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Had to post this now, and may re-post as a reminder for next week, but for anyone interested in a challenge, you need to hoarde the duct tape, cardboard and paint and start building now!

Merrimack, NH's annual Cardboard Boat Race, to benefit the town library, is being held at Wasserman Park Saturday September 8th from 10am-4pm. Starting at 11 in the morning, continuous live entertainment, raffles, face painting, sand castle contests and a book sale will keep the entire family afloat [ha ha!] for the day.

And there is no excuse this year for not having time to build a boat, the festival is offering a Same Day Sailor package of materials for the person[s] who wants to go and build in haste from 10am-1pm. This year's theme is At the Movies and all boats will be built with movies in mind. Come sail the SS Minow, The Enterprise or the Shaggy DA to victory!

[Photo Courtesy of The Broadcaster]

Free up your Sundays and make it a job to get to The Hollis Flea Market! My weekends have been so busy this summer, that I keep forgetting it's time to shop, but as that fall air moves in, it's like the purest sign to get over to Hollis, carrying several empty large sturdy totes - to be filled of course! [Photo courtesy of Hollis Flea Market]

Open at a cool 6am, do not think that vendors are still setting up - I swear they must sleep there. And no, you will not look silly pulling a wagon to be filled, this place has it all. Two hundred year old antiques, infinite Pez dispensers, Dead bootlegs and even new clothing?! Coffee is always brewing and popcorn popping, so bring the kids, give them another hot dog to buy yourself more time and shop for every room in your house, and every person on your Christmas list! See you Sunday!

It's almost like Festivus! If Keene, New Hampshire has been on the list of 'places to see'. then now is the time to book your travel. Saturday September 1st marks Keene's Art in the Park Festival, as well as, the Keene Music Festival - music and art for miles [well, at least many yards!]. [Photo Courtesy KAA]

The Colony Mill & Marketplace plays host to art and many dining and shopping options, and across the street in Ashuelot River Park, the Keene Art Association offers its major annual fund raising event. Art in the Park on Labor Day weekend attracts over eighty artists and thousands of buyers and browsers. The proceeds from this event represents a large portion of the Associations Scholarship Fund.

If you go...

Check out some Cool Jewels, visit a gorgeous farm, and catch some theater!

Dear Kimberly:
We're leaving the hubbies at home and going to fly in to Portsmouth Oct 1-4. My daughter is going to school in Concord NH and we would like to have a relaxing vacation, but still see some fall color, shop antique or unique shops, visit her for 2 nights and stay at cool places for 2 nights. I don't really know where to start. It's really overwhelming. Help would be appreciated. We are fun-loving friendly 50 yr. olds who love to laugh and enjoy life! Not big into clothes shopping. Any route from Portsmith to Concord and back that has some of the above. We don't need the most direct route because we want to see some cool sights and shops.
Thanks
Brenda

Hey Brenda -

If you're not careful, I may just join you - this is just my style. So here goes...stay in Portsmouth bit. Though big names have moved in, there are plenty, plentttyyyy of shops that would woo your hearts. Check out some past Portsmouth blogs on eats, shops and signage. You'll be hungry when you get off the plane so get yourselves to one of my favorite eateries - a place like you've never seen before.

Most definitely you will be taking Route 4 West all the way to Concord. You probably know already that this is the famed Antique Alley, with over 500 shops alone in just a handful of towns? No doubt all that perusing of shops will make you hungry again, so once in Northwood, stop in Chadbourn's for some NH home cooking and casual atmosphere (603) 942-5992. If interested in jewels from yesteryear - stop into Wonderful Things Antiques which specializes in estate jewelry - especially engagement rings - so fun to look at and dream a little dream! And the Town Pump Antique Group Shop is a place to find a little bit of everything and then some.

Follow Route 4 all the way into Concord and then enjoy the restored and up and coming and partly already has come, Main Street and side streets of our state capital. Where you will continue to find unique shopping and great eats. Have fun Brenda and let us know how your trip goes!

Kimberly

I just had some New Hampshire corn and I can't tell you how sweet it was. And for some reason it took nothing for those plump kernels to fall off the ear and into our wanting mouths. As I was putting the left overs in my salsa tonight, I was thinking maybe it was time to bring the boys to a corn maze. I have always wanted an ice cream cone at Beech Hill Farm in Hopkinton, NH - and now I can do that and run through a corn maze - maybe you'll put it on your calendar and do the same?!

[Photo courtesy of Beech Hill]

Three different corn mazes at Beech Hill Farm & Ice Cream Barn are open from 11am-8pm in September. Each maze has a different theme and scavenger hunt which makes Beech Hill's mazes the place to play. Along with corn comes 75 flavors of homemade ice cream, garden center, animal tracking activites and on site bakery. This 9th generation family farm has made a living on showing visitors why New Hampshire is so special.

