Polly's Pancake Parlor is Delicious Any Time of Day

Submitted by Sue Geyer, Granite State Ambassador
Currier Museum Class of 2010

Last fall when my folks were visiting, we took a drive upnorth. Since two of my Father’s favorite foods are maple sugar/syrup and pancakes, I decided to take them to Polly’s Pancake Parlor. I hadn’t been there in a long time and was delighted that it had the same warm rustic feel I remembered.

Although they have a lot of other things on the menu, we were set for breakfast and that is one of their strengths. The fact that they have a tray on the table with maple syrup, maple cream and granulated maple sugar was a big hit. My Dad ordered a full stack of pancakes while my Mom and I did the half stack along with some meat. They have a variety of batters along with different add-ins. And you can opt for up to three different combinations. So I think I had blueberry buckwheat, walnut buttermilk and coconut cornmeal. They are 3-inch pancakes and you get either 3 or 6. What’s really nice if you order the full stack is they bring you three to begin with and then after a little while bring you three more hot from the griddle. And everything was delicious!

The dining room overlooked the mountains and is beautiful. Someone happened to spot some bears playing and clued in the rest of the dining room.

They also have a wonderful little gift shop, which includes Polly’s pancake mix and lots of maple products. You can also order off their website year round.

However, they are closed in the winter, so don't hold off a visit of your own! Once they close for the season, they won't open again until the beginning of May 2012 (check their website for seasonal details). Whenever you do visit, it’s a great destination any time of the day.

Segway Tours of Manchester NH

Submitted by: Sue G, GSA [Currier Museum Class 2010]

The draw of both trying a Segway for the first time and doing a tour of historic Manchester NH took my husband, Dave, and I to the new Segway office on Hanover Street. We parked around the corner on Amherst Street and for $3 total, it wasn't bad, plus our car wasn't in the hot sun.

What a fabulous experience we had! The office was very pleasant and the folks we met were welcoming and competent. They were also pleased to hear I was a Granite State Ambassador (GSA) and had a positive opinion about our group.

There was an option of 2 tours (90 minutes or 150 minutes).We opted for the shorter one and had made reservations for the one at 10am. I was glad we did the shorter one, as there was 45 minutes of training first, so it was quite a while on our feet. The training included a short video and then hands on.

When I first got on the machine, it felt awkward, but I was amazed at how quickly it began to feel comfortable. Our instructors/guides, Aaron and Kathleen, were excellent at guiding us through the training. We also had to do some drills to make sure we could maneuver the Segway easily and stop when we needed to. By the time we headed out, we both felt quite comfortable.

The tour itself was very well done. Aaron has a masters in history, and obviously has done a lot of studying of the Manchester area. We had little sound boxes we wore with earbuds, so we could easily hear all of Aarons commentary. And before we started he did ask what we were interested in so he could tailor his talk to us. We were interested in all of it, history and the current sites, and he accomodated us quite nicely. We also stopped along the way for pictures and to view specific areas more closely.


In the 90 minutes we passed City Hall, the Amoskeag Falls, UNH of Manchester, the Verizon Center, and much more. Afterwards they mentioned they are putting together a special evening tour in October which will have a focus on the haunted areas of Manchester. That sounds intriguing as well.
By the time we returned, we were pretty tired and hungry. Dave and I decided to walk back to one of the places that was pointed out on the tour, a restaurant called "XO on Elm". We enjoyed a delicious lunch while sitting under an umbrella on the sidewalk. It was the perfect way to end such an enjoyable morning.

Whether you just want an opportunity to try a Segway, or you want to learn more about Manchester, or both, this is a great way to spend a few hours. Just be prepared to spend a over 2 hours on your feet, have your camera, and you should be good to go. They do take walk-ins, but its best to make a reservation ahead of time.