Honestly, there’s no bad time to visit New Hampshire—it just depends on what kind of trip you’re after.
Fall (September–October): The showstopper season. The White Mountains explode in color, and scenic drives like the Kancamagus Highway are jaw-dropping.
Winter (December–March): Snow lovers, this is your moment. Ski resorts like Bretton Woods, Loon Mountain, and Mount Sunapee bring the powder and cozy lodge vibes.
Spring (April–June): Waterfalls roar, flowers bloom, and crowds are low. A peaceful time to explore small towns and local trails.
Summer (July–August): Lake life reigns. Think swimming, kayaking, hiking, and family-friendly fun around Lake Winnipesaukee and the Seacoast.
1. Drive the Kancamagus Highway — This scenic route through the White Mountains is a must for fall colors, overlooks, and short hikes.
2. Explore the White Mountains — Take the Mount Washington Cog Railway, hike Franconia Notch, or just soak in the alpine views.
3. Visit Lake Winnipesaukee — Boating, paddleboarding, or lounging lakeside with an ice cream cone—it’s quintessential New Hampshire summer.
4. Discover Portsmouth — A charming coastal town packed with history, boutiques, breweries, and restaurants along the harbor.
5. Chase Waterfalls — Sabbaday Falls, Arethusa Falls, and Diana’s Baths are some of the prettiest in New England.
6. Ski & Snowboard — Loon, Cannon, and Waterville Valley deliver classic New England ski runs with plenty of après options.
7. Stroll Through North Conway — Great shopping, scenic views, and an old-fashioned train station—it’s small-town perfection.
If you’re flying in, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) is the main gateway, located centrally for easy access north or south. You can also fly into Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)—just a 1.5-hour drive from southern New Hampshire. Major interstates like I-93 and I-89 make road trips easy from neighboring states like Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts.
If you’re road-tripping through New England, New Hampshire fits perfectly between coastal drives and mountain escapes—so plan to linger a bit!
Leaf-Peeping Season Gets Busy: Book early for fall trips—lodging fills up fast along the Kancamagus and in the White Mountains.
Pack for Layers: Weather shifts quickly—especially in the mountains. Bring a jacket, even in summer.
Bring Bug Spray: Spring and summer mean mosquitoes (and black flies). You’ll thank yourself later.
Cash for Small Stops: Many local diners, farm stands, and parking areas are still cash-only.
Explore Off-Season: Winter and early spring can be peaceful and budget-friendly—perfect for quiet getaways.
New Hampshire is best explored by car—especially if you want to chase waterfalls, mountain views, and small-town diners. Renting a car gives you freedom to roam, from the Kancamagus Highway to the Seacoast. In winter, 4-wheel drive helps if you’re heading into the mountains. Some areas like Portsmouth and North Conway are walkable once you arrive, but a car keeps the whole state within reach.
Columbus hotel roundup because “just find something downtown” isn’t a strategy✈️
I stayed across the price spectrum on this one so I could actually compare notes. Hotel LeVeque is the splurge Art Deco lobby, marble bathrooms, and a restaurant (The Keep) worth visiting even if you don’t book a room. If you want to walk everywhere, Le Méridien puts you right in the Short North with murals and shops outside your door. And if budget’s the priority, Aloft gets you clean and modern near Ohio State without the markup.
Want a full escape from the city instead? Hocking Hills lodges and Gervasi Vineyard are both an easy drive out and worth the detour.
Not every hotel on this list is for every trip... that’s kind of the point. Full breakdown by neighborhood and budget, link in bio 🍂
Thousands of motorcycles, decades of history, and one very hot infield. 🏍️
I went into Mid-Ohio Vintage Motorcycle Days expecting a bike show. What I got was closer to a small town that pops up once a year camps stretched across the hills, swap meet tables piled with parts I couldn’t name, and bikes older than some of the people admiring them parked next to restorations that looked showroom-fresh.
Fair warning: this is not a quick stop. Give yourself the whole day, wear real shoes, and don’t skip the racing watching pre-war machines and modern superbikes share the same track is worth the sunburn.
Ohio keeps surprising me. Full recap on the blog link in bio. 🔗
$165 a person and no menu, you just show up and let them decide what happens to you for the next few hours.🥂
That’s Agni. Tasting menu called Midwest Nostalgia, built around childhood food references you’ll recognize by name and not recognize at all once they hit the table. There’s a version of a McDonald’s Happy Meal in there. The fry alone takes three days to make.
Not a quick dinner. Not for someone who wants to know exactly what’s coming. But if you like handing over control for a few hours and being a little surprised at every course, this is one of the most creative meals we’ve had in Columbus. Full review, cost breakdown, and reservation tips, link in bio.
Cincinnati photo dump— Streetcars, skyline views from across the river, a hotel that’s also a 24-hour art museum, chili you’ll either love or argue about, and a food tour that made me understand the city in one afternoon. We packed neighborhoods, murals, one splurge dinner, and an underground cocktail lounge into a few days and still didn’t run out of things to do.
It’s walkable, it’s affordable compared to most city breaks, and it doesn’t get the hype it deserves.
Everything’s linked in bio where we stayed, what we ate, and exactly how to plan your own trip 🍂
A hotel that’s also a free 24-hour contemporary art museum penguins included. We booked a Corner Suite at 21c and it was massive: separate bedroom, living room, dining area, 699 square feet to spread out in. The bathroom alone had a double vanity and custom Rookwood Pottery tile that made getting ready weirdly entertaining.
The location is downtown, two minutes from Fountain Square, walkable to Boca for dinner, and close enough to hop the free streetcar into Over-the-Rhine. If OTR is where most of your plans are, you might want to stay closer to that neighborhood instead downtown worked for us, but we spent more time in OTR than we expected to.
And yes, there’s a recycled-plastic penguin sculpture that will absolutely scare you the first time you open your door and forget it’s there. Link in bio for the full review rooms, parking, walkability, and everything else before you book 🎨
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