Cover Stories – Page 50

Day on the Water

Row, row, row your boat

Hit the water in a canoe or kayak

by Matt Ingersoll

When Patrick Malfait founded the Contoocook River Canoe Co. in 1997, kayaking was still up and coming as a mainstream recreational sport in New Hampshire. Now he’s in his 25th season, offering a wide variety of canoes and kayaks for sale or for rent so people can enjoy paddling along the Contoocook River in Concord. A second operation was later launched under the name Merrimack River Canoe & Kayak, where you can do the same on Hooksett’s Merrimack River.

“We started with just renting canoes,” Malfait said. “Then a couple of years later the kayak just became very popular and the canoe kind of took a backseat for a while. … The popularity of canoeing has come back, but kayaking is still far ahead of canoeing [in] sales and rentals.”

Both canoeing and kayaking have their own unique advantages and features that can be best suited to particular uses. In general, a kayak may be smaller, faster and easier to maneuver, whereas a canoe is often larger, more stable and easier to enter and exit.

“When you’re in a single kayak, you’re one with the water. It’s just you and your boat … so it’s exciting for people to get out there and be able to control their boat by themselves,” Malfait said.

As the years have gone on, kayak manufacturers have introduced newer models tailored to specific purposes. There are multiple types of kayaks, from single recreational kayaks to touring or sea kayaks, and even kayaks with their own built-in accessories designed for fishing.

But canoes can be great to take out on the water too — especially, Malfait said, if you’re part of a larger group or are preparing for a bit of a longer trip.

“A canoe is a really great family vessel to go out and spend the day on the river or on the lake,” he said. “You can put everything and the kitchen sink in there, which you can’t do in a single kayak. It’s just a whole different experience, and for some people it’s more like being at home.”

Other than families with children, Malfait said, canoe rentals are also popular among older active adults, as well as traditionalists who enjoy an activity he pointed out has been around for hundreds of years. Rentals for both canoes and kayaks are an attractive option for those who don’t have the means to store or transport them or are getting into the sport for the first time.

Rental rates at the Contoocook River Canoe Co. are by the day, while for the Merrimack River operation there are additional options to have your boat out on the water per two-hour or four-hour block. If you’re going out on the Contoocook River, Malfait said, there is also a shuttle option to bring you and your boat about 9 miles upriver to paddle back to the beach.

All boats must be off the water by 5 p.m. each day, but that doesn’t mean canoeing or kayaking has to be a full-day commitment either. In fact, during the height of the pandemic last year, Malfait said he noticed many more short-term paddlers out on the water.

“We saw a large increase of late afternoon business, and it was all city people,” he said. “They’d only be out there for an hour or two but they loved it. For them, it was a getaway.”

In Nashua, Bill James first became interested in trying kayaking more than a decade ago when, on a bike ride in Mine Falls Park, he passed by a family of paddlers. Now he owns Nashua Kayak Rental, a by-appointment business offering single or double kayak rentals on Saturdays and Sundays. Renters can arrange meetings at one of the Nashua River’s public boat launches.

“Typically, I like to bring people to the Millyard Technology Park where there’s a public boat ramp, and I also use the Mine Falls Park boat ramp,” James said. “As long as I don’t have multiple appointments in one location that tie me to a given spot, we can wander around a bit. … For the most part, though, I just let people enjoy it however they want to.”

Reservations can be made through Nashua Kayak Rental’s website or Facebook page, and James will provide everything from your kayak and paddle to your life jacket.

“[Kayaking] is a really nice way to get out and explore … and the best part of renting is that you can go out and do it whenever you want and not have to deal with storage or transport,” he said.

Unless you’re on private property or a body of water that is only open to town residents, you can go pretty much anywhere with a canoe or kayak. Each is considered a non-motorized vehicle under New Hampshire law, meaning they are not required to register in the state. You are required, however, to always wear a life jacket while out on the water, Malfait said.

“There’s tons of information out there,” he said. “The AMC [Appalachian Mountain Club] has guides that they’ve produced that tell you where you can put boats in and take boats out, and there are meetup groups where people are paddling a different body of water each week.”

NH AMC Paddlers

The New Hampshire chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club maintains a regular schedule of upcoming outdoor group activities across the state, including for canoeing and kayaking. Visit amcnh.org/committees/paddling, or follow them on Facebook “NH AMC Paddlers.”

Contoocook River Canoe Co.

9 Horse Hill Road, Concord, 753-9804, contoocookcanoe.com

Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cost: Canoes and kayaks are both available to rent for use on the Contoocook River. Rates vary depending on the type and size capacity of the boat — $35 for a canoe or two-person kayak, $28 for a one-person 12-foot kayak and $33 for a one-person 14- to 16-foot kayak. Rates are for single-day use, with all boats off the water by 5 p.m. each day. Shuttle services about 9 miles upriver are also available.

Merrimack River Canoe & Kayak

35 Edgewater Drive, Hooksett, 406-1462, paddlemerrimack.com

Hours: Friday through Monday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cost: Canoes and kayaks are both available to rent for use on the Merrimack River. Rates vary depending on the type and size capacity of the boat, with block pricing for two hours, four hours or a single day. A one-person kayak, for example, is $20 for two hours, $35 for four hours or $45 for the day.

Nashua Kayak Rental

nashuakayakrental.com, and on Facebook @nashuakayak

Hours: Saturday and Sunday, by appointment

Cost: One-person or two-person kayaks are available for rent for use on the Nashua River. Rates are $30 for two hours for a single kayak, or $50 for two hours for a two-person kayak. Weekend meetings with owner-operator Bill James are available by appointment at the public boat ramps at Mine Falls Park (Stadium Drive, near Stellos Stadium) or at the Millyard Technology Park (Technology Way).

More Places to Paddle

Here’s a list of more spots in southern New Hampshire, including some lakes and state parks, that offer canoe or kayak rentals or have public boat launches people can use to go canoeing or kayaking.

• Baboosic Lake (25 Broadway, Amherst, amherstnh.myrec.com)
• Bear Brook State Park (61 Deerfield Road, Allenstown, nhstateparks.com)
• Beaver Lake (Pond Road, Derry, beaver-lake.org)
• Clough State Park (455 Clough Park Road, Weare, nhstateparks.com)
• Crystal Lake (186 Crystal Lake Road, Gilmanton, gilmantonnh.org)
• Glen Lake (300 Elm St., Goffstown, goffstown.com)
• Island Pond (Stickney Road, Atkinson, town-atkinsonnh.com)
• Lake Massabesic (Londonderry Turnpike, Auburn, manchesternh.gov)
• Lake Sunapee (Mount Sunapee State Park, 86 Beach Access Road, Newbury, nhstateparks.org)
• Lake Winnipesaukee (Multiple towns in Belknap and Carroll counties, lakewinnipesaukee.net)
• Lake Winnisquam (Water Street, Laconia, winnisquamwatershed.org/public-access)
• Naticook Lake (Veterans Park Drive, Merrimack, merrimacknh.gov)
• Pawtuckaway State Park (7 Pawtuckaway Road, Nottingham, nhstateparks.org)
• Pillsbury State Park (100 Pillsbury State Park Road, Washington, nhstateparks.org)
• Silver Lake State Park (138 Silver Lake Road, Hollis, nhstateparks.org)

Cruising along

Scenic views from the comfort of a boat

by Meghan Seigler

From harbor seals in the Atlantic to great blue herons on Squam Lake, there’s a good chance you’ll see wildlife in the water and along the shores when you take a scenic cruise —‌ and the views along the way are pretty photo-worthy too.

“Normally we go straight out to White Island to see the lighthouse,” said Pete Reynolds of Granite State Whale Watch and Island Cruises in Rye, which offers tours of the Isles of Shoals on Uncle Oscar, a 62-foot-long single-deck boat. “All the islands are scenic in their own right.”

Lake Education Cruise 2019. Photo courtesy of Squam Lakes Natural Science Center.

During the 5½-mile trip from Rye Harbor to the Isles, they often see marine porpoises and the occasional whale sighting, though Reynolds said those are fairly rare.

“Pretty frequently around the island we’ll see both harbor seals and grey seals,” Reynolds said.

“We see cormorants … and a tern colony … that’s always a favorite of bird watchers.”

The ocean tours are narrated, with the captain sharing the history of the islands, and unlike many scenic cruises, Uncle Oscar docks mid-tour to let passengers off to explore Star Island.

“[It’s] a great walking island,” Reynolds said. “It’s only 46 acres so you can explore pretty much the entire island when you’re on it.”

He said there’s an old stone chapel from the 1800s, replica stone buildings that recreate the fishing village that used to be on the island, short hiking trails and plenty of scenic views of the Atlantic.

Of course, New Hampshire has plenty of lakes too, which offer a different kind of cruise experience —‌ and those differ from lake to lake, says Amanda Gillen, marketing manager for Squam Lakes Natural Science Center.

“I think the biggest thing for people to know is that Squam Lake is not Lake Winnipesaukee,” she said, referring to cruises aboard the M/S Mount Washington on New Hampshire’s biggest lake. “It has a very different, quieter, slower, more natural feel.”

The Science Center’s cruise is 90 minutes long and is a narrated tour of the whole lake, with cruise captains talking about the history of the area, the wildlife and sights like Church Island and other conservation land. The boats are covered pontoon boats and currently only hold 18 passengers.

“It’s a nice intimate experience,” Gillen said.

Gillen said passengers can expect to see wildlife like common loons, cormorants, great blue herons, muskrats, mink, swimming squirrels and bald eagles.

“We typically have a nesting pair of bald eagles on Squam Lake,” Gillen said. “The pair is around this year but did not successfully rear any chicks so the adults don’t stay by the nest for the easy view. … On one cruise a couple of years ago … an eagle flew down to catch a fish and the fish was so large that the eagle was using its wings to almost swim in order to get the fish to the closest shore. Everyone was pretty excited to see that.”

Gillen said the Squam Lake cruises are typically geared more toward adults and families with older kids.

“Marine patrol requires all children ages 12 and under to wear a lifejacket and we find that sometimes very little kids … don’t enjoy that for the full tour,” she said.

Take a scenic cruise
Enjoy nature and wildlife on a lake or on the ocean.

Lake cruises

Experience Squam
859 U.S. 3, Holderness, 968-3990, experiencesquam.com
Experience Squam is a private boating excursion aboard a 23-foot Sea Ray Bow-Rider that caters to your boating preferences, with all kinds of options available, like sunset cruises, star gazing, tours of historic Church Island and On Golden Pond movie sites and opportunities to anchor and swim. The boat fits up to 12 people and prices and schedules vary depending on number of people, length of ride and activities.

Mount Washington Cruises
211 Lakeside Ave., Weirs Beach, Laconia, 366-5531, cruisenh.com
The M/S Mount Washington offers 2½-hour narrated scenic tours as well as Sunday brunch cruises, dinner and cocktail cruises on Lake Winnipesaukee (prices range from $40 to $65 per person). A smaller boat, the M/V Doris E., offers one-hour scenic tours of the islands of western Lake Winnipesaukee ($25 per person). The U.S. Mailboat offers two-hour cruises while providing postal service to island residents ($40 per person). See website for cruise schedules.

