The Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, New Castle, New

The Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, New Castle, New Hampshire -- part of the Fort Constitution Historic Site
Maybe you’ve done this: You’re
heading up to Maine from the Cape, and
peel right on past Portsmouth, N.H. on
Rt. 95, blissfully assuming that what you
see from the Interstate is what you can
expect a mile from Exit 7, in downtown
Portsmouth. But you’re missing out!
It turns out, however, that downtown
Portsmouth, has become the most alive
and vibrant small city in all of New
England. Even if you’re just looking for
a place to stop for a meal, you couldn’t
pick a better spot. And downtown
stores, since they’re almost entirely
independently-owned, stay open evenings as long as there’s business.
Not only is Portsmouth loaded with
shops and restaurants – but the place has
an incredibly youthful feel to it, even
though it’s not a college town, per se.
Portsmouth is a great walking city.
Page 22, Vitality, June 2009
The good-naturedness there probably has a lot to do with why this city
of 20,000 souls can have absolutely no
soaped-up windows downtown -- even
when there are TWO Wal-Marts just
outside of town. (Plus, there are lots
of other franchise and chain stores just
outside of town -- and Factory Outlets
just over the bridge in Kittery, Maine.)
In point of fact, the economy in
Portsmouth is booming! In recent years
it has become a year round economy - not one strictly dependent on seasonal
tourism. Thousands of jobs have been
created just west of town at the Pease
International Tradeport -- the former
home of the Strategic Air Command’s
Pease Air Force Base. Over the last few
years, this area has been converted into
a civilian airport and a sprawling office
park with dozens of clean industries.
As a result, thousands of mostly young
workers now work there.
Portsmouth is located in what New
Hampshire calls its “Seacoast Region”
– an 18-mile strip where New Hampshire
meets the Atlantic -- an area that seems to
fly under the radar nationally. In fact, the
city has been ranked as #7 in “Overlooked
and Underrated Destinations.”
At the same time, Portsmouth
is rated as one of the top ten “Best
Places to Live.” It has been called New
Hampshire’s Best Walking City and one
of the top-100 most walkable cities in
the nation. It has been dubbed one of the
“Top 25 Arts Destinations,” by American
Style Magazine, and the #26th destination
in the world for “Historic Places” by
National Geographic Traveler. Forbes
Traveler.com called Portsmouth one
of “America’s Prettiest Towns,” and
America’s Hottest Small City” by Inc.
in 2006. New England Travel & Life
called Portsmouth the “Best Shopping
Destination” in New England.
Once you get to Portsmouth, you’ll
want to stay for a few days to take it all
in. So your first stop should be to pick
up a roadmap of the downtown area and
a walking tour guide from the Chamber
of Commerce’s Information Center
(located on the way into downtown from
Exit 7 off Rt. 95, right after Albacore
Park.) This will help you get your
bearings, as the city’s roads are not laid
out as a strict grid. Market and Congress
Streets are the main drag -- where you’ll
find most of the shops and restaurants -and where you’ll want to park and take
in the commercial area on foot. It’s great
fun.
To really get to know the city, we
The “Wentworth By The Sea” Grand Hotel at New Castle, NH
suggest you start by visiting Strawbery
Banke Museum. Their award-winning
film “Welcome to Historic Portsmouth”,
will give you a wonderful short history and
The warm and inviting lobby of the Wentworth By The Sea
The Library Restaurant
at the Rockingham,
located on State St., in Portsmouth
orientation. (Portsmouth’s original name
was “Strawbery Banke” prior to 1653.
The original settlers were impressed with
the strawberries that grew wild along the
banks of the Piscataqua River.) And the
many saved historic homes in this living
museum -- which opened in 1958 -- are
fascinating to visit, as they cover a 400year history. In-character guides explain
each of the historic homes, much like
you would see at our own Plymouth
Plantation. (www.strawberybanke.org)
There are additional historic homes
scattered all over Portsmouth that are
also open to the public during the season.
Information on these can be obtained
from the Chamber of Commerce.
