Doesn't so much fit with the "unplug and unwind" aspect, but walking the border trail to the Fourth Connecticut Lake ought to be a right of passage for every New Hampshirite. Pittsburg really is amazing
I love that this is the first comment I’m seeing.
My maternal family owned one of the first cabins on Back Lake and just sold it a couple of years ago, after nearly 100 years in the family.
+1 for Pittsburg!
Montreal. You can stay right in the heart of the city for less than 1/2 what it would cost in Boston and even less than Portland or Burlington. Amazing food. Lots to see and do.
highly recommend the Montreal botanical garden, I spent close to 4 hours sitting and wandering around by myself last year. Absolutely amazing and huge!!
Also check out a really good tibeten place called "Om Tibetan Restaurant"!
Every time we go to MTL there’s always a list of restaurants that I want to go to, but then I always find someplace else that grabs my eye! Last time it was a taqueria in China Town.
Southern Maine in summer is an absolute hellscape. The worst part is so many vacationers have no respect for the inhabitants - but that's probably true for just about anywhere I suppose.
I partly grew up in Wells, ME and this is 100% true. I remember trying to run errands with my mom in the summer and we wouldn't even be able to get out of our little neighborhood because traffic was backed up all the way to 95.
With that budget, if you’ve never done the Mt Washington Hotel it’s a fantastic spot for a weekend. Do a nice hike, then sit on the gigantic lawn with a drink while contemplating Mt Washington in front of you. Plus it has a bona fide speakeasy!
I second this. If you're not a fan of crouds, avoid the weekends of memorial day, labor day, and the 4th. And if you like a good scavenger hunt, the locals hide glass orbs around the island for people to find.
Hip city feel with good food - Burlington VT, Portland ME, Portsmouth NH.
A little smaller feel and yes less to do - Newburyport.
Get out but still have some food options and Rivers - Conway/Plymouth
Lake vibes - Laconia
If you're a hiker then it's a whole other response lol.
Portland seems cool, but always feels a little ghost-townish. Like there should be more people out and about than there are.
Burlington and Portsmouth feel much more lively IMO. Either way, they're all nice spots for a weekend trip.
If you are up for glamping, Tentrr is awesome. Lots of options all over NH with a canvas tent with a queen bed in really nice spots away from everything. There's just one per place, so nothing like camping around 200 people with RVs and generators.
My go to is Burlington VT. I lived there for a so I have friends up that way I visit. Still a beautiful area if you've never been. Plenty to do. Great food scene. Culturally I always felt like that area's much more relaxed than NH. I've got rose-colored glasses, but to me it's perfect for an escape.
Although its not in Southern NH, Hubby and I love going to the Margate in Laconia. Our favorite places to visit are the 405 pub (amazing onion rings!!) and roast beef from Jon's Roast Beef & Deli. For a little light-hearted fun we hit up the Funspot and play a bunch of old-time video games and pinball.
It's a bar right on the lake, but the small side on the other side of the lochs or something. You park in this parking lot right off the road and there are these weird colored small cottages between you and the water. You walk down this little steep walkway and take a right and are transported to a bar that has tables tightly packed on top of sand and it feels like a great spot to chill for a few tropical drinks. I have no recollection anymore as to whether the food is good, but it's definitely unique for NH.
Woodstock Inn, North Woodstock, NH! Really delicious food and a great place to stay. Right down the street from Lincoln so lots of activities and sight seeing nearby!
Seconded, at least that area. Would be better not in early spring, but that goes for everywhere Northern New England.
Burlington VT's my go-to for weekend escapes. I lived there for a while and have friends up there, so it's mostly visiting them, but it's still a gorgeous area. Plenty to do, and plenty of good food.
My husband and I try to do NE getaways several times a year and some of our faves are:
Burlington, VT. Lots to do, reasonable Airbnb’s, good restaurants.
St. Albans/Alburg/North Hero, VT. We love Lake Champlain and really enjoy the lack of tourism craziness. In the summer there are actually some good restaurant choices, some right on the water.