Sunapee Cruises
1 Lake Ave., Sunapee, 938-6465, sunapeecruises.com
Tour Lake Sunapee on an afternoon narrated cruise aboard the MV MT Sunapee II or an evening dinner cruise aboard the MV Kearsarge Restaurant Ship. The afternoon cruise is 1½ hours long and leaves at 2 p.m. daily now through Labor Day, then Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Columbus Day. The cost is $22 for adults, $20 for military, seniors and AAA members, $12 for kids 6 to 12, and free for kids under 6. The dinner cruise is two hours long and leaves daily at 6:30 p.m. now through Labor Day, and at 5:30 p.m. after Labor Day. The cost is $45.99 for the cruise, dinner buffet and dessert. Children 12 and under are $32.99 (no children’s pricing on Fridays and Saturdays).

Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
23 Science Center Road, Holderness, 968-7194, nhnature.org
Cruises are 90 minutes long and on canopied pontoon boats. There are several options available, including a Bald Eagle Adventure and a Loon Cruise. The cost is $27 for adults, $25 for seniors and $23 for children through age 15. See website for schedule.

Ocean cruises

Granite State Whale Watch and Island Cruises
1870 Ocean Blvd., Rye, 964-5545, granitestatewhalewatch.com
The boat leaves twice a day, at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., and ocean tours are about three hours long, including the boat ride and a stop at Star Island for an optional walking tour and time to explore. Tours are offered until about mid-September. The cost is $35 for adults, $32 for ages 60+, $26 for ages 4 to 16, and free for kids under 4.

There are also several ocean cruises available based out of Portsmouth, including the Gundalow Co. (433-9505, gundalow.org), the Isles of Shoals Steamship Co. (islesofshoals.com, 800-441-4620) and Portsmouth Harbor Cruises (portsmouthharbor.com, 800-776-0915).

Stand up and go

Paddleboarding is a simple way to get on the water

by Angie Sykeny

Paddleboarding is a popular water sport in New Hampshire, and for good reason, said local paddleboard guide Shaun Quinn.

“We have 14 miles of seacoast, plus all of the lakes and rivers, and you can paddleboard on almost all of them,” Quinn said. “It’s the perfect way to take advantage of the state’s natural resources.”

A paddleboard is like a surfboard, but wider. Traditionally, the paddleboarder stands on the board and uses a paddle to move across the water or ride the waves, but there are a variety of other ways to use a paddleboard, too.

“They’re pretty versatile,” Quinn said. “You can move your position around, sit down, lie down, kneel, surf on them, get a tan on them, do yoga on them — so many different things with this one single, small watercraft.”

You don’t have to be a “surfer kind of person,” to paddleboard, Quinn said; paddleboards are more forgiving and easier to maneuver than surfboards. Almost anyone can do it, regardless of their age, body type or athletic ability, he said, and most people pick it up quickly.

Local paddleboard instructor Chris Shields agreed and said that even people with physical challenges can usually find a paddleboarding position that’s feasible for them.

“If you can stand on the ground, you can paddleboard,” he said, “and if you’re someone who has trouble walking or standing, then you can just sit. It’s that easy.”

Paddleboarding appeals to people for a number of different reasons, Quinn and Shields said. For one, it’s a way to enjoy the outdoors and explore the water that’s “more accessible” than taking out a kayak or a canoe, Shields said.

“It’s easy to just pop in the water and go,” he said, “and, if you’re standing and looking down at the water, you actually get a [larger] perspective and can see more of what’s around you than you can in a kayak or canoe, which is really cool.”

Paddleboarding can also be good for your health, Quinn said. If you paddle properly, it’s a full-body workout that works “every muscle from your ankles to your core to your shoulders,” he said. Mentally, paddleboarding may be a way to relax and unwind.

“It’s a fantastic activity for the mind,” he said. “For me, it’s all about the simplicity of it; it’s just me, the board and the paddle, and that goes a long way to help me calm and focus my mind.”

Through his paddleboarding guide business The Wandering Paddler, Quinn offers private tours and lessons for people who are looking to paddleboard in New Hampshire. He also picks up and drops off the board and paddle rentals for his customers.

“I’ll go wherever people want to paddle, and if they don’t know where to go to paddle, I’m their guy,” he said.

Shields also offers paddleboard equipment rentals and lessons through his business SUPNH and said the demand is “bigger than ever.”

“If you’re someone who likes being out on the water, just give it a try for a day,” he said. “It will be worth it.”

Go Paddleboarding

Contoocook River Canoe Co.
Offers paddleboard sales, rentals, instruction and guided tours. Retail shop is at 9 Horse Hill Road, Concord. Rentals are $25 for a half day (9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) and $35 for a full day (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Lessons with 30 minutes of instruction and one hour of coaching on the water cost $35 per person, with the paddleboard rental included. Call 753-9804 or visit contoocookcanoe.com.

Hampton Beach Parasail & Paddle Board
Offers paddleboard rentals out of its shop at 1 Ocean Blvd., Hampton, starting at $25 for one hour. Call 929-4386 or visit hamptonparasail.com.

Merrimack River Canoe & Kayak
Offers paddleboard rentals out of its shop at 35 Edgewater Drive, Hooksett. Rates are $20 for two hours, $35 for four hours and $45 for a full day. Call 406-1462 or visit paddlemerrimack.com.

Portsmouth Paddle Co.
Offers paddleboard sales, rentals, lessons, tours and yoga sessions. Retail shop is at 70 Heritage Ave., Portsmouth. Rentals start at $40 for two hours. Lessons range from $95 for one person to $60 per person in a group of four and include on-land instruction followed by 45 minutes of on-water coaching. Various tour options are available, starting at $60. Various yoga classes and workshops are held every day of the week, starting at $60. Call 777-7428 or visit portsmouthpaddleco.com.

Seacoast Paddleboard Club
A paddleboarding social club based in Portsmouth, with community paddles held every Tuesday night from May through September. Open ocean paddles for intermediate to advanced paddlers are held every Sunday from June through mid-September on the ocean and typically range from 8 to 12 miles. All paddles are free with a yearly membership fee of $50. Visit seacoastpaddleboardclub.com or call 498-8198.

Seven Rivers Paddling
Offers paddleboard tours, lessons and rentals out of its shop at 185 Wentworth Road, Portsmouth. Rentals cost $45 for three hours and $75 for a full day (9 a.m. to 4 pm.). Tours cost $65 and run for two-and-a-half hours. Visit sevenriverspaddling.com or call 969-5120.

Summer Sessions
Offers paddleboard lessons and rentals out of its two shops, at 15 Vaughn Mall, Portsmouth, and 2281 Ocean Blvd., Rye. One-hour lessons cost $65 for one person and $55 per person for groups of two or more. Rentals cost $35 for a half day and $45 for a full day. Visit newhampshiresurf.com or call the Rye shop at 319-8207 or the Portsmouth shop at 373-8147.

SUP-NH Paddleboard
Offers paddleboard rentals, lessons, repairs and sales. Retail shop is at 10 Mount Major Highway, Alton Bay. Rental options range from two hours for $30 to seven days for $280. A one-hour lesson is $45 per person or $40 per person in groups of three or more. Call 833-1211 or visit supnh.com.

The Wandering Paddler
Mobile service offering paddleboard tours, lessons and rentals throughout New Hampshire. Lessons and private tours cost $45 for two hours and $25 for each additional hour. Specialty tours, like a full moon paddle, are also available for $60. Rentals range from $35 for two hours to $250 for a week and include board delivery and pickup. Call 380-5077 or visit wanderingpaddler.com.

Wild Meadow Paddlesports Rentals & Sales
Offers paddleboard rentals and sales out of its shop at 6 Whittier Highway, Moultonborough. Rentals cost $50 per day (9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or $275 for a week. Call 253-7536 or visit wildmeadowpaddlesports.com.

Featured photo: Photo courtesy of Contoocook River Canoe Company, LLC.

Cornhole!

When local cornhole enthusiasts Shon Haley and Brian Fletcher started the 603 Cornhole league in 2014, they started it out of necessity; at that time, there were few opportunities for New Hampshire’s small but fervent cornhole community to get together for organized games and events.

“We figured there are leagues for bowling and pool and all that type of stuff,” Haley said, “so why shouldn’t we have a league for cornhole?”

Now, not only does New Hampshire have opportunities to play — it’s a nationwide hotspot for the game. With 78 teams, 603 Cornhole is one of the largest cornhole leagues in the country; Londonderry is home to Game Changer, the country’s only cornhole-specific sports bar; and American Cornhole League Pro Sheila Roy hails from Hooksett.

“I go to events across the country, and I will say that the folks here [in New Hampshire] have so much passion for the game,” Roy said. “That’s not to say people aren’t passionate about it elsewhere, but the people who play here locally love not just the game, but the whole scene of it.”

Phil Parker, a cornhole boardmaker from Deerfield and early member of 603 Cornhole, moved to New Hampshire from Virginia around 13 years ago. Cornhole has always been popular in the South, he said, so its absence in New Hampshire came as a surprise.

“I brought my boards up with me [during the move] and could not find anyone who knew anything about cornhole, so I would just play by myself in my yard,” he said.

Parker said he remembers when the sport really started “taking off” after 603 Cornhole was formed and in the years that followed.

“It grew from [being] just me, Shon [Haley], Brian [Fletcher] and a couple other friends, to six new people the next week, then eight new people, then 20 new people,” he said.

If you still have no idea what cornhole is or how it’s played, here’s the abbreviated version, based on the American Cornhole Association rules: Two teams of two players compete. There are two smooth plywood boards measuring four feet long and two feet wide, with a hole 6 inches in diameter positioned at the far end of the board, which is elevated one foot above the ground so that it sits at a slant. The boards face each other 27 feet apart, with one player from each team standing on either side of each board. From there, players take a series of turns underhand-throwing 6-by-6-inch square bags, traditionally filled with feed corn, at the board across from them. A bag that lands and stays anywhere on the board is worth one point. A bag that is thrown into the hole or pushed into the hole by another bag — theirs or their opponent’s — is worth three points. The first team to reach 21 points wins.

There are a couple different approaches to the game: You could focus all of your energy on getting the bag in the hole and scoring points for your team — and that’s a perfectly valid way to play, Haley said — or you could employ a bit more strategy to try to keep your opponent from scoring points.

“Sometimes it’s better to throw a bag right in front of the hole on purpose,” Haley said. “That tends to make your opponent not throw as good of a throw, or [they] throw their bag over the top [of the board] because they’re trying not to knock your bag in the hole.”

There are a number of cornhole leagues in New Hampshire with different formats. Some are more casual, with games held on an ongoing basis that are open to drop-ins and will even pair single players with a partner. Others, including 603 Cornhole, run more formal seasons and tournaments.

“Pretty much any night of the week, whether you’re a beginner or a more advanced player, you can find something somewhere within New Hampshire involving cornhole,” Haley said.

In May 2020, brothers Bob and Rodney Carrier opened Game Changer, a 6,000-square-foot facility with a bar and eight indoor regulation cornhole courts. The venue is used by organized cornhole leagues and groups for weekly games and tournaments; private parties, charity fundraisers and corporate events; and people just looking to have a fun night out.

“We started playing with some of these [local] cornhole groups, and we realized that they didn’t have any place to play during the winter. They just kind of stopped,” Bob Carrier said. “We saw an opportunity.”

Game Changer was an instant success.