One of these historic homes, The
John Paul Jones House, contains
a second-floor museum on the most
significant event in Portsmouth’s history- the signing of the 1905 treaty that ended
the Russo-Japanese War. The war was the
largest battle ever between two nations (in
terms of the numbers of troops and ships
The magnificent Liberty Gardens, located on the north end of Portsmouth
Page 23, Vitality, June 2009
The lunch crowd at Cataqua Public
House, located at Red Hook Brewery
involved). It was also a blood bath on the
order of our own Civic War. And while
you’d think Portsmouth’s primary claim
to fame would be that it was the 4th largest
seaport in Colonial America, it was the
1905 treaty that really made Portsmouth
famous internationally (particularly in
Japan). (www.portsmouthpeacetreaty.
org)
Parking downtown is tricky. Make
sure you are in a legal spot. And make
sure if you don’t see a meter, that there’s
no “parking machine” nearby. Also, when
driving, remember that you need to stop
at ALL crosswalks if there’s someone
crossing, whether it’s marked or not.
The center of Portsmouth’s downtown is Market Square, home of the
magnificent North Church. Town
ordinances say no other building in
town can be taller than the spire on this
structure. Across from the Square is the
unusually-architectured
Portsmouth
Athenium, one of 14 private libraries
left in America. Like most buildings
in modern Portsmouth, it is brick
construction. Major fires ripped through
the city three times during the 19th
century, so wood structures were banned
since then.
The Piscatiqua River serves as the
backdrop to Portsmouth. Looking across
the river is Kittery, Maine -- home of the
Naval Shipyards. You’ll occasionally
spot a modern submarine over there being
repaired, which is what they do full time
now. And submarine buffs will enjoy
visiting Albacore Park, at 600 Market
St, the home of a U.S. Navy submarine
that never went to war and never fired
A typical room at the Wentworth By The Sea Resort
Page 24, Vitality, June 2009
The Old Stone Church on Rt. 103, just north of York Harbor
a weapon. It was an experimental sub
whose teardrop-shaped hull made her
the world’s fastest sub in her day. (www.
ussalbacore.org)
You’ll also notice the tugboats. The
Piscatiqua is the third fastest-flowing
navigable river in the world, so the
tugs are indispendible. For that reason,
tugboats are emblematic of Portsmouth.
You can even tour the waterfront by
tug aboard “Tug Alley Too,” owned by
Bob and Natalie Hassold. The couple
also owns a gift shop themed on these
workhorse boats, “The Tugboat Store.”
It’s located nearby on Bow St. (www.
tugboatalley.com)
Narrated harbor cruises are
also available on the Heritage, a
more conventional tour boat. (www.
portsmouthharbor.com)
There are six live theaters in Portsmouth. The largest is The Music Hall, a
beautifully renovated, 900-seat structure
that was saved from the wrecking ball 20
years ago. The theater is the second-oldest
in New England and the oldest in New
Hampshire. It was built before electricity,
so the acoustics had to be good. In fact,
David Crosby, of Crosby, Stills Nash &
Young, is quoted as saying “The Music
Hall has the best acoustics of anywhere
The Tug Alley Too offers daily tours of
Portsmouth Harbor.
we’ve performed.” Check their web site
for the performance schedule as well as
the schedule of theater tours, which are
recommended. (www.themusichall.org)
Red Hook Brewery does an inter-
esting tour that only costs $1. And yes,
there are free samples at the tour’s
conclusion. Call them for tour times
(603-430-8600), or check their web site.
And be sure to have lunch or dinner at
the brewery’s Cataqua Public House,
which has excellent food and is a really
neat interior. (www.redhook.com)
Don’t miss a walk along Ceres St.
If you’ve ever been to Savannah, Ga.,
you’ll find Ceres Street very similar in
appearance to the Savannah waterfront
commercial area. It’s a delightful combination of restaurants, shops, and
galleries.
