Currier Museum of Art
Day 1: You can’t fit everything you’d want to do in the Greater Manchester area into just one day, so we’ll just have to hit some highlight offerings. Tucker’s is a popular breakfast place, open in Hooksett and Bedford. Popular places to visit include the Currier Museum of Art and the Zimmerman House, Millyard Museum, and the SEE Science Center. You can fish, kayak, canoe or sail on Massabesic Lake. Your evening could include a show at the Palace Theatre, a game at the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, our a trip to Muse Paint Bar. Dining options are voluminous, including area vineyards and breweries, like LaBelle Winery, Candia Vineyards, Great North Aleworks and Stark Brewing.
Yankee Cannonball
Day 2: The kids will probably want a day for non-stop fun, and the options for family fun are huge in the City Region. Canobie Lake Park in Salem has rides, games, shows and a water park. Mel’s Funway in Litchfield has classic miniature golf, batting cages, go-karts and has added new attractions in recent years. There’s also Candia Springs water park in Candia and Chuckster’s in Chichester with miniature golf, ropes course and more. Popular ice cream stops are Ben & Jerry’s in downtown Manchester, the Puritan in the North End, Goldenrod take-out window on Candia Road, Cremeland Drive-In, and Sub Zero Ice Cream.
Scenic Railriders
Day 3: If you’ll be in the Concord area, book a time with Scenic Railriders and pedal a railbike on the railroad tracks. It’s a short drive to Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury, or consider an afternoon at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, which also includes a planetarium. Families can tour the State House and find lots of great dining options near downtown including The Barley House, The Common Man, T-Bones and Nonna’s Place. The Capitol Center for Arts and Chubb Theatre have a full slate of concerts and shows all summer long. Satisfy the ice cream craving at Sunday’s on Main Street, Arnie’s Place on Loudon Road or Frekey’s Dairy Freeze on Fisherville Road.
Sky Venture NH
Day 4: The city of Nashua recently celebrated the opening of the Nashua Center for the Arts, which has a full slate of shows ready for this summer. Nashua is well known for its arts and culture scene as it’s home to Symphony NH, The Actorsingers, The Peacock Players, the Nashua Community Concert Association and more. Adventure seekers might enjoy a scenic ride from CR Helicopters in Nashua or SkyVenture, offering indoor skydiving and surfing. Check the schedule for the Nashua Silver Knights baseball team for day and evening games. Don’t forget about live events: Taste of Downtown Nashua on June 7 and visiting the Nashua Farmers Market.
Tuscan Village
Day 5: Salem has become quite the shopping destination for Southern New Hampshire. The Mall at Rockingham Park has stayed busy and full of stores, and the nearby Tuscan Village multi-use property has brought in many new stores and restaurants (visit tuscanvillagesalem.com). A couple of different outdoors places you can bring the kids include America’s Stonehenge and Field of Dreams Park. For nightime entertainment, consider the short ride up to Derry to catch a concert at Tupelo Music Hall. Good places for breakfast include Sammy J’s Breakfast Cafe on Main Street in Salem and Gourmet Bites Cafe, located on North Broadway. For your afternoon or evening ice cream treat, consider Findeisen’s Ice Cream, Hawksie’s Ice Cream and JayGee’s Ice Cream.