“We didn’t have to build up a clientele or anything; the cornhole community came right in and hit it hard right from the start,” Carrier said. “We had tournaments going every night almost right away.”

The vision for Game Changer, Carrier said, was to create a sports bar that is also a “family-oriented place,” and having cornhole as the focal point has facilitated that atmosphere.

“We don’t get people coming in here to do a bunch of shots,” he said. “We get families with babies; people in their 50s, 60s, 70s; husbands and wives; fathers and sons; mothers and daughters — cornhole brings everyone together because anyone of any age can play.”

Roy can attest to that; she’s 56 and was accepted for her first season as an ACL Pro this year.

“It doesn’t have a barrier like other sports,” she said. “There’s no advantage to being tall or fast or strong or a certain age. It’s a level playing field for everyone, so I always felt like I could do this, and keep competing at a higher and higher level.”

To anyone who is hesitant about playing due to their athletic ability, Roy said don’t be; she had never played or even heard of cornhole until around seven years ago.

“There are folks who just pick it up really quickly, some who would totally surprise you,” she said. “You just can’t know until you throw a bag.”

Meet Phil Parker

Phil Parker is the owner of Kustom Woodz, where he builds custom cornhole boards out of his home wood shop in Deerfield.

Parker became interested in making cornhole boards around 15 years ago while living in Virginia, not long after being introduced to the game. It started as a hobby, making boards for his family and friends. The first board he ever made was one with a Budweiser/Bud Light logo.

“I was basically just taking a piece of plywood and two-by-fours, painting them and putting a sticker on it,” he said. “It has evolved from that into making league-quality boards with the best materials.”

There wasn’t much demand for cornhole boards in New Hampshire, he said, until around four years ago. That’s when he turned his hobby into an official business. He started working with a local print shop using a UV flatbed printer to transfer the custom designs – which can be personal photos, business logos or any other kind of image – onto the boards.

“The technology with UV printing has really taken off, so I jumped on that,” he said. ‘It’s much better having the image printed directly onto the wood itself, as opposed to a sticker, which is going to end up peeling or getting pulled off.”

All Kustom Woodz boards are made to ACL specifications and are sealed in three coats of a water-based polyurethane, giving them a glossy, water-resistant finish. This not only protects the custom image, Parker said, but also ensures that the boards have the surface texture that regulation boards are supposed to have.

“Pretty much all of the cornhole leagues around here order their boards through me,” he said. “If you go to a cornhole tournament, you’re expecting your bag to [move across the board] at a certain speed, according to the ACL specs that you’re used to.”

Parker said he expects to make and sell between 1,000 and 1,200 boards this year, for leagues as well as for individuals and families who want cornhole boards for their personal use.

“You can give me a picture of your son or your daughter, or your dog or your horse, or your boat or your Harley-Davidson, whatever, and we’ll personalize a board for you,” he said. “People like to have that to take camping or put in their yard.”

See “Kustom Woodz” on Facebook or email kustomwoodz603@gmail.com.

Leagues and groups

• 603 Cornhole All skill levels are welcome. League seasons are September through November; January through March; and April through June. The cost is $100 per team for a league session. Drop-ins looking to try it out or play a one-night game can usually be accommodated. Non-league games continue in July and August every Thursday. 603 Cornhole also hosts official ACL events. Visit facebook.com/603cornhole.

• Cornstars Cornhole All skill levels are welcome, with opportunities for both social and competitive play. Blind draw/round robin drop-in tournaments are held most Fridays at 7 p.m. at Game Changer Sports Bar and Grill (4 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry), and every Tuesday at 7 p.m. during the summer outdoors at Town Cabin Deli & Pub (285 Old Candia Road, Candia). Bring your own bags. Entry costs $15, $10 for first-timers. Visit facebook.com/cornstarscornhole.

• Franklin Cornhole League All skill levels are welcome. League season starts in the fall; information on the 2021-2022 season TBA. Visit facebook.com/franklincornholeleague.

• Lakes Region Baggerz Cornhole All skill levels are welcome, with social and competitive divisions. Blind draw/round robin games held every Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Lakes Region Casino (1265 Laconia Road, Belmont). Entry costs $15. League games are held on Saturdays. Visit facebook.com/Lakesregionbaggerz.

• Skull It Cornhole All skill levels are welcome. Blind draw/round robin games every Wednesday night at AJ’s Sports Bar & Grill (11 Tracy Lane, Hudson). Players accumulate points, with playoffs held for top players. Entry costs $15. Visit facebook.com/skullitcornhole.

Special events

• Raymond High School students will have a charity Cornhole Tournament for Special Olympics NH and Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire in the upper fields at Iber Holmes Gove Middle School (1 Stephen K. Batchelder Parkway, Raymond) on Saturday, July 31, with registration at 9 a.m. and the tournament starting at 10 a.m. The cost is $30 for single players and $60 for teams of two. The tournament is open to ages 14 and up. Visit bbbsnh.org.

• Less Leg More Heart will host its first annual Cornhole Tournament on Saturday, Aug. 7, from noon to 6 p.m. at White Birch Brewing (460 Amherst St., Nashua). The cost is $100 for competitive teams and $50 for social teams. Cash prizes will be awarded. Tickets are available on Eventbrite. Visit lesslegmoreheart.com.

• The Bags on the Beach Cornhole Tournament takes place at Hampton Beach on Saturday, Sept. 11, with check-in from 11 to 11:30 a.m., and the first tournament at noon. Signups for a second tournament to be held later that day will be available after the first tournament, estimated to begin around 3 p.m. There will be cash prizes for the top three winning teams. Registration costs $50 per team. Visit seafoodfestivalnh.com/cornhole-tournament.

Anytime play

These venues have open-play cornhole boards and host various cornhole events throughout the year. (Availability and fees may vary depending on demand and when in use for organized events).

• AJ’s Sports Bar & Grill (11 Tracy Lane, Hudson, 718-1102, ajs-sportsbar.com)

• Block Party Social, 51 Zapora Drive, Hooksett, 621-5150, blockpartysocial.com

• Bonfire Country Bar (950 Elm St., Manchester, 217-5600, bonfire.country)

• Game Changer Sports Bar and Grill (4 Orchard View Drive, Londonderry, 216-1396, gamechangersportsbar.com)

• Revolution Taproom & Grill (61 N. Main St., Rochester, 244-3022, revolutiontaproomandgrill.com)

Featured photo: 603 Cornhole hosts a cornhole fundraising event at the fields at Epsom Central School. Courtesy photo.

From their cows to your cone

Three or four days each week, a small group of family members and friends will gather at Connolly Brothers Dairy Farm in Temple to make ice cream. Each person has multiple roles, from hand-mixing ingredients to packing the ice cream in tubs — and, of course, everyone’s willing to do some taste testing. It’s proven to be a highly successful formula for the small family-run business.

“Ice cream sales never stop,” said Mike Connolly, the middle Connolly brother and the farm’s primary ice cream maker. “We keep pumping ice cream out … even right through the winter.”

Since purchasing their own equipment to make ice cream in the early 2000s, Connolly estimates the farm is now up to around 60 flavors made over the course of each year, about 15 of which are made almost every week. All of the farm’s ice cream is produced on site in small batches, from a pasteurized sweet cream base containing its own cows’ milk.

More than just a high-quality summertime treat, homemade ice cream has proven to be one of the many effective ways for local dairy farms to diversify and add value to their product in what has been an increasingly competitive and challenging market.

“The level of intelligence on any dairy farm, when it comes to business and how to survive and make a business thrive, would blow your mind,” said Amy Hall, executive director of Granite State Dairy Promotion. “I have never met a group of individuals who are so able to quickly adapt and find solutions to any problem that gets thrown their way.”

Connolly Brothers Dairy Farm sells its ice cream in pre-packaged containers in several sizes at the farm store and has plans in the works to open its own scoop shop on site. They also work with other local businesses to create specialty custom-made flavors, from maple-infused ice creams you can get at Parker’s Maple Barn in Mason, to cherry cordial, peanut brittle, peppermint candy cane or butter pecan-flavored ice creams available at Nelson’s Candy & Music in Wilton.

Contoocook Creamery, at Bohanan Farm in Contoocook, provides Granite State Candy Shoppe with an ice cream base produced from the milk of its cows. They also supply Frisky Cow Gelato in Keene with their milk and cream, and recently began selling their base to Whippoorwill Dairy Farm in Kensington for the purposes of making ice cream as well.

In Boscawen, Richardson’s Farm — not to be confused with Richardson’s Ice Cream in Middleton, Mass., which sells its ice cream wholesale to many New Hampshire ice cream shops — makes its own pasteurized base using milk and cream sourced from Hatchland Farm in North Haverhill, according to owner and ice cream maker Jim Richardson.

So how exactly does ice cream get made? We spoke with New Hampshire dairy farmers and ice cream makers to get some answers on how this sweet treat makes the voyage from cow to cone.

The scoop on ice cream-making

A batch of ice cream starts with a base made up of milk, cream, sugars and small amounts of stabilizers to maintain its consistency and prevent crystallization. Jamie Robertson, who runs Contoocook Creamery with his wife and three adult sons, said about 110 of the more than 200 cows on the farm are milked twice a day, 365 days a year.

Cows from Contoocook Creamery at Bohanan Farm. Courtesy photo.

Three days a week, the milk is pumped from the barn to the processing plant, where it’s then pasteurized and homogenized. When making the ice cream base, Robertson said, the milk is mixed with each of the other ingredients before this step takes place.

“Pasteurizing is what we do to kill all the harmful bacteria in the milk, so we bring it up to a high temperature really fast, keep it there for a little under a minute and then drop it right back down,” he said. “It goes into the pasteurizer at 38 degrees, goes up to over 170 degrees and then comes back out at 38 degrees, and that all happens in under a minute. … Then we homogenize it, which breaks up the fat molecules so that they don’t separate out.”

Kristen May’s family has owned Hatchland Farm since 1971, beginning to make and sell their own ice cream about a decade ago. The farm produces vat pasteurized milk, or milk that is pasteurized at a slightly lower temperature for a longer period of time.

“We pasteurize at 145 degrees [for] 30 minutes,” May said. “The milk and the ingredients that we put into the ice cream are in big 300-gallon vats. … It takes a bit longer to do, but it actually makes [it] a little bit more different of a product. The flavor of the milk is a little more natural.”

Depending on his supply, Richardson said he receives regular shipments of Hatchland’s Farm raw milk and cream, which he uses to make his own ice cream base with.

“Legally, ice cream has to be at a minimum of 10 percent butterfat,” he said. “So we’re blending the milk and cream to get that butterfat level, and then obviously there are sugars involved, and a non-fat milk solid to boost the protein and add body to it.”

Some local ice cream makers will start with a pre-pasteurized base obtained from the HP Hood processing plant in Concord, to which several dairy farms in New Hampshire ship their milk through a number of cooperatives, according to Hall. This is also how Connolly Brothers Dairy Farm gets its milk pasteurized for ice cream making, Connolly said.

“Basically, we ship our milk up to Hood and then we get it back,” he said.

Mike Connolly of Connolly Brothers Dairy Farm in Temple makes a batch of black raspberry ice cream. Photo by Matt Ingersoll.

The base is poured into a batch freezer, and what ice cream makers do from there depends on the flavor they are creating.

