NEW HAMPSHIRE - Sea Coast

Calef’s Country Store, at routes 9 and 125 in the Seacoast town of Barrington, has been dispensing welcome, hospitality, and good food since the horse-and-buggy days. Stop in for a deli sandwich during your explorations of the area, and, if you can, pick up some great food gifts to charm the people you left back home. These include Caleb’s Snappy Old Cheese, maple foods, jams, jellies, butter, pickles, relishes, olives, chutney, salsa and pretzel dips, soup mixes, and more. Caleb’s also carries beautiful artwork by the New Hampshire Pewter Company. Open daily. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Phone: 800-462-2118

People who appreciate the fruit of the beer maker’s art should be advised to visit two local breweries in the Portsmouth area: the large Portsmouth Brewery & Cataqua Public House on Corporate Drive at Pease International Tradeport, (603-430-8600) which offers tours, samples, and a restaurant, and the Portsmouth Brewery on Market Street in downtown Portsmouth (603-431-1115). You won’t be disappointed.

The Music Hall, the landmark Victorian theater at 28 Chestnut Street in Portsmouth, will host behind-the-scenes tours of the historic Beaux Arts theater. The tour paints a full picture of the history of the hall, including the tales of sailors who rigged the theater in the late 19th century, its flashy and famous owners, and stars across three centuries. Its performers have ranged from Mark Twain to Wynton Marsalis and David Crosby. Visitors will see the passage of time through the building’s restorations, which have brought back details dating back to 1878 and 1901, the hall’s periods of architectural significance. In 2011-2012, tours operate October 18, 2011, to May 2012 on the third Thursday of each month starting at 5:30 p.m. Tours run about 75 minutes. Phone: 603-436-2400.

One of New Hampshire's most unique natural resources is found on a quiet road on the outskirts of Portsmouth, welcoming anyone who values New Hampshire's woodlands and natural resources. The Urban Forestry Center at 45 Elwyn Road consists of 182 acres of field, forest, and salt marsh. The center is used as a tree farm, a bird and wildlife sanctuary, a garden and landscape demonstration site, and as a learning center for tree and plant identification. It has several gardens, walking trails, tree identification trail, salt marsh, and other educational displays. And, pets on leash are welcome. Trails open daily, year-round; office open weekdays. Phone: 603-431-6774.

Strawbery Banke Museum on Hancock Street in Portsmouth is a community composed of restored and furnished houses, exhibits, historic landscapes and gardens, and costumed role players. Together, these elements bring to life the daily activities of New England people from European settlement in the 17th century to the mid-20th century. In addition to ongoing exhibits, lots of special events take place during warm weather. Phone: 603-433-1100.

Flag Hill Vineyard and Winery at 297 North River Road in Lee has ground in 20 years from a family-operated vineyard to an established winery in this picturesque seacoast region. The winery produces more than 15 varieties of red and white wines. Owner Frank Reinhold recently secured Flag Hill as the first distillery in the state, producing distilled spirits such as General John Stark Vodka and Josiah Bartlett Apple Brandy. A new Tasting Room & Gift Store, offering events, tours, sales, and more, opened in March 2010. Open year round, Wednesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. except for major holidays. Phone: 603-659-2949.

The Seacoast region has wonderful shopping for beautiful and unusual items. The Fox Run Mall in Newington is a place to start for national names, followed by a trip to Boardwalk Strip at Hampton Beach. The cream of the shopping experience has to be Portsmouth's Market Street , crammed with art, toys, home decorations, clothing, hardware, jewelry, flowers, and more. Voted one of New England's Best Shopping Streets by Travel and Leisure Magazine.

Like many of New England’s historic regional theaters, the Rochester Opera House was built in the early 20th century, with stunning architectural details. In fact the Rochester is the nation’s only theater with a moveable auditorium floor, designed to incline for amphitheater seating or level off for dancing. By 1984 however, the theater was in near ruins and no one remembered how to operate or where to locate the floor mechanism. Now thanks to a community restoration project, the theater is again fully functional, hosting an array of performing arts year round. Coming up in 2012: Hypnotist Frank Santos, Jr., “The Little Shop of Horrors,” The Corvettes with doo-wop, Dance Rochester, Tap Kids, We the People, The Machine Performs Pink Floyd, “The Many Colors of Dolly,” and more. Phone: 603-335-1992.