You’ll find Prescott Park, on the
empty warehouses, saloons, boarding
houses and bordellos. So in the 1930’s,
the Prescott sisters, who in their 70’s
inherited a fortune, commenced to buy
out all this property anonymously. When
they were through purchasing, they tore
down the structures, cleaned it all up,
and gave the city an endowment for the
perpetuation of Prescott Park as a family-friendly facility. This dramatically
altered the city’s waterfront forever.
From the wharf at Prescott Park,
you’ll get a great view of the Memorial
Bridge, which dates from 1923. The
span between the towers can be raised to
150 ft. above the waterline, similar to the
The Sise Inn is located within walking distance of everything downtown.
The US Navy sub Albacore is located at its own park at 600 Market St in Portsmouth.
city’s north end, quite a beautiful spot. So
much so, you’ll find it hard to believe that
70 years ago it consisted of coal storage
tanks, industrial piers, decaying wharfs,
way they raise the Cape Cod Canal Train
Bridge. Due to the age of the bridge, its
future is in jeopardy.
Liberty Gardens -- also in the
The beautiful indoor pool at the Wentworth By the Sea Resort
Prescott Park area, is where the University of New Hampshire experiments
with annuals every year. During
the summer, the place is absolutely
beautiful...loaded with colorful flowers.
Portsmouth’s St. John’s Episcopal
Church is worth a visit. The church’s
Brattle Organ is the oldest operative
pipe organ in the United States. The
church also houses the large-type
“Vinegar Bible” from 1717 -- so-called
because of a typo at the top of one page
referring to the Parable of the Vineyard;
it says “vinegar” instead of vineyard.
The walls inside the church also bear
unusual paintings made to look like
relief woodwork -- a style called Trompe
l’œil. It looks quite extraordinary when
you realize the walls are flat and it’s just
paint. (www.stjohnsnh.org)
Don’t miss the Farmer’s Market
every Saturday from 8am-1pm. through
November 7th at 1 Junkins Ave, at the
City Hall Parking Lot in front of Police
Department.
Driving Tours: During your stay in
The North Church at Market Square
Page 25, Vitality, June 2009
The beautiful interior of The Music Hall, in downtown Portsmouth
Portsmouth, be sure to take a drive up
the coast north from Kittery to Ogunquit
along Rt. 103. The scenery and the homes
along this stretch are beautiful. (And you
thought Cape Cod had trophy homes?)
Along the way, plan to stop for lunch
or dinner at the York Harbor Inn. There’s
a fine-dining restaurant upstairs, but try
the “Ship’s Cellar Pub” downstairs.
Its woodwork actually took three years
to complete. The walls, windows and
ceiling have been hand-carved to look
like you’re dining below deck on a ship.
It’s absolutely beautiful, and the food
is first-class. You can order everything
from gourmet flatbreads to naturally-
aged steaks. They serve Sunday Brunch
as well. (www.yorkhaborinn.com)
Also, just a mile north of York Harbor
there are lots of masculine colors and
textures. The ceiling’s woodwork is oneof-a-kind. The restaurant’s warm decor
mimics a real library. And they serve
The Goodwin Mansion and Greenhouse at Strawbery Banke Museum
on the left is the Old Stone Church.
This century-old structure is about the
most beautiful church we’ve seen. It’s a
A representation of a 1940’s grocery store at Strawbery Banke Museum
Page 26, Vitality, June 2009
must-see.
One other driving tour suggestion:
when you head home from Portsmouth,
take Rt. 1A along the ocean south to
Hampton Beach. Along the way, you’ll
see more amazing ocean-front homes
in the Rye area. These are HUGE. If
you have time, drive west from there
15 minutes on Rt. 101 to Exeter, N.H. - another charming towntown area that is
great fun for walking and shopping.
Golf: There’s a number of golf
courses in the area, including the Pease
Golf Course. (www.peasedev.org).
About 15 minutes north in York, Maine
is The Ledges public golf club, which is
a little more expensive. (207-351-3000).
And in Greenland, NH, there’s Breakfast
Hill Golf Course. (www.breakfasthill.
com)
Restaurants: During the 1970s,
Portsmouth underwent a culinary
revolution that has earned it the title
“Restaurant Capital of New England.”