“Sometimes it’s just a pure liquid extract or what’s called a variegate that goes into the machine,” Connolly said. “We hand-mix any of the chunky stuff, so chocolates, chocolate chips, cookies, all of that gets mixed in by hand, just because the machine will pulverize everything.”

Lisa Ilsley of Ilsley’s Ice Cream in Weare, which uses the Hood base mix, said her machine will churn out a batch of roughly five gallons of ice cream in 20 minutes, depending on the flavor.

Ilsley’s Ice Cream in Weare. Courtesy photo.

“The machine whips air into it,” she said. “That’s essentially what you’re doing when you’re making ice cream, is you’re changing it from a liquid to a whipped air solid.”

She’ll also hand-stir her ingredients as the ice cream is ready to come out of the machine. Once all of the swirls, fruits, chocolates or candy pieces are mixed in, the batch of ice cream is placed into a blast freezer designed to rapidly bring the temperature below zero.

After a hardening period, typically lasting at least 24 hours, the ice cream is moved to a holding freezer to bring the temperature back up, slightly softening it and making it scoopable at roughly 6 to 8 degrees.

Milking the opportunity

Dairy was once a dominating presence in New Hampshire’s overall agricultural landscape. There were more than 800 commercial dairy farms in the state as recently as the year 1970, according to Granite State Dairy Promotion. That number has continuously dwindled over the years, to 274 in 1990, 182 in 2000 and just 95 farms in 2020.

Slim profit margins for farmers, a worldwide surplus of milk, and the competition they face at the retail level from out of state, including through the emergence of plant-based beverages onto the market, have all been contributing factors to the industry’s gradual decline.

“Once a dairy farm goes out of business, the chances of them coming back are close to none,” Hall said. “It’s a really tough industry to survive in.”

The pandemic only exacerbated the struggles last year, as the sudden shutdowns of restaurants and public schools quickly resulted in an unprecedented oversupply of milk. Cooperatives limited the amount of product they were buying from farms, forcing dairy producers to dump any milk that could not be sold. May estimates that Hatchland Farm had to dump about 11,500 gallons of its milk off and on throughout last year. In the fall, they decided to sell 35 of their cows.

“Never in my father’s life had he worked that hard to produce a product that he had to see go down the drain, basically,” she said. “We’ve had surpluses at different times but we’ve always been able to find a place to get rid of it. We’ve never had to dump milk like that.”

Jared Johnson of Sanctuary Dairy Farm, a 10th-generation farm in Sunapee dating back to the 1700s, said that while milk prices have rebounded and restaurants are back open, input and overhead costs for farms have gone through the roof.

“It was a really dry year last year, so a lot of people had to buy a lot of feed because of the drought conditions,” he said. “Grain costs have increased probably 20 to 40 percent.”

Despite all of the ongoing challenges, dairy farms pivoted and still found unique opportunities.

Ilsley said her family’s dairy farm purchased a cream separator in October and began skimming their raw milk with it. The Ilsley Farm in Weare now sells quarts of its own heavy cream.

“We literally have a new dairy product that we sell now. I don’t think we would’ve done it if it wasn’t for Covid,” she said. “We have people come to the farm all the time to buy our raw milk, so we figured we would at least take the cream off and sell that. Our customers love it.”

Contoocook Creamery, which had been using glass bottles for its milk until the spring of 2020, quickly made the switch to plastic jugs after grocery stores stopped accepting glass bottle returns. This doubled their milk sales and increased the number of local stores you can now get their milk in. One hundred percent of their milk is also now bottled on site, Robertson said.

Supporting local dairy farmers is much easier than you may think, and does not have to involve travelling to a farm directly to purchase their product. Every bottle of milk in the dairy aisle of your local grocery store will have a code on it that specifies where it was processed. The code No. 33-08, Hall said, whether it’s on a Hood brand or a grocery store’s own brand of milk, indicates that it was processed at the HP Hood plant in Concord.

“One of the largest threats to the dairy industry is … milk that comes from outside of the region, which creates direct competition for our local farms,” she said. “If you pick up a gallon of Hood milk with the Code [No.] 33, you can feel good knowing that dairy farmers right here in New Hampshire sent their milk there, and that’s what’s in that bottle that you’re picking up off the shelves. … Not all of the milk in the dairy aisle has that.”

Ice cream for normalcy

After a season like no other last year, ice cream makers in New Hampshire are turning the page.

Christy LaRocca wrote down July 1 as a “back to normal” date for Moo’s Place Ice Cream. It marked the indoor reopenings of both the Derry and Salem shops for the first time in more than a year, and nearly all the company’s staff members were fully vaccinated by that point.

“We’re on pace to have a very, very good season,” said LaRocca, who owns Moo’s Place with her husband, Steven. “We’ve been so excited to open up and welcome everybody back indoors.”

Moo’s Place makes its own ice cream five or six days a week, producing more than 40 regular flavors as well as the occasional special, like chocolate-dipped cherry or wild blueberry crisp.

Ice cream sales have been very strong so far this summer at Granite State Candy Shoppe. Owner Jeff Bart said the Concord shop usually offers ice cream from Easter through the end of October, while in Manchester they scoop it year-round.

Granite State Candy Shoppe. Courtesy photo.

“Things are as good as they were back in the summer of 2019,” he said. “We have noticed that people are definitely interested in coming back downtown and stopping by.”

Around 30 flavors of ice cream are available at each shop at any particular time, including unique offerings like Flapjacks and Bacon, a cake batter ice cream with a swirl of maple syrup and bacon chunks, as well as a Mexican chocolate ice cream with a blend of cinnamon.

New for this year, Blake’s Creamery in Manchester has opened an ice cream window with outdoor patio seating directly in front of its restaurant on South Main Street. It’s now open every Wednesday through Sunday, from 3 to 8 p.m.

“It has been very well-received, and it’s really nice to see people just sitting outside under an umbrella and enjoying ice cream,” Blake’s Creamery co-owner Ann Mirageas said. “There were takeout windows when Blake’s opened in 1963, so it’s actually a return to its roots.”

Blake’s introduces a few new ice cream flavors to its lineup every year, some of which become permanent additions. This year, newcomers include salted caramel brownie, and Mocha Joe’s Dough, a Colombian coffee and chocolate ice cream with cookie dough and chocolate dough.

In Nashua, Hayward’s Ice Cream now has a brand new commissary space downtown where their ice cream is produced, with a kitchen three times the size. Owner Chris Ordway said ice cream is made six days a week and trucked to both Hayward’s stores in Nashua and Merrimack. A whopping 10 gallons is produced every 12 minutes from their machines.

“We’re bringing in something new every two weeks, and it may be something that you had a few years ago that we’re bringing back to get some new interest,” Ordway said of the flavors.

Memories Ice Cream in Kingston is also rotating out specialty ice cream flavors. Owner Dawn Padfield said they are up to at least 50 to 60 different offerings, including not just the hard ice cream but also a selection of soft-serve, frozen yogurt and vegan options.

If you can’t find your favorite ice cream flavor on the menu, it could be because that local stand or shop simply hasn’t been able to get certain ingredients to make it, a lingering issue from the pandemic that continues to affect the industry.

“Week to week, it’s different things,” Steven LaRocca said. “Some products are in stock one week, and then they’re not in stock for the next two or three weeks. It’s a constant battle.”

The New Hampshire Ice Cream Trail

An interactive way to enjoy locally made ice cream while supporting dairy farmers, the New Hampshire Ice Cream Trail is a passport program released by Granite State Dairy Promotion every year, usually around Memorial Day weekend. Maps can be downloaded by visiting nhdairypromo.org/ice-cream-trail, or can be found at any one of the trail’s participating locations. Maps are also at the Manchester Airport and at several state highway rest areas.

There are a total of 42 “stops” on this year’s trail scattered across the state, featuring dairy farms that make their own ice cream on site or ice cream makers that use local milk. Participants can visit each stop on the map and receive a passport sticker for a chance to win prizes.

“For me, one of the most exciting parts about the Ice Cream Trail is hearing from folks who have completed it and say that not only they had a blast but they learned some things too,” said Amy Hall, executive director of Granite State Dairy Promotion. “It was developed as a way to creatively get information about the value of dairy farms into the hands of consumers.”

Completed passports will be accepted through Oct. 18 and will be entered into a grand prize drawing. The grand prize winner receives a $200 Amazon gift card and a basket of New Hampshire-made goodies, but all who complete the trail still receive a complimentary sweatshirt.

Where to get New Hampshire-made ice cream

This list includes New Hampshire restaurants, dairy farms and ice cream shops and stands that offer ice cream either made on site or, where specified, sourced locally. Some dairy farms also make proprietary flavors for New Hampshire businesses using their own products — those are included here as well. Do you know of another local business serving homemade ice cream that isn’t on this list? Let us know at food@hippopress.com.

• Arnie’s Place (164 Loudon Road, Concord, 228-3225, arniesplace.com) offers more than 25 homemade ice cream flavors, in addition to ice cream cakes, novelties and more.

• Beech Hill Farm and Ice Cream Barn (107 Beech Hill Road, Hopkinton, 223-0828, beechhillfarm.com) carries several flavors of ice cream from Blake’s Creamery.

• Blake’s Creamery (353 S. Main St., Manchester, 669-0220, blakesicecream.com) offers dozens of unique premium ice cream flavors, and, new for the 2021 season, now has an ice cream takeout window that is open Wednesday through Sunday from 3 to 8 p.m. Blake’s also has several seasonal wholesale accounts at restaurants and ice cream stands throughout New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts.

• Bruster’s Ice Cream (621 Amherst St., Nashua, 881-9595, find them on Facebook @brustersnh) has more than two dozen signature and classic flavors of homemade ice cream that are made on site.

• Charlie’s Ice Cream (150 Front St., Exeter, 772-7400, find them on Facebook @charliesicecreamnh) offers more than 50 flavors of ice cream made on site in small batches, including a selection of “21+” flavors infused with premium alcohol.

• Chuckster’s Family Fun Park (9 Bailey Road, Chichester, 798-3555; 53 Hackett Hill Road, Hooksett, 210-1415; chucksters.com) carries more than two dozen ice cream flavors from Blake’s Creamery.

• The Common Man (25 Water St., Concord, 228-3463; 304 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-3463; 88 Range Road, Windham, 898-0088; 10 Pollard Road, Lincoln, 745-3463; 21 Water St., Claremont, 542-6171; 60 Main St., Ashland, 968-7030; Town Docks Restaurant, 289 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-3445; Airport Diner, 2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040; Tilt’n Diner, 61 Laconia Road, Tilton, 286-2204; 104 Diner, 752 Route 104, New Hampton, 744-0120; thecman.com) offers its own homemade ice cream across each location’s dessert menus.

• The Common Man Roadside Market & Deli (1805 S. Willow St., Manchester, 210-2801; 530 W. River Road, Hooksett; 25 Springer Road, Hooksett, 210-5305; 484 Tenney Mountain Highway, Plymouth, 210-5815; thecmanroadside.com) offers Common Man-made ice cream across each location’s dessert menus.

• Connolly Brothers Dairy Farm (140 Webster Hwy., Temple, 924-5002, find them on Facebook) offers dozens of flavors of homemade ice cream using a base that comes from the farm’s own cows’ milk. Dozens of flavors are available at the farm store in pre-packaged containers coming in several sizes. Connolly Brothers Dairy Farm also makes proprietary ice cream flavors for other New Hampshire businesses, like Nelson’s Candy & Music in Wilton and Parker’s Maple Barn in Mason.

