Portsmouth , New Hampshire
A thriving food scene , cultural sites and plenty of outdoor activities beckon in this bustling seaport city rich in history . BY DANA LAVERTY
F or 400 years , portsmouth , new hampshire , has been a bustling maritime hub at the mouth of the Piscataqua River , roiled and buoyed by the economic tides of shipbuilding and commerce . Luckily for us , the region has been on an upswing as of late , and a two-hour drive on Interstate 95 will reward travelers with hundreds of options for a quick getaway . Here are some of our favorite spots to scope out in the Seacoast Region .
TUESDAY AFTERNOON : We check in to the Residence Inn by Marriott Portsmouth Downtown / Waterfront ( marriott . com ), our home base for the next two days . We have just enough time to peep the spacious digs — our suite is equipped with a kitchen , spacious seating area and a super-comfy king bed — before our growling stomachs lead us in search of lunch . OK , make that brunch : the Friendly Toast ( thefriendlytoast . com ), a regional chain , serves some of the finest breakfast foods around . I have an egg white scramble with
cheddar cheese and Sriracha and thick , fluffy sourdough toast , while my boyfriend , Kurt , digs into New Hampshire ’ s Finest Scramble with goat cheese , bacon and asparagus .
Afterward , we walk a few short blocks to the Strawbery Banke Museum ( strawberybanke . org ), a living history museum filled with thirty-two buildings saved from the wrecking ball that show what life was like in Portsmouth from 1695 to 1954 . We learn from actors in period costume , including a charming store owner whose sons were serving overseas during World War II , how people lived and worked through various time periods . Luckily for history buffs like us , the tickets are good for two consecutive days , so you can make sure to take in everything , including period gardens , workshops , homes and a working tavern .
TUESDAY EVENING : After all this history , we ’ re ready for some serious shopping . The Market Square area has been the heart of downtown
52 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l SEPTEMBER 2023