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No one from outside the state knows quite what to make of
New Hampshire; tucked up in
the northeast region of the
country between the more famously
bucolic states of Vermont
and Maine, it doesn't really
have an easily defined identity.
The state shows up once every
four years on the national
radar screen because of its
first-in-the-nation presidential
primary, though the Iowa caucuses
have managed to steal a little
of the Yankee state's thunder
in that regard. Everybody
outside the state thought
us native-born New Hampshirites
were nuts when the Old Man
in the Mountains, that wonderfully
distinctive Great Stone Face
in Franconia Notch, succumbed
to centuries of erosion and
the cold, and we mourned his
passing as if he were a beloved
family member - which he was,
a sort of spiritual guardian
watching over us protectively,
now gone forever. We show
up on the news once in a while
when some crackpot goes on
a crime spree and then heads
for Canada, generally right
up the middle of the state
on I93, and ends up getting
caught somewhere around Colebrook.
Other than those odd happenings,
the state doesn't really figure
largely in the national consciousness.
Too bad. The little state
has a lot to offer. An odd
mixture of industrial and
rural landscape, the mostly
landlocked state boasts a
ten-mile stretch of coastline
featuring the carnival atmosphere,
in the summer anyway, of Hampton
Beach, and other more quiet
beaches like Rye. Further
inland, Manchester features
a mixture of old brick factory
buildings and more modern
architecture, with spectacular
mall shopping opportunities
as well as more cultural offerings
ranging from galleries to
nightclubs and including the
Verizon Wireless Arena, site
of sports competition and
other events, including bands
on tour nationally. The city
also boasts its own international
airport, a sensible alternative
to congested Logan in Boston.
Nearby Nashua, the birthplace
of the PC (personal computer),
has Massachusetts-style residential
and commercial sprawl, also
with lots of places to shop,
and an ever-growing housing
market. To the west, the Monadnock
Region operates at a slower
pace than the industrial center,
but has its own thriving tourist
trade, with plenty of bed-and-breakfasts,
lakes for swimming and boating,
covered bridges, and cultural
events, from summer theatre
to concerts on town commons.
This area of New Hampshire
has traditionally been a favorite
for people with the means
to "summer" in the region
- the "summer people", the
vernacular calls them, or
more recently, "flatlanders".
Heading north, the traveler
heads through Concord, the
state capital, and within
an hour comes to the Lakes
region, with the largest lake,
Winnepesaukee, a magnet for
tourists. It and the surrounding
smaller lakes, formed eons
ago by glacial activity, offer
a lively summer culture, with
boating, fishing, swimming,
and plenty of summer events.
Further north still are the
astonishing White Mountains,
tall, jagged mountains reminiscent
of the European Alps which
stretch almost across the
entire middle of the state
from west to east. Popular
in summer, they're packed
in the winter with skiers
looking for challenging ski
conditions. Some areas, like
Waterville Valley, host ski
events with Olympic caliber
competitors; every so often,
the state manages to produce
an Olympic champion. From
the mountains, past the presidential
range and north of the town
of Berlin, the land flattens
out on its way to the Canadian
border and Montreal. And,
of course, there's Loudon,
north of Concord, with its
yearly motorcycle race, the
oldest in the U.S.; for five
days seemingly every highway
and back road in the state
teems with lines of motorheads,
some on rice burners or Beamers,
but mostly on Harleys, heading
for the rally and then back
home again, transforming the
entire state into two kinds
of people: the guys and gals
on motorcycles and the rest
of us who watch them ride
by. The race takes place at
what is now New Hampshire
International Speedway, which
in recent years has offered
official NASCAR races throughout
the racing season - a big
story in itself. Something
for everyone, indeed. Maybe
the reason New Hampshire doesn't
have a clear identity in the
national psyche is that we
have a lot of individual identities,
distinct regions with their
own flavor and a lively mix
of people who manage to express
their interests in an amazing
variety of ways - all of which
makes for an interesting visit
to this little state. Aldene
Fredenburg is a freelance
writer living in southwestern
New Hampshire and frequently
contributes to Tips and Topics.
She has published numerous
articles in local and regional
publications on a wide range
of topics, including business,
education, the arts, and local
events. Her feature articles
include an interview with
independent documentary filmmaker
Ken Burns and a feature on
prisoners at the New Hampshire
State Prison in Concord. She
may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com
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