• Countrybrook Farms (175 Lowell Road, Hudson, 886-5200, countrybrookfarms.com) has dozens of flavors of ice cream from Blake’s Creamery.

• Cremeland Drive-In (250 Valley St., Manchester, 669-4430, find them on Facebook) offers multiple flavors of homemade hard ice cream, as well as soft-serve, frozen yogurt and sherbet.

• Dancing Lion Chocolate (917 Elm St., Manchester, 625-4043, dancinglion.us) offers unique flavors of house-made small-batch ice cream during the summer, sold in cups and house-made cones as well as sundaes and frappes.

• Devriendt Farm Stand and Ice Cream Shoppe (178 S. Mast St., Goffstown, 497-2793, devriendtfarm.com) offers dozens of flavors of ice cream from Blake’s Creamery.

• Dr. Davis Ice Cream (75 Route 13, Brookline, 673-6003, drdavisicecream.com) has been in business for more than eight decades, serving up more than two dozen homemade ice cream flavors.

• Dudley’s Ice Cream (846 Route 106 N, Loudon, 783-4800, find them on Facebook) offers more than 20 flavors of homemade hard ice cream, in addition to soft-serve and ice cream cakes.

• Goldenrod Restaurant Drive-In (1681 Candia Road, Manchester, 623-9469, goldenrodrestaurant.com) has more than 30 flavors of homemade ice cream.

• Gould Hill Farm (656 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook, 746-3811, gouldhillfarm.com) serves ice cream sourced from Granite State Candy Shoppe in Concord and Manchester.

• Granite State Candy Shoppe (13 Warren St., Concord, 225-2591; 832 Elm St., Manchester, 218-3885; granitestatecandyshoppe.com) has around 30 homemade ice cream flavors available at both locations, with specialty and customizable make-your-own sundae options. All of its flavors are made from an ice cream base sourced from Contoocook Creamery, at Bohanan Farm in Hopkinton.

• Hatchland Farm’s “Wicked Good” Dairy Delites (3095 Dartmouth College Hwy., North Haverhill, 348-1884, find them on Facebook) is a family-owned and -operated dairy farm that offers its own milk and ice cream products, including dozens of flavors of hard ice cream and soft-serve. The farm also sells its milk and cream to Richardson’s Farm in Boscawen to make ice cream with.

• Hayward’s Homemade Ice Cream (7 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua, 888-4663; Merrimack 360 Shopping Plaza, Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack; haywardsicecream.com) has been in business for more than seven decades, featuring dozens of homemade ice cream flavors on its menu out of both locations.

• Hayward’s Ice Cream of Milford (383 Elm St., Milford, 672-8383, haywardsfamilyicecream.com) is a third-generation ice cream stand that offers more than 50 homemade ice cream flavors, in addition to frozen yogurts and sherbets.

• Ilsley’s Ice Cream (33 S. Sugar Hill Road, Weare, 529-6455, find them on Facebook) offers about 10 flavors of its homemade ice cream during its season, in addition to specialty flavors of the week that are regularly rotated out.

• Jake’s Old-Fashioned Ice Cream and Bakery (57 Palm St., Nashua, 594-2424, jakesoldfashionedicecream.com) offers homemade wholesale packaged ice cream in a variety of flavors.

• Jordan’s Ice Creamery (894 Laconia Road, Belmont, 267-1900, find them on Facebook @jordansic) has been in business for more than 25 years, serving up dozens of flavors of homemade ice cream in addition to a large selection of cakes and pies.

• Just the Wright Place for Ice Cream (95 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham, 775-0223, find them on Facebook @wrightplaceforicecream) offers a wide selection of homemade ice cream flavors, and also takes orders for ice cream cakes.

• Kellerhaus (259 Endicott St. N, Weirs Beach, 366-4466, kellerhaus.com) always has a rotating selection of more than a dozen homemade ice cream flavors.

• Memories Ice Cream (95 Exeter Road, Kingston, 642-3737, memoriesicecream.com) has been serving dozens of homemade ice cream flavors out of a converted dairy barn since 1992, also offering ice cream cakes and wholesaling to some local restaurants and country stores.

• Moo’s Place Homemade Ice Cream (27 Crystal Ave., Derry, 425-0100; 15 Ermer Road, Salem, 898-0199; moosplace.com) makes all of its own hard ice creams available in several dozen unique flavors, in addition to frozen yogurts, Italian ices and ice cream cakes.

• Nelson’s Candy & Music (65 Main St., Wilton, 654-5030, nelsonscandymusic.com) offers more than a dozen flavors of ice cream produced at Connolly Brothers Dairy Farm in Temple, using the shop’s own chocolates, candies and other ingredients.

• Parker’s Maple Barn (1349 Brookline Road, Mason, 878-2308, parkersmaplebarn.com) offers several flavors of ice cream produced at Connolly Brothers Dairy Farm in Temple.

• The Puritan Backroom Restaurant (245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com) has more than two dozen traditional and unique homemade ice cream flavors.

• Richardson’s Farm (170 Water St., Boscawen, 796-2788, richardsonsfarmnh.com) has dozens of flavors of ice cream made on site, using its own pasteurized ice cream base sourced with milk and cream from Hatchland Farm in North Haverhill.

• Sanctuary Dairy Farm Ice Cream (209 Route 103 Sunapee, 863-8940, icecreamkidbeck.com) has dozens of flavors of homemade ice cream available, including many dairy-free, sugar-free, gelato and low-fat options. The farm also has wholesale accounts for businesses that carry its ice cream in quarts, including Achille Agway in Hillsborough.

• Stuart & John’s Sugarhouse (31 Route 63, Westmoreland, 399-4486, stuartandjohns.com) offers several flavors of ice cream from Blake’s Creamery.

• Sugar & Ice Creamery (146 Calef Hwy., Barrington, 888-616-8452, sugaricecreamery.com) has multiple flavors of homemade ice cream, with sundae options and freshly baked waffle cones also available.

• Trombly Gardens (150 N. River Road, Milford, 673-0647, tromblygardens.net) has more than a dozen flavors of its homemade ice cream, available for sale at the farm store in quarts.

Featured photo: Isley’s Ice Cream in Weare.

Adventures in the Air

Get a new view of the world while ziplining above the trees, soaring in a hot air balloon or parasailing over the water

You’ve seen New Hampshire’s forests, mountains and seacoast, but have you seen them from above? Get a new view with a relaxing flight in a hot air balloon, an adrenaline-filled zipline tour or a gentle but exhilarating parasail ride along the coast.

Hot air ballooning

Heading toward the sky in a hot air balloon is a much smoother and quieter ride than most people expect, says Tony Sica of High 5 Ballooning in Derry.

“When we launch, [passengers] don’t even know we’re leaving the ground,” Sica said. “There’s no g-force; we’re just gently drifting off the ground.”

For every launch, riders meet half an hour before sunrise at 15 Ermer Road in Salem, then Sica and his crew pick one of five launch locations, depending on which way the wind is blowing.

“We’re trying to launch from a location that’s going to take us into a decent landing,” Sica said. “You land wherever the wind takes you.”

Once they arrive at the launch site, anyone who wants to help prepare the balloon for inflation is welcome to. Then the gentle ascent begins.

“There’s absolutely zero motion — unless I’m dancing, which I do sometimes,” Sica joked.

The balloon stays right above the trees and maintains a profile up and down the treeline, which Sica referred to as contour flighting. A three- to five-mile ride is typical, though Sica said he’s gone as far as eight miles when the wind is moving quickly. But he prefers to stick to that three to five miles that he says he knows like the back of his hand, because that takes his passengers over the most scenic areas.

“We try to keep it as natural as possible,” Sica said. “When we go over water or wetlands, I’ll get right down in there … so people can take those great reflection [photos].”

There’s also a crew following the passenger balloon that takes photos along the way. Sica said he likes to go for “the money shot,” flying over Melville Lake or Alexander Pond. If they’re in the smiley face balloon — his most popular option — he’ll spin it around and bring the basket down to the water so the crew behind him can capture both the balloon and its reflection on the water.

Once they land, passengers can help squeeze the air out of the balloon if they want, and then they head with the ground crew back to the meeting site for a Champagne celebration. The flight is an hour, but the whole experience is about two and a half hours, Sica said.

For people who think they have a fear of heights, Sica said most actually have a fear of falling, and since you’re surrounded by the basket’s four solid walls, that fear usually isn’t triggered.

He said the most scared passenger he’s ever flown, Paul, got in the basket and the whole thing was shaking because he was so nervous. Two months later, Sica got a letter from Paul’s wife thanking him for helping him overcome his fears — they’d just been on their honeymoon, where they went parasailing, and Paul had gone skydiving too.

“Another success story,” Sica said.

Plus, ballooning is the safest form of aviation in the world, he said. Any accident has been pilot-related, “people doing stupid things,” he said. “You have to be willing to walk away [if conditions aren’t safe]. Don’t ever put your wallet in front of your safety.”

Sica has owned High 5 Ballooning since 1999; when he opened, there were 27 ballooning companies in New Hampshire, and now there are three.

“I can’t even tell you how busy we are,” he said. “It’s insane.”

High 5 is currently booking into September and October. Sica can take as many as eight passengers; if you want a private flight, you can pay the $1,600 to be alone (you’re paying for all eight spaces), but Sica said most people realize it’s more fun with a group of people, even if they’re all strangers at the beginning.

“It’s an adventure sport and part of that adventure is sharing the experience with other people,” he said.

High 5 Ballooning

Where: 4 Joseph St., Derry (office); meeting place is 15 Ermer Road in Salem

When: Half an hour before sunrise, seven days a week

Cost: $200 per person. Prices are subject to increase for private flights, for passengers weighing more than 200 pounds, and for couples who weigh more than a combined 400 pounds.

To book a flight, call 893-9643 or visit high5ballooning.com.

A&A Balloon rides

Where: 7 E. Derry Road, Chester (office); meeting place is 15 Ermer Road in Salem

When: Half an hour before sunrise

Cost: Sunrise flights are $250 for adults and $125 for children who are 12 or older or who weigh more than 100 pounds. The cost includes Champagne, crackers and cheese for after the flight. Private flights and events are also available. Costs are subject to increase for passengers weighing more than 200 pounds.

To book a flight, call 432-6911 or visit balloonridesnh.com.

Ziplining

For a more intense adrenaline rush above the treetops, ziplining will get you from Point A to Point B much faster than a hot air balloon floating through the sky.

“The zipline is great for people who have the need for speed,” said Jen Karnan, who started working at Gunstock Mountain Resort as a zipline instructor back in 2012 and is now the communications coordinator. “You can get up to 65 mph. … It gives you that wind in the hair sensation.”

But there’s still an element of control, she said — there’s a brake, so you’re in charge of your own speed.

“We actually get a lot of people who come up here to conquer their fear of heights,” Karnan said. “They go from ‘I can’t do this’ to ‘I can’t wait to do this again!’”

