Portsmouth, NH

Portsmouth is a quiet little coastal town in New Hampshire. It’s a quintessential New England town, full of colonial history and adorable bookshops. It made for a perfect peaceful escape from my hectic office job.

Getting there

When booking this trip, I discovered there were no flights from RVA to New Hampshire, so I had to fly into Portland, Maine. From there, the plan was to take a Greyhound bus from Portland, ME to Portsmouth, NH. When I got to the Park & Ride stop, however, I was horrified to see that it was surrounded by a huge tent city. Portland has a large homeless community, and what I learned later was that they were forced to move from where they had been previously staying and had all camped out at the Park & Ride. There were people shooting up right in front of me, and I felt more than a little unsafe. Luckily, there was a shopping center across the highway. I saw a security guard there and asked him nervously if that was actually a bus stop. He said yes, and told me he’d wait with me until the bus came. Eventually, a couple of other horrified bus-riders joined me at the stop, and they all were afraid it wasn’t an actual stop. The bus did arrive, and I did make it to Portsmouth, but going forward I think I may avoid Greyhound bus stops in the middle of nowhere as a solo female traveler.

Day One

On the way to my Airbnb, I stopped by Caffe Kilim, a local Turkish coffee spot. I needed a place to rest for a bit, so I ordered a Turkish coffee and baklava and enjoyed the colorful setting. The cafe is also a market, selling Middle Eastern jewelry, foods, and decor.

My Airbnb was in a cute suburban area about a 12-minute walk from the center of town. Portsmouth was very easy to explore by foot, and I found I rarely had to rely on Uber to get around. I was staying with a 50-something-year-old artist named Haidee and her adorable little dog, Larkin. Haidee was incredibly kind. Every day when I’d come back after a day of exploring, she’d ask me what I did. We even curled up on her couch and watched 60 Minutes together one night. A diabetic with a love of chocolate, she often left me treats so she wouldn’t be tempted to eat them herself. No complaints here!

After dropping off my stuff at the Airbnb, it was time to grab some dinner. I ate at The Black Trumpet, a bistro overlooking the harbor. After my meal, I strolled along the dock and poked my head into local art galleries.

Day Two

Started the day by walking to Ceres Bakery, a beloved local spot that’s been open since 1980. It’s so charming, with vines growing along its robin’s egg blue walls and colorful metal chairs lining its cafe-style outdoor seating.

After breakfast, I decided to explore Prescott Park. This beautiful park overlooks the water and its trails weave throughout lush gardens full of blooming flowers. I eventually settled on a bench and read a couple chapters of my novel.

A short walk from the park is the Museum of Dumb Guy Stuff. Sitting in the basement of a residential home, I almost passed it by. The basement’s entrance is guarded by a large, but gentle dog and is filled with train sets, miniatures, and action figures. There’s even a recreation of the town full of specific local details. While writing this, I found out that the museum is permanently closed, as the owner and his wife moved to Maine. So, please enjoy these photos! I’m so glad I got to see this local gem before it disappeared.

After looking at some dumb guy stuff, I explored Portsmouth’s local shops. I had booked a candle-making class at Portsmouth Soap Company. I was the only one there, so I got the one-on-one experience. There are rows and rows of scented oils to choose from, and you can combine up to three. I chose the smell of rain, old books, and bergamot for my candle. I poked into some other shops, like Deadwick’s Ethereal Emporium, a fun witchy shop selling tarot, incense, perfumes, and more. When browsing Sheafe Street Books, I asked the man working there for a local recommendation that captured the feel of the city. He led me to “The Penny Poet of Portsmouth” by Katherine Towler. It’s not something I would have chosen on my own, but it was a wonderful book. It’s both a memoir by a local writer and a story about another local writer, a recluse who Towler befriended over the years. There’s a lot in there about being a writer, self-doubt, creativity, love of writing, etc. Anyone who considers themselves a writer will probably enjoy this book. Plus, it all takes place in Portsmouth.

There was one last thing I wanted to squeeze in before I called it a day, and that was to see the USS Albacore. Sitting in Albacore Park is this huge research submarine launched in 1953 by the Navy. It was built in the Portsmouth shipyard, which was the driving force of the town’s economy for a long time. Today, visitors can tour the inside of the submarine, check out the control room, look through the periscope, and see where sailors would bunk. If you’re into maritime history, you’ll definitely find it cool.

Day Three

This time I got breakfast at The White Heron, a local coffee and tea shop. It was Saturday, so I thought it would be nice to walk to the farmer’s market. I strolled through residential neighborhoods, taking in the colonial-revivals and cape cods, and eventually made it to the market. There, I sampled maple candies while a local musician played folky tunes on a banjo. I went to a veggie stand and saw purple bell peppers, and decided to buy one. I sat down on the curb and ate it, taking in the cheerful scene around me.