The Portsmouth area offers nearly 100
restaurants serving everything from
American cuisine to most every ethnic
specialty you can think of. And although
there are lots of eating choices, there are
still some are real standouts.
For example, the Library Restaurant at the Rockingham is very
classy. This State Street steakhouse has
a broad menu selection. As for the decor,
Trompe l’œil painting on the walls of St.
John’s Church fools the eye. It looks like
woodwork, but is painted on.
The exquisite woodwork in the “Ship’s Cellar Pub” at the York Harbor Inn, on Rt. 103
lunch and dinner, as well as Sunday
Brunch. (www.libraryrestaurant.com)
There are all sorts of excuses for
heading into Popovers On The Square,
on Congress St., especially if you have a
sweet tooth. They offer fresh, seasonal
food, exceptional pastries and desserts,
and yes...popovers. There’s also an
interesting assortment of coffees and
wines. Wait until you see the dessert
case, especially if you like chocolate.
(www.popoversonthesquare.com)
On Bow Street is the Wellington
Room, a small, upstairs fine-dining
restaurant with a BIG waterfront view!
Make sure you make reservations for this
one! (www.thewellingtonroom.com/)
Accommodations: Many still are
not aware that Portsmouth has its own
very majestic, historic Grand Hotel,
the Wentworth by the Sea. The 161room hotel is actually located east of
Portsmouth, in New Castle. We first
saw this structure in the 1980’s when
it was in a state of incredible decay.
Going back recently, we could hardly
believe our eyes that it was the same
place, after the dramatic $30,000,000
transformation completed in 2003. It has
been meticulously restored. What’s even
nicer is that the common areas inside at
the Wentworth were furnished in a way
that’s elegant, but not cold. There’s a
tasteful, comfortable quality instead.
The rooms are also inviting. The
beds rival Hilton in comfort. The hotel
has received the Four Diamond Award
for exceptional accommodations from
AAA, plus other awards too numerous to
mention.
The resort has its own complete
spa, a marina, and indoor and outdoor
pools. Those staying at the Wentworth
also have golf privileges at the private
Wentworth By the Sea Country Club,
located two minutes away. The place is
also a popular venue for couples tying
the knot. It’s perfect for it.
Dining at the Wentworth, under
Executive Chef Daniel Dumont, is
delightful. You may recognize the chef’s
name from his appearances on TV’s “Iron
Chef.” He’s also worked under Wolfgang
Puck, and has won eleven international
culinary competition Gold medals.
The hotel’s seasonal waterfront
restaurant “Latitudes”, was dubbed by
Yankee magazine as the “Best Dining
with a View in New England.”
The lounge at the Wentworth features
live piano music in the evenings during
the season. And you’ll find the staff
throughout the facility to be first class
and friendly. (www.wentworth.com)
For those who would like to stay right
in the downtown area of Portsmouth, we
recommend the Sise Inn. This fullyrestored Victorian Inn features beautiful
butternut hand-carved woodworking in
the lobby area. From the street it looks
small. But it’s built surprisingly long (or
deep), which means most of its 35 rooms
are back off the road. This makes for a
great night’s sleep. Overnights include
an expanded continental breakfast.
Staying at the Sise means that
everything downtown is within walking
distance. You’ll also appreciate how
helpful they are at the front desk. No
matter where you want to go, they seem
to have a print-out of instructions to
hand you. The staff is courteous and very
friendly. (www.siseinn.com)
A trip to Portsmouth, NH for a few
days makes a great get-away. It’s only
a three-hour drive from Cape Cod, and
is less than an hour from Boston. If
traveling by car, I-95 and US Route 1
provide access from the south.
The Greater Portsmouth Chamber of
Commerce operates a year-round Visitor
Information Center at 500 Market Street,
and an information kiosk in downtown
Market Square from May-October. For
more information about Portsmouth,
NH, call the Chamber of Commerce
at (603) 610-5510, or go to www.
portsmouthchamber.org.
And thanks for traveling!
Manager Matthew Clark shows off the dessert case at Popover’s, on Congress St.
Page 27, Vitality, June 2009