Gunstock’s guides get you started on the ground level of the main lodge, going through safety instructions while you put on your helmet and harness and pick up your trolley. The trolley weighs about 18 pounds and is the main piece of equipment you’ll be suspended from (or carrying in a backpack) during the tour. Athleticism is not required, but you do need to be able to walk up to 3/4 of a mile and ascend two 50-foot staircases while carrying the trolley, according to the Gunstock website.

Gunstock’s zipline tour has five lines, starting with a 45-foot demo line, then a 450-foot training line, which allows you to get the sensation of ziplining and practice using the brake, Karnan said. Next up is the Summit Zip; you take a chairlift to the top, then zip down 273 feet. It’s kind of a last call, Karnan said, to make sure you want to move on to the final two lines. Recoil Zip is 140 feet off the ground and one of the longest in the country at 3,981 feet long, with a 688-foot vertical drop. The Pistol Zip is 3,804 feet and is 50 feet off ground.

On the longer zips, it’ll take a couple minutes to get down depending on how fast you’re going. Karnan said a lot of people like to race, since they’re going down next to someone, and there are a few tricks with positioning and steering that can speed up the descent.

“Our zipline guys have some good hacks for that kind of stuff,” she said.

But it’s not all about speed.

“The zipline really forces you to be in the moment … take in the surroundings, kind of enjoy the nature,” Karnan said. “We have unmatched views of Lake Winnipesaukee. You might see Mount Washington on a clear day — if it’s clear enough, you can see up to the observatory.”

She said a lot of people just want to try it once, for the experience, but many come back.

“It’s really a bucket list item, and once you’ve done it, it’s hard not to want to do it again,” Karnan said. “It’s such an adrenaline rush.”

At Candia Springs Adventure Park in Candia, the guided zip tour has six lines that stretch out over about 3,000 feet of cable, according to Clarissa Coppin. Guests zip from platform to platform, she said, and trained guides are in charge of the guests’ trolley and braking.

“We have varying heights of up to 40 feet,” Coppin said in an email. “The best part is at the end; [it] finishes at the 1,000-foot zipline that stretches over the entire park and over the pond.”

Candia Springs also has an Aerial Adventure course with bridges, climbing ladders, scales, obstacles and crossing ziplines.

“We have had many guests cross off their bucket list items here, face their fears, and even get engaged,” Coppin said in the email.

Gunstock Zipline Tour

Where: Gunstock Mountain Resort, Gilford

When: The Adventure Park is open through the end of October, and zipline tours are available Friday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cost: $75 for ages 10 and up

You have to be between 4 feet and 6 feet, 8 inches, and between 50 and 260 pounds to ride the ziplines. Children 10 through 15 must be accompanied by a participating adult. Closed-toe and closed-heel shoes are required.

Candia Springs Adventure Park

Where: 446 Raymond Road, Candia

When: Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday until Sept. 6. The Zipline Tour and Aerial Forest stays open until Oct. 31 on weekends only, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cost: $41 for the Zipline Tour, and $41 for the Aerial Forest. Advance reservations are recommended. Visit candiasprings.com or call 587-2093.

For both adventures, the minimum age is 7, minimum weight is 50 pounds and minimum height is 48 inches. The maximum weight is 250 pounds.

Parasailing

If you’d rather soar above water, parasailing offers scenic views along with an up-in-the-air experience that feels like sitting on a swing with a friend, says Captain Craig Schreck, owner of Hampton Beach Parasail.

“You can see the whole coast of New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, the Isles of Shoals. On a clear day you can see the White Mountains,” Schreck said. “It’s a very visual, scenic, relaxing ride up there.”

Hampton Beach Parasail offers rides with either 500 or 1,000 feet of line — the more line, the better the views, Schreck said. Passengers get harnessed to the parasail, usually two or three at a time, then take off from the back of the boat, ascending slowly as the boat takes off. They’re up in the air for about 10 minutes.

“It’s basically like I’m flying a big kite with people in it,” Schreck said.

One of the best things about parasailing, he said, is that pretty much anyone can do it. He recently took a woman who was celebrating her 80th birthday with a friend who was in her 70s, and he took his own kids when they were 7 and 9. He said parasailing isn’t so much like an amusement ride as it is a relaxing experience — even for people who are initially nervous.

“We get a lot of people who are afraid of heights [but] it’s a gradual increase [and] because you’re over the water you don’t necessarily feel how high you are,” he said.

He said 99 percent of people who are afraid of heights end up loving it.

“We take pictures too, and sometimes you see that first picture and you can see the nervousness in their eyes and then the next two pictures, all of a sudden [you can see] the relief and excitement,” he said.

There’s no need to be afraid of the boat ride either, Schreck said.

“If it’s really windy, we don’t go very fast at all,” he said. “If it’s not windy, we get up to about 15 miles per hour. … The [faster] part of the boat ride is going in and out of the harbor.”

Passengers start out at Hampton Beach Parasail’s office in Hampton Harbor, then walk to the boat and take off from the state pier. The boat holds up to 12 people, so it’s typically Schreck, his “mate,” who helps harness the passengers into the parasail, and about eight to 10 passengers. The whole ride is about an hour.

Rides start at 8 a.m. and run every hour until the last trip at 6:30 p.m. Schreck said he prefers the last couple of rides of the day.

“The evenings are nice,” he said. “It’s usually really calm and the sun’s starting to go down.”

Schreck has been parasailing off and on for years; he used to drive a parasail boat in Hampton when he was younger, and then later in Miami, Cape Cod and Newport, Rhode Island. The best part of driving the boat, he said, is seeing how excited people are when they land. And when he goes up himself, which he still does a handful of times each summer, he thinks it’s cool to look down and see all the people on the beach. But no matter how many times he goes up, he has the same thought: “I forgot how high this is!”

Hampton Beach Parasail

Where: 1 Ocean Boulevard, Hampton

When: Open seven days a week until the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival (Sept. 10 through Sept. 12 this year), and then weekends and reservations until October.

Cost: $99 per person for a 500-foot line, $139 per person for the 1,000-foot line

Reservations are recommended but not required. Visit hamptonbeachparasail.com or call 929-4386.

Featured photo: Ziplining at Gunstock. Courtesy photo.

Just Fore Fun

Mini golf can be your date night family outing or relaxing way to hit the links

If you’re looking for something to do that’s active and fun for the whole family and gets you out of the house this summer, it’s hard to go wrong with mini golf.

“You don’t have to be a certain age, you don’t have to be in shape, none of that,” said Michael Accomando, owner of Mel’s Funway Park in Litchfield. “Husbands, wives, kids, parents, boyfriends, girlfriends — anyone can go out and play mini golf and enjoy it.”

Mini golf course at Mel’s Funway Park. Courtesy photo.

Mel’s features two 18-hole mini golf courses, an easy one geared toward families and young children, and one that is a bit more competitive.

“You don’t want to put the little ones out on a super challenging course, because you want them to have fun,” Accomando said, “but then you have the high school kids and the date nights and the families [without young children], and they want something that is challenging so they can get bragging rights after they beat someone.”

LaBelle Winery, which is headquartered in Amherst, purchased the property that was formerly Brookstone Event Center in Derry in December. In addition to its event spaces, a restaurant facility and a nine-hole executive golf course, the grounds included a mini golf course.

“It’s a great activity to get the kids away from their screens and to get outside in the fresh air and the sunshine,” said LaBelle Winery owner Amy LaBelle.

The course, called Mini Links, was designed by COST of Wisconsin, the same designers who do work for Disney World. It features 18 multi-level holes with sand traps, rock formations and a waterfall.

“It’s not like a get-the-ball-in-the-clown-mouth kind of mini golf,” LaBelle said. “It’s a beautiful, landscaped, upscale mini golf course.”

The holes vary in difficulty, making the course suitable for players of all ages.

“There are definitely easy holes that are totally geared toward a beginner, and then there are a couple others that are more challenging that even I find difficult,” LaBelle said, “so it’s a good mix. There’s a little bit of something for everybody.”

Over the last two years, Mel’s has been making big improvements to its mini golf courses, like installing new carpeting throughout and redesigning or expanding more than half of the holes.

“For some, we made the green different, or we added some new rock formations and more things in the middle for you to putt around,” Accomando said.

On the trickiest hole at Mel’s, known as “the granite hole,” players must putt the ball into a hole that is drilled into the middle of a slab of granite. It has gotten the park many repeat and regular visitors, Accomando said, who are determined to master the hole.

“The ball moves a heck of a lot differently on granite than it does on the outdoor carpet, so you really have to think about how you want to do it,” he said, adding that, even for him, it usually takes five tries or so to get the ball in the hole. “People love to come back to that one.”

It comes as no surprise that the new Mini Links course has been popular with families, LaBelle said, but a unique feature of the course has made it also very popular with grown-ups:

“You can have a glass of wine on the mini golf course, so you see a lot of adults finding their way over there, too,” she said, adding that Mini Links will start hosting adult mini golf tournaments in August, with prizes including wine prizes.

For Mel’s, Accomando said, being open late (until 10 p.m. on weekdays, 11 p.m. on weekends) has been a big draw for adults as a date night or after-dinner activity.

“We always get a rush right around 9 or 9:30 [p.m.],” he said. “People love it, because you can work all day, go home, have dinner, and still have time to go out and play a round of mini golf and enjoy yourself.”

Another reason mini golf is so universally appealing, Accomando said, is that it can be as infrequent and casual or as structured and competitive as a player wants to make it. Most people do it as a one-time or occasional outing with family or friends; others play for fun on a weekly or monthly basis; but about 20 percent of the players Accomando sees at Mel’s take the game “extremely seriously,” he said.

“It’s amazing how much some people really get into it,” he said. “There are even people who come and ask for a certain color ball because they say it brings them luck.”

Atmosphere is just as important to the mini golf experience as the activity itself, Accomando said. The courses at Mel’s are filled with rock formations, bridges, caves, fountains and a large waterfall, measuring around 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide, that sends water cascading throughout the park.

“It’s everything together — the sights, the sounds, the colors, the water rushing all around you — that makes it a whole experience,” he said. “It’s an escape for people to get away from some of the reality of their work day and what is going on in their lives.”

Check out this list of family fun parks and country clubs for your next round of miniature golf. All outdoor times are weather permitting — be sure to contact each park directly for the most up-to-date information.

Chuckster’s Family Fun Park
9 Bailey Road, Chichester, 798-3555; 53 Hackett Hill Road, Hooksett, 210-1415; chucksters.com
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.
Cost: Chichester rates are $9 per round of mini golf and $5 for ages 5 and under. Hooksett rates are $9.50 per round on one of the two courses and $6 for ages 5 and under. You can also play the second course on the same day for an additional $6.50.
What makes it unique: Each Chuckster’s park claims to have the “world’s longest mini-golf hole,” as one of the featured holes, at just over 200 feet long. Both parks are also completely different from each other, with not a single hole duplicated.

Funspot
579 Endicott St. N., Laconia, 366-4377, funspotnh.com
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Cost: $5 per person
What makes it unique: This self-service indoor mini golf course features refurbished ornaments of New Hampshire landmarks.

Legends Golf & Family Recreation
18 Legends Drive, Hooksett, 627-0099, legendsgolfnh.com
Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $8 for adults, $6 for kids ages 12 and under, and $3 for replays
What makes it unique: With natural rock ledges, running streams and a waterfall, Legends is known for having among the more challenging mini golf courses in the area.

