Historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire’s Coastal Charm

On a historical walking tour of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, our guide points to a clock at the top of a bank building. As is always the case with town clocks, the time looks off. Then I look again and realize it’s a “tide clock,” which indicates the approaching high tide on the Piscataqua River. Like many other things in this pretty coastal city, life is about riding the tide—whether it’s enjoying the riverfront, the seagoing heritage, the stunning area lighthouses, nautically inspired shops, or sublime seafood. The city may be one of the oldest working ports in America, but time has been on its side.  And, when combined with modern-day charm, it makes for a wonderful weekend getaway.

In truth, I’d never thought much about visiting coastal New Hampshire until a pandemic made me alter more far-flung travel plans. When my daughter suggested Portsmouth, I had to zoom in on a map to learn where it was exactly. But when I mentioned to friends that we were thinking of visiting there, I kept getting the same response: “That’s such a wonderful place to visit.” So, I set my GPS to Market Square, the center of Portsmouth, to begin a weekend of exploration and leisure.

Geographically, Portsmouth sits along New Hampshire’s relatively short coastline, literally a stone’s throw from Maine. Cross the city’s Memorial Bridge that spans the Piscataqua River and halfway across it you are in Maine. “On this side of the river, we have North American lobster,” a local tells me. “On the other side it’s Maine lobster and it’s a dollar more per pound.”

Oscar-Worthy Maritime Lore

I get my bearings on a harbor cruise, first, crossing under the bridge before passing the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which has a storied history and to this day remains a U.S. Navy shipyard. Back in World War II, a submarine was built every 11 days at the base, and the harbor was a key Nazi target, with numerous U-boats captured off nearby shoals. It’s said that while Humphrey Bogart was serving in the Navy, he was charged with delivering a prisoner to Portsmouth’s “brig”, only to have the prisoner deck him in the mouth with his manacles, injuring Bogart’s lip—causing the Oscar winner’s trademark lisp.

Portsmouth packs a punch when it comes to local lore, including stories of the Revolutionary War naval hero John Paul Jones, who lived there for a time. Often labeled the “Father of the U.S. Navy,” he prevailed in an against-all-odds battle at sea against the British, famously declaring, when asked to surrender, “I have not yet begun to fight.” The boarding house where he lived is now a museum filled with interesting artifacts from the glory days of the admiral’s era.

On our tour of the inland waterways, however, there’s not a swashbuckler in sight. Instead, all is calm as our boat meanders past riverfront mansions, beaches, bird sanctuaries, and historic forts before heading toward islands lying off the coast which were once a haven for pirates.

Exploring Market Square

Back on dry land, I peruse the city center by Market Square with its charming boutiques such as Sea Bags, where sailors can turn in their old sails to be transformed into gorgeous tote bags, or Danforth Pewter, which carries on the tradition of handcrafted pewter that goes back to colonial times.

When the salt air makes me thirsty, we step into The Portsmouth Brewery, the state’s first craft brewery. where the head brewer, Maxine, describes some of the choices.  We order a “Selkie Ale,” a red ale to which seaweed from New Hampshire’s shores is added, producing a “salted caramel flavor.” Later, we indulge in some creative modern cuisine outdoors at Raleigh, which has some of the most amazing fusions of flavors I’ve ever seen. The restaurant and wine bar is unquestionably a culinary highlight of this city. My daughter and I follow dinner with a walk mere steps away to the Seacoast Repertory Theater for an intimate theater experience, enjoying an original play’s dress rehearsal.

Coastal Lighthouse Beauty

 We take up lodging just 15 minutes away from Portsmouth in Maine at the luxury Stage Neck Inn, nestled on a windswept bluff overlooking a pretty cove on the Atlantic. At first it seems odd to be staying in another state, but it’s just across the Memorial Bridge. There’s a distinctly New England vibe to the resort—and, of course, it being New England, that also means lighthouses. One of the most photographed—Nubble Lighthouse—is perched atop a rocky outpost a little more than a few bends north along the coastal road. The weather is stormy the morning we visit, making the 1879-era structure and its Victorian “keeper’s house,” even more dramatic.

New England’s “Colonial Williamsburg”

Back in Portsmouth, we step back in time to earlier days at the Strawbery Banke’s outdoor living museum, if you will, the Colonial Williamsburg of New Hampshire. The 10-acre site features dozens of historic structures, from the late 1700s to early 1800s, that once made up the town’s waterfront community. Today, period-costumed craftsmen and women relive roles from those bygone days; on my visit, I admire a carpenter making a gorgeous white-birch beer casket.

Then it’s on to Friendly Toast, a casual restaurant with bright green walls and funky décor, which bring a smile to our faces. Like most restaurants in Portsmouth’s making the culinary scene, the restaurant sources ingredients locally from New Hampshire farms. While the menu here is as fun as the décor, even more so is the cocktail menu that includes Bloody Mary or Mimosa samplers. Among the alternative selections are a house-infused, red-pepper-vodka Bloody Mary and a lavender-lemonade Mimosa.

The swirls of color at Friendly Toast are but a snippet of the many vibrant faces of Portsmouth, which I conclude does make for a wonderful weekend getaway. It’s a charming city, perfect for waterfront strolling, shopping, or river cruising, with bits of rich maritime history thrown in for good measure. While I had to study a map to locate Portsmouth, I won’t be forgetting my weekend there any time soon.

www.goportsmouthnh.com