I was born in Maine (Damariscotta), lived there until I was 14 (moved to Litchfied when I was about 3), and then lived in Exeter, NH until I was 18 at which point I came to Atlanta (my mother’s job brought us here). Ever since I left, I have always been nostalgic about moving back, and going there on vacations has made it even only more desirous. The following are the reasons/memories that are requiring me to go back (in no particular order):
Hampton Beach and the huge banks of pinball machines in the arcades
Lobster rolls
Humpty Dumpty brand potato chips, especially Sour Cream and Clam
Reid State Park
Harness Racing
Skowhegan Fair
Lake Winnapausakee
Funtown USA, the Astrosphere in particular
Candlepin bowling (an earlier thread inspired this post)
Thomaston State Prison and their woodcrafts shop (I cannot believe this is gone!)
Red’s hot dogs
Downhill skiing
Fudge at Boothbay Harbor
Canobie Lake Amusement Park (where I took my high school physics final exam, thanks Mrs. May!)
Maple Syrup
Apple Cider
good Clam dip
Beanpot dinners
whale watching in Bar Harbor
the White Mountains
L.L. Bean open 24 hours a day (a friend and I spent a night there waiting for the local garage to open when his car broke down)
Kankamangus Highway
Trees changing colors
Clambakes
Yoken’s (Thare she blows) =)
No sales tax or state income tax in NH
Wolfeboro Railroad (I think this is gone now too, grrr)
Um, it’s New England and it’s beautiful. Oh, you want specifics?
Four distinct seasons. There’s none of that measly winter you get in Atlanta (hey, I spent 2.5 years there and grew up in Chattanooga. I know what the winters are like).
Real county fairs - they are all over the place in the fall, you can’t miss them.
Lobster bakes (as opposed to clam bakes :p)
I’d do it in an instant. I had four years in Maine and fell in love with the state. I’m already trying to finangle a way to get back there once I’m done with grad school - maybe the UMaine or UNH libraries will be hiring…
Unless you have a job lined up, put it off. The job market in NH is rough right now- sadly, I know more people looking for work at the moment (as I am) than people with full-time jobs. Fosters, one of the largest papers in NH, today has a total of 43 help-wanted ads, if that paints a clearer picture. Oh, and the apartment vacency rate across the state is 1-1.5% so unless you plan to own a home, or have housing arranged… Maybe you should move to ME
