Visiting Portsmouth

When I think of New Hampshire I definitely don’t think of the ocean, but the state does have a short coastline along the Atlantic. The photo on the left is of Portsmouth, a historic coastal city that was once an important seaport and shipbuilding center. Today Portsmouth is better known as a tourist destination, especially during the warmer summer months. The photo on the right shows the New Hampshire coast at night with the moonlight reflecting off the ocean.

Several years later I was able to visit Portsmouth again in the spring, and it was amazing how different the city felt compared to winter. When I visited in May there was a festival going on, so the streets were packed with people and the weather was about perfect. It was hard to believe this was the same quiet city I had seen during the colder months.

Above are some of the shops that were open during the festival. Unlike my winter visit, there were lots of places open, plenty of people walking around, and entertainment throughout the downtown area.

Most cities in America have a mix of restaurants from around the world, but Portsmouth seemed to have a particularly strong European influence. Irish bars are popular all over the United States, but this was one of the first times I remember seeing an actual British-style pub.

These two photos show Portsmouth’s harbor. The weather wasn’t very good that day, but they give a better idea of the city’s waterfront and its connection to the sea. The large buildings on the right are residential buildings located directly along the waterfront.

Just east of Portsmouth is the very small historic town of New Castle, located on an island at the mouth of the Piscataqua River. It’s close enough that it almost feels like part of Portsmouth, but officially it’s a separate town. The island is mostly made up of residential neighborhoods, parks, and beautiful coastal scenery. When I visited there were people jogging along the streets and kayaking on the water while enjoying the spring weather. The photo above shows some of the islands I passed as I entered New Castle.

The two previous photos show Fort Constitution and Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse. The site has a history stretching back to the 1600s, when the British established a fort here to protect the harbor. In December 1774, several months before the battles of Lexington and Concord, local colonists raided the fort and seized gunpowder and weapons. The fort was rebuilt and modified several times over the following centuries. Today visitors can explore the remains of Fort Constitution while also seeing the lighthouse that stands beside it at the entrance to Portsmouth Harbor.