I had the opportunity to visit the Franklin Pierce Homestead Historic Site recently in Hillsborough, NH. This historic village was incorporated in the late 1700’s and soon became the family home of Benjamin Pierce, twice governor of NH and father of our 14th president, Franklin Pierce. The house is beautifully restored to its Federalist roots, […]
Author: Lisa Wiley
My name is Lisa Wiley and I am native to mid-New England, but a NH transplant once my husband and I started a family. We have five children and multiple pets, including a bassett named Rue who will be featured in many of my posts! I work in two academic libraries and recently completed a Bachelors in Education and Training through Granite State College. My husband and I are both educators and love outdoor adventures on a shoestring budget! On the side, we garden and raise chickens and angora rabbits. I enjoy spinning the angora fiber from these gentle animals into beautiful yarns. I can't wait to share the adventures of the 'Wiley Rangers' as we explore NH!
Sunken Forest at Odiorne Point
Our last summer weekend together as a family took us to the ocean. We arrived at low tide at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye. I seldom visit the seacoast to relax or sunbathe or enjoy bustling boardwalks. I visit it to hunt. And I visit it because no where else reminds me how […]
Waterfalls in the Whites
I am beginning this post with a question- What is the most hare-brained adventure you have ever experienced? If you want my answer, just scroll to the bottom of this post. But if you can wait, you’ll view some of the most amazing waterfalls and glacial formations in New England. My son and I visited Franconia […]
Pillsbury Camping & Sunapee Craft Fair
On the first August weekend, our family drove to Washington NH to spend the night at Pillsbury State Park. Our campsite rested on the banks of May pond, one of four small bodies of water which are joined by dams and inlets, and surrounded by hills above 2000′ on all sides. On the western slope, […]
Cloudbusting at Rollins State Park
Just west of Concord lies Warner, NH, a town which hold its history dear. Proud Federalist homes line the main street as you wind your way on Route 103. My son, Aaron, and I chose a hot July day to explore Rollins State Park, and the peak of Mount Kearsarge. Rollins State Park lies at […]
Frost Farm: History Hitting Home
At the turn of the 19th Century, Pulitzer-Prize winning poet, Robert Frost, lived on 23 acres in rural Derry, NH for 11 years. The Robert Frost Farm has seen many transitions over its 130-odd years, but the decade it held the Frosts has been preserved with the help of NH Bureau of Historic Sites and […]
Pawtuckaway Camping, Kayaking, and Hiking
Pawtuckaway State Park in Nottingham NH was a wonderful spot for our first family camping trip of the season. As we are a family of seven, with four teenagers, my oldest son decided to set up a campsite on his own, close enough for visits, but far enough for independence. He hadn’t counted on multiple […]
Hampton Beach and an Olde Tyme Fair!
On a beautiful early June day, I took my family to Hampton Beach State Park and the first annual Olde Tyme Fair! Fiesta Shows created a Midway adjacent to the RV campground. Parking was only $5 per car, granting access to the magnificent beach. Beyond the Midway rides, games, and food trucks, there […]
A Piece of Pisgah, the Doolittle Trail
On Sunday, May 26, our family chose to spend the afternoon hiking a small portion of New Hampshire’s largest state park, Pisgah State Park. We took the Old Chesterfield Road route from the east near Route 10, in Winchester. From the trail, we saw a wetland with beaver lodge and dam. Old Chesterfield Road is very popular […]
Ashuelot River Inspiration
“Over the River they beckon to me,/Loved ones who crossed to the further side; The gleam of their snowy robes I see, But their voices are lost on the dashing tide. There’s one with ringlets of sunny gold/ and eyes the reflection of heaven’s own blue; He crossed in the twilight, gray and cold/ and […]