Discovering New Hampshire during late summer

It’s still early in August and I’ve just started exploring New Hampshire.

One morning last week I drove to Henniker for a lovely breakfast at Abby’s Café. Abby’s is situated just in the center of town, next to the river. The homemade pastries — and I recommend the chocolate croissant — often sell out by late morning, I was told. So, if you plan to visit, arrive early.

It was difficult to decide which sweet to order and if all else fails you can fall back on a bagel as Abby’s has a large assortment not often found in New Hampshire cafés.

Last week was the annual Community Day in Jaffrey. The event began with a brown bag lunch that included a sandwich, homemade chocolate chip cookie, fruit and a small bag of chips. Tables and chairs were scattered about the green where one could sit and enjoy the food. The historic church opened at 1 p.m. and was filled with tables of collectibles — jewelry, China and antiques pulled down from the attic. In another building artwork was for sale — mostly by local New Hampshire artists.

On the green, next to the one-room school that is open to visitors during the summer, there were booths with quilts, used furniture and children’s toys. There were games for children, and a stage with musical performances for the grown-ups.

On Sunday, Keene hosted Elevate the Arts Fest. There were booths of crafts and jugglers, a stage with musicians performing throughout the afternoon and children learning what it means to keep a hula-hoop around one’s waist. Because I’m not familiar with Keene, what caught my attention was the large mural displaying the arrival of the first train in Keene on May 16, 1848.

Doing a little research, I learned this train arrived from Boston and had over 5,000 waiting to greet its arrival. The connection to Boston through this Cheshire Railroad “led to economic activity and growth for the town allowing Keene to become a manufacturing center.” The passenger service continued through May 1958 and freight service continued until 1982.

Now there is the Cheshire Recreational Rail Trail, a popular destination for historians, bicyclists, hikers, and walkers. Looking forward to spending a day hiking the trail.

In Dublin, I learned about Mrs. Agnes Royall Parsons, who was a wealthy socialite living in Washington, D.C. and summering in Dublin. She had an opportunity to meet the leader of the Bahá’í faith, and brought the leader to Dublin, where he resided for three weeks. She became an advocate for peace, racial equality and justice until her death in 1934.

Last Sunday members of Bahá’í gathered in Dublin to recall her work and to celebrate her life. What was formerly the Dublin Inn is now used for Bahá’í Holy Day events, meetings, prayer and meditation, and is the property of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the United States. They welcome visitors to learn more about their work and their faith.

What’s next? I have just learned about the NH Big Tree map and hope to find a few of the trees. If you are interested, you can find the map at https://bit.ly/4a7iabb. “It contains information on tree locations, including latitude and longitude, as well as champion status (i.e. the largest of its kind in the county, in the state, or the nation.”

I continue my quest to try ice cream in as many places as possible. I have a favorite, but I’m keeping it a secret, because it could change with the next stop. You never know.

Why travel when we have so much to discover in New Hampshire. My advice. Take a map, draw a different circle each week and try to find places, café’s, hiking trails, gardens, historic houses, and concerts. There are small theaters, festivals of all sorts, library book sales, village shopping days, arts and crafts exhibitions. New Hampshire: our home and a special place on the planet.

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Elizabeth Howard is the host of the Short Fuse Podcast, found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or through the Arts Fuse. Her career intersects journalism, marketing, and communications. “Ned O’Gorman: A Glance Back,” a book she edited, was published in May 2016. She is the author of “A Day with Bonefish Joe,” a children’s book, published by David R. Godine. You can send her a note at: eh@elizabethhoward.com.