"New Hampshire" a New Hampshire Travel Page by betsymarvin

Just north of Boston, the old seafarers' town of Portsmouth is filled with historic buildings, a bustling harbor, a charming downtown center, and an outdoor museum collection of old structures, Strawbery Banke (sic).
The countryside, now being developed, as Bostonians move north along the coast, lies amid bays, ponds and rivers, a sailor's paradise. Villages, some quaint, some suburban, dot the landscape, and lanes wander through woods, fields, farms and exurban development.
One day, driving out to a point along the river, we saw a flock of wild turkeys, calmly harvesting their lunch in a newly mown acre.
Downtown Portsmouth, with shops, cafes and other old buildings, provides a pleasant stroll, and nearby lie several historic homes available for tours.
We found the Moffat-Ladd House museum especially interesting. Built in 1763 by Gen John Whipple, the imposing Georgian home has an equally impressive garden. When Gen. Whipple returned in 1776 from signing the Declaration of Independence, he planted one of the country’s first horse chestnut trees, and it stands yet today, aside the house. Leading from the lower garden up to a terrace is an unusual set of grass steps, now barred from public access.
More than a fourth of the main floor of the house is a Great Hall, with exquisite staircase and figured French 1820 wallpaper. Throughout may be found original furnishings, including locally crafted furniture and London-made Chinese Chippendale pieces.

Here, on the site of one of the oldest neighborhoods along the New Hampshire coast, Puddle Dock, a large number of vintage buildings have been restored to their various periods, ranging from the mid-20th c. back to 1620.