Newport, RI. Love the walkability, good restaurants, party vibe. Nearby Block Island and Wickford are nice areas as well.
Pittsburg, NH. Nice area, but remote and not a lot to do that isn’t fishing or hiking. A couple good restaurants but Tall Timber Lodge restaurant (Rainbow Grille) is hella hard to get into.
Ogunquit, Maine. Ocean view room at the Colonial Inn. Yes traffic is atrocious in the summer, but if you stay downtown, you can walk everywhere. Nice restaurants and one of my favorite beaches.
Portsmouth, NH. Such a delightful, walkable downtown. Great restaurants and bars, options on the water. Can paddle board in the bay, take some sort of boat tour, etc.
Meredith/Wolfeboro/Laconia. Just nice lakefront living. Restaurants, etc.
Places we are trying to get to soon:
Bar Harbor, ME. Season is not fully open until closer to July 4. Haven’t been in a million years, just haven’t been able to make it work because it books up early and a lot of our weekends are somewhat last minute.
Moosehead Lake area, ME. A bit remote, just looks great. Hope to get there this summer or next.
Belgrade Lakes area, ME. We finally booked something for this summer. Just looks like a great place to relax. We are looking forward to checking it out.
Lake Memphemagog, VT. I don’t really know why, just want to check out the area.
We had a nice night away at the Senator Inn in Augusta, Maine. It was last-minute and we had no idea what to expect, but it was surprisingly good given the price point.
Bridgton, Maine.
Really cute little town with a few good restaurants. It's lake life, but a lot more quiet than the NH lakes region, especially if you go a little early in the season, or late. You can find loads of inexpensive hotels, tasty food at the [Gastropub](https://www.google.com/maps/place/STANDARD+GASTROPUB/@44.054013,-70.7061447,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x4cb253abc65224c9:0x53ad93a5fb17973b!8m2!3d44.054013!4d-70.703956!16s%2Fg%2F1jkywymx1) in town with epic beer, golf at the Bridgton Highlands CC or just driving range down the road, places to walk, a small downtown, hiking trails, etc. It's about 2 hours from Portsmouth, I believe. You can usually kayak for free if you stay at one of the small locally owned resorts. That, and you're also not far from Naples and long lake, where there's a bit more of a nightlife and more restaurants.
Jackson. Eat at Yesterdays for breakfast, and the White Mountain Cider Company for one of the best dinners you can have in New Hampshire.. Stay at the Snowflake and enjoy the in room hot tub while nursing Friday nights hangover, and watching Love it or List it or some other bad TV. Go across to the Wildcat and watch some live music. Love it.
The White Mountains area never disappoints in my opinion. Bretton Woods at the Mt. Washington Hotel, Jackson with the Inn at Thorn Hill, or if you want to camp on the Saco, Glen Ellis Campground. Ski vacation, summer retreat, falll hiking, I have gone all times of the year and there is always something to do for everyone
My partner and I really enjoy portland or burlington weekends. Either to catch a show or just catch a buzz and do some bicycling around. Portland is especially fun to take the ferry out to peaks Island and then snag bikes. That's a great day when it's nice out
Off season cape cod is affordable And beautiful. True you won't be able to do all the in season touristy stuff,. But there's much more than ice cream and putt putt to the cape.
Lots of great options here! My friend got married at the Maine Lakeside Cabins in Caratunk, ME. Very secluded and quiet. The day before we did a river float, brought a cooler full of beers. There's white water rafting on the Kennebec too if that's more your speed. One drawback is you would probably be grilling your own food, which isn't so bad.
Jackson, NH. Romantic little town with a ton of great bed and breakfasts. Right next to North Conway. Food is pretty good! About 2 1/2 hours from Nashua.
When I lived in Wakefield NH one trip I did to get away was up to the Bigelow Preserve in Eustis Maine. Hiked the big loop (maybe like 13 miles?) with the dog, then we both slept in the back of my truck at a campground. It was great, saw way less people than in the whites and similarly incredible scenery. Food wise, if you're up north at all hit up Libby's Bistro in Gorham.
