Get Outside and Explore New Hampshire with Letterboxing!

Submitted by Ellen Edersheim, Lake Opechee Class of 2007

This is one of my favorite hobbies, inexpensive and I have been to the most interesting places, its gets everyone outside. Websites like www.letterboxing.org and www.atlasquest.com  can explain it better then I can. You don’t need any expensive equipment to do it. 

First, you figure out a trail name. Mine is skier4444 (when you go to those sites you will see letterboxes that I have put out). Then, you either buy or make a stamp that goes along with trail name (yes, mine is a skier) and buy a blank book to put other stamps in (to start with can use back of index cards that come in a book). In your backpack, you also will put in a pen to write comments, either ink pens or ink pad to stamp the stamps. Then you’re ready to start your adventure...

Go to one of the listed websites above, type in a location and out comes with a list of letterboxes for that area. You will be very surprised how many you see listed in your search. Clues will say if they are close to the road or how many miles, and if located inside or outside. Print out the clue (if have an iPod, iPhone, iPad there is an application for this, so you will always have them) and off you go on an adventure.

When you find the box, it can be anything from a film canister to a Tupperware box. You open the box, and in it, will be a log book and a stamp - the stamp usually represents location of where you are. Use their stamp to stamp your book, and then take your stamp and stamp their book and write a little note, like what the date was and your trail name. Be very sure to put the box where it was found, so you won’t ruin the next person's adventure. Rather than carrying a book, some people keep their stamps on index cards and make a scrapbook when they get home and take photos of their adventure. What a fun way to document your search!

Here is an example of a box I have put out (you can click on the image below to see a larger version):

The icons to the right of the box name "Old Man viewing" each have a meaning:

• Hand = hand-carved stamp
• Car = close to road
• Dog = dog friendly
• Bike = bike friendly
• Wheelchair = handicap accessible

And to acclimate you to the letterboxing terminology:

• Date Planted = The day the shadowbox was placed
• Planter = This is the person who put the box out, and it can be different then owner

When you click on "Click here for a clue", you receive your instructions! I have included them below so you can see how the clue works:

Easy –5 min
Go to the Pull-off after Boise Rock- Northbound only. park at the 3rd -10 min parking signs, stop, Face the sign, look to your right. Will see a big rock, go around right side, will see 2 more rocks with a little cave in between. Look in the cave to find the old man…. (And the stamp is a stamp I made of the old man)

Hike Length: 0.0 miles—gives length of hike, here less than ¼, so 0.0

Elevation Gain: 0 feet- no elevation gain for this box.

Other Fun Letterboxing Information

• Patches! You can get the New Hampshire patch, shown to the right.
• 50th Anniversary Preserve Letterboxing Challenge. This year the nature.org is having a 50 year anniversary of letterboxing in NH. A series of letterboxes will be “planted” at 12 preserves across the state and one on the grounds of the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel.  A “series” includes 3-5 letterboxes on one preserve linked by a common theme. Your challenge is to collect as many series as possible during the year 2011. Follow this link to read more about the 50th Anniversary Preserve Letterboxing Challenge.
• Local Organizations Offer Letterboxes! Visit Sugar Hill Historic Museum and buy a book, which tells you about history of the town and location of boxes. Or visit the websites for Town of Peterborough or the Northern Gateway Regional Chamber of Commerce to learn more about their offerings. Also, the Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce has some boxes in stores located in North Conway, they are listed on the Atlas Quest website.
• Gatherings! Letterboxes also have gatherings where can meet other letterboxes and exchange stamps. You can look on Atlas Quest to find upcoming gatherings. 
• Do it with your kids! Here is a website for kids who letterbox: www.letterboxing.org/kids/

Get out and explore…it's fun….a great adventure and you get exercise….gets you and kids off the computer!!

What is a Yankee Dollar Stretcher?

Betty's Travel Planning Tips

Submitted by: Betty Gagne, Granite State Ambassador, First in the Nation Class 1999 & Customer Service Assistant NH Division of Travel & Tourism Development


Are you ready to save some money during your trip to New Hampshire?

On the homepage of http://www.visitnh.gov/, go to ‘4 Seasons,’ click Money-Saving Offers, and scan the ‘Yankee Dollar Stretchers.’ Yankee Dollar Stretchers are a cool way to save money while visiting New Hampshire. Businesses in the tourism industry have put together some terrific money-saving packages and deals to make vacationing in New Hampshire sweeter than ever!

