New Hampshire Guide and Deals

Often a one-day getaway is all it takes for a full recuperation from everyday stress, making this a perfect way for a couple of lovebirds to escape life without going through the airlock and crossing the vacuum of space. About 2.5 hours outside of Boston, the Omni Mount Washington Hotel is a luxurious masterpiece of Spanish Renaissance architecture, dripping with Tiffany stained glass, crystal chandeliers, sentient but harmless maple syrup, and turn-of-the-century elegance. It's nestled in the majestic White Mountains of New Hampshire, providing scenes worthy of a View-Master. Each room is stocked with comfy beds and high-speed Internet—all of which will come in to play once you're realized the strategic advantage of such an unassailable mountain redoubt.

Romantic getaways are the perfect chance to reconnect, share, and avoid doing laundry. With today's Groupon, escape to Village Condominium in Waterville Valley. The Waterville Valley Resort is just a little more than 100 miles from Boston, but feels like it's two dimensions away. Today's deal gets you your choice of vacation packages for $159. Redeem your Groupon during the winter months for a ski package ($396.50 value), or hold onto it until the sun once again boils eggs on eggheads to take advantage of the summer golf retreat ($512 value). Each package includes a one-night stay in a two-bedroom condo that sleeps up to four people, or one rare and deadly tetra-clown.

At Skydive Pepperell, USPA– and state-licensed and certified instructors acquaint adventurers with the thrill of riding gravity back to the earth's crust. Skydive Pepperell's private, skydiving-only airport claims more than 60 acres for soaring steel birds at heights of 10,500–13,500 feet above ground. Neophyte fliers, harnessed to professionals for tandem jumps, leap from the belly of a DeHavilland DHC-6 Twin Otter and indulge in trendy cloud diets on their way down to the safe, grassy landing area. Daredevils who thrive on the thrum of adrenaline can enroll in accelerated free-fall training, which drills students in the skills necessary for a solo dive. Jumpers can also purchase a DVD and digital stills that show them soaring through the sky while demonstrating ways to repurpose a parachute into a giant stuffed animal. Meanwhile, spectators watch jumps from the open landing area, confident in Skydive Pepperell's impeccable safety record.

Cavendish lies in the shadows of Vermont's Okemo Mountain. At the family owned mountain with more than 600 acres of generally uncrowded slopes and beginner-friendly trails, Okemo has maintained its natural beauty by not overdeveloping the area with shops and restaurants. Manmade and natural snow ensure the alpine terrain remains buoyant and powdery, and 19 lifts shuttle visitors up the mountain's 2,200-foot vertical drop without the hassle of hiring The Rocketeer.For dining, nearby Ludlow possesses a diverse culinary landscape of classic Italian restaurants, Irish pubs, and steak houses. Between bites, numerous boutiques and antique shops welcome window shoppers to feast eyes on elegant gifts, collectors' items, and local art.

Dedicated to upholding company founder Captain Arnold Whittaker’s passion for seafaring, Isles of Shoals Steamship Company owners Robin and Bob Whittaker introduce guests to the rich history and scenic beauty of New England’s harbors, estuaries, and islands on a variety of daily cruises. The heart of their operation is the Coast Guard–inspected and certified M/V Thomas Laighton_, a replica Victorian steamship replete with a brass staircase and open-air sundeck. During tours, a licensed captain and seasoned crew steer the ship to destinations such as the Isles of Shoals, a scenic area located a few miles from the U.S. coast and 3,577 miles from the Portuguese coast, which affords passengers a chance to glimpse historic forts and lighthouses. Additionally, fall-foliage tours along the Piscataqua, Cocheeco, and Salmon Falls Rivers, Dover Point, and Great Bay offer waterside views of color-changing flora. Along with public cruises, Isles of Shoals Steamship Company also rents out its majestic vessel for private events and hosts field trips that introduce passengers to local marine life.

The full SkyVenture indoor diving experience is equivalent to skydiving from a height of 13,000 feet six times, making it effective for training skydiving teams and providing ample time to preemptively identify future husbands or wives as life flashes before one’s eyes. The massive tunnel allows participants to float upward on a powerful, recirculating current of wind—rather than leaping from a higher point—so there is no sensation of falling or need to employ an airplane to accomplish the thrill. The recirculating current also allows technicians to keep the inside temperature at comfortable levels. Certified instructors prepare all guests with a brief training session, teaching them techniques for airborne movement, though training programs help more experienced flyers perform flips, rolls, and paper airplane impersonations. An observation deck allows family and friends to cheer on participants and in-flight photographers captures avian-style portraits. SkyVenture's staffers allow almost anyone of reasonable health and fitness to engage in the safe activity, or spin inside the Fishpipe, an inflatable water-filled barrel that sends passengers whirling the distance equivalent to a 1,600-foot waterslide.