Take a trip with us to the Lake Sunapee Region
There is nothing better than embarking on a day trip to an area that you’ve never spent much time in – especially this time of year. With the sun shining, temperatures closing in on 80 and very few clouds in the sky, we hopped in our old Nissan Sentra a little before 8 a.m., filled up the gas tank and took our talents to a little region of the state we’ve come to know as the Lake Sunapee area, which includes the towns of Newport,...
It’s an easy drive to the Lake Sunapee area
It’s always fun to embark on a trip to a new location. You never really know what to expect and how it’s all going to play out. We’ve done a couple of these here day trip issues over the last few months and each one has been filled with lots of fun, food and entertainment for all – or at least us. And our excursion to the Lake Sunapee region last week, which included stops in Newport, Newbury, New London, Sutton, and of course,...
You’ve got to check out this adventure park
Looking up at the aerial challenge course at the Mount Sunapee Adventure Park, the first loop doesn’t seem all that high off the ground, but being up there is another story – depending on how comfortable you are with heights.You are of course, fitted with a harness, which is attached by carabiners to a cable system above you, so if you do happen to fall off one of the obstacles, you don’t go too far. The obstacles are all a little...
We took a leisurely cruise on Lake Sunapee aboard the M.V. MT. Sunapee II
We do plenty of cruising for work, but not usually the kind that involves bodies of water and large motor vessels. So when we got the opportunity to board the M.V. Mt. Sunapee II to cruise around Lake Sunapee, we knew we had to jump at the opportunity. The ship departs at 2 p.m. daily from now until Labor Day for 90-minute cruises around the scenic lake. As well as the pleasant views and cool breeze, you also get a little history and...
The Barn Playhouse is a go-to spot for a show
When you go on an adventure like this, you want to find those gems – hidden or well known – to enjoy. And when it comes to New London, few fit that criteria better than the New London Barn Playhouse.Now in its 85th year of bringing high-quality theater to that corner of the state, we were told that we had to visit the Barn, stand on the porch and take in a show.So what better way to cap off our day in the area than with a performance...
You can’t go to a new place and not try food
One of the best parts about exploring a new location is all the food you can try.If you’ve never been there, you don’t have any favorites or preconceived notions about any of the local eateries, which can be both a blessing and a curse.But thanks to the trusty Google machine and those people who like to let everyone know just how their experience was when visiting a specific establishment, we were able to do a little research before...
Check out ‘The Beauty of New Hampshire’ at The Fells
If you’ve never been to The Fells Historic Estate & Gardens in Newbury, it’s worth the drive. It’s home to some breathtaking gardens, outdoor sculptures and great indoor art exhibits. ‘The Beauty of New Hampshire’ features artists from the New Hampshire Art Association, and is on display in the Main House through July 9, along with ‘A Quiet Witness to History-Helen Nicolay.’ After July 9, two new exhibits will be brought into the...
The Flying Goose is putting out tasty brews
It’s well documented that we are huge fans of beer. And we mean huge.So, of course, when we learned we’d be making our way up to the Lake Sunapee region for a day of fun and sun, we almost immediately began looking for a spot to find some local beer.Sure, in an area that attracts tourists from all over during the summer (and winter) months there’s got to be plenty of local watering holes to find a cold pint. But we were looking for...
Check out all these cool events around Lake Sunapee we found
In the summer months, it’s always nice to get outside and enjoy the warm weather. And we found that the Lake Sunapee region is a great place to do just that. Over the weeks and months to come, we found some pretty great events for you to check out if you decide to make a trip to that area. As always, this should be looked at as more of a starting point than a list of everything that’s happening. But this should give you a good start....
Escape Room Concord puts your teamwork and problem-solving skills to the test
Escape rooms are all the rage right now. There are locations in Nashua and Manchester, and now Concord is about to get its very own opening Saturday. Gregory and Bobbi Slossar, co-owners of the new Escape Room Concord, were nice enough to let a team of Insider and Monitor staffers get in before the opening to try it out and see what we thought. If you don’t know what an escape room is (as I didn’t before this assignment), it’s...
Chris took part in an ice cream eating contest
When I woke up Friday morning, I had no idea my assignment for the day would be to take part in the annual Granite State Candy Shoppe ice cream eating contest at Market Days. However, when posed with the sudden challenge, I wasn’t about to pass up the chance to eat some tasty ice cream and potentially kickstart a competitive eating career. With the contest set for the early afternoon, I thought skipping breakfast and lunch might give...
