The Daytrip Diaries: Portsmouth, NH

We really made a point to squeeze every minute out of summer this year.

As excited as we were for our Eurotrip, we knew that the leaves would have turned and the temperatures would have dropped by the time we returned at the end of September. So instead of being responsible adults and packing and planning for 10 days overseas, we hopped in the car on our last real Saturday of summer and drove up to Portsmouth, NH to send off our New England summer.

Portsmouth is one of those towns everyone has been telling me I’d love for years; yet embarrassingly and admittedly, this was my first time there. And now I get why y’all have been bugging me about it for so long. The houses! The city along the seacoast! The outdoor drinking dining!

I’ve always thought that people who walk around gardens taking a million photos of flowers are on the same level as crazy cat ladies, but that was me in Prescott Park. Are crazy flower ladies a thing? Because I guess I’m turning into one.

And as I’m sure you’ve guessed, photos don’t even begin to do the trial gardens justice.

Oh, and, there was a lighthouse.

Unsurprising since its coastline is teeny tiny, Portsmouth Harbor Light is New Hampshire’s only mainland lighthouse. The fact that it’s currently maintained by the Coastguard makes getting to it as much fun as seeing it; these guys don’t take 90% of their visitors being middle-aged tourists as an excuse to take security lightly, and I haven’t been that nervous about stepping off a guided line since I was under 21 in an Atlantic City casino.

But if you’re visiting, don’t fret. Keep your head down, mouth shut, and follow the signs and the path. There is a LIGHT at the end of the fort tunnel har har har.

[ travel summary ]
who:: We should really just nix this line from the questionnaire because by now you all must know that the only person I can get to accompany me on these trips is my husband, as none of my friends want to wait for me to Instagram their food before they can start eating it, or sneak through Coast Guard stations and trample through Revolutionary War-era forts to see lighthouses. MJF doesn’t appreciate this either, but he’s now legally bound.
what:: I’m not saying it’s a metropolis, but it’s a city goshdarnit, and there’s no shortage of things to do. While I know many of you may be happy wandering gardens or strolling streets and taking photos of innocent neighbor’s nautical doorknockers for hours just like I am, there’s also countless harborside restaurants, shops in Market Square, coffee shops, museums, and music venues.
when:: We wrapped up summer in Portsmouth, but there’s nothing like that New Hampshire fall foliage…
where:: Nauti home gifts and souvenirs for all ages at Tugboat Alley, afternoon brews at Portsmouth Brewery, seafood and cocktails on the deck at River House, ice cream at Annabelle’s.
wear:: I’m wearin’ Packable Bow Sunhat, Tuckernuck | Boat Neck Sweater, Aerie [similar] | Eyelet Skirt, Jack Wills [similar 1; 2] | Vintage Coach Purse [similar].

Where to next adventurers?

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