My next destination required an Uber, as it was about 20 minutes outside the town. The Great Bay National Estuarine Reserve and Discovery Center was so quiet when I arrived, all I could hear was the chirps of birds, the squeaks of chipmunks, and the breeze rustling the trees. I was the only person there. Inside the nature center, there were exhibitions on local ecosystems and wildlife, like osprey. After reading all there was to read inside, I headed out for some light hiking. There was a gentle and cool breeze and I was the only soul there, so it made for a wonderfully peaceful walk. I strolled through wooded paths, boardwalks over grassy wetlands, and sat by the bay’s shore, enjoying the beauty of the water.

Day Four

I kicked off day four of my trip with a historical walking tour. The tour started at the Portsmouth Historical Society and lasted about an hour. Our guide told us all about the city’s booming beginnings as a port city and shipyard. We passed by the John Paul Jones House, a pastel yellow colonial building that was once a boarding house. It got its name because Revolutionary War naval hero John Paul Jones stayed there from 1781 to 1782. We saw many historic colonial buildings, like the Warner House, the Moffat-Ladd House, and the Rundlet-May House. We got to step inside the Portsmouth Athenaeum, which is usually only open to members. Before public libraries became common, athenaeums served as places of knowledge where members could access books and documents. You’ll find more on the East Coast, as it was common in colonial times so only the oldest states still have them.

Inside the athenaeum, we saw these ornate buckets hanging from a doorway. Our guide explained to us that the city experienced three devastating fires in the 1800s, starting in 1802. Once full of wooden buildings, the city was rebuilt in brick. As a rule, every building had buckets with the household name engraved on them. In the case of a fire, citizens were expected to take their buckets and help put it out as a community. If someone or their bucket wasn’t seen there, the individual would be fined.

Next, we walked along the Black Heritage Trail. There’s a statue of a black man and woman standing on opposite sides of a column, their outstretched hands touching. The man is dressed in typical New England colonial garb, while the woman is dressed in African apparel. This is meant to signify the black experience in Portsmouth, from African diaspora to life as an enslaved person in the colonies.

We then encountered this beautiful old brick building with detailed terracotta carvings. It was once known as the Rockingham Hotel. It was owned by local millionaire Frank Jones, who created Frank Jones Ale. Jones’ face is carved in terracotta on the building, forever leaving his mark on the town. Today, the building serves as condos and the Library Restaurant, a steakhouse that I would try for dinner.

When the tour concluded, I took my time exploring the exhibits inside the historical society building and went on to check out the insides of the different historic house museums. I love looking at old colonial China, seeing the detailed scenes painted on them. I also learned through my exploring that Portsmouth was where the Russo-Japanese War ended. In 1905, President Teddy Roosevelt invited diplomats from both sides to meet in Portsmouth for peace talks. When both parties arrived, neither were very open to friendly talks. But the town did such a great job at entertaining the men, that they went into discussions in high spirits and ended up deciding on a ceasefire.

On my walk to the Strawberry-Banke Museum, I saw several miniature homes made from sticks, leaves, flowers, acorns, etc. It turns out it was Portsmouth’s annual Faerie Festival! There were children and adults alike dressed in fantasy garb with wings and sparkles and magic wands. It was so adorable.

I returned to Library Restaurant for dinner that night. The inside is full of rich mahogany, walls of books, and leather chairs. My seat was in a cozy little corner. I thought about ordering myself steak, saw that it was $60, and thought again. Instead, I got myself meatballs, beef carpaccio, and a slice of pie.

Day Five

There’s a long pedestrian bridge next to Prescott Park that takes you from Portsmouth to Kittery, Maine. Kittery is actually the oldest town in Maine, established in 1647. I got up in the morning and crossed the bridge to Kittery, grabbing coffee and a cruller at Lil’s Cafe. Let me tell you, BEST CRULLER OF MY LIFE. Still thinking about it. I sat there and read “The Penny Poet of Portsmouth” for a couple of hours and then strolled along the Piscataqua River. Lunch was at Warren’s Lobster House, a no-frills spot that’s been a local staple since 1940. I enjoyed a lobster roll and then walked to John Paul Jones Memorial Park. After reading in the park for a bit, I headed back to the bridge. On the way, I passed a yard full of chickens, who I stopped to say hi to.

This was my last day in Portsmouth, and I spent it lazily reading, popping into shops, and enjoying maple coffees. Portsmouth is such a charming small town, full of charming people. I wouldn’t skip it.

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