Some summery scenes from Market Days 2017
Market Days has, sadly, come and gone. It was a whirlwind three days in the capital city, and we have the pictures to prove it. Here’s a little sampling of some of the scenes from Market Days 2017.
We tried some of the flavors of Market Days
One of the main attractions of Market Days is the food. But really, food is one of the main attractions of life in general, so it should go without saying that we made sure to get down to Main Street to try some of the options at our disposal.After parking on South Main Street by The Draft and walking toward the shindig, we could smell the distinct scent of potatoes in the deep-fryer from quite a ways away, and they smelled fantastic....
Jon made an appearance on WKXL radio during Market Days
It goes without saying that the Insider is a really big deal. We’ve basically been running this city for the last 10-plus years through our free, weekly publication. But until Market Days last week, we had never really had much over-the-air exposure. That ended when Rob Azevedo contacted me asking if I wanted to be interviewed on Granite State of Mind, the show he hosts, during Market Days. Of course I jumped at the opportunity. The...
Go Try It: Check out the Conservation Center and cool down in the river
If you haven’t checked your calendar lately, here’s a free update – it’s officially summer.In true New England fashion, we’ve once again moved from winter directly to summer, and the heat seems like it’s here to stay for the next few months. Since we don’t really have any beaches in Concord, one might think it would be tough to stay cool (if you’re not a big public pool person, anyway).One would be wrong.That’s because we have the...
After seven years, AK Plumbing is back open
For the better part of the last seven years, John Hrycuna has thought about reopening his father’s business.The plan was always for Hrycuna, the fourth generation with that name, to work alongside his dad at AK Plumbing and Heating, which his father started many years before, and eventually take it over. But in July 2010, that all changed. The elder Hrycuna was killed in an accident while riding his motorcycle in Rumney, which left...
Joyce Kimball movin’ on up in the N.H. Federation of Garden Clubs
Bow resident Joyce Kimball was installed as president of the New Hampshire Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. at their 84th annual meeting held at the Birch Wood Vineyard Event Center last month. Kimball will serve as state president of this volunteer organization of 20 area clubs and approximately 1,200 members for the 2017-19 term. NHFGC promotes the love of gardening, floral design, civic beautification and both civic and...
RB Productions to open season
RB Productions will kick off its 14th children’s theater summer season with Annie Jr. at the Capitol Center for the Arts on Friday and Saturday. It is the first of four main stage performances this summer for actors and actresses ranging from 9 to 19 years old. And it’s really a fun way to do theater. The kids sign up for one, two, three or all four shows, and it’s open to anyone. In early June, auditions are held for all shows and...
On Display: Check out some student work at Kimball Jenkins
We stopped by the Kimball Jenkins School of Art last week to check out the Spring Student Show, featuring the works of students of the art school. It will be on display until July 14.
Freese Brothers Big Band plays with purpose
We often hear of big-time celebrity musicians putting on benefit concerts to help out after a natural disaster or some other tragedy. Thousands of people buy up the tickets – no matter the cost – in short order to be part of that help.The Freese Brothers Big Band, right here in the Granite State, plays nothing but benefit shows, and the best part is you never have to pay anything to attend them. There also doesn’t need to be some...
Bulletin Board
Friday Family Fun night this week New African Americans will host a Friday Family Fun Night at the Concord Community Arts Center (40 Thorndike St.) on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be music and drumming by Sayon Camara, African meat and veggie pies, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and more. Admission is by donation with a requested amount of $10 per person and $20 per family. Dee Stewart New show at Hatbox Theatre Newly formed...
This Week in Concord History
June 27, 1835: The Concord Railroad Corp. obtains a charter for a railroad between Nashua and Concord. The Boston and Maine Railroad also obtains a charter on this date. The Concord corporation will be delayed by the Panic of 1837 and other factors, and the first train will not pull into Concord until September 1842. The B&M will not open its first line in the state until 1849. June 27, 1860: A large Democratic crowd...
Book of the Week: ‘Siddhartha’s Brain’
Siddhartha’s Brain: Unlocking the Ancient Science of EnlightenmentJames Kingsland343 pages, 2016Nonfiction This book appears to start out with the same old, familiar story of the life of the Buddha that makes me want to skip the beginning and read ahead to the good stuff. Fortunately, I didn’t skip ahead, and the good stuff began right away. James Kingsland integrates in each chapter: an experience from the life of Shakyamuni Buddha,...
