Sight Seeing in Portsmouth, New Hampshire – July 2016
Our company holds a get-together once a year in order to celebrate our accomplishments and reconnect with co-workers in a fun environment as well as build up team camaraderie and rapport. We have done this in different cities in the past years, including Washington DC, Denver, Austin and Las Vegas. Last year, our company meeting was held at Portsmouth, New Hampshire! We went there in the Summer, July 2016, which is one of the prettiest times of the year to visit! It’s located in the East Coast, in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, USA. Portsmouth is said to be the third oldest city in the country!
This is a historic city and is regarded as one of the best places to live. It is noted for its restaurants, attractions with cultural significance and sight-seeing for visitors. It’s a popular summer destination for tourists primarily for its historic seaport. It is also known for its shopping malls and outlets.
We stayed in a hotel in downtown Portsmouth, Hampton Inn, which has a fantastic location and highly accessible because its surrounded by a lot of nice restaurants, bars and shops. Best of all, you can take a 10-minute walk to the harbor from where the boats departs. Our Team had the privilege of being treated to the Isles of Shoals Cruise. This is a two and a half hour cruise which departs from the Portsmouth Harbor and from where you will see the legendary islands off the coast, as well as landmarks including the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse and Portsmouth Naval Prison.
The cruise was fun and relaxing and you can feel the fresh sea breeze to compliment the sun’s warmth! This is best enjoyed when you bring your snacks, sandwiches and drinks. You can refresh yourself and sit back and relax to enjoy the view! There is a narrator aboard as well, who will give the tourists the background and history of the surrounding buildings and islands.
In the afternoon, after we finished our meeting, my family and I had a chance to stroll around the harbor from the other side wherein you can have a great view of the ships and have refreshments as well. There you can find an old restaurant called Old Ferry Landing, which is a popular landmark in the city. In this area, you will also see the City Seal which is embedded on the harbor dock.
That evening, we joined our Team for dinner in this restaurant called, Martingale Wharf which has a fantastic view of the sea and provides an option to dine outside by the water. Of course, I had to order the celebrated “New England Clam Chowder” and the traditional lobster roll served in a hotdog shaped bun and salad, which was exceptionally delicious and tasty! As an added treat, we saw ships sailing towards the harbor in the middle of dinner, which made it an even more unique dining experience!
We were also lucky to have the chance to pass through this cool street with cute little shops that sell unique and vintage clothes and decorations. At the end of the street, you will find the North Church, another famous landmark in Portsmouth.
Alas, it was time to leave this precious city! On our way out driving to Boston, we saw that the USS Albacore Museum was nearby. Thus, we spared a few minutes exploring this research submarine which according to their website was “designed by the Navy to test experimental features used in modern submarines. Today Albacore has been preserved and opened to the public.” The kids were very fortunate to see this up close! 
There is still much to see in Portsmouth! When we return, we hope to see the Prescott Park, a 10+ acre waterfront park along the Piscataqua River and hosts outdoor Broadway plays for families in the summer months, the Strawberry Banke Museum, an outdoor history museum located at the South of Portsmouth, and the Moffatt-Ladd House and Garden, a museum and home of General William Whipple, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, as we only had a glimpse of its facade. Wentworth by the Sea, a historic grand hotel located by the seacoast, also looked like a fascinating place to visit!
See you again Portsmouth! Are you looking for destinations to visit during Summer? You may want to plan a trip to Portsmouth, New Hamspire!
Things To Do in Portsmouth
There are a lot of interesting places and activities in Portsmouth…
- Isles of Shoals
- American Independence Museum
- Children’s Museum of New Hampshire
- Discover Portsmouth
- Great Bay Discovery Center
- Gundalow Company
- Hampton Beach
- Nubble Cape Neddick Lighthouse
- Prescott Park & Arts Festival
- Seacoast Science Center & Helicopters
- Strawbery Banke Museum
- The Music Hall
- USS Albacore Museum
- The Dance Hall, Kittery
- Water Country
Where to Stay in Portsmouth
Hotel #1
Hampton Inn & Suites Portsmouth Downtown
Located in the heart of Portsmouth, this hotel is 0.2 mi (0.2 km) from Music Hall and 3.1 mi (5 km) from Fort Constitution Historical Site. Discover Portsmouth and John Paul Jones House Museum are also within 5 minutes. Courtesy breakfast, Swimming pool, High-speed Internet.
Hotel #2
Holiday Inn Portsmouth Downtown
Situated in Portsmouth, this hotel is 0.4 mi (0.6 km) from Shawnee State University and within 6 mi (10 km) of Philip Moore Jr. Stone House and Earl Thomas Conley Riverside Park. Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant and Piketon Mounds are also within 25 mi (40 km). Swimming pool, High-speed Internet.
Hotel #3
Located in Cosham, this hotel is within 9 mi (15 km) of Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, and Spinnaker Tower. Swimming pool, High-speed Internet.
Hotel #4
Situated in Portsmouth, this hotel is 0 mi (0 km) from Rundlet-May House and 3 mi (4.8 km) from Fort Constitution Historical Site. John Paul Jones House Museum and Discover Portsmouth are also within 5 minutes. High-speed Internet, Courtesy breakfast.
Hotel #5
Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel
Situated on the banks of the Piscataqua River overlooking Portsmouth’s working harbor and beyond, to the Maine coast, the hotel is two blocks from Market Square, the heart of historic Portsmouth. Swimming pool, High-speed Internet.
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How to Get to Portsmouth
New Hampshire’s most frequented airport is the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. It is located three miles south of the Manchester business district.
If you’re already in the US, a typical flight non-stop flight from the West Coast, i.e., San Francisco to Boston takes 5 hours and a half hours and costs around $400 during the summer months.
From Asia, ie Japan Narita International Airport, a non-stop flight takes around 13 hours and would cost around $1,300.
From the UK, ie London Heathrow International Airport, a non-stop flight is around 7.5 hours and costs around $900.
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New England’s Best Trips – New Hampshire (6.318Mb), 3rd Edition Feb 2017 by Lonely Planet
New England’s Best Trips, 3rd Edition Feb 2017 by Lonely Planet
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