New Hampshire Road Trip with Nora LeDuc

Buckle your seatbelts,  get ready for a road trip. You’re in New Hampshire, the land of Live Free or Die.  Begin your adventure in Portsmouth, or Strawbery Banke, as it was once named in the 1600s during the charm of days long past. In 1774, Paul Revere rode to Portsmouth warning that the British were coming. These days, Portsmouth has something for everyone. Choose a restaurant on the water, sit on the deck and enjoy the food and cool breeze.  Watch the ships passing in the harbor. Walk through the square to find quaint shops. Visit the Children’s Museum or stroll through the preserved Strawbery Banke Museum and be transported back to another era. Across the street is beautiful Prescott Park which sits on ten acres of flower gardens, walkways and grass areas all designed for public use. In the summer enjoy the trial garden, planted with over 500 flower varieties. In the evenings, sit under the stars and enjoy a play or a musical presentation.                                                                

 

Head west to Manchester, the largest city. The Red Arrow Diner is open 24 hours so you’re never too early or too late for a meal. Catch a ball game at Fishercats Stadium, a Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays major-league club and then watch the fireworks. They’re as good as the fourth of July. The stadium is located in the Mill yard, once a thriving textile center owned by the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company and now the home of restaurants, a science museum and upscale apartments. One of my main characters in Pick up Lines for Murder lives in the Mill Yard.

A northerly direction leads to the Lakes Region. Drive through Concord, the State Capitol and stop for an educational tour of the State House. The New Hampshire State House is the only state capitol whose legislature still sits in its original chambers-no small feat, since the 424 member New Hampshire General Court is the largest state legislative body, and the third largest legislature among English-speaking peoples. After a quick tour, head for Weirs Beach in Laconia and hop on the Mount Washington for a tour of Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in New Hampshire. Once on board, catch a glimpse to the north of the White Mountains. John Greenleaf Whittier, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Nathaniel Hawthorne Hawthorne are a few poets inspired to write about the beauty of the Mountains.  Those same mountians inspired me to make them home to my hero in Murder by Heart. 
The cruise lasts about three hours but, for a shorter ride, catch one of the mail boats. The Captian stops along the way deliver mail direct to New Hampsire's local residents. 
A native New Hampshirite, I love books and thanks my family and Memorial High School English teachers.
Exposed to a wide variety of literature, I never planned on becoming a writer. When I began reading romances at a late age I was working two part time jobs in the field of education, taking a course, and caring for my husband and two children.
As if I didn’t have enough to do, I looked for  an entertaining diversion. During a visit to a book store, I discovered the romance section. I devoured every historical by Johanna Lindsey, Julie Garwood, and Amanda Quick then expanded into contemporaries.
My life changed when I found a world of romance on the Prodigy Romance Board in the early 1990s. There, I learned about Romance Writers of America and became a member.
I realized  authorship was my calling.


For another road trip adventure with Nora LeDuc or the characters in her novels, visit her website, www.noraleduc.com or find her on FaceBook.