Portsmouth is a major 4 season recreation/tourist area. Though settled in 1623 and claiming to be the nation's third oldest city, it is about as cosmopolotian as a small (around 30,000 population) city could possibly be, and yet at the same time it has the charm of an old seafaring New England town. Expect to pay a premimum for all this charm, but it is more than worth it!

Portsmouth's waterfront district is a mecca for quaint shops of all kinds, a variety of resturants from inexpensive family and pub style to cozy, elegant, and romantic candlelit establishments.

And there are almost enough hotel rooms to go around from the inexpensive to the majestic.

And speaking of shopping, the Portsmouth area is host to not only two major malls, the Fox Run Mall and the Crossings at Fox Run, in the town of Newington, but also just across any one of the three bridges spanning the Piscataqua River which separates New Hampshire from Maine are a string of outlet malls and the famous Kittery Trading Post all in town of Kittery, Maine.

As you cross over the eastern most bridge, the Sara Longfellow, from Portsmouth to Kittery, you can see the vast Portsmouth Naval Shipyard where thousands of area workers repair and maintain some of our countries most advanced nuclear submarines.

The town of Newcastle lies just across a small bridge leading from Portsmouth's historic South End, Strawberry Bank, and colorful Prescott Park. Some of the areas oldest homes can be found here. As you drive through the narrow winding streets (more like lanes)- homes in the late 1600's and early 1700's are common- just look for the date of the house next to its front door.