The
Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee region encompasses the area
of the state of New Hampshire from Bradford northwest
to the city of Lebanon. It’s named for two of New
Hampshire’s most important and popular attractions – Ivy
League Dartmouth College in Hanover and beautiful Lake
Sunapee and Mount Sunapee.
This
area of New Hampshire is composed of the Upper Valley
Region, which is the northwest-central area. It includes
Lebanon, which is a commercial and manufacturing area,
as well as Hanover. Most of the area is composed of
tourist towns and agricultural areas.
Lake
Sunapee, the third largest lake in New Hampshire, and
the town of Sunapee, take up the rest of the area
- the central and southeastern portion of the region.
Nearby Little Sunapee and Pleasant Lake, with Lake
Sunapee, provide lots of opportunities for all sorts
of water
sports including swimming, fishing, boating, and
more. The lake and town are extremely popular summer
and
resort areas. Many celebrities have homes in the
Lake Sunapee
area.
This
lovely area of New Hampshire is known for its country
roads which provide perfect opportunities
for afternoon
drives, its scenic acres of farmland, cold, clear
lakes, and the beauty of the Dartmouth campus,
which also
offers top-rate entertainment that’s open to the public.
It’s an area full of history, tradition,
and natural beauty. There are myriad opportunities
for family activities
year round.
In
the summer, spring, or fall, take a drive along country
lanes. Enjoy the fields, stone walls, barns,
and old
New Hampshire churches. Watch the trees leaf
out in every shade of green in the spring. Enjoy the
cool
breezes
in the summer as you head out to Lake Sunapee,
or one of the other lakes in the region for a
refreshing
swim.
In the fall, come for the yellow, red, and gold
foliage
and the harvest. Stop at a farm stand or farmers
market and buy fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Keep
an
eye
out for local farmers’ markets as well.
Are
you a skier? In the winter you can take your family
skiing, or enjoy a romantic ski weekend – either
downhill or cross-country, at one of the area’s
ski resorts. Mount
Sunapee is famous for skiing and snowmobiling. Mount
Sunapee resort in
Newbury has 65 trails and a half-pipe. It also
offers an Alpine terrain park.
Then
enjoy a splendid dinner at one of the area’s
wonderful restaurants. You’ll find
fine dining, country inns, coffee shops,
breweries, and traditional
New England culinary favorites.
Spend
some time outdoors at places like The
Fells and the
John Hay National Wildlife
Refuge in
Newbury. It’s
the former home of John Hay, Abraham Lincoln’s
secretary. It was built in the early 20th
century and is famous for its gardens and
Colonial Revival buildings.
There are also hiking trails on this estate
that run along Lake Sunapee and are open
year round.
Are
you a covered
bridge fan? The Cornish-Windsor Bridge,
in Cornish, crosses the Connecticut
River between New
Hampshire and Vermont and is the longest
wooden covered bridge in the United States.
While
in Cornish, stop
at the Saint
Gaudens National Historic Site. It’s
the former home of Augustus Saint Gaudens,
one of the premier American sculptors
of the 20th century.
If
your family would enjoy some rock hunting, a trip to
Ruggles Mine at Mount
Isinglass
in Grafton
is
a must! Mineral collecting is permitted
and visitors might find
mica, beryl, amethyst, quartz, or garnet.
Come
to the New London
Barn Playhouse for live theater or
the Claremont Opera House in Claremont to enjoy entertainment
from
children’s theater to chamber
music and dance. Or head to the Hood
Museum of Art on the Dartmouth College
Campus and feast your eyes on an
outstanding collection of European,
American, Middle Eastern, African,
and Asian collection of art.
No
matter what the season there’s always a good
time to be had in the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee region,
whether it’s boating, hiking, biking, fishing,
snowmobiling, maple-sugaring, shopping, dining, cultural
offerings, art, or just enjoying the scenery and the
friendliness of the regions residents. It’s New
Hampshire’s year round destination for vacations
and visitors.
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