NEW HAMPSHIRE became the 9th state on June 21, 1788, and was one of the original 13 colonies. The historic town of EXETER was to be our one and only visit to the state during this ‘Navigating New England’ summer vacation.
We arrived on the morning of Sun Aug 4, 2024, via Amtrak, and as we walked to our hotel down Lincoln St., we were greeted by a tree-lined neighborhood with large and pleasant houses on each side. Quite a contrast to the seaside town of Old Orchard Beach where we had left that morning.
The residential properties on and around Lincoln St., including St Michael’s Church, were picturesque. One had a plastic wrapped newspaper lying on the ground at the gate; this made us smile as we’d only ever seen this in the movies.
Having dumped our bags at the Exeter Inn at 10.00 am - far too early to check in - we set off exploring the town, which was eerily quiet with it being a Sunday morning.
Some of the noteworthy places and buildings we got to see on the first stretch of our leisurely walk:
- Phillips Exeter Academy buildings;
- Exeter Historical Society - in the former public library building;
- The Red Brick Church;
- Jeremiah Smith House - Judge and Governor of New Hampshire, circa 1730;
- Town House Common - a small park dedicated in October 1997. A historical marker here informed us that the Town House was where the Provincial Congress adopted and signed the first state constitution on January 5, 1776;
- Exeter Town Hall - where Abraham Lincoln delivered his final of four speeches in New Hampshire on March 3, 1860;
- Exeter Town Offices (town was founded 1638);
- War memorial for those who served in the Armed Forces of the USA (army, navy, marine corps, coast guard and air force);
- Revolutionary Capital marker - advised that Exeter served as capital of New Hampshire upon its provisional Declaration of Independence in 1776;
- Exeter Post Office;
- Exeter Bandstand - built in 1916 and designed by Henry Bacon, the architect of the Lincoln Memorial.
Upon reaching Water St., our noses followed a delicious smell wafting on the wind and we discovered a simple doorway leading to a flight of stairs descending below street level. It was the entrance to the subterranean Big Bean Kitchen & Bar, where we had a hearty breakfast/brunch and the best food we tasted this entire trip.
Out back, we had a few moments exploring a small boardwalk alongside the Squamscott River while we waited for our seats to be available inside the busy restaurant.
After breakfast, we tried to explore the stores along Water Street.
The Water Street Bookstore was one of the few businesses open on a Sunday and we mooched about inside for a while. We couldn’t resist picking up a copy of ‘What Were the Shark Attacks of 1916?’ WHOHQ book for $7.99, the attacks which were apparently the inspiration for the JAWS novel. It seemed an apt book to have, given we were heading to Martha’s Vineyard aka Amity Island the very next day.
We saw a book by a Winfred Rembert on sale, in which he chronicled his memories of the Jim Crow South as well as his evocative artwork many from colored pieces of leather, and we remembered that we had seen his grave a week earlier at the Grove Street Cemetery, New Haven, Connecticut.
Around the corner from the book store, we crossed a small bridge and saw that two rivers met there: the fresh-water Exeter River and the tidally-influenced Squamscott River. A marker explained the history of the waterfalls and the Exeter Great Dam, which was removed in 2016 and allowed the water to run freely for the first time in 369 years.
The water levels below us looked rather low in the muggy summer heat….
Nearby, signs informed us that the original bridge, the Great Bridge, from 1934 was rebuilt in 2003.
We then ventured into Founders Park, which was created in 1988 to mark the town’s 350th anniversary. This offered even better views of the nearby river, but a ‘Prevent Tick Bites!’ sign worried us, as we were wearing shorts, so we didn’t linger too long in the park.
As we headed along Portsmouth Ave. in the 29°C heat and 81% humidity, we couldn’t resist calling into a Dollar Tree, not only for the AC but in the hope there’d be some early Halloween decorations on sale. We weren’t tempted by the range but did find some leftover July 4th decorations. As we were being served, a fellow shopper listened in on our conversation with the cashier and we heard her say: “They’re so polite!” Our accents often draw attention and Americans are typically friendly and positive when they hear where we are from and how we like to explore the States each summer.
This made us chuckle on our way out, but our mirth was short lived - a storm was coming over and it was clear that if we didn’t quickly find shelter we’d end up soaked!
The Thirsty Moose Taphouse across the street caught our eye and within seconds of getting inside, the heavens opened! We spent a happy 4 hours sat at the bar, watching the Olympics, enjoying drinks and nachos, and when we left we encountered a crosswalk where the button was so low we had to bend down to press it! No idea what that was all about but it did make us belly laugh!
On the way back to the hotel, we noticed that the Exeter River was a lot fuller after the storm. We had done well to dodge it and remain dry! Arriving back at the Exeter Inn almost 8 hours after we had left, we finally checked in, well and truly ready for our beds after the large amounts of food and drink…er….4 mile walk.
We left Exeter on Monday August 5, 2024, on an early Amtrak bound for Boston as we moved on to Martha’s Vineyard and the next phase of our ‘Navigating New England’ trip. Our 24 hours in New Hampshire on a quiet Sunday might not have given us the best opportunity to sample the state, but we did like and enjoy our all too brief time there. Exeter was a beautiful town, with friendly people and great food!
What our 24 hour visit cost:
🏨 Hotel = $249.66
🍽️ Food/drinks = $155.31
🚆 Amtrak = $72.00
💰 Total = $476.97
📌 TOWN OF EXETER, NH
10 Front St., Exeter, NH 03833
🌐 www.exeternh.gov
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