10 Reasons to Visit Plymouth, New Hampshire

From culture to restaurants to charming shops, Plymouth entices you.

 

Sometimes some of the best travel adventures and most appealing attractions are right under one’s nose. In the Fussy Diner’s case, it’s Plymouth, New Hampshire, the closest “big” town to the little farming and logging town where we live.

Many NH visitors whizz right by Plymouth as they are flying up Route 93N to go skiing or hiking in the White Mountains. Or, they consider Plymouth a convenient stop to gas up the car and get road snacks – as it is, with dueling gas stations located right off of Exit 25.

But there are plenty of reasons to stop and spend some time in this charming little town.

Here are my top 10 reasons to visit Plymouth:

Main Street: Plymouth has a wonderfully strollable main street, with restaurants, shops, coffee shops, an ice cream parlor, bookstores, an old-time barber shop, a movie theatre, and a gourmet grocery store. There’s a small town common in the middle of town, with benches, a bandstand and an interesting statue of a Boy Scout; in the summer, there are free concerts and other events on the common. (Even an anti-war protest or two.) With its five-cent on-street parking meters – and 30-minutes-free spaces in front of the stores – Main Street is inviting to visitors and locals alike. It’s like stepping back in time.

Plymouth State University: Part of the State of New Hampshire university system, Plymouth State has a picturesque campus scattered on a hill overlooking town. The Herbert H. Lamson Library is nearly brand-new, holds 300,000 cataloged print volumes, and has a learning commons with free wi-fi for students. Local residents can get a library card for a nominal fee.

Silver Center for the Arts: Part of Plymouth State University, the Silver Center for the Arts hosts a schedule of cultural events, including musical performances by symphony orchestras and internationally recognized musicians; free readings by noted authors (we saw Richard Ford, NH's Ernest Hebert, and Chris Bohjalian); and plays put on by students of the school’s Department of Music, Theatre and Dance. The plays – with a top ticket price of $20 – are well worth the money; we have seen high-quality performances of “City of Angels,” “Guys & Dolls” and “The Spitfire Grille.” Twice a year, the faculty selects productions that challenge the students’ skills, and they always rise to the occasion – and then some. Not to be missed.

Main Street Station: This wonderful diner serves breakfast and lunch. Great coffee, imaginative omelettes, and several kinds of killer Eggs Benedict – with friendly home-town service. Park yourself in a booth and watch the world go by on Main Street. The place is bigger than it looks, with a dining room out back.

Chase Street Market: This gourmet grocery store has a deli counter that makes great sandwiches and salads. It also has a surprisingly large and lovingly selected collection of wines, including a selection of under-$10 bottles. Ask for Paul – he knows his wines. There are gourmet cheeses, imported beers and snacks (hey, it’s a college town), mustards and sauces, a small selection of produce, spices for cooking, and regular grocery items. It's a great place to put together a picnic lunch to take hiking, or to assemble a gift basket for your hostess. There are wine tastings in season; discounts kick in at six bottles. Check out Café Monte Alto, which abuts the market – great coffee, teas and snacks, warm atmosphere. Downstairs and out back is Biederman’s Deli, a lunchtime favorite of locals and visitors alike.

Dressers Unlimited: This is a funky little store that offers women’s clothing, some men’s clothing, costume jewelry, and household items such as placemats and candles. Everything in the store is for sale, including the display furniture. It offers interesting one-of-a-kind items, as well as carries items from Woolrich and other quality brands. Some great bargains: I usually do a lot of Christmas shopping here because you can get really interesting things for not too much money. Watch for special events and sales. Lots of fun, and nice people.

Peppercorn Natural Foods: Located in a two-story house on Main Street, Peppercorn packs an amazing selection of foods (fresh, canned, packaged and frozen), spices, grains, dried fruits and nuts, organic produce from local farmers, some breads from local bakers, meats, health and beauty items, teas and coffees, and homeopathic remedies. Not inexpensive, but very high quality. Nice and helpful staff. I am addicted to their homemade granola.

The Flying Monkey Movie House & Performance Center: Local hero/restaurateur-hotelier and one-man civic-pride organization Alex Ray recently bought this beautiful art deco theatre at auction. And he’s bringing it back in classic Alex Ray style, offering first-run movies in the duplex theatre, dinner-and-a-movie deals, and performances by local arts groups.

The Plymouth House of Pizza: In a town with nearly a dozen pizza shops, the PHOP reigns supreme. Thin-crust pizza, salads, sandwiches, grinders (subs), full meals, and more to take out, or to eat in the recently renovated dining room. There’s a full liquor license, and a bar in the back that gets hopping late at night. Our favorites are the white pizza (four cheese) and the vegetable pizza, made with fresh vegetables (more like a salad with some pizza dough under it – at least that’s my excuse!). Not inexpensive, but the food is carefully made and fresh. Also not fancy, but good service and nice people.

The Common Man Inn: This is another great Alex Ray production: a funky country inn, restaurant and spa housed in a renovated baseball-bat factory. Right off Route 93, this is a convenient place to stop for drinks or dinner at Foster’s, a multi-level restaurant built inside the old boiler room; it’s part of the Common Man chain of restaurants, so the food is great and a good value. The inn is a warm stopping off place for an overnight or a few nights exploring the local area, convenient to the Waterville Valley Ski Area and Squam Lakes region. The Common Man Spa offers a full complement of services for face, body and mind.

There are many more places to like in Plymouth, including:

The relatively new Thai Smile restaurant and the Six Burner Bistro, both of which we have heard great things about but have yet to try.

Plymouth Ski & Sports will suit you up for skiing or snowboarding in the winter, or rent you kayaks and canoes in the summer to explore the Pemigewasset River or Squam Lakes. This place runs excursions in the summer, and offers pick up and drop off transportation for kayakers/canoers.

Hikers are close to Rattlesnake Mountain in Rumney, famous among rock-climbers; and the Plummers Ledge Natural Area in Wentworth.

The Fussy Diner gives Plymouth, NH, Two Forks and a snowshoe up.

Check it out: Exit 25 off Route 93N.