Where do I put my flat screen TV?

By: Richard Russell, Granite State Ambassador
Concentra Urgent Care Class of 2009

I love the Currier Museum of Art because it has on display New Hampshire’s foremost collection of world class American and European art including works by Monet, Picasso, O’Keefe, Remington, Saint-Gaudens, and NH’s own Aponovich to mention just a few of the many artists.

Please check out the Currier blog and my entry from 12/17/2010. Kind of makes you want to visit the Museum, doesn’t it.

As a docent for the Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian designed Zimmerman House tours, I highly recommend you include in your visit a tour of the Zimmerman House with me as your guide. I tell a lot of the guests who visit the house that I would move in tomorrow but often ponder where I would put my flat screen TV. The House tours take place between April and December and reservations for this tour are highly recommended. Viewing this short video will entice you even more to want to schedule your tour of the Zimmerman House:



  

The Currier’s Gift Shop has that unusual gift that is just right for any occasion. I am also a volunteer at the gift shop and enjoy interacting with all of the museum guests that visit the shop.

Are you looking for a new place to enjoy a quiet lunch? The Winter Garden Café at the Currier is where I have enjoyed a cup of fresh soup or chowder, a Caesar salad with freshly sliced chicken, or a selection of cheese and crackers. The dessert selection will certainly temp you. Entrance to the Café for lunch is free.

Visit www.currier.org for a schedule of the hours and days that the Museum is open or call 603-669-6144.

DIRECTIONS:  I-293 to Exit 6—Amoskeag Bridge. Bear right and cross the bridge following signs for US Route 3 to Elm Street. At Elm Street traffic light, cross Elm and go 0.4 miles to Beech Street. Turn right on Beech and go 0.5 miles. The Museum will be on your left.

We Are Family ...

By Ami D'Amelio, GSA Programs Manager

The Hanover Street Chophouse in Manchester, NH has been a family favorite since its opening just over five years ago. My husband and I have been there numerous times for the Chophouse renowned long, romantic dinners, and we have been there separately for various business lunches, dinners and drinks. We love the exquisite interior, all the dark wood and intimate seating creates a cozy environment full of plush and luxury.

The first time with the kids and my mother from out-of-state was before attending A Christmas Carol at the Palace Theatre a few years back. The food was amazing (the seafood tower is legendary!) and the service impeccable. Needless to say, we all had a wonderful experience! A handful of other times, we have popped into the Chophouse later in the evening with the kids for dessert, cocktails and coffee after a night of festivities elsewhere. Every time, despite the hour, the staff was always welcoming, the ambiance inviting, and the fare delighting. Not all restaurants can handle a family, especially impromptu, so it is a tremendous credit to the Chophouse to have such a lasting impression on us.

The Hanover Street Chophouse celebrated their fifth anniversary early this December. My family and I are thrilled to have this jewel in Manchester and look forward to our next visit ... whenever that should be ... hopefully soon.

Mangia! Mangia!

By Louise Lachance, Granite State Ambassador
Sprint Class of 2002

One of my favorite little known restaurant is Cafe Mangia on Bypass 28 between Manchester and Hooksett. Cafe Mangia is right next to Eaton's Candy and Cake Decorating, and offers traditional recipes that are claimed to have been passed down through generations. They certainly taste authentic! Cafe Mangia does accept reservations, but are limited in days open, so I would recommend to call ahead for hours. This establishment offers Bring Your Own Beverage (BYOB) with a set-up fee, so you can bring your favorite bottle of wine to enjoy with your meal. The food is Italian and fresh and made on the spot. Plan on eating at a leisurely pace, as it is a small operation and they take their time crafting your meal.

To see the updated recommendation of Cafe Mangia's new Manchester location, please visit NHGSA Lorry's blog post!

7,000 Miles with No Stop Lights

 by Judi Window, Granite State Ambassador, Inaugural Class 1996

A couple of years ago my husband and I decided to explore the woodlands of New Hampshire by snowmobile. Although we don't own a snowmobile and we rarely ride, we went to Alpine Adventures in Lincoln NH to go on a guided snowmobile tour. It was fantastic! If you don't have "winter attire" for just $5 they will rent you insulated snowmobile suite. They do provide you with helmets.

My personal recommendations include:

1. Even if you are new and/or scared, ride your own snowmobile. I doubled up with my husband and found it was more work and harder to hold on to him, than it would have been to handle my own machine. 
2. Stay overnight. You'll never want to leave! So plan ahead and rent a room. Get one with a whirlpool tub, jacuzzi, and/or hot tub, so you can soak your tired bones at the end of a long ride. 
3. Pick a restaurant and plan dinner ahead of time. That way you can enjoy your trip without having to make any last minute decisions! We like the Woodstock Inn & Brewery. Great lodging, wonderful food and deliciously brewed beer (try Pig's Ear)!