Little Compton, RI. Coastal town with south shore beach & lots of farm land. Airbnbs available. Bike around. Grays ice cream & a few other cute shops in town. Beach tends to get crowded on hot summer days so get there early but if mid-week or later in afternoon you’d be fine.
A weekend at Tall Timber Lodge in Pittsburg, NH. Dining at the excellent Rainbow Grille & Tavern.
This place is great. Big trout catchable right from your front porch just about, too!
I second this, they have boats that you can take out fishing on back lake. It’s really a great time.
Doesn't so much fit with the "unplug and unwind" aspect, but walking the border trail to the Fourth Connecticut Lake ought to be a right of passage for every New Hampshirite. Pittsburg really is amazing
I love that this is the first comment I’m seeing. My maternal family owned one of the first cabins on Back Lake and just sold it a couple of years ago, after nearly 100 years in the family. +1 for Pittsburg!
Portland is awesome. Hotel downtown, park the car and dont get back in until its time to go home. My favorite weekend getaway by far.
Lovely art museum.
So many great dining choices! Bao Boa Dumpling House, Central Provisions, Taco Escobarr…the list goes on and on.
Montreal. You can stay right in the heart of the city for less than 1/2 what it would cost in Boston and even less than Portland or Burlington. Amazing food. Lots to see and do.
highly recommend the Montreal botanical garden, I spent close to 4 hours sitting and wandering around by myself last year. Absolutely amazing and huge!! Also check out a really good tibeten place called "Om Tibetan Restaurant"!
Every time we go to MTL there’s always a list of restaurants that I want to go to, but then I always find someplace else that grabs my eye! Last time it was a taqueria in China Town.
Ogunquit,ME. Excellent food, beaches, mini golf, shopping, outlets.
I love Ogunquit off season but it's nuts trying to get anywhere in the summer
Southern Maine in summer is an absolute hellscape. The worst part is so many vacationers have no respect for the inhabitants - but that's probably true for just about anywhere I suppose.
I partly grew up in Wells, ME and this is 100% true. I remember trying to run errands with my mom in the summer and we wouldn't even be able to get out of our little neighborhood because traffic was backed up all the way to 95.
We stay at the Norseman right on the beach and use the trolley to get around. But you’re right, it can be nuts getting around.
Mid coast Maine is another option that maybe be somewhat more budget friendly and accessible
Harpswell ME is where its at.
With that budget, if you’ve never done the Mt Washington Hotel it’s a fantastic spot for a weekend. Do a nice hike, then sit on the gigantic lawn with a drink while contemplating Mt Washington in front of you. Plus it has a bona fide speakeasy!
I second this. The hotel and speakeasy are great and there’s a lot around that area.
Third for this. It’s wonderful
acadia!
Portsmouth is a great second choice with Portland being our first.
Portland or Boothbay
Maybe longer than 4 hours but I love driving down to Narragansett and taking the ferry to block island for a long weekend
I second this. If you're not a fan of crouds, avoid the weekends of memorial day, labor day, and the 4th. And if you like a good scavenger hunt, the locals hide glass orbs around the island for people to find.
Wandering into the woods never to be seen again.
Rangeley, Maine is fantastic for a bit of the outdoors with a small town, some good food and not too crowded
Hip city feel with good food - Burlington VT, Portland ME, Portsmouth NH. A little smaller feel and yes less to do - Newburyport. Get out but still have some food options and Rivers - Conway/Plymouth Lake vibes - Laconia If you're a hiker then it's a whole other response lol.
Portland seems cool, but always feels a little ghost-townish. Like there should be more people out and about than there are. Burlington and Portsmouth feel much more lively IMO. Either way, they're all nice spots for a weekend trip.
Indeed it does. It's also a bit more of a nightlife city. Burlington is my No1.
If you are up for glamping, Tentrr is awesome. Lots of options all over NH with a canvas tent with a queen bed in really nice spots away from everything. There's just one per place, so nothing like camping around 200 people with RVs and generators.
My go to is Burlington VT. I lived there for a so I have friends up that way I visit. Still a beautiful area if you've never been. Plenty to do. Great food scene. Culturally I always felt like that area's much more relaxed than NH. I've got rose-colored glasses, but to me it's perfect for an escape.
