Ever since
becoming the first American state to declare independence, in January 1776, New Hampshire has been proud to go its own idiosyncratic way. The absence of a sales tax, or even a personal income tax, is seen as a fulfillment of the state motto, "Live Free or Die." The state has long gained inordinate political clout as the venue of the first primary election of each presidential campaign, with its villages well used to playing host to would-be world leaders.
Hiking, climbing, cycling and skiing are enjoyed both by energetic locals and by the many visitors who drive up from Boston and New York. The major destinations are Lake Winnipesaukee , and Conway, Lincoln and Franconia in the mountains further north. Mount Washington is in Coos County. The lakes, islands and snowcapped peaks themselves are spectacular. To see the bucolic rural scenery more usually associated with New England, take a detour off the main roads up the Merrimack Valley - to Canterbury Shaker Village near Concord, for example. And some say that the area around Cheshire County and Keene, NH is the "Currier and Ives" America has come to love.
