Portsmouth, NH

Leaving Boston our goal was to head off to Gloucester but once we left and realized how good the sailing was we just kept on going and pulled into Little Harbor in Portsmouth, NH.  That is one of the great things about sailing… you can be spontaneous and go where the wind takes you!  Once in Little Harbor we found only moorings available and nobody was anchored so our guide suggested taking an empty mooring knowing you may have to move if the owner shows up.  Our mooring ball had so much sea weed on it, I don’t think the owners have been here a while.

We took the dinghy up river about a mile and tied up to go ashore.  We found the Strawbery Banke Museum which is part of an old LIVING HISTORY village.  We paid our $15 per person entry and started walking around town.  There are over 30 homes and stores in the village.  Costumed role-players greet you inside each one and explain its history.  We met Mrs. Abbott who is the Shop Owner of the Little Corner Store as it stood in 1943.  She explained our “Rations” for the week which was about 16 per person.  She had conveniently labeled her shelf items with a cash price and the number of rations you needed to purchase it. 

We also met Mrs. Shapiro, a Ukrainian Jewish Immigrant from 1919 canning some apple-elderberry jam.  We enjoyed leaning about spinning and weaving in another home.  What a great way to spend the morning.  We tried going to the “Dinsmore” home looking for relatives but they were closed up for the day.  By looking in the windows they were the nail and barrel makers.  The Goodwin mansion had glorious gardens…both in sight and smell!

Coming back to the boat we passed the Naval Shipyard from 1800.  As we get further North we really need to pay attention to the tides but also the current.  It was ripping through the bay very quickly making for a tenuous dinghy journey back.