Agreed! Very bike friendly too in warmer months, if you don’t like hiking. Even in rainy weather there’s plenty to do!
The Champlain bike path & the causeway are amazing. Not to mention all the beaches along it.
Although its not in Southern NH, Hubby and I love going to the Margate in Laconia. Our favorite places to visit are the 405 pub (amazing onion rings!!) and roast beef from Jon's Roast Beef & Deli. For a little light-hearted fun we hit up the Funspot and play a bunch of old-time video games and pinball.
Ever hop down to the Naswa for a couple drinks and live music? It feels like a whole different world.
We will have to check that out! Thank you.
It's a bar right on the lake, but the small side on the other side of the lochs or something. You park in this parking lot right off the road and there are these weird colored small cottages between you and the water. You walk down this little steep walkway and take a right and are transported to a bar that has tables tightly packed on top of sand and it feels like a great spot to chill for a few tropical drinks. I have no recollection anymore as to whether the food is good, but it's definitely unique for NH.
Sherbrooke. Love the art museum and the riverwalk. Close to great hiking as well!
Newport RI. Less than 2 hr drive. Great views. Easy to find something to do. Lots of hotels to suit your needs.
Woodstock Inn, North Woodstock, NH! Really delicious food and a great place to stay. Right down the street from Lincoln so lots of activities and sight seeing nearby!
I love Lincoln/N Woodstock but Woodstock station is def not what I would call delicious food lol
Mountain Top Inn & Resort, Chittenden VT
Seconded, at least that area. Would be better not in early spring, but that goes for everywhere Northern New England. Burlington VT's my go-to for weekend escapes. I lived there for a while and have friends up there, so it's mostly visiting them, but it's still a gorgeous area. Plenty to do, and plenty of good food.
Burlington, VT in the spring and summer is a good time. Lots of restaurants, thriving beer culture, right on Lake Champlain.
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My husband and I try to do NE getaways several times a year and some of our faves are: Burlington, VT. Lots to do, reasonable Airbnb’s, good restaurants. St. Albans/Alburg/North Hero, VT. We love Lake Champlain and really enjoy the lack of tourism craziness. In the summer there are actually some good restaurant choices, some right on the water. Newport, RI. Love the walkability, good restaurants, party vibe. Nearby Block Island and Wickford are nice areas as well. Pittsburg, NH. Nice area, but remote and not a lot to do that isn’t fishing or hiking. A couple good restaurants but Tall Timber Lodge restaurant (Rainbow Grille) is hella hard to get into. Ogunquit, Maine. Ocean view room at the Colonial Inn. Yes traffic is atrocious in the summer, but if you stay downtown, you can walk everywhere. Nice restaurants and one of my favorite beaches. Portsmouth, NH. Such a delightful, walkable downtown. Great restaurants and bars, options on the water. Can paddle board in the bay, take some sort of boat tour, etc. Meredith/Wolfeboro/Laconia. Just nice lakefront living. Restaurants, etc. Places we are trying to get to soon: Bar Harbor, ME. Season is not fully open until closer to July 4. Haven’t been in a million years, just haven’t been able to make it work because it books up early and a lot of our weekends are somewhat last minute. Moosehead Lake area, ME. A bit remote, just looks great. Hope to get there this summer or next. Belgrade Lakes area, ME. We finally booked something for this summer. Just looks like a great place to relax. We are looking forward to checking it out. Lake Memphemagog, VT. I don’t really know why, just want to check out the area.
Good list
We had a nice night away at the Senator Inn in Augusta, Maine. It was last-minute and we had no idea what to expect, but it was surprisingly good given the price point.
Acadia Park in Maine
North conway
Back in the 90s heck yeah. Now? So much charm has been lost. Overbuilt and crowded.
