Not our name, but our passion
In 1622 John Mason and Sir Ferdinando Gorges were granted land between the Merrimack and Kennebec Rivers. Captain John Mason granted six thousand acres to David Thompson to establish trade and to settle the land. In 1623 he founded the Pannaway settlement on this site on the New Hampshire seacoast in Rye. Pannaway did not survive as a permanent colony is now on land within Odiorne Point State Park.
First Settler’s Monument
Odiorne Point State Park is a park in the town of Rye, New Hampshire. It sits along the 18-mile seacoast of the state, and has 135 acres of shoreline accompanied by beaches and some rocky areas. For such a small area the park has much to offer with bike paths, The Seacoast Science Center (a small aquarium), historic sites and views of a lighthouse.
Bike trails wind their way through the park
New Hampshire’s first settlement was located within the park boundaries
First Settler’s Monument
The Seacoast Science Center has a small aquarium
The Whaleback Lighthouse can be seen from the shore
The Sunken Forest is nearby and can sometimes be seen on very low tides
The park is the site of Fort Dearborn
After more than a year inside due to the CoVID-19 pandemic Hampton Beach is open for the summer of 2021.
Boardwalk and parking fully open
Beach open for swimming
Washing off the sand
Half shell open for concerts
Arcade
Sand ready for beach sculpture contest
Beginning to take shape
And of course beach food
Masconomo Park in Manchester by the Sea is a lovely local park with idyllic views of the harbor and a community bandstand.
Statue in the middle of the park commemorates World War I veterans.
Views of the Harbor
A wonderful quiet respite on a cold winter day.
Porto Moniz is a municipality in the northwest corner of the island of Madeira. The town features a natural complex of lava pools that are popular with locals and tourists. It is unclear when the area of Porto Moniz was first colonized, although it is likely that it occurred at the beginning of the last quarter of the 15th century. Francisco Moniz O Velho, is referred to as one of these first settlers, who had uncultivated lands in this area and was responsible for establishing a farm and chapel. The municipality was created on October 31, 1835, but was quickly abolished and reestablished successively in 1849-1855, 1867-1871 and again in 1895-1898. We stayed at the wonderful Aqua Natura Hotel which overlooked the lava pools. Be sure to click on the links for each location to see my more in depth posts on the topic.
Adjacent to the pools are the rocky shoreline leading up to the Madeira Aquarium.
The Seaview Restaurant has wonderful Portuguese cuisine.
A walk through the town has great views and with cafes and shops.
Stop by a cafe like the Cantinho Tradicional for a drink or snack. Alex loved his fresh squeezed orange juice.