Be sure to check the page often because new offers are always being added. And, if you are a NH business and want to post a special deal for your place, you can email the information to Communications Manager Tai Freligh at tai.freligh@dred.state.nh.us.

Kaleidoscope Museum: Charming Place for Creative Play

Submitted by Judy Greer
Church Landing / Lakehouse Grille Class of 2004





One of the stops on our recent Manchester tour was the Kaleidoscope Museum, housed in the Millyard Buildings at 250 Commercial Street, Suite 1004.

What an absolute delight! I find myself thinking of everyone who has kids between the ages of 9 months and 6 to 7 years that I could kidnap for a day to take there.
We walked in to this huge bright space with all these wonderful areas to play, including a pirate ship, a climbing wall, a pizza kitchen, a puppet theatre and many more.

Here the children can play and be as creative as they wish, with no TV or video games. Mothers can bring their own food to this facility and stay all day with their little ones if they wish. The best part is that Mom’s are free.



The owner, Michelle Carignan, is a dedicated, creative person to come up with this unique idea. She will provide birthday parties if you wish along with other parties. Often there are special events going on that are just all part of the admission.

If you have little ones, you owe to them to visit this charming place.

Mud Season = Incredible Wildlife Watching

Betty's Travel Planning Tips

Submitted by: Betty Gagne, Granite State Ambassador, First in the Nation Class 1999 & Customer Service Assistant NH Division of Travel & Tourism Development

Rumor has it that it’s mud season in New Hampshire. Well, that might be true, but along with the mud comes some incredible wildlife watching. Viewing wildlife is fun and educational – and free! It’s a family-friendly activity, you can do it just about anywhere, and the best part is you can drive aimlessly and practically be guaranteed to see something. Spring is a great time to look for wildlife because the trees are still bare and it’s easier to spot animals during this time of year. Here are a few tips that will help you get the most out of your wildlife watching expeditions:

Source: Wikipedia

Hawks: Hawks can be seen during all times of the day into early evening. Look for them near open fields, along interstates, and circling over head. Hawks like to perch themselves near tree tops so they can spy on their prey. The most common ones are the red-tailed hawks; they are mainly brown with a white, speckled breast and belly. Scan the tops of trees along road ways and you are virtually guaranteed to see a hawk.

Source: Wikipedia

Herons and other water birds: They’re back! Herons like to wade in shallow water and walk slowly along river banks. Look for them in marshy, wet areas that settle along streams and rivers. They fly slowly overhead, flapping their oversized wings with their tiny feet visible under their bellies. If you’re lucky, a heron will lead you to its nest.

Source: Wikipedia

Red-winged Blackbirds: Nothing says spring is here like the presence of red-winged blackbirds. They gather in cattail marshes and other wetlands, spreading their wings in order to be noticed. The females tend to keep closer to the ground while the males preen at the tops of the cattails and trees.

Source: Wikipedia

Moose: With over 6,500 moose in New Hampshire, you are bound to see one in your travels – if you know where to look. Expect to go north to increase your chances of seeing one. The northern sections of Routes 16 and 3 are excellent roads to take in order to see a moose. If you spot a few cars on the side of the road, or if a car coming in your direction flashes its lights at you, it’s likely there’s a moose ahead. Moose like to hang around wet roadside areas called licks. Slow down, use caution, and stay back if you decide to take pictures. Moose are especially hard to see at night.

Source: Wikipedia

Deer: You never know where you’ll see a deer, but they are around. The last one I saw was trotting alongside Route 93 near Campton in the middle of the day. Keep looking along the edges of open fields, especially at dawn and dusk.

Source: Wikipedia

Eagles: Spotting an eagle is an exciting and rare opportunity. Boating on a large body of water will increase your chances of seeing one. Look for a large bird with a white capped head and white tail feathers. The eagle has black wings and a huge yellow-orange beak. They like to soar through the air and nest along cliffs, and their wingspan can reach 6 feet!

Wildlife watching is a great way to spend your spring weekends. Pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it. It’s the perfect activity when the kids complain that there’s “nothing to do.” For more information about wildlife watching in New Hampshire, please visit the NH Fish & Game website.

Get a Glimpse of the Past with Route 3 Retro Tour

Betty's Travel Planning Tips
Submitted by: Betty Gagne, Granite State Ambassador, First in the Nation Class 1999 & Customer Service Assistant NH Division of Travel & Tourism Development

Set of signs promoting Burma-Shave, on U.S. Route 66.
Courtesy of Wilkipedia.