Mammoth Green Driving Range & Mini Golf
135 Nashua Road, Londonderry, 432-4653, mammothgreendrivingrange.business.site
Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: $7 per person and free for kids ages 3 and under
What makes it unique: Holes are of varying difficulty, with a driving range also directly adjacent to the course if you want to further test your skills.

Mel’s Funway Park
454 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield, 424-2292, melsfunwaypark.com
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Cost: $10.50 for adults, $8.50 for kids ages 4 to 12 and free for kids ages 3 and under
What makes it unique: Mel’s features two separate 18-hole mini golf courses to choose from, each with features like waterfalls and bridges. The property also has other attractions like go-carts, batting cages, bumper boats, laser tag and an arcade.

Mini Links at LaBelle Winery
14 Route 111, Derry, 672-9898, labellewinery.com
Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: $8 per person
What makes it unique: Southern New Hampshire’s newest miniature golf course, the Mini Links at LaBelle Winery in Derry opened in May. There are opportunities for birthday parties and other personalized outings at the course, as well as Junior Golf Camp for players ages 8 to 14 that is underway.

Ponemah Green Family Golf Center
55 Ponemah Road, Amherst, 673-9908, playamherst.com
Hours: Daily, 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: $9 for adults and $6 for kids ages 8 and under
What makes it unique: This newly renovated mini golf course has plenty of obstacles, as well as opportunities for birthday parties and other gatherings.

Featured photo: Chucksters. Courtesy photo.

Travel the World

Your guide to a summer of books with exciting locales, thrilling adventures, mysteries and more

Travel the world this summer, even if you’re staying home. Whether you’re on a hammock in your backyard or sitting by the community pool, you can travel near and far with a book. This past year welcomed all kinds of new releases, from page-turning thrillers to thought-provoking memoirs and everything in between. To help you find the perfect read, we asked local library staff and indie booksellers to recommend some of their favorite titles of 2020 and 2021.

See the world

These recommended recent releases highlight different places and cultures throughout the world during both the past and the present.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, published June 2021.

After moving to New York City to finish her college degree, August finds family, romance and herself in an unexpected place: the subway.

Recommended by: Alexa Moore, Circulation & Reader Services Librarian at Amherst Town Library. “August grows into her own throughout this story with the help of so many wonderful people, with a true representation of New York City serving as the backdrop.”

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles, published February 2021.

An intersection of two stories about two women from different places and times: in 1939, Odile is living her dream of working as a librarian at the American Library in Paris, until the Nazis march into town and threaten everything she holds dear; in 1983, Lily, a lonely teenager living in rural Montana, develops a unique bond with the reclusive elderly woman next door.

Recommended by: Amy Lapointe, Library Director at Amherst Town Library. “Interesting history — the 1939 storyline is based on true events — and themes of friendship, love and betrayal are a winning combination.”

West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge, published February 2021.

A 105-year-old man recounts his incredible tale, based on real events, of driving two giraffes that survived the New England hurricane of 1938 across the country to California, where they were given a new life as the first giraffes at the San Diego Zoo.

Recommended by: Dianne Hathaway, Library Director at Goffstown Public Library. “This is a beautifully written book with characters that come alive.”

A Measure of Belonging: Writers of Color on the New American South, edited by Cinelle Barnes, published October 2020.

Writers living and working in the South reflect on the contemporary South and the complex challenges of race in southern culture in this collection of essays.

Recommended by: Dianne Hathaway, Library Director at Goffstown Public Library. “This is an important work in understanding the experiences of others in a place far removed from New Hampshire.”

As Far As You’ll Take Me by Phil Stamper, published February 2021.

After graduating high school, Marty leaves his small home town in Kentucky to pursue a career playing oboe in London, England.

Recommended by: Emily Fortin, Teen and Information Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “This is a sweet coming of age story, and you’ll be rooting for Marty as he finds his way in a new country.”

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen, published October 2020.

Young Tien and his first-generation immigrant mother bond over a shared love of fairy tales as Tien seeks the right language to come out to his family as gay, and his mother looks back on memories of fleeing Vietnam and the connections she left behind.

Recommended by: Aidan Sonia-Bolduc, librarian at Dover Public Library. “A beautiful comic about overcoming differences in culture and language for the sake of a mother and child’s love.”

Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams, published June 2021.

No one knew why the diplomatic Digby family defected to Russia in 1948. Four years later, Ruth, the twin sister of Iris Digby, is sent undercover by the CIA to retrieve them.

Recommended by: Willard Williams, co-owner of The Toadstool Bookshops in Nashua, Peterborough and Keene. “High stakes, high adventure and moral quandary — it’s a true page-turner. Yes, Beatriz is my niece-in-law, but there’s no bias on this one.”

The Lonely Heart of Maybelle Lane by Kate O’Shaughnessy, published March 2020.

Eleven-year-old Maybelle sets out on a RV road trip to Nashville with her neighbor and the local bully, where she plans to compete in a singing contest being judged by the father she never met.

Recommended by: Patty Falconer, Children’s Librarianat Dover Public Library. “This summer adventure brings Maybelle lots of discoveries about herself and others.”

* The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest by Mark Synnott, published April 2021.

Synnott, a Jackson, New Hampshire, resident, tells the story of his 2019 expedition to try to find out whether explorers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine ever reached the summit of Mount Everest before they disappeared in 1924.

Recommended by: Susan Dunker, Adult Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “A great book for a hot day; you’ll appreciate reading about the freezing temperature the climbers endure.”

The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey, published June 2021.

Perveen Mistry, India’s first female solicitor, battles conflicting religious and gender roles in 20th-century India as she investigates the death of a young Parsi student who had come to her for legal advice not long before.

Recommended by: Barbara Tosiano, Library Director at Hampton Falls Free Library. “While the series is entertaining, it is also insight into cultures and customs about which the reader might not be familiar.”

The Searcher by Tana French, published October 2020.

Ex-cop Cal Hooper looks forward to a quiet retirement when he moves from Chicago to a small town in the West of Ireland, but instead finds himself trying to find a missing person and discover the mystery behind a series of mutilations of local sheep.

Recommended by: Caitlin Loving, Assistant Director at Bedford Public Library. “I drop everything else I’m reading the minute French has a new book out. I read an advance copy of the book last summer, and I was completely transported.”

From the River to the Sea: The Untold Story of the Railroad War That Made the West by John Sedgwick, published June 2021.

The true story of William Palmer of the Rio Grande railroad and William Strong of the Santa Fe railroad, who were both determined to expand their rail lines into the American southwest in the 1870s.

Recommended by: Willard Williams, co-owner of The Toadstool Bookshops in Nashua, Peterborough and Keene. “Well-told. It was a history unknown to me.”

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, publishedOctober 2020

In 18th-century France, Addie, a young girl destined for an arranged marriage that she doesn’t want, makes a deal with the devil that spares her from the marriage but costs more than she bargained for.

Recommended by: Kathy Growney, Library Director at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “A great read for people who are romantic at heart and enjoy a book with a bit of magical realism, historical fiction and an unexpected but satisfying ending.”

The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley, published May 2021.

A man steps off a train into a 19th-century French colony in England, with a mysterious postcard in his possession and no memory of who he is.

Recommended by: Hope Garner, Paralibrarian II at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “This book manages to include time travel, alternative reality and historical events. … It was fascinating and unpredictable.”

* I Have Struck Mrs. Cochran with a Stake: Sleepwalking, Insanity, and the Trial of Abraham Prescott by Leslie Lambert Rounds, published October 2020.

The story of a brutal murder that took place in rural Pembroke, New Hampshire, in 1833.

Recommended by: Tim Sheehan, Library Director at Pembroke Town Library. “Readers who enjoy true crime and local history will enjoy this book.”

Nicky & Vera: A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued by Peter Sis, published January 2021.

Picture book tells the little-known story of Nicholas Winton, a man who saved the lives of nearly 700 children trapped in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia during the Holocaust.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “A great way to learn more of those troubling times … [and of] another hero.”

The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America by Elizabeth Letts, published June 2021.

In 1954, after losing her farm in Maine, Annie Wilkins, with no money and no family, set out on a two-year-long pilgrimage across America to achieve her lifelong dream of seeing the Pacific Ocean.

Recommended by: Holly Williams, co-owner of The Toadstool Bookshops in Nashua, Peterborough and Keene. “The world was different then, but Annie Wilkins’ journey is still an inspiring one today.”

* Spirit of Place: The Making of a New England Garden by Bill Noble, published May 2020.

Noble, a self-taught garden designer, offers a guide to creating a garden in the New England landscape.

Recommended by: Hope Garner, Paralibrarian II at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “This book is full of inspirational photos and great ideas from his own garden in Vermont.”

Made in China: A Prisoner, an SOS Letter, and the Hidden Cost of America’s Cheap Goods by Amelia Pang, published February 2021.

The true story of an Oregon mom who is compelled to act after she finds a letter inside a package of Halloween decorations, written by a sweatshop worker in China pleading for help.

Recommended by: Amy Hanmer, Information and Technology Librarian at Manchester City Library. “This true life mystery/adventure inspires us to speak out and to stop supporting products from authoritarian countries that don’t value human life.”

Color your world

Mythographic Color and Discover: Frozen Fantasies: An Artist’s Coloring Book of Winter Wonderlands by Fabiana Attanasio, published January 2021.

Adult coloring book filled with magical ice castles, snowy landscapes and wintery fantastical beings, and challenges to find secret items hidden in the pictures.

Recommended by: Yvonne R. Loomis, Information and Technology Librarian at Manchester City Library. “Yes, folks thought that the adult coloring phase was over, that is, until we were all in lockdown with time and stress on our hands. So consider this unusual and fun coloring book as a tool for self-care and relaxation.”

Fiction

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult, published September 2020.

As the plane Dawn is on is about to go down, the thoughts that come rushing to her mind are not of her husband, but of a man whom she hasn’t seen for 15 years.

Recommended by: Amy Lapointe, Library Director at Amherst Town Library. “Picoult explores the choices that alter the course of your life, [with] fascinating side information about death and dying and ancient Egypt. This is Picoult’s most complex book and, in my opinion, one of her best.”

Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson, published March 2021.

Abigail is on her honeymoon on a secluded island with her new millionaire husband when a secret from her past upends her marriage and puts her life in danger.

Recommended by: Amy Bain, Library Assistant at Baker Free Library in Bow. “Rip-roaring thrillers/mysteries are my summer go-to … and Peter Swanson is my new favorite thriller writer. You won’t soon forget this story.”

Exit by Belinda Bauer, published January 2021.

Felix, a British man in the second half of his life and a member of an inconspicuous group that helps terminally ill people die with dignity, makes a horrible mistake with a ripple of consequences.

Recommended by: Susan Dunker, Adult Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “A delightfully quirky story that will keep your heart pumping throughout.”

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, published March 2020.

The story of the family William Shakespeare left behind when he went to London to write, produce and perform plays.

Recommended by: Susan Dunker, Adult Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “A beautifully written and fascinating novel about possibly the greatest author of all time.”

* The Languid Belly of the Beast by J.S. Carter Gilson, published September 2020.

In the second installment of the Deep Space Cargoist series by Nashua’s own Carter Gilson, old flames are rekindled and new dangers abound as cargoist Inez Stanton sets out to deliver a revolutionary-for-hire deep into the heart of the Free Earth’s capital.