Beech Hill is just about 5 miles from downtown Concord, don't forget to check out the Capitol shows, some out of this world art, and dinner in Mexico.

Some things just seem too good to be true, and this is one of those things. Cancel your Saturday plans and get to Jake's Old Fashioned Ice Cream and Sweet Shop this Saturday August, 25th from 2pm-midnight and gorge on ice cream to help raise money for CHaD [Children's Hospital at Dartmouth].

A first annual offering, this one looks like it will be here to stay. With prizes being awarded to both kids and adults, and all entry fees donated directly to CHaD, I am thinking it's going to be quite difficult to even get in the parking lot!

[photo courtesy of Jake's]

Just when you thought you would never, ever go on another blind date, I am thinking this event may help change your mind!

This Friday August 24th, the Squam Lake Natural Science Center is offering an evening out...in the dark! This nearly two hour adventure will teach you to explore the natural world by touch and hearing, and allow you to see through the nocturnal animal's eyes. This is a wonderful family adventure just before school begins, or like I said, maybe the perfect blind date! Reservations and advance payment are required so call today...603-968-7194.

While up in and around Holderness be sure to know you are right near the original Common Man - the best Common Man, as well as the Coe House and the Corner House Inn [where they have live music this night by celtic band Odd Men Out!] - quintessential New Hampshire charm at your fingertips.

And hey why stop there, many favorite camping spots are nearby, so you can even make a weekend of it! We just got home from the base of the White Mountains and let me tell you that summer's end is a show stopper. Cool, crisp mornings, warm days and breezy evenings are a constant.

Greetings friends,...just back from the camping trip and have I got some not-so-typical-only-found-in-New-Hampshire events for you....tune in and try something new in NH in the weeks to come...thanks for reading...

Kimberly All-Camped Out

Hey My Fanatical Readership - Tomorrow marks the day we leave for yet another camping trip up at Lake Ossipee. My camera's packed and my notebook is ready to be filled with all new northeastern spots in New Hampshire to blog for you...until next weekend...take care and explore New Hampshire!

Kimberly

And we happened upon this one morning, actually looking for another place I had in mind - some place I am sure to blog in the near future - but as coincidence or fate would lead us to this tiny haven, Nicole and I sat down to a tasty little morsel in the most quaint of quaint places...The City Room.

Do not let these photos fool you - we got there during the lull between breakfast and lunch, and minutes after these photos of emptiness, the tiny place filled right up with what were obvious locals, seemingly not even needing the menu to order.

My fresh garden salad was made with vegetables as fresh as I would have had at home, and my chicken salad sandwich was prepared perfectly. Coffee was scary hot and the service came with a smile. For a menu filled with what's fresh, and an atmosphere that says stay as long as you like, Nashua's The City Room is the ideal early day eatery.

I have made mention of my beloved before, but not with my own photos to back up such eccentricity in a world that otherwise appreciates so little of it....ah, My Friendly Toast...I mean, not mine per se, but I wish it were....

So when you're in or around Portsmouth, wait, forget that...when you are any where and want something great and healthy to eat, in a place that you will never forget, think Friendly Toast, and get there.

The FT is like a glorified diner experience, with wholesome menu options, including countless vegetarian dishes. Of course the name is derived from its bread baked on the premise - sliced thick as filet cuts, and toasted to perfection - the anadama is my absolute favorite, and a loaf of that goes home with me every time. My kids came with on our last visit and lo and behold, cooking and preparing allergy free food was a no hassle wonderland for us all. Baked fries, fresh fruit bowl the size of Texas and grilled chicken - just like Mama makes at home.

As for the total experience, you can never bore of simply looking around you. A thrift store-memorabilia-ephemera-antique-flea-market and amusement park all rolled into one, complete with servers and miscellaneous staff who are pierced and inked more than any of FXs late night reality show personas. Kids and adults alike wander around and usually spend a fair amount of time in front of the funny mirrors near the bathroom, or petting the stuffed fox-coyote thing standing on a back booth, or mesmerized by the neon lights flickering in the highest of corners. And to this day, not once has a mannequin's leg fallen from the ceiling into your quesadillas.

Have some fun and go explore the Friendly Toast...maybe we'll see you there this weekend even!

Hi

My wife and I are going to be in Pittsburg from Aug. 26 to the 31st. Are there any fishing report blogs that we can get.

Thanks,
Don

Don -

Must say this is a new request...All I can find is this great little site by Lopstick Lodge. Something tells me if you call the owner of this baby before hand, you'll even know exactly how many fish can be caught!

Have fun and thanks for writing...Kimberly