New Hampshire has 7,000 miles of snowmobile trails. For those of you who own machines and love to ride in NH, check out the NH Snowmobile Association's website. It is packed with information to make your experience memorable!


For your planning purposes NH has a wonderful state tourism website to help. www.visitnh.gov. ENJOY your trip and remember... If you have any questions, Granite State Ambassadors are your "New Hampshire Information Specialists" ask us and we will find you answers! @askNH.

Merry Christmas from Judi, Ami, & Kelly!

We're dreaming of a White Mountain holiday season ....

By "White Mountain Mikey" Duprey, Granite State Ambassador

Isles of Shoals Class 2003

White Mountain Mikey is nothing but a 'Kid' at heart. You all know I love trains and what better time of the year to enjoy them then during the holiday season. Santa's Holiday Express at the Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway will let you visit with the Jolly Old Elf himself on a wonderful train ride through the picturesque Mt. Washington Valley. The Hobo Railroad in Lincoln offering a visit from Santa on a delightful ride in the Pemigewassett Valley along the Pemigewassett River. Don't forget both trains also offer a reenactment of the popular children's story, 'The Polar Express' by Chris Van Allsburg. The story of a young boy's magical journey to the North Pole. Sure to be the start of a family tradition.

A visit to the White Mountains during this festive season would not be complete with a trip to 'Christmastime' at Santa's Village on Rt. 2 in Jefferson. Come see some Special Shows, Rides, great Yuletide Festivities, and meet Santa and Mrs. Claus! Be sure to dress warmly, it’s cold in Northern New Hampshire at Christmastime. Don't forget to stop by the bakery and get your Ginger Bread Cookie and remember to ask for a Ginger Bread Girl! There's more cookie then the boy, trust me, I know these things.

10 Grand Christmas Gifts

10. For moose lovers in the family, give them a walk on the wild side. Dress their feet in moose slippers from Strictly Moose in Gorham.
www.StrictlyMoose.com
9. For the city dweller and anyone who longs to take a walk in the New Hampshire woods, stock up on balsam pillows available at Fiddleheads in Colebrook.
www.FiddleheadsUSA.com
8. Just about everyone loves a cold glass (or can or bottle) of beer, but for the ones on your holiday list who long to craft their own brew, check out the beer making supplies and kits at Granite Cask in Whitefield. How can you can you possibly go wrong in giving your brewmeister the way to brew Mastiff Drool English Style Barleywine?
www.GraniteCask.com
7. There are special people in our lives for whom the ordinary gift just won't do. For your mom, your Nana, your sister, your best friend, you need something extraordinary, like a one of a kind piece of jewelry or a hand-thrown pottery mug that will start their day by remembering you. Find something extraordinarily special at The Local Works Marketplace in Bethlehem.
www.WrenCommunity.org
6. It's Pancake's best friend - Maple Syrup. Serve up a hearty Grand North breakfast for far-flung friends and family with a gift basket from Fuller's Sugarhouse in Lancaster.
www.FullersSugarhouse.com
5. Baby, it's C-O-L-D outside! But being bundled up doesn't mean your loved one can't be styling with a toasty warm hat and mitten set handmade in the Grand North. Slide up to Creative Natives in Colebrook for a great, and colorful selection of fine wool hat, scarves and mittens.
www.northcountrychamber.org/creativenatives.htm
4. Got a penny? Got handful of them? Trade them for a bag of penny candy from Chutter's General Store in Littleton.
www.Chutters.com
3. The love of your life is the one who inspires you to be your best. Give her a true Grand North symbol of what she means to you from Greetings Jewelers in Berlin. their very own handcrafted design, Inspire, celebrates love and life and the possibilities that come about when they, and you, are joined.
www.GreetingsJewelers.com
2. What little kid was never entranced by a train? For the train lover in the family, get them a membership in the Mount Washington Cog Railway's Cogger Club. Joining up entitles them to ride as many times to the top of Mount Washington as they want aboard The Cog, including one trip in the cab of a biodiesel locomotive!
www.TheCog.com
1. Sometimes, the best gifts aren't the ones you can wear or even wrap, like the gift of relaxation. Give her, him or them a spa treatment to melt away the stresses of everyday life. Available at the Omni Mount Washington in Bretton Woods, the Mountain View Grand in Whitefield and the Carlisle Place in Jefferson.
www.OmniHotels.com
www.MountainViewGrand.com
www.CarlislePlace.net

Happy Chanukah from New Hampshire's own Adam Sandler