I was pleasantly surprised at just how nice Portsmouth was. It's an old seaport town, so it's got a lot of history as well as tons of cool shops and restaurants. Instead of staying in a hotel, we tried a Bed & Breakfast, since Peter had never stayed in one. It was a nice change, and the fresh homemade breakfasts around the dining room table with the other guests each morning were a real treat. We loved it! http://martinhillinn.com/
We stayed in the Typhoon Room. The floor was a bit sloped because it dated back to about 1815. I thought that was cool. I wondered about the many other people from those days up until now whose feet have walked those floorboards. Here's a picture and description of our room from the Inn's website: http://martinhillinn.com/typhoon.html
The Inn had lovely gardens out back.
We spent much of Saturday at Canobie Lake Park, an amusement park in Salem, N.H. that I went to from my childhood days up through high school. It was great to be back there, this time with my husband. The only bad thing was that it made me miss John a lot when I saw all of the kiddie rides and the new waterpark for kids and I knew how much he'd love them. So we're planning on taking him there, probably next summer.
I guess I shouldn't say that was the only bad thing. I made a poor choice and went on a circular ride at the end of the day and was nauseated for hours after. I had a feeling I shouldn't do it but I just wanted to try, thinking/hoping I wouldn't get sick. But apparently I can't go on fast circular rides anymore. With the exception of the nice, slow Ferris Wheel, they leave me way too dizzy and nauseated. I used to be able to do them just fine, so I guess it's a sign that I'm aging. My father is the same way, so maybe there's a genetic link. Thank goodness for roller coasters and non-circular rides!
Canobie Lake Park is a lovely, clean, old-fashioned family amusement park. 
I nearly fell out of this roller coaster when I was a little girl. My Uncle Tommy was sitting next to me and he had to hold me in! I don't know what the ride operators were thinking letting me on it because I was just a tiny little wisp of a thing back then.
I love how the park is in the woods and right by a lake. I took this picture while atop the Ferris Wheel. You can see the Log Flume, one of my favorite rides.
This roller coaster was FUN.
This is the HUGE splash that the Boston Tea Party ride creates. The water feels so good on a hot day.
This is what happens to the bad girls.
Canobie Lake is beautiful.
On Sunday we got a good dose of history by going to Strawbery Banke, a settlement in Portsmouth dating back to the 1600s. ("Strawbery" is spelled with one r, according to how they used to spell it. So I guess I can let that misspelling go.) It's a very good place for history lovers to visit, as it has many beautiful old historic homes and gardens, with the houses going from the colonial era up until the 1950s, when the settlement/neighborhood closed. That's four centuries worth of history! In some of the houses people were dressed up and acting like the original inhabitants. I always try to keep a straight face with that but it does make me smile. I get a kick out of grown-ups playing pretend and getting you to play along with them. http://www.strawberybanke.org/aboutus.html
This was once the governor's mansion back in the 1800s. I like the widow's walk at the top.
This is the actual wedding dress of one of the governor's daughters. She had her wedding celebration there in the house.
Ascending a classic steep spiral staircase. Watch your step Peter!
The flowers and gardens were gorgeous.
I liked how the wooden planks in the living room of this house are painted this light color. It really brightens the room up nicely. It's totally impractical when you think of things like muddy shoes, but that's not a problem here since people can't actually go in the room.
This door reminds me of The Secret Garden.
Unbelievably steep! How in the heck did they walk up and down these things without falling?
Milky Ways are one of my favorite candy bars. This is what they looked like during WWII times. There was a cool 1940's shop set up with the products and prices just as they would have been back then.
I recognize that baby! I wish those prices were still the same today.
I really like the color and style of this house. My dream house might be this color. 
This is one of the oldest houses in New Hampshire, built in the 1600s. I can't believe it's still standing!
Sometimes I really wish I'd lived back then.
The seaport is right across the street.
It was a wonderful weekend in a beautiful place!