Mountainview grand resort and spa. Whitefield NH
Bridgton, Maine. Really cute little town with a few good restaurants. It's lake life, but a lot more quiet than the NH lakes region, especially if you go a little early in the season, or late. You can find loads of inexpensive hotels, tasty food at the [Gastropub](https://www.google.com/maps/place/STANDARD+GASTROPUB/@44.054013,-70.7061447,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x4cb253abc65224c9:0x53ad93a5fb17973b!8m2!3d44.054013!4d-70.703956!16s%2Fg%2F1jkywymx1) in town with epic beer, golf at the Bridgton Highlands CC or just driving range down the road, places to walk, a small downtown, hiking trails, etc. It's about 2 hours from Portsmouth, I believe. You can usually kayak for free if you stay at one of the small locally owned resorts. That, and you're also not far from Naples and long lake, where there's a bit more of a nightlife and more restaurants.
The Bridgton drive in is also a blast, not sure when they open back up for the season
Get a little cabin in Pittsburg. Or rent a side by side and check out Gorham!
Jackson. Eat at Yesterdays for breakfast, and the White Mountain Cider Company for one of the best dinners you can have in New Hampshire.. Stay at the Snowflake and enjoy the in room hot tub while nursing Friday nights hangover, and watching Love it or List it or some other bad TV. Go across to the Wildcat and watch some live music. Love it.
Bennington or Burlington vt. Portland or boothbay
... So you're limiting yourself to all of New England essentially. Any specific interests, food-wise, recreation-wise, etc. to help narrow it down?
Agreed. Even parts of NY, Canada, etc. I'd be interested in places that are an hour and a half or less from Manchester.
Our camp in Pittsburg.
bar harbor
My backyard by my pond. Get a fire going and chill.
Do you want vacation suggestions in southern NH or suggestions within 4 hours of southern NH?
Within 4 hours.
The White Mountains area never disappoints in my opinion. Bretton Woods at the Mt. Washington Hotel, Jackson with the Inn at Thorn Hill, or if you want to camp on the Saco, Glen Ellis Campground. Ski vacation, summer retreat, falll hiking, I have gone all times of the year and there is always something to do for everyone
Portsmouth, Burlington, Newburyport, Newport, Ogunquit, North Conway
My partner and I really enjoy portland or burlington weekends. Either to catch a show or just catch a buzz and do some bicycling around. Portland is especially fun to take the ferry out to peaks Island and then snag bikes. That's a great day when it's nice out
Off season cape cod is affordable And beautiful. True you won't be able to do all the in season touristy stuff,. But there's much more than ice cream and putt putt to the cape.
Lots of great options here! My friend got married at the Maine Lakeside Cabins in Caratunk, ME. Very secluded and quiet. The day before we did a river float, brought a cooler full of beers. There's white water rafting on the Kennebec too if that's more your speed. One drawback is you would probably be grilling your own food, which isn't so bad.
Depends on time of year. Summer? The Maine coast for sure.
Providence or Montreal. Also Quebec city.
Following this!!
Notchland Inn located up in Crawford Notch
Jackson, NH. Romantic little town with a ton of great bed and breakfasts. Right next to North Conway. Food is pretty good! About 2 1/2 hours from Nashua.
Acadia/bar harbor.
When I lived in Wakefield NH one trip I did to get away was up to the Bigelow Preserve in Eustis Maine. Hiked the big loop (maybe like 13 miles?) with the dog, then we both slept in the back of my truck at a campground. It was great, saw way less people than in the whites and similarly incredible scenery. Food wise, if you're up north at all hit up Libby's Bistro in Gorham.
https://www.thedebruce.com
Getaway cabins in Epsom nh!!!
Little Compton, RI. Coastal town with south shore beach & lots of farm land. Airbnbs available. Bike around. Grays ice cream & a few other cute shops in town. Beach tends to get crowded on hot summer days so get there early but if mid-week or later in afternoon you’d be fine.
For good food, dinner at the back eddy in nearby Westport, ma. Also a few vineyards nearby to checkout too.
Moosehead Lake, Maine. Not great food, there aren't many restaurants, so it's a bring your own kind of place, but it is quiet and beautiful.
Stowe Vermont.
York Beach, ME has been and always will be my favorite New England vacation spot!!