Recommended by: Mary Ellen Carter Gilson, Reference Librarian at Nashua Public Library. “The writing is snappy, the characters are engaging, and the story just pulls you right in. … Yep, [the author] is my husband, but the books really are great!”

* Margreete’s Harbor by Eleanor Morse, published April 2021.

Set in the 1960s, the story follows a family that moves from Michigan to a rural coastal town in Maine to care for an aging mother.

Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner of MainStreet BookEnds of Warner. “This wonderful Maine author beautifully intertwines dealing with Alzheimer’s, the pressures of marriage and work and the struggles unique to families during the Vietnam era.”

The Newcomerby Mary Kay Andrews, published May 2021.

On the run from her sister’s murderer, Letty tries to build a new life for herself and her niece and questions whether her new love interest, a local police detective named Joe, can be trusted.

Recommended by: Kathy Growney, Library Director at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “This book is a perfect beach read — a well-written mystery with just a splash of romance and a happy ending.”

The People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry, published April 2021.

The dynamic between best friends Poppy and Alex starts shifting toward romance when they meet up for their 10th traditional summer trip.

Recommended by: Joanna Meighan, Library Assistant at Hampton Falls Free Library. “Summer is the perfect time for romance, and this book does not disappoint. Emily Henry’s characters are relatable, and the story is light and breezy.”

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth, published October 2020.

In 1902, a series of mysterious deaths at The Brookhants School for Girls leads to a curse on the school that no one can seem to unravel.

Recommended by: Alexa Moore, Circulation & Reader Services Librarian at Amherst Town Library. “This creepy and intriguing story kept me turning the pages … and the horror elements will keep you looking over your shoulder. This book will stick with you.”

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo, published March 2021.

The second book in a fantasy duology following a young king as he battles a dark power growing inside him.

Recommended by: Hope Garner, Paralibrarian II at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “Ms. Bardugo is fun and easy to read. She takes the reader into her universe quickly, like J.K. Rowling in her Harry Potter series.”

Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan, published June 2020.

A modern take on E.M. Forster’s 1908 novel A Room with a View that follows Lucie, a 19-year-old biracial woman who finds herself torn between two men and two cultures in a land of decadence and privilege.

Recommended by: Hope Garner, Paralibrarian II at Griffin Free Public Library in Auburn. “Mr. Kwan also wrote the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. I consider his books a classic beach read —humorous and quickly read.”

Should We Stay or Should We Go by Lionel Shriver, published June 2021.

After seeing the long and taxing decline of their own parents’ physical and mental capacities toward the end of their lives, a healthy couple in their 50s make a pact to die with dignity and leave the world together once they turn 80. Fast-forward three decades, and the time has come, but they’re having second thoughts.

Recommended by: Amy Bain, Library Assistant at Baker Free Library in Bow. “This is the most difficult book to describe, but the most mesmerizing. Each chapter depicts a different outcome … and every outcome seems meant to be.”

The Smash-Up by Ali Benjamin, publishedFebruary 2021.

This modern take on Edith Wharton’s 1911 novel Ethan Frome is based on the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the rage it causes Zo and her group of fellow activists All Them Witches and the toll it takes on her marriage to husband Ethan.

Recommended by: Susan Dunker, Adult Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “I read Ethan Frome in high school and found this story to be a great complement to that excellent book.”

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, published August 2020.

With a suicidal mother and a brother who died of a heroin overdose, Gifty, a Ghanaian immigrant working on a Ph.D. in neuroscience at Stanford, struggles to make sense of the suffering in the world and begins to question the evangelical faith in which she was raised.

Recommended by: Carol Luers Eyman, Outreach and Marketing Librarian at Nashua Public Library. “A moving account of a young woman’s attempt to achieve her own goals amid family strife.”

Nonfiction

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, published April 2021.

A memoir centered on the author’s relationship with her mother and her journey of self-discovery following her mother’s death.

Recommended by: Danielle Arpin, Library Assistant at Pelham Public Library. “Zauner does not hold back her complicated feelings about her family and her own identity.”

Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard, published May 2021.

Simard, a forest ecologist, explores the lives of trees and their critical role in the circle of life and reflects on the connection between trees and her personal journey of self-discovery.

Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner of MainStreet BookEnds of Warner. “Simard tells her own story and the research that has forever changed how we view forests and their preservation. A very important book and a must-read for us all.”

Olive, Mabel and Me: Life and Adventures with Two Very Good Dogsby Andrew Cotter, published October 2020.

Sports commentator Andrew Cotter tells the story of how his two dogs, Olive and Mabel, became part of his family and captured the hearts of people around the world with viral videos of their antics.

Recommended by: Susan Dunker, Adult Services Librarian at Dover Public Library. “As a dog-lover and owner of a few Labradors over the years, I found it really hilarious and touching. It’s a rare dog book where the dogs don’t die in the end.”

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee, published February 2021.

The author explores issues of income inequality, the Great Recession, environmental degradation and more to refute the idea that economic and social progress for one group is only possible at the expense of another.

Recommended by: Carol Luers Eyman, Outreach and Marketing Librarian at Nashua Public Library. “While the book exposes shameful racist practices that have, in fact, affected people of all colors, the final chapter presents hopeful suggestions for creating a more equitable society.”

Food

The Chef’s Garden: A Modern Guide to Common and Unusual Vegetables – With Recipes by Lee Jones, published April 2021.

A recipe book featuring a wide variety of vegetable-based dishes, with chapters divided by different plant families.

Recommended by: Hillary Nelson, Bookseller at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord. “The real glory of this book, to me, is the gorgeous photography. Who knew beet marshmallows could look so delicious? Or that there is a super-cute tuber called oka that looks kind of like a Pokemon and grows like potatoes?”

The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food: Step-By-Step Vegetable Gardening for Everyoneby Joseph Tychonievich, published February 2021.

An easy-to-navigate guide for newbie vegetable growers that includes tips on how to find the best planting location, which vegetables are the easiest to grow, how to water, how to protect the plants from pests and more.

Recommended by: Bre’Anna Beard, Adult Services Assistant at Merrimack Public Library. “This book is both beautifully illustrated and very informative, and it’s an excellent reference for anyone looking to start their own vegetable garden.”

How to Grill Vegetables: The New Bible for Barbecuing Vegetables over Live Fire by Steven Raichlen, published April 2021.

A recipe book with 115 creative dishes centered around grilled veggies.

Recommended by: Amy Bain, Library Assistant at Baker Free Library in Bow. “If you are trying to limit your intake of meat, this is the book for you. Vegetables are the stars of these dishes and always taste better when kissed by fire and smoke.”

Graphic novel

* The Great Gatsby: A Graphic Novel Adaptationby F. Scott Fitzgerald, illustrated and adapted by K. Woodman Maynard, published January 2021.

Woodman-Maynard, originally from Concord, gives new life to the 1925 classic.

Recommended by: Ryan Clark, Bookseller at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord. “The illustrations are lovely, with a soft and warm color palette that is aesthetically pleasing to look at while still capturing the roaring-twenties-jazz-age tale of obsession and wealth and class.”

Stuck Together by Brian “Smitty” Smith, published in September 2020.

The first book in the children’s graphic novel series Pea, Bee & Jay, which follows the adventures of a pea, a bee and a blue jay.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “Very colorful, unique, simple, funny books for kids to enjoy.”

Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh, published February 2021.

Three mermaids turn themselves into humans so that they can go out drinking at the beach bars, only to realize the next morning that they don’t know how to return to their mermaid form.

Recommended by: Angela Sylvia, Library Technician at Bedford Public Library. “Kat Leyh’s vibrant art fills the mermaid trio and the human friends they make with distinct, lively personalities.”

Children’s

* Becoming a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery, with contributions by Rebecca Green, publishedSeptember 2020.

Picture book adaptation of Montgomery and Green’s 2018 book How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals looks to animals for lessons about friendship, compassion and sharing the Earth.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “A fascinating story [for] kids to learn about our world … and [how] to be a good citizen of the world.”

The Dirt Book: Poems about Animals That Live Beneath Our Feet by David L. Harrison, illustrated by Kate Cosgrove, published June 2021.

Collection of poetry explores the ecosystem of dirt and the animals that inhabit it.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “I love it because it’s written as a ‘vertical’ book, giving the sense of going down, [and] includes lots of fun facts and thought-provoking poems.”

* Flight of the Puffin by Ann Braden, published May 2021.

The Vermont-based author’s second middle-grade novel follows four seventh-graders struggling to affirm their identity as their families’ expectations of them are in direct conflict with who they are and who they want to become.

Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner of MainStreet BookEnds of Warner. “Such an important book for our times and one that every school should take up.”

The Lights and Types of Ships at Night by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Annie Dills, publishedOctober 2020.

Educational picture book explores different types of ships.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “Simple yet factual and beautiful.”

* On the Farm by David Elliott, illustrated by Holly Meade, originally published March 2008, re-released as a picture book in April 2021.

Picture book adaptation of Elliott’s 2008 book of the same name evokes the sights and sounds of a traditional country farm through poetry and illustrations.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “Awesome, feel-good poems that bring you to the farm.”

* Once Upon Another Time by Charles Ghigna & Matt Forrest Esenwine, illustrated by Andres F. Landazabal, published March 2021.

Picture book, written in poetry, explores the natural world of the past and present.

Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner at MainStreet BookEnds of Warner. “Co-authored by Warner’s own Matt Forrest Esenwine, here is a wonderful picture book about the world before humans, inviting children to marvel in the magic that once was and to preserve and protect our only Earth.”

Someone Builds the Dream by Lisa Wheeler, published March 2021.

A look at how things are made and the work it takes to build a civilization.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “A very creative way to show children how things are done from the bottom up [and that] things don’t magically appear. I like that it gets them to think about what they might want to do.”

Wild Outside: Around the World with Survivorman by Les Stroud, illustrated by Paul Barr, published March 2021.

A wilderness survival guide for kids, with practical skills and activities to try at home.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “I love the idea of getting kids more involved outside and learning how to survive without being plugged in.”

Young adult

City Spies by James Ponti, published March 2020.

The first book in Ponti’s middle-grade series of the same name, which follows a group of five delinquent kids recruited by a spy agency.

Recommended by: Sue Matott, Children’s Librarian at Pillsbury Free Library in Warner. “It was so well-written. I didn’t want to stop reading, and it kept me wondering how it would turn out.”

Legendborn by Tracy Deon, published September 2020.

Arthurian legends and Southern Black Girl Magic converge in this contemporary fantasy, which follows Bree, a student at a residential program for high schoolers, as she grieves the death of her mother.

Recommended by: Alexa Moore, Circulation & Reader Services Librarian at Amherst Town Library. “This book has a little bit of a slow start, but once I began to learn about Bree, her family, and her power, I was hooked.”

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, published September 2020.

Avery Grambs receives a mysterious inheritance from Tobias Hawthorne, a billionaire she never knew, but can only keep it under the condition that she reside at the Hawthorne estate. There, she and the Hawthorne brothers work to solve a series of riddles to discover why she was named heiress.

Recommended by: Alexa Moore, Circulation & Reader Services Librarian at Amherst Town Library. “This book was impossible to put down and kept me guessing until the very end.”

Category: Cover Stories

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