evening we checked into The Inn by the Bandstand, right in the heart of Exeter. Our room was delightful, with a sitting area, writing nook, second bedroom, and a working fireplace in the main bedroom! There was always fruit and cookies in the entry for guests, and our room had a complimentary decanter of port for a nightcap!
DAY THREE had a delightful start in the form of fresh-pressed orange juice, hot chocolate, home made poppyseed scones with homemade lemon curd, a frittata, sausage, and home fries. The Inn by the Bandstand knows how to spoil, and we had to be rolled out of there by the end of it. *wink*
That morning was the annual Exeter Powder Keg Beer and Chili festival! It all took place along the river, the sight of the original powder house in town, and was filled with what seemed to be every local brewery and chili master in New England! There was live music, a wood fire pizza truck, an ice cream stand, pretzels, and all manner of beer and chili. My favorite thing was watching the giant pots of chili bubbling away on the crisp autumn day.
We finished off the trip with a stop at Memories Ice Cream in Kingston. I had the red raspberry chip, and the chocolate peanut butter twist, of course. To die for!
The trip was amazing, I had a truly wonderful time exploring the beautiful countryside and small towns of the Seacoast Region. New Hampshire is the best at fall!
Thank you Visit NH for sponsoring this post!
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