If you’re old enough to know what a Burma Shave sign is, then you might remember what is was like to pile into the family car and travel aimlessly on a vacation. I’m talking about going back in time, even before Interstate 93 was constructed through New Hampshire. A time when road trips were a way of life, lodging reservations were unheard of, and each corner you turned brought a different adventure. Fast forward to our Route 3 Retro Tour, one of our newest itineraries on VisitNH.gov.

The Retro Tour takes you along Route 3 beginning in Meredith and ending in Pittsburg. During the ‘50’s and ‘60’s, this was the main north-south route that vacationers and business travelers frequented. Follow this path today and you may be surprised to know that many of the attractions and motels along this route are the same ones that were there way back when. Stops along the road include diners, motels (which is a term that blended the words ‘motor’ and ‘hotel’), time-tested attractions (like Clark’s Trading Post, one of the oldest in the state), and beautiful, natural scenery. Did you know that gasoline was 15 cents a gallon in 1950? The itinerary contains an interesting timeline with many historical dates and facts like this about how life has evolved since the ‘50’s. 

The Route 3 Retro Tour is a must-do for visitors, as it paints a clear picture of what it was like to travel through New Hampshire after the end of World War II. Happy Retro Touring!

Highlander Inn Offers History, Conference Space, Parking and Much More!

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

As a Granite State Ambassador, I recently was able to tour the Highlander Inn and Conference Center in Manchester, NH. The Highlander is the only hotel and conference center at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. You may be at the airport but you are on nestled on 33 tree filled acres. And the Highlander Inn has been in the hospitality business for over 100 years

The Highlander Inn offers 65 guest rooms and the Coldwell House has an additional 21 New England Country Style guest rooms. This makes the Highlander an ideal location for your business meeting or conference, wedding, anniversary party, or the party of your choice with up to 150 guests. The conference center is fully equipped to provide you with all of your culinary delights whether it be breakfast, lunch, dinner or just party snacks.

The Highlander Inn is also a great way to get a good nights rest before your early morning flight without the early morning hassles of driving to the airport by providing a stay and park rate. The Highlander provides you with free shuttle service to and from the airport which is only one half mile away. 

The Highlander also offers the Highlander Airport Parking and Shuttle Service - the only parking facility at the airport that offers reservations for parking while you are traveling. The parking services are first class and at discounted prices in parking lots that are safe and secure. They also provide luggage assistance and 24-hour shuttle service. 

If you live in the Manchester area, take advantage of your opportunity to rekindle your prior experiences with the Highlander by spending the night.  The lobby of the Highlander has some great historical photo’s of the property on display.

REMEMBER that the Highlander Inn and Conference Center will be closing on December 31, 2011.  BUT until then it is business as usual, and they will continue to provide the excellent guest customer service that they are well noted for.

Maple Sugaring in New Hampshire

Betty's Travel Planning Tips

Submitted by: Betty Gagne, Granite State Ambassador, First in the Nation Class 1999 & Customer Service Assistant NH Division of Travel & Tourism Development

Granite State Ambassadors Visited Rock Estates in April 2010

Aaaaah, spring. You know it’s here when you start seeing buckets and tubing attached to sugar maple trees in your travels – the cold nights and warm days are generating the sap flow, which will be boiled down and turned into rich and delicious maple syrup. It’s part of New Hampshire’s tradition, and this year’s Maple Weekend will be held on March 19th and 20th. This is a big deal in the Granite State, as more than 80 maple sugar houses will be open for authentic gathering of the sap, sap-boiling demonstrations, and - best of all – hot pancake breakfasts featuring warm and sweet New Hampshire maple syrup.

Granite State Ambassadors learning about sugaring in April 2010

Did you know that the maple industry in New Hampshire produces close to 90,000 gallons of maple syrup a year? Even more amazing is that it takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. We hope you will visit a sugar house during the maple season and learn for yourself just how this ancient tradition is carried on. For locations of maple sugar houses and a calendar of events, please visit the New Hampshire Maple Producers website.

Through our website, you can search for special maple sugar themed lodging packages. Our website also has a wonderful family-oriented maple sugaring itinerary written from a child’s point of view that describes a warm and welcoming visit to a maple sugaring farm during spring.

Sweet travels!